reloading questions/advice if you would please?

[Old_Me]

I have been using a dillion since 1987 and its been bulletproof.
I decided to give the new 2023 "improved" lee pro1000 a try. I can not get this machine to load more than 20 rounds without it dropping a primer causing me to stop everything and retrieve the primer because it get stuck under the press and you can't put the ram all the way down or flip the primer and put it in backwards. It now sits in the corner and will probably never be used again.

well i did that "trick" to expand the large and small primer plastic "pusher" and it works great frankly.

however, i am not really terribly fond of my Lee, i "just like it" enough to load my 9mm's.

when i can afford to do so..??

i'm gonna buy another 550c, and the roller handle, and the bullet tray.....i got everything else.

the "Lee primer trick"......and it works..!!!!

 

[Old_Me]

the new Lee breech lock press came as well as the swag set, also Lee, and the bench mount.

I git it adjusted, to just accept the primer, i may have to fine tune it a bit more or less.

i only swaged 3 shell casings, the rest (about 60) will be done at a later time.

i mounted it where the Lee Pro-4000 goes

the Lee swag set.

 

[jumpinjoe]

the new Lee breech lock press came as well as the swag set, also Lee, and the bench mount.

I git it adjusted, to just accept the primer, i may have to fine tune it a bit more or less.

i only swaged 3 shell casings, the rest (about 60) will be done at a later time.

i mounted it where the Lee Pro-4000 goes

View attachment 43630

the Lee swag set.

View attachment 43631

Old_Me, that little press may not be the best choice to do a lot of primer pocket swaging. It's a great little press for reloading off the tailgate of your truck at the range for a few practice rounds, and particularly those that were fired from the same gun you're reloading for and not doing a lot of 'full length' resizing especially on rifle, bottleneck cases. It also is a good choice for those who have an assortment of presses for dedicated jobs like bullet seating and/or neck sizing only.

As I said, it's a great little press, but note the word little. It's known to be a little weak at the point of the base where the ram comes up through, or right at the bottom of where the die screws down through. Now I'm not one to bash Lee since I've been a confirmed user since the early 70's and would not trade any of my Lee equipment for any others. But I've learned to not misjudge them for the job you intend to do and primer pocket swaging of military brass is hard on presses. For that particular job I would highly recommend considering the Breech lock 'O'frame press. It will never fail no matter how many cases you may swag.

If that would be a consideration for you, it might be wise to contact the seller and explain you have has second thoughts considering your need, and see if they might make a trade with you. If you still have all the original box and paperwork and the little press is still new. they might consider it due to good customer service.

Just my thoughts and suggestions my friend. Certainly your decision. Good luck.

 

[Old_Me]

Old_Me, that little press may not be the best choice to do a lot of primer pocket swaging. It's a great little press for reloading off the tailgate of your truck at the range for a few practice rounds, and particularly those that were fired from the same gun you're reloading for and not doing a lot of 'full length' resizing especially on rifle, bottleneck cases. It also is a good choice for those who have an assortment of presses for dedicated jobs like bullet seating and/or neck sizing only.

As I said, it's a great little press, but note the word little. It's known to be a little weak at the point of the base where the ram comes up through, or right at the bottom of where the die screws down through. Now I'm not one to bash Lee since I've been a confirmed user since the early 70's and would not trade any of my Lee equipment for any others. But I've learned to not misjudge them for the job you intend to do and primer pocket swaging of military brass is hard on presses. For that particular job I would highly recommend considering the Breech lock 'O'frame press. It will never fail no matter how many cases you may swag.

If that would be a consideration for you, it might be wise to contact the seller and explain you have has second thoughts considering your need, and see if they might make a trade with you. If you still have all the original box and paperwork and the little press is still new. they might consider it due to good customer service.

