Looking to get a lee progressive just for my 9mm. Is the lee loadmaster a lot better than the pro 100 or what do you guys recommend?
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Looking to get a lee progressive just for my 9mm. Is the lee loadmaster a lot better than the pro 100 or what do you guys recommend?
There is a lot to be said for and against the Lee Loadmaster. I can't speak to the Pro1000, having never used one. My LM is 12+ years old, and has served me well. There have been some breakdowns, and Lee has replaced anything I needed fast and free. In my experience their customer service has been tip top. I suggest that you google Loadmaster or pro1000, and you will find tons of videos and operational suggestions on youtube ect. The main thing is to follow the Lee instructions exactly, and keep your press clean. The Loadmaster is certainly a good value, but if you can afford a Dillon 550 then go for it.
with judicious setting of the crimp/seat die the pro 1000 is awesum , the loadmaster has a longer learning curve and two extra holes ( which is nice to seat and crimp separately ) to be fair even a plain turret press with auto index is faster than a single stage , if you do get a loadmaster an extra sizer or decapper is nice , i use a decapper first station , a sizer in the second ( it helps keep the primers lined up ) then a powder thru expander in the third station , a seat die in the fourth and finish up with crimp , the pro 1000 of course only has 3 holes , if the brass is the same size ( or sorted to the same length ) the pro 1000 really kicks'em out
The pro 1000 is not a bad machine.
Checkout this link if you are looking into a LoadMaster:
http://loadmastervideos.com/
On the left go to the Link "LoadMaster Videos Forum"
I have two of them and they work flawlessly if you are willing to do a few modifications. Since I did the mods and did the initial setup no problems.
If you are not a trouble shooter type and like to tinker then probably not your cup of tea.
I have had both, currently have the LoadMaster. For just pistol calibers I would probably go with the Pro1000. I load several rifle calibers on my LM, .223, 6.8, 30-06 and 8x57 which you can't do on the Pro1000.
The priming system is better on the Pro1000 (less problematic) but the LM is a much bigger beefier press.
For 9mm I wouldn't hesitate to get the Pro1000, I've loaded thousands of 9mm, 357, 44mag and 45acp on the Pro1000 I owned.
alright thanks for the info and help. well i would just use the progressive for pistol calibers, mainly 9mm some 44 mag maybe and 40 or 45 maybe. is there anything the loadmaster would do better than the pro1000? or would it not be worth spending the little extra money?
I have a loadmaster for sale in the classifieds lmk if yu a looking for a good deal on one.
Seating and crimping at two different stations is one. Generally speaking, having 5 stations with the LM gives a person more flexibility in their reloading operation/options vs the 3 stations of the Pro1000.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick2010
The only thing I can think of that the Loadmaster does better than the Pro 1000 as far as pistol calibers, is decapped primer disposal. ( and it ain't a whole lot better) And the Pro 1000 being only a three hole press there isn't room for a seperate crimp die but theres really no problem with seating and crimping with the same die, just a liiitttle bit harder to adjust the seater die just right. It's actually pretty simple. And if you mount the Pro 1000 on a raised platform you can slide an empty can under it to collect the dead primers. It's smaller, I think faster, better priming, and less expensive. Whats not to like. Yes I have owned them both.
I have no problem with the Pro 1000 once I figured out to keep the primer tray full. I load 223 on it with collet die for sizing and the ammo is every bit as accurate as on single stage.
For your intended purpose (9mm only), I'd suggest the Pro 1000. The reason is that the Pro 1000 will do just as fine a job, for considerably less money, and do it about as quickly. In a 60-minute timespan, I can turn out about 375 rounds of .38 Spl or just over 300 rounds of .45 Colt.
What the LoadMaster Zone is for the LM, my Web site aims to be for the Pro 1000. Might want to have a look.