Few questions on processes

[TaylorS]

Been using a Lee single O press since I started and after getting the bench back together I am thinking about a progressive for my pistol and high volume rifle rounds. But how I learned and how I work brass and loads doesn’t seem to all fit in on the press.

Mostly cleaning and reaming primer pockets there’s no tool I’ve seen or heard of that will do that on the press and it seems like a waste to pull cases out to take that step.

Secondly case trimming I do mine between sizing and priming again no way to do that easily and accurately on the press.

And granted I don’t recall having to trim any pistol brass yet but I have with almost all of my rifle loads. I also clean primer pockets on everything and ream when necessary.

Am I over thinking the process?


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[BK7saum]

I have deprimed on a single stage, and done brass prep/trimming off-press, then primed, dumped powder, seated bullets and crimped on the progressive.

However, if the rifle brass is all one batch that I know is acceptable length, I will size, seat primer and load all on th progressive. I gave up cleaning primer pockets a LOONNGGG time ago, even on long range/match loads.

Brad

[RedlegEd]

Hi. I wouldn't say you're overthinking, rather over working the process. For most high volume pistol rounds (e.g. 9mm or .45 ACP,) trimming is not needed, nor is cleaning and reaming the primer pocket. If your pistol brass is clean and free of dust, dirt and grime, it should process just fine through a progressive. For your high volume rifle rounds, I'm guessing you aren't talking about reloading first fired military brass that has crimped primer pockets. If so, I'd recommend using a simple case gauge like the Lyman E-Zee Case length gauge. You can check your brass before you run it through the progressive to identify the brass that's too long and needs to be trimmed. You can keep that brass separate to process using your older press and trim after sizing/decapping. Hope this helps. Ed

[TaylorS]

Only rifle rounds I think I would do on a progressive are .223 and 300BO. Once I’ve made the 300BO brass formed and trimmed it’s gone 4 and 5 loadings without coming close to needing trimmed

So I’ll probably be good there guess it’s time I keep my eyes open for a used progressive a article in another thread here was super helpful in finding out what might be the best bang for the buck but new ain’t happening according to the boss lol.

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[Pipefitter]

Just this morning I finished processing 2500 once fired 556 Lake City brass. It started out very dirty as military brass usually is. Deprimed on a single stage press and used the older style RCBS press mounted primer pocket swage tool to remove the crimp. Then the brass went through the sonic cleaner (you could wet tumble with SS pins if that is your method), both to clean the brass and the primer pocket. A quick tumble in corncob media with automotive wax to finish the polish. Sized on a single stage press with a Dillon carbide die (after paying what I did for carbide dies I do not want any foreign material to scratch my dies), and then an initial trim to length.
When I use my Dillon 550 to run 556/223 I just leave the sizing die out of the toolhead. I expect to get 3-4 firings out of the 556 brass before it needs a trim again, but I will still deprime,clean and resize on a single stage, and then a check for length.

Pistol brass gets deprimed, cleaned and polished and then run through the 550. 45ACP brass actually shrinks in length which each firing and I have never trimmed it. I have found that the Dillon 550 runs much better without the spent primer dust gumming up the primer slide.

I do not sonic clean/wet tumble before the primers have been removed because it leads to corrosion between the sides of the primer and the primer pocket which tends to punch the bottom of the primer out leaving the "wall" of the primer left in the primer pocket

[Bzcraig]

There are many paths to the same goal so you'll need to figure out what works best for you. Since you're going to load pistol rounds on a progressive, I highly suggest using a RCBS lock out die. If you prefer to use a M die or NOE expander that has to be figured in as well. I prep (including size) and prime brass off press then my 5 stations are, in order, expand, charge, powder check, seat, and crimp as I don't seat and crimp together.

[RogerDat]

I might put in a good word for a Lee classic cast turret. I keep turret disks set up for sizing and de-priming so I can deal with trimming and pocket swaging of military using a CH4D die. Just lift out the auto indexing rod before I drop in the disk with the dies and use it as a single stage. No rod = no auto rotation. In the reloading turret disk I replace that size/deprime die with an NOE expander plug. Expand & set primer, Charge, Seat bullet, and Crimp during reloading.

Progressive is a bit faster than a turret with the auto indexing rod in but a turret is faster than single stage. With the advantage of being used as a single stage with pre-adjusted dies stored in the disks. I will say a friend of mine started with a turret for 9mm but at two range trips a week he ended up switching to a progressive. Still uses the turret for other calibers.

