Mounting a press upside down for boolit sizing

[flashhole]

Good thread.

I bought an RCBS Jr. Press because I wanted a press I could mount upside down for sizing bullets and pushing brass through a Lee Bulge Buster die for my 40 S&W. Same RCBS press comes in an RS model, an RS Jr. model, an RS Jr. 2 model and an RS Jr. 3 model and all of them can be found on eBay. I bought a Jr. 2 because I wanted the aluminum primer catcher, not the plastic primer catcher.

The RCBS Jr. linkage block has two handle holes 90 degrees different from one another and allows mounting the press upside down.

The Lee presses that have the adjustable handle settings can be configured the same way but IMO the RCBS press is more press than what Lee has brought to market. The exception might be the Lee Class Cast single stage press.

There are videos on YouTube showing the RCBS press used in the upside down mount sizing bullets.

This is how I use mine. I removed the bicycle grip and replaced it with a wooden ball. Works great and in the conventional upright mount position I really like the "feel" when handloading small cartridges like the 221 Fireball. Note there are holes in the mounting plate that allow me to mount it off the end of the stand. When the handle is in the conventional position it is very handy to have it mounted straight off the end of the plate.

[Grmps]

[GhostHawk]

My main press is mounted on a big heavy bench.

But I have a cheap Lee C press mounted under a table close to my casting station. There for sizing and gas checking and that is all it does.

Screws need to be tightened. Some bullets I need to stand up, put my left hand on the base, and give it some real torque.

Gas checks were a constant source of frustration. Once I inverted it, no more frustration.
Everything is easy.

I have even been squeezing 00 buck through a .314 sizing die to make little bullets for the .32sw long revolver.

[OS OK]

Good thread.

I bought an RCBS Jr. Press because I wanted a press I could mount upside down for sizing bullets and pushing brass through a Lee Bulge Buster die for my 40 S&W. Same RCBS press comes in an RS model, an RS Jr. model, an RS Jr. 2 model and an RS Jr. 3 model and all of them can be found on eBay. I bought a Jr. 2 because I wanted the aluminum primer catcher, not the plastic primer catcher.

The RCBS Jr. linkage block has two handle holes 90 degrees different from one another and allows mounting the press upside down.

The Lee presses that have the adjustable handle settings can be configured the same way but IMO the RCBS press is more press than what Lee has brought to market. The exception might be the Lee Class Cast single stage press.

There are videos on YouTube showing the RCBS press used in the upside down mount sizing bullets.

This is how I use mine. I removed the bicycle grip and replaced it with a wooden ball. Works great and in the conventional upright mount position I really like the "feel" when handloading small cartridges like the 221 Fireball. Note there are holes in the mounting plate that allow me to mount it off the end of the stand. When the handle is in the conventional position it is very handy to have it mounted straight off the end of the plate.

I like that setup...excellent choice of presses too. I don't use these 'press plates' so lemme ask one dumb question. That plate? It'll lock down on your bench into a fixture (receiver) that allows whichever side you choose to be facing you? Everything remains mounted that way?

[BHuij]

Forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something here, but how much time are you saving with a Lee push-through sizer by mounting upside down and letting boolits drop into your storage container directly? I use mine right side up on my regular press, and the little cup the Lee dies come with catches the boolits just fine. Every 100-200 boolits (depending on size/caliber) I pick it up and dump it into my storage container, which takes all of 15 seconds.

[hporter]

how much time are you saving with a Lee push-through sizer by mounting upside down and letting boolits drop into your storage container directly?

Although time savings is one benefit, for me the biggest advantage/gain is that I drop the bullets nose first down into the sizing die similar to they way that I do with my Star Lubrisizer. I don't have to keep the bullet on the ram and ensure it is aligned with the die as you raise the ram. Just drop the bullet and actuate the arm. Simple, fast and easy.

Harold

[jcren]

Forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something here, but how much time are you saving with a Lee push-through sizer by mounting upside down and letting boolits drop into your storage container directly? I use mine right side up on my regular press, and the little cup the Lee dies come with catches the boolits just fine. Every 100-200 boolits (depending on size/caliber) I pick it up and dump it into my storage container, which takes all of 15 seconds.

The time savings comes from just dropping the bullet into the mouth of the die instead of ballancing it on the pusher. Also, if automating, most any system of bullet feeding can be arranged to hold or drop bullets into the funnel of the die, but holding one for the pusher then getting out of the way of the ram is another story.

[OS OK]

Mounting a press upside down is just the first step in trying to get more production in the time you spend sizing. Why? Because you can feed the press faster compared to standing the cast on the push post and sizing that way...dropping the cast into a hole is much easier too.

