Looking at various presses for sizing PC and HT bollits. Talking about most leverage, consistency and ease for sizing down oversize bollits. Currently have a Redding Boss, C press (as well as the RCBS Lubri-Sizer) ...wondered if any of the others made the 'lubeless' process easier with less effort. The RCBS Summit looks like an interesting design, as does the Forester Co-Ax. Thoughts, experience?
I had the summit. Hated it for multiple reasons. Sold it and bought a lee classic cast SS and had money left over for dinner. The lee is awesome. Adjustable lever for position and leverage, can be drilled to modify leverage points for even more power. Accepts Hornady bushings. Best in class primer disposal. Basically, it's the best!
Anyone tried out the MEC Marksman yet?
Drew primer through the ram disposal did not start with Lee. I have four presses that feature through the ram disposal or a tube type disposal.Originally Posted by Drew P
I use a CH4D Champion which is the only current production cast STEEL press on the market. I have swagged belts on -06 for wildcats on this press. Very ergonomic and leverage is great. The ram is over 1-⅛" and solid with the exception of drilled through for primer disposal.
I also have a Redding Ultramag that wears a LNL bushing. Wide open window that makes handling cartridges a dream. It features a 1" hollow ram and tube for primer disposal.
Next is the COAX. Not the most ergonomic press but it's leverage is better than it appears! I'm fascinated by this press. No ram to speak of but it uses a tube for primer disposal.
Next but no longer in production are a pair of turret presses from Hollywood. It uses a tube to dispose of primers.
A Summit has the cheesy plastic cup but if mounted on the edge of the bench I don't use the primer cup but place a small waste can at my feet and it catches primers 100% of the time! It doesn't have the leverage of my other press but I use Wilson dies and an Arbor press conversion available from RCBS. I've loaded some nice and very accurate ammo on this and using the optional short handle. I also have formed cases on this press. I have used the LNL conversion in this press. It resembles an old Hollywood Senior single stage to me.
The MEC is slightly heavier than the Lee CC. It can accept LNL conversion. It resembles an old Lachmiller press to me.
My portable heavy press is the LNL Iron Press. Primers eject into a cup which works but I like disposal on my other presses better. It has features like no other press like it so I do case forming chores on the road and have loaded ammo on it. I have the automatic primer feed that works very well and my case brush and inside/outside chamfer tool mounted on the head. It is a dead ringer for the Bonanza 68.
Take care
r1kk1
you have quite a problem then don't you?. I realize primer in ram is a common feature among different brands. What I can't understand is why they don't all feature it at this point?! My point was that a "best sizing press" would feature good primer disposal traits. Using a few presses that don't have it makes you realize that if you're going to be decapping on a press then that's a key feature to have.
I resist the urge to buy presses that I don't need every day it seems. I want the new mec. Also want an ultra mag and a coax real bad. But, the lee does anything they will do at half or 1/3 the price, and it's also cast steel. They actuslly make them from melted down rail road tracks.
Anyway, nice collection of presses! With the exception of the summit, but glad you can use it as an arbor press, that makes sense. The primer cup was so stupid I actually drilled out the shell holder mount to have them drop straight through the bench. That metal was very tough to drill!
So so you have the new mec also? How many presses do you have if I may ask?
Hi,
Nuff said!
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I have heard that rumor about the Lee press being made from melted down rails. I don't believe it to be true. Per Lee's website:
Rigid cast iron construction in a classic "O" design for maximum strength. Baked powder coating is durable and makes the Classic Cast a handsome addition to any reloading bench.
http://leeprecision.com/classic-cast-press.html
Yeah the rumor that Lee O press is made from steel train rails is a urban legend. They are however a solid "lifetime" press heavy enough for most uses and less than $120 so.... pretty good in my book. I would NOT buy the one with the quick change bushings, if you find you want bushings you can unscrew the threaded bushing the normal press comes with and replace it with a bushing for quick change bushings from either Lyman or RCBS. I forget which one but one has a screw in bushing that replaces the threaded one.
