Lee APP - Pros & Cons

[Mark_Mark]

APP bulge buster kit on sale!

 

[Alex G]

APP bulge buster kit on sale!

View attachment 1017394

Sweet! To anyone who needs a bulge buster kit make sure you have (or order) the appropriate Lee Factory Crimp Die to use with it.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

For the price of the APP now, believe purchasing a second would be in order. The time savings is huge.

I opted for the Hornady Quick Change Kit with a 2nd plate. Really saves on workbench space.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I opted for the Hornady Quick Change Kit with a 2nd plate. Really saves on workbench space.

how much was that kit?

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

how much was that kit?

Like $68 for the kit at Natchez and $20 each for additional plates.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Like $68 for the kit at Natchez and $20 each for additional plates.

for my cheap butt…. too expensive

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

for my cheap butt…. too expensive

My wife does the eye roll a lot. But all the kids are long gone, houses are paid off.
She gardens and I load ammo.
She's pretty happy with that compared to me road racing motorcycles.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I ordered the upgraded handle from midway last night.

I ordered it with the APP. That handle that comes with it looks a little sketchy.

I probably could have saved $30.00 by just taking or braking the plastic handle off the steel levers and turning the angled side around and making a wooden roller for between the two halves.

It looks like that's all Lee did.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I ordered it with the APP. That handle that comes with it looks a little sketchy.

I probably could have saved $30.00 by just taking or braking the plastic handle off the steel levers and turning the angled side around and making a wooden roller for between the two halves.

It looks like that's all Lee did.

I processed 2-4k cases with the factory handle. I got a light coat of wax on my handle from resizing, it helps

 

[irishlad]

Using the case collator and the 4 tube setup makes filling the tubes a breeze.

Changing over to new calibers is an absolute chore requiring height adjustment of the tubes and possible adjustment with the clamping arms. .

How time consuming is it to change calibers? This would be a concern to me as I usually only deprime about a 100 brass at a time.

 

[Mark_Mark]

How time consuming is it to change calibers? This would be a concern to me as I usually only deprime about a 100 brass at a time.

2 hours, if your new to the APP press and not good at or don’t read instructions (me)

10 minutes, once you do it a few times

 

[Alex G]

I opted for the Hornady Quick Change Kit with a 2nd plate. Really saves on workbench space.

I didn’t even know that was made. Got the inline fab kits myself.

I probably could have saved $30.00 by just taking or braking the plastic handle off the steel levers and turning the angled side around and making a wooden roller for between the two halves.

It looks like that's all Lee did.

beware, that’s NOT what Lee did. (I tried exactly what you said and it doesn’t work.) on the end of each of those arms on one side is a spacer block that’s part of the arm. It’s impossible to reverse one (or both) of the arms sadly and still get it to work.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I didn’t even know that was made. Got the inline fab kits myself.


beware, that’s NOT what Lee did. (I tried exactly what you said and it doesn’t work.) on the end of each of those arms on one side is a spacer block that’s part of the arm. It’s impossible to reverse one (or both) of the arms sadly and still get it to work.

i fabricate everything with a Saw-All and a drill press!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

How time consuming is it to change calibers? This would be a concern to me as I usually only deprime about a 100 brass at a time.

I use a Lee Universal depriming die so it's just a matter of raising/lowering the tube and swapping risers. Takes me about five minutes to go from .45Colt to 9mm and that includes chasing the cat away from the pretty red shiny pieces.

 

[dcloco]

It's $69.95 at Midwayusa, I just ordered one. I already have the case feeder for it, from my old pro 1000. I'll check out the options later, I want this for de-priming.

tightgroup tiger - you will actually smile when depriming, because of the number of shells completed in an hour.

Check the thread for the mod engineered by one the members here - takes care of the problem of tipping/slingshotting brass. Cost is $4 to do.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

Tonight I will measure the tube dia for the Dillon auto case feeder, then fab a mount and get it to do dual duty and feed the Lee APP.
Probably fab it out of wood with an adjustable post for different length cases. Shouldn't need more than an inch and a half of travel though.