Just my thoughts and suggestions my friend. Certainly your decision. Good luck.

well thanks, Joe...but i will keep this one and at least gain the experience of swaging. i only sweep up a nominal number of others peoples brass at the range, maybe if i am "lucky" about less than a full 50 piece box worth.

it is a much lighter press, i "saw that" right away, but at the time, i just did not want to go full bore into swaging "pistol only" brass for the few i actually save from time to time.

 

[Old_Me]

UPDATE:

well i gave it some extra thoughts.

someone here, that shall be left nameless, but his initials are @jumpinjoe , (keep this a secret) mentioned the other Lee press i had may not be well suited for swaging.

so i went and checked for the "O" Lee press as he mentioned.

the prices were the same, no matter where i get it from, and i decided to order it from Midsouth Shooters, which took a God awful amount of time to pull that order, even though it was in stock.....i may have to re-evaluate future purchases from them....Midway USA, Natchezz, Brownell's, pull and ship the orders in a day.........HHMmmmmm..........

anyway, it is NOT a cast iron press, even though in the description, it says that IT IS.....which is why i bought it from Midsouth, where all the other online suppliers specifically mentioned is is NOT cast iron....!!!!!!

i did check the Lee catalog that came with this, and Lee's cast iron press is a whipping $250.......way too much for the little use it'll get.

so anyway, i set it up, and finished swaging 60, 9mm military casings.

next step will be to reload just those casings, maybe with the Berry's bullets FMJ's i have

 

[jumpinjoe]

Sorry about the confusion there Old_Me, but I didn't suggest the cast iron press. I knew about it and especially how expensive it was, so what I suggested was the "Breech lock 'O'frame press" which is what you ended up with. It's an aluminum cast press with the 'O' frame design and a direct descendant of Lee's older Challenger 'O' frame press. You have a much better press for your purpose now.

The twe presses in question are both 'O' frame designs, but one is 'cast iron', very heavy, unbreakable for a lifetime, and costs a lot, and now also comes with the breech lock design. The other (like you have) is also an 'O' frame press, cast aluminum, breech lock design, much lighter weight, and with normal care will also last a lifetime, even doing primer pocket reaming. jj

 

[Old_Me]

Sorry about the confusion there Old_Me, but I didn't suggest the cast iron press. I knew about it and especially how expensive it was, so what I suggested was the "Breech lock 'O'frame press" which is what you ended up with. It's an aluminum cast press with the 'O' frame design and a direct descendant of Lee's older Challenger 'O' frame press. You have a much better press for your purpose now.

The twe presses in question are both 'O' frame designs, but one is 'cast iron', very heavy, unbreakable for a lifetime, and costs a lot, and now also comes with the breech lock design. The other (like you have) is also an 'O' frame press, cast aluminum, breech lock design, much lighter weight, and with normal care will also last a lifetime, even doing primer pocket reaming. jj

yeah Joe, no matter the "O" design press i looked at, like RCBS< Lee, they were at least $250 +.....too much money for what i need it for.

like i said, i gave it "deeper" consideration as to what you said about the other Lee press, so i sent that back, for credit, and got this one.

of course too, i had previously bought another bench mount plate, for quick change overs.

if i wasn't so dang limited to space, i'd have like 4, maybe 5 work benches set up with all that i need.......but then too, maybe a good thing i DON'T have all that space........cuz the Mrs will have to live at the Bingo parlor to support that monkey on my back...!!!!!

 

[Old_Me]

ok, went to the club this morning. i took.....50 rounds copper plated Berry's Bullets, 50 rounds lead bullets, and 50 founds Fiocchi ammo. (all 9mm by the way)

i was quite impressed with the Berry's bullets. i can see buying more copper plated. i actually bought the Berry's Bullets last year, and just started using them a week or so ago.....because i wanted to use up the remainder of the lead ones that i had first.

i only reloaded 1 box of fifty, and in fact, i reloaded that military brass, that i swaged the primer pockets.

my CZ 75 B shot all reloads without any issues..then of course, the Fiocchi, was never going to be an issue.

i have asked for and received MANY new bullets sites, and i will shop for not only prices, but what's in stock availability.

