todays questions....

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SSN Vet

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Can anyone tell me why I need a single stage press to compliment my Lee Classic Turret Press?

It seems that I could do just as well by setting up a spare turret with a unniversal decapping die and a primer pocket swaging tool.

which leads to my second question....

Can the RCBS Primer Pocket Swaging Tool be used on Lee presses? RCBS says they have to go on presses with RCBS style shell holders. Is the RCBS shell holder system incompatable with the Lee shell holder system?

Is swaging military brass primer pockets a better solution than reaming them?

I'm hoping to get my hands on some CMP Greek .30-06 this summer.
 
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One swabby to another, and I take it you mean the LEE Classic Turret, it's the only press you need.

Most any brand of shellholder is compatible.;)

I don't use military brass so I can't help with the last one.
 
What RCBS is referring to is the diameter of the ram. There is a cup that fits over the ram and shellholder in an inverted position, with the closed portion up. It has a hole in it for the swage to protrude through, and this is what pushes the case off the swage, once it's in the primer pocket. The case can sometimes be on there pretty tightly, hence the need for something to remove it from the swaging post. I don't know the diameter of the ram on the Lee press, but if it's the same as the Rockchucker, it should fit.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
SSN Vet,

SSN Vet said:
Can anyone tell me why I need a single stage press to compliment my Lee Classic Turret Press?

It seems that I could do just as well by setting up a spare turret with a universal decapping die and a primer pocket swaging tool.


If you already own a turret press there is no advantage to buying a single stage press. You are correct you can just setup another turret.

SSN Vet said:
Can the RCBS Primer Pocket Swaging Tool be used on Lee presses? RCBS says they have to go on presses with RCBS style shell holders. Is the RCBS shell holder system incompatible with the Lee shell holder system?

Yes it should work fine on the Lee Classic Turret press and I think it will also work on the Lee Classic but I am not 100% positive since the ram is larger.



SSN Vet said:
Is swaging military brass primer pockets a better solution than reaming them?

I personally haven't see advantage in one over the other as far as better. However, if I routinely processed a lot of military brass I think I would get the Dillon pocket swagger, it is expensive but if you did thousands monthly I would be quicker.
 
For the pockets

I'd invest in a Forster trimmer. They make a pocket reamer which is fast and easy and works better than the RCBS swager. And you can then get a trimming bit and pilot for not much dough to handle your case trimming needs and to clean pockets after firing. I have found it much better than using a swager. I bought my trimmer 20 years ago and it's going strong.
 
Khornet,

Take a look at the Possum Hollow Kwick Case Trimmer here:http://www.possumhollowproducts.com/kwick-case-trimmers.html I have been using a RCBS case trimmer similar to your Forster trimmer until I tried the Possum Hollow Kwick Case Trimmer recently. The Possum Hollow Kwick Case Trimmer uses the neck datum like the Gracy or Giraud trimmers but doesn't deburr or chamfer the case. With the Sinclair Case Mouth Deburring Tool Holder, http://www.sinclairintl.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi, chuck up in my drill press I was able to trim, deburr, and chamfer 100 rounds in about 10 minutes. The best thing is these trimmers cost less then $20.
 
IF you have a Lyman trimmer, they also make a compatable primer pocket reamer tool to use on that tool. It's a good tool, I prefer it to any pocket swager.

Ref. "do you need a single stage press" question, it largely depends on what you will loading in it and the degree of care you expect to use. For most people and most ammo, any turret will do about as well as a single stage.

IF you have a really accurate rifle, say less than perhaps 3/4" groups consistantly, and IF you want to squeeze the last possible few thousants off those groups, a single stage press MAY help.

Why? Well, it takes consistancy to make the most consistant ammo. You want to size each case exactly the same, seat each bullet exactly the same. That requires the least possible springing in the press and its various parts. With screw-in dies and common presses we are stuck with the sloppy fitted (relitively so) lever-to-toggle link-to ram pins. A turret just adds the slop inherent in any rotating top, some slop has to be there or the turret won't turn! Each point of slop comes into play since it takes more pressure to size harder cases than soft, so harder cases are likely to be sized just a tad less than soft. Then, some case necks are a tad harder than others, so it takes a bit more pressure to seat the bullets and compressing the linkages means those bullets will be seated a tad less deeply.

But, even in a totally slop-free press, if your sizer die does not produce consistantly straight necks you're lost anyway. Or, if the seater die has enough slop/slack in the bullet guide portion or its seating plug is poorly fitted or slightly off center, your bullets will be slightly tilted in the cases and accuracy will suffer a little. Neither brand nor cost of a tool is any assurance of absolute dependability either. In my experience, there is as much or more variation between individual dies from the same maker as there is between dies of different brands, from Lee to Redding. Sadly, there is no magic brand or price that can assure you that you are buying the "best" of any individual tool. Yeah, high price dies do seem to be somewhat better on average, but if your tool lies outside the good average you have spent big money for no gain!

So, it really takes a quality rifle, a quality press and some very well fitted dies plus really good technique from YOU to make a significant difference. If any of those four are lacking the other three won't matter much. A turret will likely do just as well as a perfect single stage press.

I have an old Lyman turret press and it's a good one. But, I finally gave up on it for demanding work. I got an RCBS Rock Chucker for my precision rifle loading just to eliminate some of the press springyness. It's okay but it's not perfect either.

That said, I find the Lee Collet Neck Sizer dies to produce very straight necks and both Redding and Forster BR/Competition seaters to be very reliable. But, if I had to replace my RC press tomorrow, it would be with the new Lee Classic Cast (iron) press. I think it's stronger, the ram is larger, it has an adjustable lever, the spent primer catcher seems to work and it's made in the USA! And, I hear that at Graff and Sons it's on sale for about $40 now, that's a LOT less expensive than the new RC press! That might save you enough to buy a pretty good set of Lee Collet or Forster or Redding Competition dies!
 
I agree with Idano, the Dillon swag tool is the best from what I have been hearing. I don't own one yet but it is on the list. Right now I am doing it with a dull drill bit and then fine tunning them with my chamfer tool when I find one that is hard to prime. It's slow but it works for now.
Rusty
 
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