[silhouette_shooter]

I clean my primer pockets like you do but I do it mostly because it gives me piece of mind, I know things would be just as good if I cleaned them every 3 or 4th reload. Never had to trim pistol brass though. Get a Lee Classic Turret press. So easy to go from one caliber to another.

[sawinredneck]

I’m doing things a little different than everyone else I guess. I’ve recently acquired a lot of machine gun 7.62x51 brass that was crimped and needed a lot of effort to size. I used a universal depriming die and resized on my single stage. I chucked the primer pocket reamer and cleaner in my drillpress to remove the swage and clean the pockets. Then I trimmed them all as I plan to use an RCBS X-die on my progressive press, then tumbled them all.
Once I’ve fired and processed all my brass the first time, I should be able to cycle them through the progressive two times, depending on how grungy it gets, before having to clean it again.

[lightman]

If I'm loading brass for the first time I resize, do whatever case prep that I want to do and prime off of the press. Then I run them through my Dillon. After the first time I'll resize and prime on the Dillon. This sorts out any crimped primers that are a problem and any brass with mixes sizes of primers. My progressive is a 550. The 1050 has stations for swaging the primer pockets and trimming that the others do not have.

Theres not really a wrong answer here. Most of us have a process that we have tuned to our needs or wants.

[toallmy]

Watch some videos of different progressive reloaders , just to get a idea of what you are looking for - or narrow it down to a couple to choose between .

[dverna]

Cleaning primer pockets is a waste of time. Pistol cases do not require trimming except in rare situations. I have never trimmed a pistol case.

Rethink running rifle loads on a progressive. Unless you shoot a lot of rifle, and most do not unless they compete, it may not make sense.

[sawinredneck]

Cleaning primer pockets is a waste of time. Pistol cases do not require trimming except in rare situations. I have never trimmed a pistol case.

Rethink running rifle loads on a progressive. Unless you shoot a lot of rifle, and most do not unless they compete, it may not make sense.

I average around 100rds per session with my AR-10. That doesn’t seem like a lot to many, but it’s 15min on the Dillon vs an hour and a half on the single stage. Since most times I’m just duplicating military ball 7.62, why not use the faster tool? If/when I start making my own hunting ammo, sure, I’ll load on the SS press, but for just fun ammo, I’ll take the quicker route every time l!

[1bluehorse]

Just read an interesting article from a gentleman going by "Humpy" on Shooters Forum. He was discussing rifle calibers but I'm "assuming" the same would go for pistol calibers as well. After reading his very through testing of the hazards of carbon (anywhere in or on a case) you won't be so quick to say that cleaning primer pockets is a waste of time. The gist is throat erosion and wear.

[Hossfly]

I just just sort out all the military brass out after de priming on SS press, then use the dillon swage tool seperatly to get the crimp out, then wet tumble with stainless pins and get all those pins out with strong magnets. After all processed, and it is a process pit in containers marked ready to load. It is a process that to me is very satisfing. Then when I'm ready to do a run, will get primer tubes, powder,bullets and all ready when no distractions around and crank out Ammo. Progressive presses are really fast, especially 9MM, you will run out of something really quick if you don't plan ahead. .223 a little slower just go till something breaks, but don't force anything. Dillon's rarely break and if it does they will fix it for free with the no bs warranty amazing.

[Walter Laich]

Just this morning I finished processing 2500 once fired 556 Lake City brass. It started out very dirty as military brass usually is. Deprimed on a single stage press and used the older style RCBS press mounted primer pocket swage tool to remove the crimp. Then the brass went through the sonic cleaner (you could wet tumble with SS pins if that is your method), both to clean the brass and the primer pocket. A quick tumble in corncob media with automotive wax to finish the polish. Sized on a single stage press with a Dillon carbide die (after paying what I did for carbide dies I do not want any foreign material to scratch my dies), and then an initial trim to length.
When I use my Dillon 550 to run 556/223 I just leave the sizing die out of the toolhead. I expect to get 3-4 firings out of the 556 brass before it needs a trim again, but I will still deprime,clean and resize on a single stage, and then a check for length.

Pistol brass gets deprimed, cleaned and polished and then run through the 550. 45ACP brass actually shrinks in length which each firing and I have never trimmed it. I have found that the Dillon 550 runs much better without the spent primer dust gumming up the primer slide.