i'll even check for "blemished" bullets, from 1 site, American Reloader, from a new member here.

funny too, i was all alone, then another member came in....

he shot maybe 20 rounds, then he had to leave. before he did, he introduced himself to me..

he was the gunsmith my LGS sent my Colt "no roll marks, no sights" to, for a set of 3 white dot Novak sights...!!!!!!

i did not know he was a member there, and he was there to "test a gun" someone was having issues with...

he asked if i reload (since he saw me sweeping my brass) ....i told him so, and he asked what presses.

of course i told him the 550c Dillon and a Lee.

he used to reload, had a couple of Lee's and dumped them.

i told him that frankly, i am leaning that way too, dump the Lee, maybe get another 550c

he said he had too many issues with the Lee(s), they'd go out of adjustment after a while (and someone else i know at the mom/pop store) said the same things. you gotta keep up with them, i was told....

turned out to be an "insightful day" .............

 

[Old_Me]

i was about to take a sawzall to my Lee this morning....

i had, had enough of the BS with that press...

then i sat back on the bench stool...

what was happening.>??

i was reloading some 9mm.....

i was getting different OAL's on a few of the rounds.

like WTF is this BS, i am sick and tired of adjusting this dang Lee,

well, i tried resetting the die, down to the plate, back off 3 turns....says so right there in the instructions, which that's how i first set it up, and it ran beautiful.

now, the seating die itself, i could not screw down the thumb screw, it stopped.....LIKE WTF AGAIN...???

making a "grinding noise"

had to sit back again...

took out the die, tried to pop out the bullet seater core.....it is stuck..???

knocked it out with a center punch.

dear God almighty....the CRUD in that die....!!!!!

took my Brake Kleen, took my jag, and patches, and a small scraper, and went to town...

reset/readjusted the seating die.......works like a champ now.

i do not use case lube, however, most likely, it's that "wax" or whatever the casting guy uses in those grooves....gotta be, i have to "wipe clean" the rounds before i can plunk them, or the stick in the gauge.

you guys would have known this, as i starting my tale.......

i'm still learning...........

to maybe now, make it yet another habit, to take apart the seating die, and clean it out after xxxx number of rounds....??

better still, when i can, afford to do so, switch out entirely to non-cast bullets.

another die i will clean will be the crimping die as well, or at least look at it first.

now, before i start reloading my 45 ACP, (on the Dillon) i'll take apart THAT seating die as well....and give it a cleaning too.

so for now....the Lee gets a reprieve from the Sawzall

 

[youngolddude]

Try coated lead bullets and you won't get that crud in your die.

 

[rcurtner]

I really like 231 for .45. Looking at my notebook, I settled on 5.0 gr for 230gr bullets—FMJ, coated/plated lead, and JHP’s; worked well, burnt clean.

I've been loading 9mm & 45 acp for several years. I've tried other powders but always come back to Win 231. The 5.0 load is good for 230's. I routinely up the charge to 6.0 with no pressure signs using fmj's or jhp's. I use an old Dillon XL 650 progressive press. I've had to replace minor parts, springs, bushings, shell plates and other minor parts. I can only guess how many thousands of rounds I've loaded with this press. I think I payed around $450.00 for it and now I think they're going for over $700.00. I started reloading in the late 70's using a Lee hand loader. I do trim cases after 3-4 loadings. 9mm & 45 acp headspace off the case mouth and if cases are too long you may get failures to feed and pressure spikes.

 

[Old_Me]

Try coated lead bullets and you won't get that crud in your die.

those 9mm bullets are lead, round nose, that came with the Dillon when i bought the RSO's reloading room set up.

i think they are Missouri Bullets, at least that was the "box label" that was in the ammo can they were in.

i do not know if those 9's were coated or not with maybe wax?

i did the "fingernail test", but nothing came off any bullet. what other "coating" would be on them.??

i checked my Dillon's 45 ACP dies..."clean as a whistle"....but i bought the LRN 230 gr bullets locally.

and in fact, i have more 45 ACP run thru my Dillon, than i had the 9's run thru my Lee...!!

it was like a paste material, i wish i had taken a picture of it, but i was too ticked off with what i had to do to clean it.

