Single Stage Presses: Are they pretty much all the same?

[gamestalker]

No, they aren't all created equal.

I have several of them, all RCBS, Rock Chucker, an RS, and an RS5.

The Rock Chucker and the RS will handle anything I throw at them, but the little cast aluminum RS5, and even though it's an "O" frame press, bottle neck brass will whip it, thus making it difficult to get consistent results with bottle neck brass. It just flexes way too much to handle precision shoulder bumping tasks. So I reserve it for lighter tasks, bullet seating, resizing handgun brass, priming.

So my recommendation for someone interested in a single stage, is get a good sturdy one that will handle anything you should need it for, a cast iron "O" frame.

Something else to consider is how well CS is with company "A" verses company "B". Company "B" may have comparable quality, and you might also save a few bucks, but consider what might happen if something should break or wear out. As an example, I bought an RCBS RS2 in like 1985, and even though RCBS discontinued that model, when I sent it in last year after having literally worn it out, they sent me a brand new RS5 as a replacement.

GS

 

[splattergun]

TT, what are you going to use your single stage press for?

If you get a LCT, it will do nearly everything you need, except rifle cartridges over 3.5 inches long. I use LCT for all my handgun loads.

If you want it for simple light duty chores such as depriming before tumbling, a Lee C press would do just fine and it is inexpensive, usually about $7-10 less than the hand press. But it is not built for heavy reforming work. If you want to load .35 caliber belted magnum loads, or reform brass for wildcat loads, you will want a cast iron or steel O frame or Co-ax.

In between is a Lee Challenger. Cast aluminum O frame that uses a bushing system for fast, easy die changes. It does everything I ask it to do for my rifle reloading. I load .243, 6.5x55 Swede and 30-06. I have reformed .270 brass to 30-06 and 7-08 brass to .243 without any issues. I produce sub-MOA ammo on this press.

I also have a Lee hand press. It works fine if you're simply too broke to get anything else, and will produce fine ammunition. I built the 30-06 ammo that killed my muley buck this year on this press at night in camp. But it is much slower than a bench press, it takes more patience and more arm strength than any bench mounted press. It's greatest draw for me is that it is so easily portable. All things considered, I'd much rather use a bench mounted press.

So decide why, or if you need another press in addition to the LCT you're already planning to buy, then go from there.

 

[refuse2bafool]

Take a Turret over Single Stage for Handgun

If you are loading only handgun I cannot see any reason not to get a turret. I guess if I were loading rifle for competition a single stage would be best.

Then again, it's not like a good single stage costs an arm and a leg and you will likely find a use for it regardless of what other presses you eventually buy. Besides strength I would make sure I got one with a good primer catcher that was easy to empty.

But if it's handgun ammo, a LCT is pretty hard to beat at any price.

 

[TruthTellers]

splattergun,

The only rifle cartridge I see myself possibly reloading in the future will be .308 Winchester. Maybe many years later I might expand that to .45-70 and 7.62x39, but it's not a guarantee. Everything else I plan to reload is a pistol cartridge which is why I lean heavily towards the LCT.

I want the hand press because it would be nice to have to do decapping or to experiment with. I don't think the clutter of a single stage is needed to do small tasks the hand press is can do.

 

[oldreloader]

splattergun,

The only rifle cartridge I see myself possibly reloading in the future will be .308 Winchester. Maybe many years later I might expand that to .45-70 and 7.62x39, but it's not a guarantee. Everything else I plan to reload is a pistol cartridge which is why I lean heavily towards the LCT.

I want the hand press because it would be nice to have to do decapping or to experiment with. I don't think the clutter of a single stage is needed to do small tasks the hand press is can do.

The LCT will serve you well.

 

[cfullgraf]

As already said, not all single stages presses are created equally.

One cannot go wrong with a Rock Chucker, Big Boss II, or Co-Ax, but if one is only loading handgun cartridges, a smaller press with a shorter stroke will do nicely.

Single stage presses are handy to have on the bench as they do many specialized tasks much better than any of the other styles.

Different strokes for different folks but I do not see an advantage that a turret press has over a single stage.

