In praise of the Lee Hand Press

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I think my pecs are bigger since I started reloading with the hand press!

[nanuk]

I'd like to get one and hire suzanne summers to full length size for me.....

[Dutchman]

I'd like to get one and hire suzanne summers to full length size for me.....

I wondered why there were over 10,000 page views on this thread. Exactly how much praise can you heap on the Lee hand press?

[Frank V]

It's a great little press, but it will pinch your fingers if you get careless!
Frank

[Cowboy T]

I'd like to get one and hire suzanne summers to full length size for me.....

Naughty, naughty! But, can't argue.

Actually, I've never used the Lee Hand Press. All my reloading is done on the bench, but the thing looks like it's handy for when you're out somewhere. Wouldn't want to try sizing .45-70 or anything similar, but it probably works really well for typical handgun, or rifle neck-sizing, applications.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Cowboy T: it will FL size .30-06 cases with ease. .45-70 cases are actually easier as there is no shoulder to set back.

The mechanical advantage is there to do the heavy work, but you probably wouldn't want to FL size 100 416 Rigby cases with this tool. You would do that at the bench.

Using the thing like a thighmaster will give you the extra push you need for the really big cases, but if you were going to reload .416 Rigby ammo in the field you probably wouldn't be doing more than a few at a time anyway so this tool could fill the bill.

Everything has it's limitations, and some things are more limited than others . This tool just happens to be one of the tools that is very adaptable to a wide variety of uses. It may not be the best tool for every job,,, but it will do most press related jobs well.

In certain circumstances it might be all you could have with you, and believe me, you could do alot worse. I would consider myself to be lucky to have it because I would be confident that I could load first rate ammo for any cartridge I had dies and components for.

For $30 I don't see how any reloader could live without one..

Randy

[rintinglen]

+1 to what he just said.
I bought mine when I moved into my current home and had no where to set up my bench presses. I loaded a couple of thousand 38's and 44's over the 14 months before I could get a new Shed built to house my play toys. I have never regretted buying it. What I have used it for is seating bullets at the range when working up experimental loads for a new rifle. Saves wear and tear on the bullet puller when you find out that the STARTING load is too hot for your rifle. (Bought a mauser action .243 once and had that experience.)

[Texantothecore]

Naughty, naughty! But, can't argue.

Actually, I've never used the Lee Hand Press. All my reloading is done on the bench, but the thing looks like it's handy for when you're out somewhere. Wouldn't want to try sizing .45-70 or anything similar, but it probably works really well for typical handgun, or rifle neck-sizing, applications.

FL sizing of .45-70 is quite easy with the Lee Hand Press. It requires surprising little pressure to bring the cases in line. I have done hundreds of new cases with the hand press and it works every time.

One of my favorite presses. Lots of guys use it while watching football.

[Darto]

I have Hunting (Decker) press many years. It works better than the Lee because handles on each side worked together produce no sideways forces, it's all inline. This gives tremendous power and stability. It uses standard RCBS primer seating cups and springs (very slow to switch between small & large -3 minutes).

For fun (not practical-i.e. too slow) I load shotgun shells with Lee hand loader (the late deluxe model with long was guide and plastic star crimp starter.

July '67 American Rifleman had tip to use a 6" C clamp (cheap on Ebay) during the final setting of the crimp. Not necessary with paper hulls but a C clamp really is necessary for a tight permanent crimp on plastic hull (I use Rem. STS 20 gauge) with a Lee Loader.

EDIT: Most folks don't have a large 6" C clamp, but a Lee loader + the clamp will produce great modern shotshells but very very slowly.

[Sakdog]

I would rather light my face on fire than be without my little lee hand press.

My first "toe in the water" on reloading was to order a Lee anniversary breech lock challenger press kit with a hand press on the side.

The breech lock never got used, I always used the hand press for the convenience it afforded me.

I moved on to other presses and load full progressive now but the hand press will always be with me and is still useful.

[DCM]

I bought one of the hand presses a while back for depriming brass at the range while waiting for a cease fire and for depriming while sitting in front of the mind melting box in the living room.
I am very pleased with it and am considering giving one to a friend for Christmas since he currently uses my stuff and has little room for a reloading bench.

[cloakndagger]

Have one, by far my most versatile tool, and the breech lock system beats the heck out of the old screw it in screw it out system on my rcbs.. but i still love my lee loaders, bench presses, and am looking forward to purchasing some 310's to round out my collection. Right now i'm sizing some boolits for my 38's for a weekend shoot with friends ... best stress toy ever invented...

[gunoil]

Was my first, great for 380's.

[Para82]

Still have one,got me started into reloading. Wife got it for me for Christmas back in the early 90s with a set of Lee steel dies to load for a Rossi 92 rifle in 357 mag. Still use it a lot to deprime with RCBS universal decapping die. Also use it a lot with a 9 MM Lee speed die. Used it yesterday as a matter of fact!
Para82

[Frank V]

Mine is an older one, it doesn't have the breechlock system. That would make it really handy.
Frank

[psychicrhino]

The breechlock is pretty handy indeed.

[jonp]

Old thread but a good one. I use mine all the time. It was the first one I bought when I started handloading a number of years ago. I used to sit at my table on the porch at my hunting camp in the winter and load up ammo. Its a good way to get the "feel" of whats going on.

[rollmyown]

I wish you guys would not do this. I feel almost compelled to buy this tool. I don't need it, but now I want one.

[besk]

While I have been reloading for over 40 years I don't do a lot compared to many of the folks on this forum. Used to have a Rockchucker - great design but way too much for my needs. Sold it and bought the Lee years ago. It fits in my reloading box (a old army ammo box) along with scales, etc. I have even resized jacketed pistol bullets with it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

rollmyown: So you don't have a Lee hand Press? If you spend the $30 or so bucks on this tool believe me you will find uses for it.

In fact it is the next step up from a Basic Lee Loader set of hand dies. However you can do just about anything with it that you could do with a regular single stage press but it is super portable and fits in a box that is 4 x 16 x 1!

If you don't have the space for a bunch of equipment, like if you live in an apartment, motorhome, trailer or tent, then this tool along with a few accessories can do everything you need to do to make quality ammunition. Also it is not any significant amount slower than a bench mounted single stage press, so your output would be similar.

Look forward to hearing your comments after you acquire this tool, cuz I know you are gonna go right down and get one today!

Randy