Lee hand press for first time reloader?

I loaded 223, 10mm, 9mm for years on a Lee hand press. Slow, but works like a champ. Only this year did I get a bench mounted press. If you are a low volume shooter, it will work just fine (or just have a lot of spare time to reload). I still use mine for depriming as I can sit in front of the TV with it. Works great for resizing straight walled pistol cases too.

Best thing is you can pack in away along with the rest of your reloading gear into a small rubbermade tube.

I'd say, yep, give it a try. But remember it's limitations. It can be clumsy and a bit difficult keeping it straight and not spilling powder from a charged case. Some find it difficult to find a position or hold to use the press comfortably. They are slow. Squeezing can get tiresome, real fast. But, you can load ammo that's just as good as any loaded on a $$$$ bench mounted press. Also remember that you'll need dies, a priming tool (my Lee hand Press came with a Ram Prime, which I have found to be my preferred priming method). A set of Lee dippers and a beam scale are also necessary parts of your-new-to-reloading inventory. Calipers if you reload rifle or semi-auto handgun ammo And don't forget 2 or 3 manuals...

Go slow, double check everything, and most important, have fun!

FWIW, there are several proven methods of "temporary" mounting of bench presses. I used a Workmate for 2 years. Put it together, loaded up a bunch of ammo, disassembled it and stowed the parts under my bed...

I agree with Candyman , get the cheap Lee C press and mount it to a piece of wood then clamp it to a table . I have the hand press it has been sitting for a long time . They work though , don't forget to get a loading block .

I actually bought one after I had a single stage and progressive press. I use it to resize/deprime alot of my rifle brass because it is so convenient to do sitting on the couch. My other presses are in my shop and when adding powder and bullet seating I want no distractions, but for resizing i can watch TV or be watching the kids play. So I would say get it, get started reloading and when/if you move to another style of press it is likely you will still find a use for it.

RC I remember that press it was made by Fred Huntington IIRC.
thought about buying one glad I didn't. Midway used to make a portable reload stand don't know how well it worked though. Did a lot of reloading on a Rockchucker attached to a kitchen table.

I use the Lee Hand Press to load 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, 357 mag, 44 mag, .223 and 30 06. I usually load in the living room with the AC on, TV in the background, and sitting on the couch. But if it's not too windy or hot, I'll go out on the patio.

So long as you have everything within reach, production is about as fast as you can go with a single stage press. The only thing you give up is leverage, but just use enough lube for rifle cartridges and I would also use lube on .44 mag and .45 colt. Also, I'm not a big or strong guy.

I say get the hand press. If you find that you like hand loading, then you can always expand later and buy mounted presses. The hand press is always a good addition to have which allows you to load almost anywhere.

I use them all the time. I have two and when I dont feel like breaking down my progressive Hornady for hand loading 20-30 shells of something else I use the lee hand loader, throw my feet up on the desk and relax.

TruthTellers said:

I don't have the space to bolt it down a press on anything. I'm looking at this to get my feet wet and learn the fundamentals hands on. I'm not expecting to crank out 50 rounds an hour with a hand press.

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My first reloading "bench" was a single piece of 2x12 about three feet long. It was mounted along a wall in a small storage room and on it was an RCBS Jr press. I had maybe a foot of space on both sides of the press (and a small shelf above it to mount my Lyman 55 powder measure) and that was all I needed. Of course since the Jr press doesn't have compound linkage, the bench was braced against the floor.

It worked fine for several years. Take rc's advice and build yourself a bench; you need very little space really. A small bench and a shelf just above your head is all you need.

Truthteller, I agree with RC 100%, when I first started reloading, I had a single stage mounted on a typewriter table, that could be put away in a clothe closet when I was done with it.

Recently I've seen "Smart Reloader" brand single stage presses going for as little as $20.49 at Natchez's. I've got no idea what quality they are but I'd bet they are on a par with Lee.

Incidentally I started out with a Lee set of dies that you had to pound the casing into the die, then pound the casing out of the die, install the primer by again pounding the primer in, put the powder in the case, then seat the bullet by again pounding the bullet in, seriously, I loaded at least 40 rounds of .270 Winchester using this method, that, believe it or not was fairly accurate. I don't recommend this method to any one however and I do believe I've still got that set of reloading dies.

Welcome to reloading. Thanks for asking our advice.

