So, I got my hands on a Load Master

[Nordeste]

One of my shooting buds got one a few months ago. Today I happened to hit his town in the morning and paid him a visit, bought him a cup of coffee and then we went upstairs to his reloading room where he has his reloading set-up.

This guy was a total reloading newbie and his English is poor. There are a few (but useful) reloading tutorials on Youtube on how to properly set up and run a LM but he has watched none of them. He's an intelligent man but it's not what we'd call a "mechanically inclined" person. He uses a four die set-up with station 1 dedicated to depriming and resizing. Station 2 is just for priming, 3 for flaring and charging, 4 is bullet seating, 5 is crimping and post-sizing (Carbide FCD). I told him about the convenience of using a decapping-only die in station 1 and leaving 2 with a sizer sans the decapping pin. He hadn't ever heard of it but agreed it sounded like a good idea and said he was to order a decapper and do it that way.

Even though this one is his first press, he has understood it pretty well, IMHO. And even though it was my first time with this press, I could tell it could take advantage from the benefits of some lubrication. The press certainly felt a bit rough in its function, it's not the smooth, pleasant feel of a Dillon 650 but, hey... it's half the price . So I put hands to the task and in a few minutes I had loaded 50 rounds flawlessly. Not a single priming problem (all nicely seated below flush) and on checking OAL, all rounds were within .005" which I consider an acceptable tolerance. Looks like the press has the new priming system but this guy hasn't followed any of the tutorials that recommend lubrication and sanding here and there. Indexing was fine, so was the case feeding system.

All in all... I have read several, lots of opinions and reviews on different presses and on this particular one, there seem to be two different streams of opinions. One states it's junk and you're better off using it for target practice (more or less), another one that says that if properly set, it runs well. I think the latter are right, honestly.

Surely, a bit of sanding on the shell plate and other contact areas will help it run smoother, but I have to admit it, it has surprised me. I expected it to run worse. I had almost disregarded it in my search for a progressive, but now it's in the pole position.

 

[Stripesdude]

Dillon makes a better machine. But you pay out the wazzoo for it.

My Loadmaster hasn't had a problem that wasn't caused by me, and those are few and far between. People who aren't mechanically inclined shouldn't reload, IMO. Even on the best presses with the best equipment supporting them, mechanical ability comes into play.

I wouldn't load match benchrest ammo on my Loadmaster, but I wouldn't load it on any progressive for that matter.

 

[TheGerman]

I had my Loadmaster for 8 years (or so) and besides some plastic parts that needed replacement (primer feeder mainly), I never had an issue with it. Reloading 9mm, 45ACP, .44 mag, and lately .223 with it. The primer feeder is the only part that caused a lot of problems, but with the latest modifications, it runs great as well (about 2000 rounds into it and only had 2 flipped primers).
.223 is not working very well because of the case feeder - the cartridge is too long and it is not feeding very well at all - maybe I need to tinker with it a bit more.
Btw. - I never thought about just decap in station one, I always resized at the same time. Where is the advantage of splitting this up into 2 dies? For caliber changes, I simply replace the die plate.

 

[sinbad339]

I "upgraded" from a Lee Classic Turret to a Loadmaster over a year ago. After watching many of the videos on mods, set-up, etc., I could never get the priming system to work reliably; about 3 to 10 flipped, sideways primers every 100. I tried the universal decapper in station 1 and sizing die in station 2 to position the case, but no improvement. So now I size, deprime, and prime on the turret, and do the rest on the Loadmaster. This works for me.

 

[1BADBERETTA]

I have a loadmaster i picked up two weeks ago and i love it. Day one i polished my shell plate with my dremel and the ribs on the carrier it rides on. I also polished the indexing rod and smoothed out all the burrs on it. I use a universal decapper in station one and the sizing die with pin removed in station 2. I have now after today loaded 1000 rounds and havent had one priming issue. I do decapp and then clean my brass but i like clean primer pockets. I absolutly love my LM. I have heard not to use coated primers idk if there is anything to that but i use federal and they work great.

 

[Nordeste]

I too own a Lee Classic Turret for the time being, and am very satisfied with it. It's just the slow production rate that bothers me a bit, but I have to admit it produces a very consistent, well finished and reliable ammo. Watching how every round being made ensures they'll go bang at the range. I usually load in batches of 50-100 rounds, a 100 rounds will take me like 40 minutes, at my usually relaxed pace. I can afford to do this most of the times, but I'd be much happier if it could take 15 minutes instead of 40, dividing the necessary lever strokes by 4. Time is a valued commodity. Needless to say, she'll still be on my bench for tasks such as depriming, load development or for other cartridges I plan on loading in the future, but that will require less volume than my current 9 mm needs. And of course, as a back-up just in case. If there's a press I would trust blindly, I think it's this LCT.

Of course, I know a Dillon is smoother and better made. You get (or you should) what you pay for. But this is like comparing a Mercedes and a Skoda, or a Cadiilac and a Chevy. Both run on wheels and will take you to work and back home, it's just that one will take you in better comfort, the other one will do the job fine, for half the money.

 

[Pikums]

I didnt really see the point of a Loadmaster until I used one and now I love it. I guess its one of those things you dont know how great it is until you have it.