Lee Progressive not reliable

[pearcetopher]

Hi guys,

while loading some 9mm's cb in my lee progressive, (not the crappy one) I found out that if I have expander, bullet seat, and crimp on 3 different stations that when there is a bullet going into the crimp die and a bullet going into the seat die at the same time the bullet will be seated .05" higher than if it would go into the seat die without having anything in the crimp die. What is going on here? Everything seems tight. Also I have two 9mm seating dies the lee ones so for the crimp die I removed the bullet seater so it acts only as a crimper

[Recluse]

First off, that's not a problem of the progressive press. It's a problem with your die adjustments depths. Try turning your seating die (the one that's seating .05" high) in a quarter or half turn or if that causes a (taper) crimp to begin, try lowering the seating stem.

I've never seated and crimped my 9mm rounds in two separate steps in over 40 years of reloading--never had a need to since I use a taper crimp exclusively for all semi-auto rounds. My 9mm dies are Lee and RCBS and both are easy enough to adjust for proper seating depth and an appropriate crimp.

Seating and crimping, just as with de-priming or full-length sizing or case-belling are not functions of the press--be it single stage, turret or progressive--but functions of the dies.

:coffee:

[pearcetopher]

well I can get it to work by turning in the seating die but it only seats at the correct depth if there is a round in the crimp station, otherwise it will seat too deep. Is there anyway I can seat and crimp in one step using the lee seating and crimping die?

[captaint]

Sounds like your press is flexing where the dies mount. I don't have a Lee, so I can't recommend a solution. Then again, if you seat and taper crimp at the same time consistently, maybe there won't be a problem ?? Just a thought. Mike

[Shiloh]

If the press is flexing, that would be a real issue.

Shiloh

[Tatume]

The crimp die is stopping the ram from coming up all the way, which results in not seating bullets fully. It appears that the crimp die is adjusted too deeply, and if the ram were to be fully raised it would put excessive crimp on the case. Readjust the crimp die correctly.

[kevmc]

The crimp die is stopping the ram from coming up all the way, which results in not seating bullets fully. It appears that the crimp die is adjusted too deeply, and if the ram were to be fully raised it would put excessive crimp on the case. Readjust the crimp die correctly.

Nailed it!!!!

[kevmc]

I'll assume your press has more than 3 stations....
1. remove all dies from press
2. install the sizing die so the press "JUST locks up" as the ram reaches top..(raise ram first, screw in sizing die till it touches ram, screw in about 1/8th turn more)...you now have a definite point to work with..
3. install expanding die and adjust
4. install seating die and adjust
5. install crimp die and adjust
6. load boolits
7. shoot boolits
8. repeat often!!