Here's how much quicker your sizing can go...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiNvcHM38Ik

This quick and efficient sizing business is a sickness...it get's much worse...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bhSQvM4xtQ

Stick with what your doing, that works just fine...in fact, here's a tip. Put a large rubber band around the red cup from top to bottom, then when you get 'hot & heavy' into sizing and forget to dump the cup, the top of the cup won't come off suddenly and spill your fresh sized cast all over the floor!

[flashhole]

I like that setup...excellent choice of presses too. I don't use these 'press plates' so lemme ask one dumb question. That plate? It'll lock down on your bench into a fixture (receiver) that allows whichever side you choose to be facing you? Everything remains mounted that way?

No receiver. If you look closely you will see a hole in the base-plate. Two actually, one at either end. I have a through hole in the bench I mount it to and it is very secure, keeps from tipping forward. I also have some small C-clamps I use when I use it in front of the TV on the coffee table. I take this setup to the range for load development. Main bench is much bigger with 4 presses mounted to it. Nice to have removable turrets that interchange between presses. I have two Lee Classic Turret presses and move turrets between them. I rotate it 180 degrees depending on which press I need to use. Very handy. I plan to add a bench mount priming tool. You really don't need a lot of space to handload. Just access to the proper tool.

Others have eloquently explained the advantage of the upside down mount. I run both brass and bullets through it. A bucket under the drop can catch a lot more components than the fixture Lee supplies with the die.

In my setup I used Dillon Strong Mounts and custom drilled two 3/8" thick plates. The bottom plate has protective a 1/8" thick rubber pad under it. The handles make it easier to move. The Redding powder measure is convenient in that the powder throw adjustment chamber is facing forward and does not interfere with acctuation.

[flashhole]

OS OK - That guy in the videos was my inspiration for doing what I did. Good post.

I like your tip!

[OS OK]

OS OK - That guy in the videos was my inspiration for doing what I did. Good post.

I like your tip!

Cool...we have something in common, I use the same press as you did for upside down sizing & the old fat guy in the video was...me!
Those two videos I posted show just how deep this 'rabbit hole' with sizing can get! Or, should I say how 'consumed' we get with our methodology in the quest for production.

[dikman]

Mounting upside down means that you can fit a guide tube to drop them into the die. Once you establish a rhythm you can churn through the boolits pretty fast.

[OS OK]

The only drawback to my tube feeding the die is this...

I can't get a FWC to hit the hole and go in every time...dang it all!

[flashhole]

Should I feel guilty that I use a Lee Bulge Buster for 40 S&W brass, a Lee sizing die for 40 S&W bullets and 45-70 bullets that I cast from a Lee molds and the Lee Pro 4-20 lead pot then use an RCBS press when sizing the components? I might lose sleep over this.

[OS OK]

Once you enter the 'rabbit hole' all hope is lost...

[dikman]

Flashhole, I don't know how you can live with yourself!

OS, I drop the boolit in the tube with the ram down, it hits the ram, lift the ram and it drops (slowly) into the die. If I try to drop it with the ram up it can go anywhere!! So, drop boolit, hear it hit ram, lift ram, boolit drops in, ram down and drop next one in tube at the same time. This works with .38 and .44-40 RNFP.

[OS OK]

Yeah...I can run any profile of any pistol caliber and they feed perfectly, but when I drop a FWC in the tube all bets are off.
I tried different length tubes with different profiles on the delivery end, even tried a higher angle of the tube...those dang FWC's must be Demoncrats, just will not cooperate!

[GhostHawk]

I am not that far down that rabbit hole.

Mostly I just grab a handful of lubed bullets in my left hand and trickle them in one at a time while my right hand runs the handle.

Prefered catch for me is an ice cream bucket hanging on the press top, wire bail hooked behind the sizing die. With a smaller container in the middle of the bucket.

Dropping the bullet nose first into the die is faster. But the real time savings is not chasing gas checks that fall off and go rolling on the floor.

[OS OK]

I would have been happy with dropping them in one at a time from a bunch in my left hand but I kept letting one slip out of the side of my hand into the sized catch bin...then I'd have to go looking for it!

[mdi]

I'm not trying to start an argument (really!) but I have sized bullets with the Lee system for mebbe 18 years and see no need for anything special. I normally do 100-200 depending on my need and the bullet on 3 different presses, 2 single stage and one turret, and it's no problem at all to empty the container. I haven't tried sizing on my Co-Ax yet, but I'll figger out a way. So, what's the deal? Is this only for mass sizing of 1,000 or more bullets at a time?