Alright, I think I am ready to try out a progressive press

[Targa]

I have been looking at the Lee Six Pack but have been a bit hesitant. It seems that some tweaking to include 3D printed parts has been performed on these so that they run efficiently, is this the norm or the exception? Any of you in reloading land running these without any modifications? Thank you, Targa.

 

[9mmepiphany]

It's pretty much the norm...I don't think I know anyone who is running a 5+ station progressive press without adding aftermarket, usually 3D printed, parts

You can run them all without the parts, but the aftermarket parts just make it more efficient.

I loaded my first 500 rounds on the Lee Six Pack Pro without aftermarket parts...as a matter of fact I hadn't yet installed all the upgrade parts at that time either

 

[OS/N]

Good luck.

Primers and powder are too costly today for me to use one. Put my progressive back in the box a few years ago. If I was loading for a club or range I might set it back up. There is no such thing as cheap handloaded range ammo anymore. Custom precision loading is where it's at these days.

I use a pair of singles which will load more than I can prep brass for or feed primers in.

 

[BBarn]

Lee Precision products seem to be darlings of the tinkerer's world. Perhaps it's because their stuff is lower in cost, and ripe for improvement.

 

[Targa]

Thanks all, it is certainly something for me to think on. I have one press and it is a Lee Classic Turret, it has been very reliable and is in no danger of ever being replaced the progressive would be primarily for 9mm ammo, which for me anyway, is a bit tedious to reload on the Classic Turret in any ”large” quantities. Right now, like I am sure many others do, I just buy 9mm rounds but would like to be able to crank them out for range sessions when the latest, greatest people panicker is fabricated and you can’t get 9mm for less than $30 a box if you are able to find them at all.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

My Hornady lock-n-load progressive press is awsome. No after market parts needed. Too dang much plastic on lee stuff IMO.

 

[rfwobbly]

Primers and powder are too costly today for me to use one. Put my progressive back in the box a few years ago.

I'm not following this logic. I thought if you loaded 50 rounds you used 50 primers.... regardless of the type of press.

 

[Targa]

My Hornady lock-n-load progressive press is awsome. No after market parts needed. Too dang much plastic on lee stuff IMO.

Yeh, that might be where I end up.

 

[jmorris]

On my Loadmaster project I made a lot of parts and did some things not in the instructions to get it running like a top, the previous owner had given me a box of parts that had frustrated him. By the time I was done, it was the fastest Lee I have ever seen, load 100 rounds.

100 rounds on a Lee Loadmaster under 4 min

www.youtube.com

On the other end of the spectrum, I have a couple Dillon SD's that only have Dillon parts on them and have loaded more than 100,000 rounds with them over the last 39 years.

Some presses require a little more trouble shooting experience than others that is for sure and Lee is probably at the top of the list but their equipment is also inexpensive, thus the allure.

 

[JEBruns]

Yeh, that might be where I end up.

Been a while since I priced them, but when I was looking hard at the Hornady L&L, I found the price was not that much more to step up to a Dillon (650 at that time). I'm not a fan boy of Dillon, and I have other loaders. But all the good things you hear about Dillon are sure true for me. It's a very set and forget machine. Just sit down and crank out shells, rarely do you have to mess with it. There are still some aftermarket stuff that can be nice to have, but not required. UFO LED lights, stuff like that.

At any rate, good luck with your decision. Progressive is the way to go for 9mm, IMO.

 

[jmorris]

I'm not following this logic. I thought if you loaded 50 rounds you used 50 primers.... regardless of the type of press.

I think he's looking at it like the difference of giving someone a rifle an loaded 50 round mag vs giving the same person a single shot and box of 50 rounds. One will likely last longer.

That said, a lot of us reload to shoot more for the same amount of dollars spent. If I wanted to force myself to shoot less, I would only buy oddball rounds and only use premium factory ammunition.

 

[Jim Watson]

Aftermarket parts on progressives, let me see...
MEC 12 ga, CH Autochamp, Dillon SDB, no add ons.
Dillon 550 and 1050 have better fired primer catchers, the 1050 is getting a bullet feeder, and non-Dillon dies for particular needs or as available.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I see used Hornady AP and dillion 550 presses sell for around $500 and up. You can't beat their quality AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I personally own a lee progressive and will never use it again after buying a Hornady AP press, a Dillion Square D, two Dillion 550s and a Dillion 650, all bought used.
You get what you pay for.
I have a friend that has been loading on lee stuff for forty years on all lee stuff and always said lee products were the best.
Once he got to use a Hornady AP press he went right out and bought u used Hornady AP press and got rid of his lee progressive. I pity the poor fool that bought it. It's a tinkeroma.
Constantly tinkering with it.

I personally would go strictly single stage instead of a lee progressive.

 

[Show Me]

Lee Precision products seem to be darlings of the tinkerer's world. Perhaps it's because their stuff is lower in cost, and ripe for improvement.

True American way.

 

[RH45]

On my Loadmaster project I made a lot of parts and did some things not in the instructions to get it running like a top, the previous owner had given me a box of parts that had frustrated him. By the time I was done, it was the fastest Lee I have ever seen, load 100 rounds.

100 rounds on a Lee Loadmaster under 4 min

www.youtube.com

On the other end of the spectrum, I have a couple Dillon SD's that only have Dillon parts on them and have loaded more than 100,000 rounds with them over the last 39 years.

