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Lee loadmaster question
remington nut
Member Posts: 961 ✭✭✭✭
i'm thinking of getting a progressive press for pistol reloading, 9mm and 45acp. was wondering what comes with the press and if there are other things that i would need to buy to speed things up and make simpilar. how does the powder dispenser work as far as changing powder charges? i'm not new to reloading, but new to progressive presses. any help would be great.... thanks in advance...
Comments
get a Dillon
I eventually bought a Hornady Lock-N-Load AP. I'm really pleased with it!
I'll agree with the others, don't get a Lee progressive.
It shows you how to operate most of their equipment on these videos. They show everything from the presses in operation to how to adjust dies etc.
Smitty
That "Customer Operating Reloader" video lasted about as long as the Loadmaster my buddy had, i.e. about 20 to 30 seconds...
Your buddy must be a * then. But then some idiots can tear up a steel ball with a rubber mallet.
Smitty
Honestly, Loadmasters are an engineering nightmare. Way too many moving parts, and it seems like everything is designed to just *barely* work. The slightest grain of dirt or too little lubrication and bad things will happen.
quote:Originally posted by Gunslinger2005
That "Customer Operating Reloader" video lasted about as long as the Loadmaster my buddy had, i.e. about 20 to 30 seconds...
Your buddy must be a * then. But then some idiots can tear up a steel ball with a rubber mallet.
Smitty
Actually, that buddy of mine is a gunsmith and custom rifle builder, who builds some pretty nice custom muzzleloaders. Here's a photo of five of my muzzleloaders he built for me.
He's also only been reloading for 25 or 30 years. I was at his place a number of different times when he was trying to get the Loadmaster to work, or replacing broken parts on it.
The "dangerous POS" description was mine, not his. I think "*" is the proper description for anyone you buys a Loadmaster. I'd rather not waste my money. In fact, I'd prefer to not even be beside someone who shooting ammo made with one.
quote:Originally posted by Gunslinger2005
That "Customer Operating Reloader" video lasted about as long as the Loadmaster my buddy had, i.e. about 20 to 30 seconds...
Your buddy must be a * then. But then some idiots can tear up a steel ball with a rubber mallet.
Smitty
Here are some more photos of those muzzleloaders my * idiot buddy built. This shot shows the triger stripe maple butt stocks in more detail.
This photo shows the patch boxes with incised carving.
This photo shows the butt stock on one of the rifles, along with the incised carving, brass wire and silver pin inlays.
This photo shows the poured pewter nose caps on a couple of the rifles.
This photo shows more of the incised carving, and engrave escutcheon on one of the rifles.
This buddy of mine is very meticulous and particular about what he does. I'm very particular about my stuff too. That's why I don't buy Lee equipment!
This buddy of mine is very meticulous and particular about what he does. I'm very particular about my stuff too. That's why I don't buy Lee equipment!
There's thousands of satisified Lee Customers out here so that tells me that your buddy is still a * reguardless of how nice a gun he builds.
Smitty
I just sold the Lee Pro-1000 on ebay. Lee stuff can work OK, but Dillon stuff is much easier to use and Dillon offers a lifetime warranty that they do back up.
I just think the opinion of someone that has owned and used both would be more able to make an informed decision.
If you have owned both and want to sell your Dillon, I don't think you'll have any problem getting rid of it. I have 5 Dillons now and no immediate plans to sell any but maybe the Square Deal (to my younger brother) who is in need of a reloader.
I have 5 Dillons now and no immediate plans to sell any but maybe the Square Deal (to my younger brother) who is in need of a reloader.
If you owned one Classic Lee Turret you wouldn't need 5 Dillons. There's more to speed than just how many rounds you can crank out per hour. I can load a few rounds of all 9 calibers I reload for in an hour on my Lee Turret and not have to use a single tool to do it with. Try doing that on your Dillon.
Smitty
If I looked around here hard enough I could probably find a couple more as well. I also have 4 tumblers, 2 electronic scales, 4 manual scales as well as case trimmers and a whole host of other reloading equipment. I have been reloading for about 28 years and started with a plastic mallet and a Lee reloading tool.