But if your sizing lead I do "normal" sizing on a small C press using Lee push through size dies. I'm sizing to close to the cast size, might be different if one was sizing a cast 45 to 41 or something along those lines. I guess a bigger press might prove useful for that. Once PC'd the coating is a lubricant, they slide through pretty easy.
If you are sizing 30-06 brass to 8mm brass bigger press is probably better.
Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.
Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.
Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat
Interesting. Well it wouldn't be the first time I have been talking some serious ****! But, I've also wondered why cast iron wouldn't functionally be the same as steel in this application? I mean sure steel is stronger but is it noticeably better than iron at making ammo.
once you are dealing with plenty strong enough then any extra doesn't matter much. Cast iron I think would be more brittle than steel by a fair amount. You can break cast iron, steel is more ductile and would dent or bend rather than break. Not that a bent press wouldn't be an issue.
That story about RR rails as source of press metal has been around for a long time. Lee clarified the situation someplace but hey the rumor doesn't hurt them any so I guess why make a point of shutting it down.
Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.
Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.
Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat
Funny rumor. True about brittleness but then again if you manage to break one they will send a free replacement
rcbs ammomaster does it for me. happy trails
If I understand correctly, you are looking for a press to dry size oversized powder coated bullets. If that is what you are looking for you may want to consider looking for a used swage press. These have enough leverage to cold form lead and with the Dave Corbin's "S" press you can get a reloading adapter. I am not sure about others.
In the swaging community, those that use reloading presses, will often have longer handles made for their press. A little caution if you decide to go this route, weaker parts of the lever area have been known to break. Such as where the handle attaches and the links if they are cast.
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The Co-ax might not be a good choice because the handle is a wish bone and has to travel over the die so you won't be able to have any container. It also requires an adapter to use a regular shell holder so you would need extra stuff.
It doesn't require much force to size a bullet, it's not like you are forming the thing, just reducing the OD by a thousandth or two, less force than it takes to size a pistol case.
Gremlin460 has a thread on converting Lee breech lock presses over for the specific job than inverts them. I took his idea and did the same thing that requires no modifications to the press and automates it.
Complete with a collator, flipper, auto caster and tumbler for the coating. You spend your time moving stuff from one operation to the next but end up with a lot of bullets without a lot of work.
"CH4D Champion which is the only current production cast STEEL press"
That and The One Press to Rule Them All
CH4D Rock Crusher
I use my Star sizer lubber with the lube arm removed and a long punch to push one bullet all the way through the die, the Aqua lube 5000 really helps.
LOVE the RCBS Ammomaster II.
It just occurred to me, has any ever done a leverage comparison between some of these presses? If you put 10 lb.s of pressure on the handle, which one transfers the highest amount of pressure at the shell holder?
Hmm,,,,,,
Some years ago, I seem to remember seeing a thread with pics of weights hanging off of handles. Ring a bell?
More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"
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http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...t-for-leverage
id be interested to see also especially comparing the ch4d to a modded lee CC.
Seems that the real question is how far your handle moves vs the shell holder travel. That equates to leverage. It's not direct relationship because it somewhat depends on the way the linkage travels, but generally the less the ram travel, the more pressure you will be able to exert. I will say that sizing powder coated bullets does not require a lot of force though.
The beauty of modding a lee CC is that the press is only 100$ so it's not a huge deal to dedicate to high leverage if you need it.
I have and suspected that it would vary greatly as to what part of the stroke exactly you were at and I was right on the few I began testing with.It just occurred to me, has any ever done a leverage comparison between some of these presses? If you put 10 lb.s of pressure on the handle, which one transfers the highest amount of pressure at the shell holder?
I decided that I needed a gauge that would measure a lot of force with very little movement. I decided I would make a 7/8-14 threaded scale of sorts that had a 1 in/sq surface area that would transfer input force hydraulically to a gauge that reads in PSI at any position of the stroke.
Similar to an old corner weight scale I have.
But I have had other useless stuff to do, so it remains down the list.
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