Some presses require a little more trouble shooting experience than others that is for sure and Lee is probably at the top of the list but their equipment is also inexpensive, thus the allure.

I had a Lee, and it was definitely faster, when it was working. I lit off a full tray of primers. When I called Lee, they offered to sell me the “optional” blast shield. They obviously knew that it was a problem but didn’t include it with the press?
I moved to a Dillon 550. Added a case feeder, which makes it a P.I.T.A. if I have to load rifle or 380. Also added a spent primer catch tray, with a hose

 

[Charlie98]

.I don't think I know anyone who is running a 5+ station progressive press without adding aftermarket

I've got my Hornady ProJector 5-station running box stock... and has been for about 25 years. Granted, it does not have all the doo-dads some of the more modern progressives do, because simplicity is it's own reward, sometimes. It's sort of like an AR-15... which is a fine rifle in and of itself, then you start hanging stuff all over it, adding complexity and the potential for issues or breaks.

At the end of the day, it's the volume of production the OP expects from his press that would likely dictate.

 

[Show Me]

Depends on what your needs are. Competitors or out the barn on weekends. My three hole Lee converted to four hole auto index loads all the hand gun loads I need. Going from single press to eight hole Lyman was a slice of heaven. Progressive presses have so much going on that a non mechanical person might not want a cost effective unit. Unfortunately some think the machine just does it on its own. Know nothing about the high dollar units. Don't pay attention to things over my pay grade. Maybe you can buy you way out of problems.

 

[Show Me]

I have been looking at the Lee Six Pack but have been a bit hesitant. It seems that some tweaking to include 3D printed parts has been performed on these so that they run efficiently, is this the norm or the exception? Any of you in reloading land running these without any modifications? Thank you, Targa.

Dang good question

 

[Mark_Mark]

Thanks all, it is certainly something for me to think on. I have one press and it is a Lee Classic Turret, it has been very reliable and is in no danger of ever being replaced the progressive would be primarily for 9mm ammo, which for me anyway, is a bit tedious to reload on the Classic Turret in any ”large” quantities. Right now, like I am sure many others do, I just buy 9mm rounds but would like to be able to crank them out for range sessions when the latest, greatest people panicker is fabricated and you can’t get 9mm for less than $30 a box if you are able to find them at all.

I don’t know about the new Lee Primer system. but if it’s good, I would rock a 6-Pack. $369 on sale and comes with dies!

thing about progressive, you will run into issue, and lean to deal with issue. I deal with it by posting here!

 

[Show Me]

I had a Lee, and it was definitely faster, when it was working. I lit off a full tray of primers. When I called Lee, they offered to sell me the “optional” blast shield. They obviously knew that it was a problem but didn’t include it with the press?
I moved to a Dillon 550. Added a case feeder, which makes it a P.I.T.A. if I have to load rifle or 380. Also added a spent primer catch tray, with a hose

The only primer I've lit off was in a Kerby. What was that like. The lee book a has a page or two about that

 

[Show Me]

I don’t know about the new Lee Primer system. but if it’s good, I would rock a 6-Pack. $369 on sale and comes with dies!

thing about progressive, you will run into issue, and lean to deal with issue. I deal with it by posting here!

Seriously ,your entertainment value is immeasurable.

 

[kmw1954]

I have one press and it is a Lee Classic Turret, it has been very reliable and is in no danger of ever being replaced the progressive would be primarily for 9mm ammo, which for me anyway, is a bit tedious to reload on the Classic Turret in any ”large” quantities.

If all you are looking to do is produce 9mm in a simple efficient manner and faster than your turret then I would suggest just moving up to either the are model Pro1000 or the Pro4000. I have both and use both. The 4000 is mostly used for my 45ACP loads which I use a FCD on cast lead bullets. Both are simple to set up and are very consistent. I do not need Powder Check Dies, Case feeders, bullet feeders, Swagging station.

I regularly load 380, 9mm, 38spl, 45ACP on my Pro1000 while just using a standard 3 die set of dies. Also I can easily produce 1k rounds in an afternoon. Matter of fact the last time I loaded pistol ammo for all my pistols was almost a year ago. I also cast my own lead bullets so it doesn't pay for me to load small quantities.

 

[Targa]

Yep Show Me, I always get a kick out of Mark myself. Like he said, the enticement of Lee is certainly the price point and as others mentioned a lot of their products are a bit of a diamond in the rough and once polished up run like a champ. I just don’t think I want to take the time to build on this press in particular to make it run efficiently.
I have no doubt that there is a bit of trial and error to setting up a progressive the question for me is how much. I have watched numerous you tube videos of dialing in the Lee Six Pack and they are very informative but a I am just looking for something to run out of the box, obviously after dialing in, rather than having to add or modify parts to make it run properly.

 

[Targa]

I do not need Powder Check Dies, Case feeders, bullet feeders, Swagging station.

That’s where my problem is, if I am going for quantity with a case activated powder drop a powder check die is a must have for me. I don’t trust the case activated powder drops to consistently do what they are suppose to do unchecked. This is just me, my hang up so to speak but that isn’t going to change. So basically I need a five station shell plate simply because I also like to crimp separately from the seating die, although 9mm isn‘t such a bid deal, I have done it before.
Because of my little insurmountable hang up , loading three hundred rounds of 9mm on my Classic Turret is about a three hour endeavor and that’s when the brass is already prepped and primed.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

The powder check die is very handy.