 

[youngolddude]

What I'm talking about are the "lipstick" bullets that are poly or hi-tec coated. I've not used Alox, which gives bullets a waxy coating and don't know if that gums up dies. Alox coated bullets will remove lead in barrels according to Lee.

 

[shanneba]

Do your 9mm bullets look like these? (Mo Bullet Hi-Tek 2-Extreme Coating)

They also offer these also Hi Tek coated.

or like these normal lubed bullets- (also Mo Bullet company)

 

[rcurtner]

It's very possible I've missed posts that share info on casting bullets. I started out using only wheel weights for casting but after numerous internet searches started mixing my own alloys. I used lead, tin, antimony & Linotype using different percentages for varying hardness goals. Unfortunately health concerns ended my casting hobby. Is anyone out there still casting their own bullets?

 

[youngolddude]

It's very possible I've missed posts that share info on casting bullets. I started out using only wheel weights for casting but after numerous internet searches started mixing my own alloys. I used lead, tin, antimony & Linotype using different percentages for varying hardness goals. Unfortunately health concerns ended my casting hobby. Is anyone out there still casting their own bullets?

I'm going to start this fall/winter. i purchased a lead pot and two molds used and reclaimed several buckets of lead from a local cowboy (all lead) range. I'll see about powder coating the bullets instead of using conventional lube. Ventilation is the key to safe casting besides not eating or smoking before hand washing. If all goes well, I'll buy a 160 or 180 gr. mold.

 

[Old_Me]

Do your 9mm bullets look like these? (Mo Bullet Hi-Tek 2-Extreme Coating)



They also offer these also Hi Tek coated.



or like these normal lubed bullets- (also Mo Bullet company)

like these, in fact my 45 ACP, Colt LC, 38 specials, and 9's....

when i "seat" the bullet, i can see some of that "blue wax"..??? come out of the brass. so it stands to reason, that blue "wax" and maybe some shavings of lead, are the gunk..???

i have a minimum amount of bell mouthing to allow for the bullets to just barely sit into the brass.

i had shown the owner of the mom/pop store how i bell mouthed the brass originally, and he said i was doing too much, to cut back on the bell mouthing, when i did, he said "perfect" bell mouthing.

after i crimp any bullet, i then have to wipe off the "blue" so the round will plunk in the Lyman gauge block.

if i don't then, well, it sticks.

 

[powerboatr]

that was the other reason i stopped using the lead cast uncoated bullets...they gummed up my dillion

i use dillion case lube on about 1 in 5 cases of 45 in the square deal B. the 9mm usually go through 50 or more before they start sticking in the machine
i use the lube sparingly...very as in a sprintz from about 12 inches and let it dry .
your getting there...for me the science involved is what makes the reloading so relaxing

 

[shanneba]

What is the diameter of your 9mm bullets?
You might try another 1/8 of a turn on the powder die for just a little more bell.

Maybe the expander is not expanding deep enough, or it is not sized large enough for your bullet diameter.

Photo Escape makes Dillion powder drop 9mm expanders- for 0.357" and 0.358" bullets.

Photo Escape - 9mm – HTC Powder Transfer Unit

 

[Old_Me]

What is the diameter of your 9mm bullets?
You might try another 1/8 of a turn on the powder die for just a little more bell.

Maybe the expander is not expanding deep enough, or it is not sized large enough for your bullet diameter.

Photo Escape makes Dillion powder drop 9mm expanders- for 0.357" and 0.358" bullets.

Photo Escape - 9mm – HTC Powder Transfer Unit

i can give that a try first.

maybe the very first time i just went too far in expanding, which is why the manager told me to go back and readjust.

i'm going to have to. i have 2,000 new LRN, and i just cannot go and get coated right now.