Lee hand press for first time reloader?

That's how I started out. Loading exclusively 45 ACP. A couple of years later I got a single stage, then another, then a Dillon. I loaded over 2K 45acp with that handloader, 50 a time, and it works just as well today as it did then- even though I don't use it currently. Straight wall brass is easy to load with the handloader. Either you'll get into it, use it a lot, and expand your new hobby or you'll dislike it for whatever reason in which case your investment is minimal. Have fun!
Another thing I liked about it was that I could resize brass in the living room and watch tv with my wife. I like the portability.

1. You start out with that, you may not like reloading and give it up.

2. Don't go reloading on a camping trip. Load all the ammo you need on your powerful, roomy, and powerful bench press before leaving home.

3. Buy a press, even a cheap press, and bolt it down on something, even an old table, dresser, or something.

rc

I reloaded shotgun, rifle, and pistol for two years in a one bedroom duplex while I was in the Army.

The presses and all supplies were stored in an Army foot locker when not being used.

So, stood on end, it was a reloading bench in front of the dining room table.

Stored and laid down on the floor in front of the sofa, with a pretty table cloth on it?
It was a nice attractive coffee table.

So don't tell me you don't have room for a reloading press.

rc

At a minimum, Lee Classic Cast. Strong enough for both pistol and rifle. Still economical

Yeah... I dunno, you guys. I think some of the nay-sayers here have been reloading long enough that they've forgotten how awesome it is just to reload, and have become too focused on rounds-per-hour and convenience. Not to say those things aren't good, but... as I'll reveal below, I may be biased.

I started with this hand press, an RCBS 3-die set, and a bunch of .38 special brass. Yes, it was slow, but no it was not difficult. I lived in an apartment where I was unable to build what I thought to be a satisfactory loading bench, so a mounted press was out of the question. I love my hand press, still have it, and will probably pass it along to someone who wants to get into reloading.

...hey. OP, would you like my Lee hand press? =)

A lee precision single stage press is $67 shipped on amazon, I would spend the extra money to get it.

Why Yes!
I actually have!

I made this one in the basement about 40 years ago, thinking it would be a good idea to reload at the range.
It wasn't.

Although the press worked fine, and would easily FL size 30-06, 25-06, & 22-250?
The wind is always blowing in Kansas, and scales don't work so hot outdoors in the wind!!

So reloading at the range or camping is a bad idea!



A few years ago, I bought a Lee Reloader press (pretty much the same as the hand press, only bench mounted) thinking it would be great for de-priming cases.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/80...pf_ci_google&gclid=CJGh77Lh18cCFRAjgQodfLkChA

Turns out it was so small you couldn't get your hand and a rifle case in it at the same time!!

rc

Alrighty, I'll make a better post.

I'll walk through the various steps with the hand press, and how they differ from a mounted single-stage press, so you have a side-by-side. I've used both, so hopefully I can include all the details you need to know whether you want to go the handpress route.

I'll leave out all the non-press related stuff like tumbling, and powder charging, and (optionally) priming.

1.) Resizing and decapping: This goes relatively the same way with a hand press as with a single stage press, with the exception that the hand press collects spent primers inside the hollow ram. Every 20-40 rounds or so for small primers, you'll need to pop out the shell holder (easy, it's only spring-clip retained) and dump the primers. Minor deal.

2.) Priming: Lee sells a little accessory called the Lee Ram Prime, which I purchased with my hand press. It does the job and does it well. It's got a shell holder holder which goes where your dies normally go, and then a little stand that goes where the shellholder normally goes. You drop a primer in the top of the stand, sit a shell in the holder, and press. It's far less fatigue on your hand, but also far slower than one of Lee's hand priming tools (which I would recommend.)

3.) Flaring the case mouth: Same deal as decapping, no real difference from using a bench mounted press.

4.) Bullet seating: Same as above. I would recommend a 3-die set, in which the 3rd die both seats and crimps the cartridge. They're a little more finicky to set up than a 4-die, but if you're using the hand press, saving yourself a die change cuts your time by around 25%. You really only need to set it once, anyway.

How do you plan to do your powder charges?

So far all of my reloading has been done with the hand press and I think it is very capable and for straight wall cases with carbide dies it is perfect. I just finished sizing about 300 9mm cases with the hand press and it was tedious but effective. I have used it for bottleneck rifle cases and it seems to work fine as long as you lube the cases well.
I would definitely recommend the hand press kit which comes with a ram primer, a funnel, and case lube

I see no reason not to try. The fact that you're following up with the conversation shows you won't quit if something doesn't quite work out the way you may have thought it would.

Not sure what calibers you have available that you could reload, but my 45 Colts take a bit of force getting through the decapping/resizing die. You might be a bigger guy than I am and have no troubles, but that would really be my only concern. 38 Specials are what I started with and they slip through the dies pretty easily.

The press itself is not where the costs are at though. You'll still need dies ($50), a scale ($50), powder/primers ($50) and bullets ($50). And a good manual of course ($25-$50).

I've introduced a few folks to reloading by letting them operate my equipment and load their own rounds (under careful supervision of course). Perhaps there is someone near you that would be willing to walk you through it...

