How are the new Lee Loadmasters?

[fcvan]

I don't have a dog in this fight, I fon't own a progressive press. I have used Dillons and Lee 1000s, but I started loading single stage on a Pacific 'C' press. I had a Rock Chucker that I never used (bequeathed to me) which I in turn passed on to a friend just starting. I began loading with the older Lee Turret press as I like the ease in switching calibers. I still load 'single stage style' by sizing everything, priming everything, and then charge/seat/crimp 50 at a time. It works for me. I listen to sports/news/music and keep some iced tea on hand. It is about personal preference. The only 'extravagant' expense for me is having identical setups (casting too) in 2 states as I have several houses where I split my time. I don't have doubles of all my molds, just the more common ones I use more regularly. Again, it is personal preference. I never thought this thread would turn into "Great Taste/Less Filling" style of comments. I did once consider powder coating one of my turret presses blue just to confuse my Dillon buddies

[jmorris]

I believe the sentence was, hundreds to thousands, not hundreds of.

Misread, I was hoping to see the room next to this one.

[RobS]

Figure out the kinks of a LM press and they can be good presses. After figuring out how one works and setting up several others for friends I actually traded a Dillon 550 for a LM and a Ruger Blackhawk because the person said the press was a ***. Long story short I loaded thousands of rounds on that press then gave it to a friend and he is still loading on it.

The original priming system was temperamental and required a solid mount and full strokes of the press. The newer priming systems are much better but do better with a solid press mount. Not saying that LM is for everyone as they are not and simple as that. If you like to tinker a bit and read to improve a few things on the press then a LM works just fine.

May I suggest for those looking into a LoadMaster:
http://loadmastervideos.com/



To each their own.

[kmw1954]

jmorris I figured you did. That is quite a collection is that a museum?

I have seen the new model Turret and the new model Pro1000. They are nice with some nice improvements though that still is not enough to make me upgrade from what I already have.

As best as I can figure I spend about $400.00 per year on reloading supplies which includes, primers, powders and bullets. So I don't feel any need to go bigger than I already have. Both the Lee Turret and the Lee Pro1000 can more than keep up with my needs. Also just did a quick inventory of my equipment of which most was purchased used. I have tooling to load for 380acp, 9mm, 38Spl, 357mag and soon 45acp. The new 45 dies are on their way and for now are the only rounds I cannot do in the Pro1000 because I don't have a shell plate for it. So including the 2 presses, powder measures, beam scale and manuals I estimate I have less than $300.00 invested in my equipment. So I have purchased all this for less than the price of a single Dillon or Hornady press with one set of dies.
Lastly, at 64 years of age I doubt very much that I will ever wear this stuff out.

I am not a big fan of telling others how they need to spend their money. I can make suggestions and then it up to them. If they take my suggestion, great. If not well that great too.

[jmorris]

I don’t know exactly, someone sent me photos of the room years ago reported to be Charlton Heston’s vault/home Snopes says it’s Bruce Stern’s, if you google “charlton heston gun room”.

I don’t tell folks how to spend money much either, heck my wife has more money in shoes, cloths and purses than I do in reloading gear and I have seen boxes go to goodwill with clothes that still had tags on them.

That said I don’t mind using the finest equipment even though I don’t need to.

[kmw1954]

That said I don’t mind using the finest equipment even though I don’t need to.

No quarrel with that either. If a person is in the position to do that then that is great.

I got back into this after going into retirement/disability so funds were/are limited. One of the reasons for coming back is that I have been spending more and longer times away in hospitals leaving the wife alone. I wanted her to be able to defend herself, even with deadly force if the need arose. Just last year alone I had 2 extended stays in the hospital. So far her shooting skills have improved greatly and she just recently purchased herself another new Springfield XD, this one in 45acp.

[jamesp81]

I'm really enjoying my LCT, but kicking around the idea of a progressive, and maybe a new Loadmaster

Obviously they get mixed reviews, but it seems like I've read that the newer versions have less issues. Are they worth trying with some of the fixes and mods out there? Just trying to get a sense of how likely it's just going to be a pita.

My opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

The LCT is, by far, the best press Lee ever made and one of the best period. I am giving serious consideration to selling my Hornady LnL AP setup entirely and going back to an LCT. It's reasonably fast, and it works with minimal drama. I cannot say the same for the LnL AP. Maybe Dillon is better, but I'm not built out of hundred dollar bills and gold bars either.

My LnL AP has been a plagued mess since day one. I won't itemize it's legion of issues here, not the thread for it.