TruthTellers said:

Would you gentleman recommend a Lee's Breech Lock Hand Press as a first press for someone getting into reloading? I see them selling for $30-40 and I figure for such a relatively small investment, at lease relative to the cost of single stage and turret presses, if I didn't like reloading or didn't see much of a savings I wouldn't have blown too much money for nothing.

The cartridge I would be loading for is .45 Colt.

For those who may not be familiar, here's the press:

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Your post 34 notwithstanding, here is my answer to your original question:

The hand press is an excellent tool for your cartridge (45 Colt). A press that mounts on a base is definitely easier to keep steady, but the hand press is manageable alright.

The hand press does not have any provision for priming, Lee's Challenger press does, as do most other bench-mounted presses.

My first press mounted to a 2x6 board which I wedged into the drawer of an end table/nightstand. I put my scale on the coffee table and all the weight I had on the nightstand and steadied the press when necessary with my left hand while operating the lever with my right. Not having to deal with the question of "what do I do with the press when I swap cases" is an advantage of a press mounted on something.

The press mounted on the board with wingnuts on carriage bolts with the heads countersunk on the underside of the board. I could pad the top of the table with a towel or newspaper and tie it down with a belt. But wedging in the drawer was my favorite because the press tilted back a little for better hand and visual access.

I still use the same board today, 40 years later. Only now it is a little shorter and mounts to a folding portable workbench. I shortened it to fit in a toolbox.

Everything I use to load for 7 different calibers (except the folding workbench, my case cleaner and the supplies of components-primers, bullets, powder and cases) fits in three toolboxes, the largest of which is 23" long.

Box 1 - press, board, box of small pieces and tools, primer feed
Box 2 - 7 sets of dies
Box 3 - Powder scale, dippers, trickler and 3 Auto-disk powder measures.

Now, a hand press, scale, dies, trickler and dippers would all fit in my first toolbox, but the advantages of a mounted press (in my mind) far outweigh the space savings. You would probably get away with just two toolboxes. Won't fit in a dresser drawer, but would go in the bottom of a closet OK.

A bench-mountable press will cost you only about $65-$75 more than the hand press. But that difference is entirely recoverable on resale if you decide not to continue reloading. The necessary accessories (dies, scale, manuals, etc) are nearly the same as for the hand press, so the difference there is zero. The mounted press will relieve you of the need for a hand primer, saving about $25, but will the press will benefit from the addition of the Safety-Prime (primer feed device) which costs about the same.

If you DO decide reloading is not for you, the Classic Turret press will hold its resale value very well. The Hand Press will too, but probably not as high a percentage.

So, my conclusion is that a mounted press will
1) take up a little more than twice the storage space as the hand press. (large shoebox storage vs small toolbox storage),
2) cost more to buy, but recoup more if you quit reloading,
3) take a little longer to set up and
4) take a lot less time to load with.

See this thread wherein I describe the reasoning behind my choice. I titled it: "Budget Beginner's bench you will never outgrow, for the novice handloader" (or, What I would have done if I knew then what I know now)

www.rugerforum.net/reloading/29385-...you-will-never-outgrow-novice-handloader.html

Good luck

Lost Sheep

It was my first press. It works, but I would get the mounted single stage or even the turret press. Much easier. More stable. I kept the hand press, thinking it would be handy just to de cap brass.....I don't even use it for that now. No space? then get the Lee tripod reloading base, or mount press to a board and use clamps to affix it to a table.

Russellc

FWIW, STAY AWAY FROM SMART RELOADER PRESSES! I bought one out of curiosity 2 years ago and I haven't been able to reload one box of 38 Specials with it. It is of suck poor quality, it is very difficult to use. The ram is gritty and so sloppy the case has to be guided into each case for every operation and very little leverage so sizing/depriming a case is difficult. I keep mine hanging on the wall above my bench to remind me to never buy any Smart Roader products (and in the two years I've owned one, I have read many, many reports of poor quality Smart Reloader stuff).

The Lee Hand Press has been recommended to you, and you have been warned against using one. So, it's all a matter of personal choice; if you want one, get it. If you don't want one, don't spend yer money! I have one along with 6 Lee Loaders, three single stage presses, and one turret press, each one works like it was designed to work...

Lost Sheep said:

The hand press does not have any provision for priming, Lee's Challenger press does, as do most other bench-mounted presses.

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Actually it does. It is not very sophisticated, and you have to place the primers in one at a time, but it is easy to use, and has good "feel."