 

[irishlad]

I use a Lee Universal depriming die so it's just a matter of raising/lowering the tube and swapping risers. Takes me about five minutes to go from .45Colt to 9mm and that includes chasing the cat away from the pretty red shiny pieces.

Thanks, that sounds good.

 

[TTv2]

For the price of the APP now, believe purchasing a second would be in order. The time savings is huge.

I was originally really into the APP and I still like it, but I would just as soon get a Lee Auto Breech Lock progressive. Most of what I'm looking to do on the APP is size and flare and set the cases aside for later and the ABL Progressive can do that and still be a progressive.

What the APP needs is a faster, easier way to adjust the height of the case tube, something like a cam lock would do fine. For the plastic case feeder, that can be easily replaced with one already set for cases of various sizes and heights, but Lee wants $10 for that and $15 for a set of the risers that attach to it. I can accept the $10 for the feeder, that's assembled by people, but $15 for the risers is outrageous, should be $5 or less.

 

[TTv2]

How time consuming is it to change calibers? This would be a concern to me as I usually only deprime about a 100 brass at a time.

2 hours, if your new to the APP press and not good at or don’t read instructions (me)

10 minutes, once you do it a few times

As Mark said with time you can get faster, but to do 100 pieces at a time you would likely get it done just as quickly if you decapped on a single stage. Now, if you were doing 500 or 1000, that's where you'd blaze thru it in no time and where the time it takes to change calibers is worth it.

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

I was originally really into the APP and I still like it, but I would just as soon get a Lee Auto Breech Lock progressive. Most of what I'm looking to do on the APP is size and flare and set the cases aside for later and the ABL Progressive can do that and still be a progressive.

What the APP needs is a faster, easier way to adjust the height of the case tube, something like a cam lock would do fine. For the plastic case feeder, that can be easily replaced with one already set for cases of various sizes and heights, but Lee wants $10 for that and $15 for a set of the risers that attach to it. I can accept the $10 for the feeder, that's assembled by people, but $15 for the risers is outrageous, should be $5 or less.

Can you resize bullets on the Lee Breech Lock progressive? Or is that an APP only type of deal?

 

[Alex G]

Can you resize bullets on the Lee Breech Lock progressive? Or is that an APP only type of deal?

That would be APP only. The APP slides the bullet over the sizing ring and punches it through. Because the ABLP is a more or less traditional progressive, there is no way to feed the bullet or place to punch it to.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Every reloader should should get a Lee App press. It’s the best thing since $69.99 slice bread

 

[Klaatu Barada Nikto]

That would be APP only. The APP slides the bullet over the sizing ring and punches it through. Because the ABLP is a more or less traditional progressive, there is no way to feed the bullet or place to punch it to.

Thanks, makes sense.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I already have the ABLP and I really like it alot but I don't prime cases on it.
It is my .357 mag press, I have been doing all my de-priming of .357 mag on my Rockchucker, and 9mm on my LNL-AP.
I would like to keep that dirt from the 9mms off of the LNL-AP.

When I done de-priming I pull the shell plate and clean the press, especially the primer slide.

I have to figure out where I'm going to put this little press.
I may have to build another riser like I built for the ABLP.


I'll find out when it comes.
By the way I took the roller handle off of the ABLP press and put the ball handle assy off the old pro1000 press on it.

It is a direct fit. That helped do away with some of the side torqueing the roller handle was causing. My OAL consistency is better with the ball handle than it was with the roller handle. I had the roller handle turned inwards too as this picture shows.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

beware, that’s NOT what Lee did. (I tried exactly what you said and it doesn’t work.) on the end of each of those arms on one side is a spacer block that’s part of the arm. It’s impossible to reverse one (or both) of the arms sadly and still get it to work.

That's good to know, thank you.