Lee Challenger primer catcher

[Zendude]

To those that have this press, how well does the spent primer catcher work?
I’m considering this single stage press among others for a standalone depriming/resizing and priming press. I don’t like having to look for spent primers on the floor. My Lee Reloader and old model 1000 always leave a few spent primers on the floor, and was curious if the Challenger would fix that issue.

 

[CQB45ACP]

To those that have this press, how well does the spent primer catcher work?
I’m considering this single stage press among others for a standalone depriming/resizing and priming press. I don’t like having to look for spent primers on the floor. My Lee Reloader and old model 1000 always leave a few spent primers on the floor, and was curious if the Challenger would fix that issue.

I use it for all my 9mm work including decapping. Works great. But, have to keep primer arm in to ensure spent primers drop in tube receptacle or whatever it’s called.

There is another thread going on where OP suggests using a paper clip.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...not-entering-catch-tube.916759/#post-12569568

 

[WeekendReloader]

It works pretty good catching primers. No problems there. I'd have a few bounce to the floor out of 1000's of cases.

The problem I had was that the primer tumbles down the ram and bounces into the catcher, leaving a lot of black residue from the inside of the spent primer at the base of the ram. The ram eventually gets cruddy, so you need to keep up the cleaning and lubrication. I think this is common amongst most single stage presses.

I got tired of doing that and switched over to using a Frankford Arsenal hand decapper/deprimer and I decap the dirty brass before cleaning. My presses and loading area stay really clean now.

 

[CQB45ACP]

It works pretty good catching primers. No problems there. I'd have a few bounce to the floor out of 1000's of cases.

The problem I had was that the primer tumbles down the ram and bounces into the catcher, leaving a lot of black residue from the inside of the spent primer at the base of the ram. The ram eventually gets cruddy, so you need to keep up the cleaning and lubrication. I think this is common amongst most single stage presses.

I got tired of doing that and switched over to using a Frankford Arsenal hand decapper/deprimer and I decap the dirty brass before cleaning. My presses and loading area stay really clean now.

I agree on the dirt/debris issue but haven’t switched to anything else as a result.

 

[Riomouse911]

I have two set up side by side, I bought the first one in 1995 (on left), the other at least 20 years ago. I really haven’t paid attention but occasionally I get a primer “bounce out”, but they don’t go flying. (Primer catching is a lot better than with my Lee “C” press that I quit using because I ran out of bench space.)

Here they are after decapping/sizing a bunch of .41 Spl. A couple spent primers bounced out onto the table. I guess if it’s an issue you could tape a couple of cut down business cards to the sides of the catch basin to raise the walls. (There are filled in holes in the bench where I had things mounted previously, and since moved them.)



I load all my rifle rounds with them, and have used them for .32 H&R up to .300 Weatherby and .45/70 with zero issues.

The basin is easy to vacuum out when it gets full.

I have also used a piece of stiff paper to catch a good primer as it slides out of the slot in the ram when I discover it is in a bad case so I can reuse it in another case. (Sad that primers are like gold nuggets now!)

For the price they have probably been my most used and least troublesome piece of reloading equipment.

Stay safe.

 

[thump_rrr]

If you look at my bench you will see my Lee Challenger which was the first press I ever bought.
I've tried a lot of presses but that press still has a place on my bench.
Decapping is one reason, charging and expanding with the powder through expander is another.

Sizing and seating are done on the Forster Co-Ax.

 

[Bazoo]

Here's my solution for the old challenger. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...rimer-catch-box-for-my-lee-challenger.915376/ I like the angle of the older one.