Unboxing Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro - User Review / Discussion < No Bashing >

[1KPerDay]

There is a very good book on the development of cast steel is the "House of Krupp." It is well worth the read.

Back to the topic at hand. I am currently using a Lee Classic Turret. This one looks interesting. I am not a real fan of the Safety Prime system. Other than that I like what I am seeing. I am actually a bit surprised that no one is reporting any real trouble. That is not a jab at Lee, it is just a new product thing.

While I am reading these threads, I do not see myself getting a new press until next fall.

If I were recommending a new press for someone who was familiar with the LCT, this new one would be on the list. The safety prime system is IMO superior to the often problematic gravity fed/chute system on the Pro-1000 and I believe the Loadmaster. The progressive nature of this press will make it quite a bit faster than the LCT (which can be pretty quick). I think an LCT fan would be quite pleased with this new one... as it maintains many of the good points of the LCT but should prove quite a bit faster.

That said, since I performed bds' recommended buffs to the Pro-1000's primer chute my failures have gone way down. And a complete press with Dies, case feeder, shell plate, and powder measure for about $140 is hard to beat.

 

[kcofohio]

Question for those who have received their presses: Does this press use the same mounting hole pattern as the Classic Cast Turret press?

The dies are about the same closeness, if that is what you mean. No top plate/turret, just 4 holes that take the quick change adapters like some of Lee's single stage presses do.

 

[kcofohio]

I should add, that the spacer that was on the LCT may be the proper thickness, it is too big in diameter to sit level on the Pro.

So now I have the original spacer, .250" thick, and added a .60" thick 5/16" washer. The thinner washer slips over the little hub of where the primer mounting is. Everything is level now. Primer feed has been flawless so far.
Now to get a rhythm going.

 

[Redoubt]

The dies are about the same closeness, if that is what you mean. No top plate/turret, just 4 holes that take the quick change adapters like some of Lee's single stage presses do.

Thanks for the answer, but I was actually talking about the 3 bolt holes you use to bolt it to your bench. I have a home-grown mounting system using wooden plates. I was hoping that I could cut and drill the plate before my press arrives so it's ready to go.

 

[kcofohio]

Thanks for the answer, but I was actually talking about the 3 bolt holes you use to bolt it to your bench. I have a home-grown mounting system using wooden plates. I was hoping that I could cut and drill the plate before my press arrives so it's ready to go.

Okay, I totally missed your original question.
The Pro front two holes measure about 3.5" apart compared to the LCT is about 4.5". I didn't check from front to back, but the Pro hole pattern looks smaller depth wise too.

The base size is smaller for the Pro than the LCT, if that helps.

 

[Redoubt]

Okay, I totally missed your original question.
The Pro front two holes measure about 3.5" apart compared to the LCT is about 4.5". I didn't check from front to back, but the Pro hole pattern looks smaller depth wise too.

The base size is smaller for the Pro than the LCT, if that helps.

Thanks. I guess I just have to wait. Not a big deal. I'll size the plate and drill its mounting holes. The ones for the press will be a 5 minute job.

 

[maxxhavoc]

Thanks. I guess I just have to wait. Not a big deal. I'll size the plate and drill its mounting holes. The ones for the press will be a 5 minute job.

Just to add. I had to cut a semicircle in my board for the ram. I usually just drill holes in my bench for presses, but there was not enough wood at the edge for one of the holes once I made clearance for the ram.

So I had to use a board that sticks out from the bench a little. I mounted the press to the board and filled the board for an LCT pattern to use existing holes.

 

[kcofohio]

Attached to rhe press was a hole pattern for the Pro. Along with a quick guide.

 

[maxxhavoc]

Attached to rhe press was a hole pattern for the Pro. Along with a quick guide.

Also, there is another manual stuffed into the catalog. I missed it until after I already was up and running.

 

[kcofohio]

Also, there is another manual stuffed into the catalog. I missed it until after I already was up and running.

Thanks, I didn't look in there. I'll pull box out to get the catalog out. Might find something that I'm doing wrong.

 

[kcofohio]

This is my first progressive, and only my third press. I can definitely feel when I forget a part of my process. Whether it is placing bullet, casing, or primer.
I like it that the indexing part can be taken out for manual index. It really helps when setting up the dies.
I'll be looking into getting the Universal case feed and probably the bullet feeder too.

BTW, that bent screw driver with the flat tip on one end and phillips on the other. I may have found a good home for it. Those case retain tabs need swung out to check powder and cartridge OAL. And not much clearance for a screwdriver.

 

[someguy2800]

I loaded another 200 rounds yesterday with the modified primer arm and still working great. I dropped 1 primer out of 200.

 

[Toprudder]

I loaded another 200 rounds yesterday with the modified primer arm and still working great. I dropped 1 primer out of 200.

Awesome! Thanks for giving us a heads-up, along with a fix.

 

[9mmepiphany]

This is starting to sound fairly tempting, as it would fit right into my reloading process.