I do not sonic clean/wet tumble before the primers have been removed because it leads to corrosion between the sides of the primer and the primer pocket which tends to punch the bottom of the primer out leaving the "wall" of the primer left in the primer pocket

when I wet tumble with pins I use Armor-All wash and wax. It leaves a wax coating that keeps the brass shiny--so far I have some that are over 2 years old and while the brass darkens a bit it is still shiny

[JBinMN]

I have deprimed on a single stage, and done brass prep/trimming off-press, then primed, dumped powder, seated bullets and crimped on the progressive.

However, if the rifle brass is all one batch that I know is acceptable length, I will size, seat primer and load all on th progressive. I gave up cleaning primer pockets a LOONNGGG time ago, even on long range/match loads.

Brad

^ I do this if I know I am going to need to do the pocket cleaning or trimming before loading , but I use turret press(s) instead of a progressive right now.^ I still clean primer pockets if they look like it is needed though.

Single stage for the de-prime & then the cleaning/trimming that has to be done & then on to the regular loading process.

[RogerDat]

The reason to trim straight walled pistol brass for revolver is if one is loading mixed range p/u or purchased mixed head stamp 1x fired brass. Getting them all to same length once makes the roll crimp consistent. After that first trim it is doubtful it will be needed again. If the case lengths vary then the amount of roll crimp will vary. Not sure it matters as much with a taper crimp in something like a 45 ACP or 9mm as it does in the 38/357 or 45 and 44 revolver brass but even there I would think if cartridge indexes off the case mouth starting them out the same length would be an advantage.

[TaylorS]

So after looking around and reading a lot about things I think i could get decent production with a auto indexing turret like the Lee classic but not sure I would trust the Lee drum measure or the auto disc what other measures are there that dump the load through the die press activated? Found the rcbs setup but price point puts it on the ouch side


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[JBinMN]

I am not sure but I think there is a "riser" that adapts other measures to the Lee, or the other way around and makes a Lee measure fit others powder thru dies. But, you could always get a powder thru die from someone else other than Lee & get their Lee riser if ya have a Lee.
Here is just one vendor that carries them: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/11...-measure-riser

Here is a riser for other makers measures like RCBS and Lyman. This would be the one I would get since I have an RCBS:
https://www.amazon.com/Pistol-Adapte.../dp/B0041OJAJS


BTW, I just started using a Lee Classic 4 hole Turret a couple weeks ago that I bought as a Christmas gift to myself. I have only loaded about 4-500 rounds on it so far, just learning the process. I just timed myself in the last couple of days. I am running about 1 round a minute, and maybe a bit faster as I get used to it. That is with dropping the powder on a press mounted( mounted on a single stage press) Uniflow then weighing the powder on a RCBS 5-0-5 beam scale before putting the boolit on the top & putting it back in the press for seating & crimping.

I would bet that I would up that to approx-90 to 100 rounds a minute if I get faster by getting used to the process, & by not weighing, but just dropping the powder( trusting the Uniflow to stay within +/-0.1 gr.).

I have neurapathy in both arms/hands, so my grip is not what it used to be & I drop cases & boolits on occasion & that slows me down a bit, but you can get an idea of how fast you can use one of these if ya set it up & are healthy. Even if you have it at 100 rounds an hour , I think most would be happy with that. I am quite happy with 1 a minute( 60/hr.). I am kind of picky about my completed rounds & what components go into it & I like to be "hands on" when I can during the whole process, where others may not be focused on that so much & desire more speed/output. It is one of those , YMMV things I reckon..

Nice thing about the Lee turrets is that you can choose between manual index or auto index if ya like.

Of course you can always get a progressive first, and either go slower( 1 at a time) or faster( multiple at a time depending on type), but you are going to have to trust the mechanisms & the powder measure, etc., that is mounted on the machine. Cost is more, but then you are set to pretty much go as fast as most can.

I , personally, do not care so much "who" the maker of the equip. is, like some folks & their "Ford vs. Chevy" attitudes, so I am not promoting Lee, nor bashing any maker. I may or may not get a progressive in the future, but I am happy with this Lee one at present & will use it for some time before I decide. It was a relatively inexpensive investment with the presses & extra turrets, since I already had the dies & I can see it is going to pay for itself in a very short time...

It is all gonna depend on your wallet & your desired output I reckon... I am just trying to pass info so YOU can make an "informed" decision.

Once again, G'Luck! in whatever ya decide!


P.S. - I will mention though...Do not forget that Lee is coming out with a new progressive this year. Looks like it sets up along the lines of the Hornady LnL AP, but at a more affordable price.