I'd rather get something like the Dillon BL550 or RL550 instead. Lots more flexibility from operating like a single stage, to operating like a turret, to a manual advance progressive.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The main advantage of the turret press over the single stage (SS) is that the turret (TT)allows all the dies in a set to be set up in advance of use and allows quickly changing between different dies. This advantage is highly compromised by the use of the Hornady Bushings, in whichever SS you choose, to quickly switch between pre-adjusted dies.

That is how I have my Lee Classic Cast SS set up

The advantage of the TT over a progressive press (PP), is the lessor expense between caliber changes...a shell holder vs. a shell plate. It is a good choice for someone who isn't ready, expense or complexity, for a PP yet.

 

[cfullgraf]

With clamping lock rings, dies stay set up when removed from the press so in my opinion, the dies loaded in a turret really does not present an advantage. Once I start an operation on a batch of cases, the die does not get changed until the batch is complete.

The budget priced Lee turret presses not with standing, turret presses are more expensive than single stage presses. Extra turrets to keep dies loaded add to the cost.

It mostly comes down to whether one wants to process one case at a time from beginning to end or do one operation on a batch of cases before moving on to the next operation.

In many, many years of reloading, often, I've looked at whether I would get any benefit from using a turret press over a single stage press. FOR ME, I see no benefit.

For others, a turret press and its operation could be the greatest thing since sliced bread. It is great that we have a choice.

 

[Elkins45]

One major consideration is press height. My Reloader Special 3 is a great press but if you load long bullets in long cases (220 grain in 30-06 for example) you have to either hold them together and tilt them to seat them in the shellholder or insert the case first and then partially insert the bullet in the die bottom and situate it with two fingers. That doesn't sound like much of an inconvenience, and it wasn't when I was a young man, but now that I have arthritis in my hands it isn't much fun.

 

[splattergun]

splattergun,

The only rifle cartridge I see myself possibly reloading in the future will be .308 Winchester. Maybe many years later I might expand that to .45-70 and 7.62x39, but it's not a guarantee. Everything else I plan to reload is a pistol cartridge which is why I lean heavily towards the LCT.

I want the hand press because it would be nice to have to do decapping or to experiment with. I don't think the clutter of a single stage is needed to do small tasks the hand press is can do.

and you're right. The hand press will do those simple chores just fine. You can even watch the game while doing that. Though IMO, tools that are used are not clutter.
As oldreloader and many others have said, the LCT will serve you well for those calibers you plan to work.

 

[GLOOB]

There are differences in ergos and features. Position of the shellholder, handle, decapping, and priming systems.

Some presses, you can only insert/remove cases in a certain, limited, orientation, because the press body or decapping system is right up against the ram. Most C presses fall under this category, because they need the frame to be right against the ram for rigidity. Also, the Rock Chucker O frame, for instance, has a box for collecting spent primers right against the back of the ram. Most people seem to put the case in from the front left with the shellholder oriented somewhere between 7 and 9 oclock, so this is usually ok. Some of the Hornady press frames seem to be designed around this idea from the start, the way they are angled. Due to human anatomy, it is actually a hella lot easier and more ergonomic to orient the shell holder at high noon, for most operations, inserting the case from the back.

Some have the priming arm in the front of the press, which is floating out in the middle of nowhere in front of your bench, which is not necessarily convenient. I like to put the primer in with my right hand, cases with the left hand, so I like the arm to be on the right, personally.

On a SS press, you generally batch process ammo, repeating one small part of the process hundreds of times. So small differences in ergos add up, quick. Some presses are simply not well thought out.

 

[refuse2bafool]

I Love Facts

I love it when posters back up their opinions with an analysis like GSPN did

Too many times I read that this or that press is just "better" or "stronger" or "built to last", especially when touting superiority over a LEE product. Not sure what that stuff really means in terms of actual performance.

GSPN gave a very good efficiency break down. Must be an industrial engineer.

 

[fotheringill]

I am brand new to reloading. I read descriptions of each press, compared prices, read a gazillion reviews, and watched God knows how many You Tube videos, talked to hand loaders at the range, and followed the general advice garnered for a single stage press. I am happy with the purchase and ease of use and solid feel of the press.

Same process with dies, but might have been better off with another brand. Eyes were bleary and crossing and ears fell off from overuse before final selection made. Live and learn and each to his/her own.