Lee progressive press question

The chain is a reset method for the powder measure. Not everyone uses Lee dies on their press and has a powder through die to use. For rifle no powder through die comes with your set of dies, unless you use the "Universal Rifle Powder Through" die you can activate the powder measure with your case, but may not get a full reset. Buy using the chain you insure that the powder measure will reset to the proper position. Those that use the powder through dies should not have to use the chain. But as always it is safer to use the equipment as designed.

Just my view on the issure.
Jim

With the spring return installed, if you part stroke down and then back up again, you have just double charged your case. With the chain you must run full stroke to recycle the powder hopper.

Dana

SSN Vet said:

I see your point Jim,

For the Perfect Powder Measure that makes "perfect" sense....

But the Auto-disk cycles under spring tension and is retracted back to the hopper when the case is lowered out of the die.

Any other thoughts out there? Am I missing something?

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Yes, the point you are missing is that the "F" lever using the spring and the "T" lever using the chain perform the same function...as Jim243 pointed out... resetting the Auto-Disk powder measure back to its starting position. (Using either spring or chain, the Auto-Disk powder measure powder drop portion of the cycle is activated by the case. The RESET portion of the cycle is where the difference lies.)

The chain is preferred where it can be used and the spring used where the chain cannot be used.

Since Turret presses 1) do not have a place to anchor the return chain and 2) the rotating turret would tangle up the chain, they must use the spring return and "F" lever. So, if you use an Auto-Disk measure on a single stage or a turret press, you have to use the spring return.

As D_Rudd pointed out, if you short-stroke the ram (full upstroke actuates the measure, partial downstroke allows the spring to reset the measure without rotating the turret, another upstroke drops a second powder charge). If a chain were used, the reset does not occur until and unless the ram has traveled to its lowest position.

I had two (used) Pro-1000 presses with powder measures using the the "F" lever and spring and it worked fine. It was no problem for me to ensure the shell plate rotated and I never, ever had a double charge nor any fear of one. At the time, I never even knew there WAS a chain and "T" lever.

Ultimately, though, I found I preferred the Turret press anyway, so the Pro-1000s have been traded off and I am much happier with my Lee Classic Turret. But that's another story.

Lost Sheep

p.s. The Lee Perfect Powder Measure does not enter into this discussion. Only the Auto-Disk.

What they said.

I run the spring on all my presses, regardless of whether the chain would work or not. makes it easier to move the autodisk around.

SSN Vet said:

Thanks for the clarification... Makes sense.

I find that the spring return works very well on my turret press, so I didn't see the need for the chain.

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Note that is impossible to use the chain on a turret press at the same time as you are using the auto-indexing. The chain will try to wrap around the press as the turret turns. Can't do it.

It is also difficult to use with the auto-indexing turned off, as there is no place to attach the chain on the ram.

SSN Vet said:

I've never loaded on a progressive press... So I likely don't appreciate many of the considerations and have a hard time seeing why short stroking or double stroking is such a concern.

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Because it is possible (with the spring return) to double charge a case if you don't run the ram all the way to the bottom of the stroke.

Here's how it works:

If you run the ram all the way down, the shell plate (or the turret) rotates at the same time as the powder measure resets, but only with the chain. With the spring the powder measure resets before the rotation takes place, thus making it possible to re-stroke on the same case and get a double charge.

If you are not using a progressive press, the question never comes up because it is impossible to use the chain return (unless you have it hanging free and pull it with your hand, but that presents a whole other set of questions).

Lost Sheep