I have reloaded thousands of rounds of ammo, sometimes a couple of thousand in one evening.
I once bought a set of Lee dies for the 7.65 Argentine Mauser to load up some ammo. With any good die set, you can run a 30-06 case into the die to form the brass but when I did it with the Lee set, they wouldn't chamber. I called Lee and they told me I would have to have a special die made at extra cost. I returned the dies to Midway and bought some RCBS dies. They formed the brass perfectly and didn't need to have a special die made. The Lee wouldn't do the job without paying for a custom made die so there was no cost saving by buying the lesser product.
In any case, this post started out talking about progressive presses and you now state you load on a turret which isn't even a progressive so it demonstates how much you know about reloading. Instead of insulting other people here, you should go and check out a good reloading manual. I would have offered to send you one for free but after your insulting of others, I think I will find someone more deserving to give it to.
You state that there is more to speed than how many rounds per hour you can crank out. This does not make a lot of sense. In fact your whole last statement did not make a whole lot of sense. You state that you can reload for all 9 calibers that you load for in one hour. Well I can't alone reload for all 50 or more calibers that I reload for in an hour. You would have a hard time loading 50 rounds for 4 calibers with your press in an hour, so you must not shoot very much or very often. I have 2 boys that could help me and we could go thru 500 rounds in less than an hour in our backyard. Although we do not often do that much at one sitting, we have shot 3 times in the last week or so and I think we shot 3 different calibers last week so I don't have time to play around when I sit down to reload. I set up one of my Dillons and reload 500 or 1000 rounds at one time while you sit and play with your little Lee turret. Your childish responses tell me that you have never owned a Dillon. When you grow up and start to respect others, maybe you can get a decent job and buy some REAL reloading equipment. DILLON or one of the others that back up their stuff with a lifetime warranty. Heck, Dillon will even let you try it for 30 days and return it if you don't like it.
PS-In my earlier post, I said I wasn't trying to be insulting. Now, I am trying to be insulting.
PS-In my earlier post, I said I wasn't trying to be insulting. Now, I am trying to be insulting.
Actually you're just showing your ignorance!
Smitty
And I noticed you did not list how long you have been reloading or any other qualifications you used to base your decision on.
Also, judging by the comments in this post by a lot of experienced reloaders, it appears that Lee has thousands of dis-satisfied customers as well. In fact it looks like an eleven-to-one ratio of dis-satisfied customers to the one satisfied one. Yet you insult what is obviously a gunsmith and gunmaker of very high quality arms along with his friend who is just trying to help a fellow shooter/reloader.
In reading other posts, I noticed that you often make comments that don't necessarily take other peoples needs into account. Like recommending a small thumler's tumbler as being "plenty big enough" without knowing how much brass the person intends to tumble at one time. If the person wants to do 800 rounds of 38 special at a time, I don't think that tumbler would be anywhere near big enough.
You comment on these posts as if you were some expert, but it is pretty obvious to me that there are a lot of different kinds of reloading equipment that you don't have much experience with.
You are correct in that I may be showing my ignorance by getting into this with you, but I think your advice sometimes runs quite to the contrary of what many experienced reloaders tend to believe and I genuinely want others here to get the equipment that best suits their needs the first time around.
Smitty
It can be an excellent press if you are mechanically adept, and are capable of understanding what is happening. Timing is critical, . Any competent gunsmith(not bubba the parts changer) should be able to make one sing, as the same issues are encountered on it as you would have on a revolver, or autoloading firearm. It is capable of loading every bit as fast as an equally equipped Dillon 650.
It is not a press for the ignorant, inept, of for someone who is incapable of following instructions. Nor is it a press for the beginner.