It is a lot of fun! And since you're curious about trying it, you'll probably have a lot of fun at it too.

after using that hand press,for a while, you can enter all the full beer can crushing contests and win....and will have a manly grip when you shake hands with others....just remember to switch hands after each set of ten...so one forearm does not look over sized compared to the other









when you do finally get a bench mounted press....you will tell yourself..."I should have just start with one of these"

handy

I started with Lee Loaders. Then I went with a Lee Hand press. I have two now and still use them, though they are not my primary presses.
When i started decades ago, i was batch loading .45 acp. Did that for while....used to sit at the beach down by Riis park and decap a few hundred cases....and then bell the mouths. Maybe i would bring a bunch of primers and do that operation.
For powder drop....I used Lee dippers and a Lee safety scale. I cleaned the cases with steel wool.
The dippers, properly used are very reliable and accurate. A loading block, a funnel and dippers.
I branched out to .30-06 and used the same tools. Soon after that, I went to a progressive for the .45s (a Pro1000...still use it regularly). Now.....I have fifteen presses spread across three reloading rooms and two states.
Pete

I started with that hand press (kit with ram prime and funnel), a set of their dies in 45 acp, a scale and set of dippers, and the Lee book.
A box of primers and bullets, pound of powder. It all fit in a small leather tote and slid under the bed.
Loaded at the kitchen table.

It is a real SS press and you can load about as fast as any SS press.

The hand press is a step up from what I started on, the lee classic loader. I still caught the bug, and within a year I have two presses, a Lyman All american turret (pistol) and a RCBS Rockchucker (rifle).

I'm with RCModel, reloading outside won't be much fun. If you enjoy it, you will make room for a more efficient method to load.

I have progressive presses, a good single stage press, and a hand press.

Since I got the hand press, I don't use my single stage at all. I load high-volume pistol on the progressive, rifle on the hand press.

I will say that getting used to using the hand press may take awhile. If you are strong, most of the issues will not be big issues. I will say that your first few loading sessions will find muscles you didn't know you had, and those will burn and hurt the next day. After awhile, though it will not be an issue if you stick with it. The difference in force required between a single stage and a hand press loading 30-06 is like the difference between carrying a backpack and pushing a small car. But I still loaded 400 of them on it to feed the Garand. I would rather use the hand press on the kitchen table than the single stage in the garage, at least when the garage is 85-95 degrees and the house is 74.

Priming on it using the ram prime is slow. I would recommend getting a hand primer. Make sure you get carbide dies. If it requires too much effort, lube your cases. After awhile, it won't be an issue. Get a loading block. If you want to load outside, make sure you bring a truck with a camper shell or something to block the wind. rcmodel is 100% correct about measuring powder in the wind.

Another issue you may have is that when using the hand press, some tipping of cases may be inevitable. It will work easier with tall cases. I don't think loading .380/9mm/.45ACP would work as well as rifle. I would think .45 Colt would be a good match for the press.

If that's all you think you have room for, then a hand press will work just fine.

I've spent the last 25 years loading on the little C-press rc linked to in his post, the Lee Reloader. Paid $9.95 for it from Midway in 1990. It's still the only press I own. I've loaded .38, .357, .45, .223, 7x57, and .30-'06 on it. No troubles at all. As long as you lube correctly and don't try to force anything, even full-length resizing is no problem. No, you can't get your whole fist in there, but my fingers fit just fine.

If you have no room to build a "proper" bench, you can always go portable. Mount your press to a sturdy board you can clamp to a table top or counter top. When you're done, it can be removed and stored. Just another option.

A hand press will work, but it won't be enjoyable.

I started off with an RCBS Rockchucker and two Irwin Quick Grip Clamps on my dining room table. I eventually converted an old desk into my reloading bench and haven't looked back.

Since moving to my new apartment, I've primarily been using the hand press for load development (my Rockchucker setup is still at my parents' house and I visit often). The hand press is miserable resizing 50 cases. Doable, but not exactly enjoyable.

Spend a couple more bucks on a real press and clamp it to a surface if you have to. Not ideal, but you'll get better leverage and most likely more consistent results than the hand press.

I have one, but it wasn't my first press. I started on my dads RCBS press, and bought the big 50BMG RCBS eventually. However, mounting was a problem. There were plenty of places that I could have mounted it, but it wasn't about to happen.. I won't go into details, but sometimes, circumstance dictates what you can/can't do.

So, I bought the little Lee hand press so that I could at least do some light stuff. I still use it even though I have my RCBS and Dillon mounted securely now. I also have a scale, scoops and a trickler that can go with me on trips, but I've only done this once. I avoid traveling and loading, but if you have a bunch of brass to size and deprime, and your evenings are going to be mashing your butt in front of a hotel TV... guess what? It's great for that!

So far, I've used the Lee hand press for anything from 380 to 308, and haven't experienced any issues. It's not for everyone, but I'm not letting go of mine.

Not a bad start.

You might find that you like it, and then invest in a turret or progressive. I still use a hand press at the range when I am working up specific rifle loads, so it probably isn't money wasted.