It is included in the kit:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/650614/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-kit

I have never used the hand press but I own a Lee turret and am very happy with it. (old style 3 hole "deluxe")
I have probably loaded 20000 rounds on it if not more.
It was an inexpensive way to get started. I you plan on loading lots of ammo it might be worth your while to step up to the Classic turret.
Lots of people say Lee equipment is "junk" but lots of people (myself included) are very happy with their Lee equipment.

If the hand press fits you budget give it try.
If you don't like the press the dies can always be used in a different press.

If it matters to you Lee products are made in the USA, and I have received excellent support from Lee.
I broke a decap pin, and even though I told them it was my fault the sent out a replacement for free.

loose noose said:

Truthteller, I agree with RC 100%, when I first started reloading, I had a single stage mounted on a typewriter table, that could be put away in a clothe closet when I was done with it.

Recently I've seen "Smart Reloader" brand single stage presses going for as little as $20.49 at Natchez's. I've got no idea what quality they are but I'd bet they are on a par with Lee.

Incidentally I started out with a Lee set of dies that you had to pound the casing into the die, then pound the casing out of the die, install the primer by again pounding the primer in, put the powder in the case, then seat the bullet by again pounding the bullet in, seriously, I loaded at least 40 rounds of .270 Winchester using this method, that, believe it or not was fairly accurate. I don't recommend this method to any one however and I do believe I've still got that set of reloading dies.

Click to expand...

Chinese-made ripoffs of American presses vs American-made originals?
Not even close to par.

maxxhavoc said:

Actually it does. It is not very sophisticated, and you have to place the primers in one at a time, but it is easy to use, and has good "feel."

It is included in the kit:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/650614/lee-breech-lock-hand-press-kit

Click to expand...

Thanks for that correction. I had never seen the kit that included the little ram-prime. I had only seen the press sold by itself.

Lost Sheep

Absolutely go for it. Slow but they work just fine. Even now I still use it for decaping/sizing while watching TV instead of having to be at the bench for everything, so it can still get use latter when/if you decide to go with a mounted press of some sort.

Personally, if you don't need the portability, I'd go with a smaller bench mounted press which sell for about the same. They are easier to work with. For that matter, even if you do need portability, I used an RCBS Partner Press for years just mounted to the bench with a C clamp, but really when you start using other accessories on the press like a powder dispenser, you'll want something mounted.

BTW, the Lee Hand Press comes with a ram prime unit, my preferred method of priming. I have been sing a ram prime tool for mebbe 16 years and it works much better for me than the three hand primers I have tried. To quote the Lyman 49th manual "The preferred method for obtaining correct and uniform primer seating depths is to use a Ram Prime unit mounted at the die station of your press"...

When I started handloading, all they had was the Lyman Tong Tool, which I couldn't afford! If only they had invented the Lee hand press then, I would have found a way to get one!
I borrowed my Brother-in-Law's Lee Classic loader. After a while, I had to return it, (drat!), and I was getting tired of the constant pounding, so I bought me the cheapest RCBS SS press they had, bolted it to a piece of 2X8, and c-clamped it to the dining room table when I needed ammo.

The spousal Unit was/is very understanding! Bought a set of Lyman steel dies, RCBS rifle dies, Lee trimmers, Ohaus scale, and had a merry old time for years.
Finally, I got a compound linkage press, carbide dies, and years later, a loading bench.

Start cheap, then if you like it, expand! Buy equipment that you can use with more than one system, like dies, etc.

It Is S Fine and Pleasant Madness!

I don't have the space to bolt it down a press on anything.

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Mount it on something you can clamp to another surface if space is limited or make some brackets. Anything would be better than nothing. If you can't find an alternative to a hand press you are just not using your imagination.

More hand press hate than I would have guessed. Heh - I like mine and use it all the time. It works great. Of course it is not as fast as a progressive press but no single stage press is.

Yeah, a of "don't even try" about the hand press. FWIW I can understand the OP's statement about "no place to bolt a press", I lived in a very small apartment and I didn't have a coffee table or kitchen table so I had nuttin' to clamp a plank to, but plenty of room for a shoebox, stored under the bed, containing a hand press and supplies. Later after I married and before I had a dedicated reloading place, wife told me, "you ain't gonna scratch my dinning room table, and you ain't clampin' nuttin' on it!"