1. Classic Cast w/Inline case ejector...resize and deprime
2. Auto Bench Prime
3. Breech Lock Pro...powder, seat, and crimp

I'd have to decide if it would be better to mount the Pro on an Inline Fabrication Ultra Mount or on the Lee Bench Plate

 

[someguy2800]

This is starting to sound fairly tempting, as it would fit right into my reloading process.

1. Classic Cast w/Inline case ejector...resize and deprime
2. Auto Bench Prime
3. Breech Lock Pro...powder, seat, and crimp

I'd have to decide if it would be better to mount the Pro on an Inline Fabrication Ultra Mount or on the Lee Bench Plate

Just do both runs on the Breech Lock Pro with the case feeder. It will be much faster and less work. Load up the tubes with brass and just crank them through with just the sizing die in place. They will go through as fast as you can crank the handle. After they are clean take out the sizer, put the other dies in, fill up the case feeder and crank them through again.

 

[ess45]

Just do both runs on the Breech Lock Pro with the case feeder. It will be much faster and less work. Load up the tubes with brass and just crank them through with just the sizing die in place. They will go through as fast as you can crank the handle. After they are clean take out the sizer, put the other dies in, fill up the case feeder and crank them through again.

Have you tried the case feeder with a collator? Howe reliable is the case feeder?

 

[bfox]

I got my press the other day , setting it up slowly . My safety prime kept on dropping the primers also . I finally seem to have gotten it into the sweet spot it likes . The small one did not seem as smooth as the large primer one .


Someone asked about the bullet feeder u never had much luck with lee's . Has anyone tried the bully adapter. Where it's a combination of Lee and Hornady ?

 

[someguy2800]

Have you tried the case feeder with a collator? Howe reliable is the case feeder?

I just got it in the mail today as well as a bullet feeder. The collator works great. I loaded 150 rounds today and they all went in the tube the correct way. I read somewhere that somebody said to put a washer and a 22 shell in the middle of the collator to make the holes smaller for 9mm, which I did.

Someone asked about the bullet feeder u never had much luck with lee's . Has anyone tried the bully adapter. Where it's a combination of Lee and Hornady ?

I am uploading a video of the press operating with the bullet feeder and will post it shortly along with my thoughts.

 

[someguy2800]

Here is a video showing the press in use.



I don't know if I will keep using the bullet feeder. I'm pretty sure some friction tape on the bottom of the bullet feeder die will keep the bullets from falling out all the time, but I think the time it takes to fill up the bullet feed tube completely negates the time saved from feeding them by hand. It does work pretty slick once the tube is full though. Perhaps I will build the DIY powdered bullet collator that someone was posting about recently. Without a bullet collator though I'm afraid it just doesn't save any time and makes my life more complicated. Its a fiddly contraption to get on and off, but it did not require any adjustments to work properly.

As my grampa used to say everytime he got into a complex mechanical device, "Now we got ourselves a contraption!"

 

[Ireload2]

There are several generally positive reviews of this press at cast boolits.

 

[Tilos]

Here is a video showing the press in use.


I don't know if I will keep using the bullet feeder. I'm pretty sure some friction tape on the bottom of the bullet feeder die will keep the bullets from falling out all the time, but I think the time it takes to fill up the bullet feed tube completely negates the time saved from feeding them by hand. It does work pretty slick once the tube is full though.
As my grampa used to say everytime he got into a complex mechanical device, "Now we got ourselves a contraption!"

My cure for the frequent feeder tube refill is longer tubes...4 or 5 of them pre-filled, or you can get the rotary bullet magazine.
Each tube holds 50+ 9mm/38.
I've seen where some have added a weight to the bottom of the bullet feeder to insure it moves all the way forward under the die, before moving up. I use a Hornady feeder die ( uses up a station though).
Thanks for posting the vid,

Edit: I added a bullet feeder to reduce the left hand operations to one per cycle. In my setup inserting the case AND the bullet slowed the loading cycle a lot.
If I had an Auto Breech Lock Pro, I'd set it up like yours, so clicking in the primer would be the only thing my left hand would do during a cycle and my right hand would never leave the lever.

 

[Strat Rider]

I noticed that at the 6:38 mark it dropped a primer on the floor. They (or someone) really needs to make something that will catch those before any powder gets loaded.
My LCT does that every so often and I would think that if I just installed an Acro bin in front of the machine these would be caught.

 

[Rule3]

Here is a video showing the press in use.



As my grampa used to say everytime he got into a complex mechanical device, "Now we got ourselves a contraption!"

Too funny! LOL Made me think of Rube Goldberg "a machine"

Thanks for the video, well done and shows the press in actual use. You be making ammo!

 

[Skgreen]

Good to see what folks are experiencing with this new press and what they are attempting to do to resolve any 'hiccups',

Even better when it seems a potential solution (or at least what to check!!!) is found / explained.

Keep the comments coming!

 

[kidneyboy]

I'm dragging this to the front page to see if there are any current reviews.