FWIW, if I do go back to the LCT I'll be doing some of the aftermarket mods Inline Fab makes for it. Namely the auto ejector, and I'll be using a tube based bullet feeders from socalsw.com. At this point my only hand motions besides pulling the handle are inserting a case and activating the primer feed to place a primer in the primer ram. What I'd like to do is figure out how to get the primer feed tube mechanism from the Hornady LnL single stage to work with the LCT to feed the ram automatically. At that point you just put cases in it and pull the handle 4x to get a loaded cartridge.

[jmort]

Agree, the Classic Turret is a great press.

[jmorris]

I do think the LCT is the best value out there.

[Firebricker]

I had a load master several years ago. The two issues I had were the priming system and the auto indexing. Now as several have mentioned the priming system has been updated. With mine it was the plastic piece that fed the primer. I thought if it was metal it might have worked better. The auto indexing was giving me problems too. It was clever how it worked. If I remember correct it some how used the frame to rotate the shell plate. Sorry for the poor description. It took some tinkering on set up but that I do not mind. The case feed was really simple and worked well. You dumped them in shook it and it filled the tubes. The primer system and indexing pushed me to a 550 . So if they fixed those two things who knows I might have kept it. So my advise would be to watch some of the videos on them and watch them working. And make your decision from there. Good luck with which ever decision you make on it. FB

[slim1836]

I have always been a single stage reloader and am fine with that as I don't shoot as much as I'd like.

Recently, A friend gave me a Loadmaster and as a progressive noob immediately ran into so many issues that I won't elaborate on them. However, I considered this a challenge and have since worked them out one by one thanks to research. I am still tweaking the machine but it is now dedicated to reloading .45's. Since I don't have deep pockets and the .45's are for plinking this machine will do fine. I have not been spoiled by all the extra add-on features or high dollar machines (yet) but if Publishers Clearinghouse finds me I may reconsider. If it weren't given to me I'd never had tried a progressive. It's been fun, and challenging.

Slim

[jmorris]

The two issues I had were the priming system and the auto indexing.

The auto indexing was my main issue with it, the “flipper” seemed cheesy, for lack of a better word, after having used about every other system on other presses. Once I wrapped my head around what they were trying to do, with new parts and a little help on contact points, it worked well.

[kmw1954]

Slim1836 if it was a free gift then by all means bolt it down and fool with it you have nothing to loose but some time and sanity. Have fun with it. Sounds as if you already are. Next I would suggest that if you need small replacement parts for it use Titan Reloading. I was absolutely impressed with the service and their pricing.

[wdfwguy]

I do really like my LCT, and I was hoping the LM might just be a faster version of that. Although, it sounds like a completely different animal.

The negative reviews are enough to keep me from getting one. I just don't want something I have to constantly tinker with to keep it running. I'd like to load more ammo, faster, but be as close to plug and play as possible.

After doing some more reading, maybe a Dillon 550 might be a better choice.

[kmw1954]

It certainly does sound like you've done the legwork to make an informed decision. The 550 is a very nice press and worth the investment though as I stated earlier I went a different way with the Pro1000. It falls more inline with the Dillon Square Deal press than the 550 and I have been able to load on it very well. There are many less moving parts or adjustments with this press than the LM or the Hornady LNL. If I wasn't so tied up into this press with turrets, carriers and shell plates I would seriously be looking at the new updated model of the Pro1000.

[BigBore45]

They are the best press for the money by far. I would say I got a loadmaster in my bench and a 550b sitting under my bench in a box after I got the loadmaster.

[Lloyd Smale]

lol I have to see pictures to believe that one. Ill make you a deal. You send me that piece of junk 550 collecting dust and ill send you another BRAND NEW LOADMASTER.

They are the best press for the money by far. I would say I got a loadmaster in my bench and a 550b sitting under my bench in a box after I got the loadmaster.

[RobS]

Who cares..........if it works for some and not for others then it is what it is. I liked the Dillon 550 however never regret the decision to trade the Dillon to someone who thought the LM was a *** because I ended up with a Ruger BH in addition to a LM press which I could tune to work as well as a Dillon.

[zomby woof]

Typo? Different press? The Lee LoadMaster hasn't been around for 30 years.

Well, introduced 1992, I guess we'll get there soon enough, in 4 more years.

Really? I guess it just feels like 30 years. Ha

[FabMan]

My LM’s are dedicated to .45ACP and 9mm. Mount them solid and know how they work. Keep the primer system clean with compressed air and watch the primers coming down the chute. Works great. My 550 was sold to my brother. I can load faster on the LM’s. Rifle rounds are loaded on the LCT.