I don't want to start an argument with you too, but, IMO, comparing a Loadmaster to Dillon 650 is kind of like comparing a Hi Point to a Colt 1911. Yes, they're both single action semiautos, and they both take single stack mags, but that's where the similarity ends. The Loadmaster, IMO, is poorly designed and cheaply made. If you don't value your time, AND, you like to tinker more than reload, then maybe the Loadmaster is the best choice. I wouldn't recommend anybody, except maybe Smitty, buying one.
Rich,
I don't want to start an argument with you too, but, IMO, comparing a Loadmaster to Dillon 650 is kind of like comparing a Hi Point to a Colt 1911. Yes, they're both single action semiautos, and they both take single stack mags, but that's where the similarity ends. The Loadmaster, IMO, is poorly designed and cheaply made. If you don't value your time, AND, you like to tinker more than reload, then maybe the Loadmaster is the best choice. I wouldn't recommend anybody, except maybe Smitty, buying one.
Did I anywhere say that the load-master was of the same quality?
It is not a press for the ignorant, inept, of for someone who is incapable of following instructions. Nor is it a press for the beginner.
Exactly! [:D]
Smitty
I think that would qualify him as a beginner (at least as far as progressives go)so Smittys advice runs directly in contrast with the advice that it is "not a press for the beginner". I can reload on a Lee press, I just prefer to use the Dillon because I think it works better, lasts longer and is lifetime warrantied so it retains a higher resale value if you ever decide to sell it. In my mind, that more than justifies the slightly higher initial cost. I would still like to know if Smitty even ever laid hands on a Dillon, as many of us that have tried both still prefer the Dillon.
As for as reloading since 1963, if that is true he has been reloading for a longer time than I, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he has more knowledge about progressive reloading presses. My main beef with Smitty is that he starts name-calling to people that disagree with him but it is quite obvious that he is in the minority opinion when it comes to progressive presses. He certainly has a right to voice his opinion about what has worked for him, but calling someone names seems to be a demonstration of his frustration when someone disagrees with his opinion. I think people should try to be civil with those whose opinion is somewhat different than your own and I think his name-calling antics serve no purpose here. After all, we are all shooters and gun owners here and the insults he made to others here kind of fired me up. I don't take well to people that try to bully others. I never have and don't think I ever will. If we could pull it off and if he ever wants to sit down with a Lee while I sit down with a Dillon, we could see whose progressive goes longer without breaking down and who backs them up better when they do. We could even compare caliber conversions times and see how that affects the outcome.
My main beef with Smitty is that he starts name-calling to people that disagree with him but it is quite obvious that he is in the minority opinion when it comes to progressive presses. He certainly has a right to voice his opinion about what has worked for him, but calling someone names seems to be a demonstration of his frustration when someone disagrees with his opinion.
You're the one that jumped in uninvited and started bad mouthing Lee Products. If you're going to be negative about something then you need to be able to take the heat when it comes back at you. I called your buddy a * not you. But now that I look back I should have called you one to.
The pissing match is over for me. You can carry on by yourself I won't be visiting this thread any longer. Enjoy.
Smitty
quote:Originally posted by GUNFUNCO
My main beef with Smitty is that he starts name-calling to people that disagree with him but it is quite obvious that he is in the minority opinion when it comes to progressive presses. He certainly has a right to voice his opinion about what has worked for him, but calling someone names seems to be a demonstration of his frustration when someone disagrees with his opinion.
...
The pissing match is over for me. You can carry on by yourself I won't be visiting this thread any longer. Enjoy.
Smitty
That's the first intelligent thing you've had to say!
ever one knows you cant beat a Dillon [;)][}:)]
AS far as the name calling, Smitty, I'll let the others decide if that makes you sound more intelligent. If you don't want to monitor, that is OK. You can throw your name calling around and then go hide behind both your computer and your Lee equipment.[}:)]Me, I was kind of enjoying the banter-I couldn't wait to hear your next response...
As far as to those that have been monitoring our "debate"-I am sorry guys, I thought this was a public forum. [;)] I didn't realize it was a "Smitty" forum.[:o)] Yet, even now, I kinda think some of you enjoy this stuff...
And if I offended any of the other people around here, I honestly apologize.