Lee Pro 1000 bullet feeder problems

[stinkkoat]

I recently purchased the bullet feeder for the lee pro 1000....in the instructions they show the "buffer" below the attachment plate, and the spring above it. Looking at other instruction sheets on line, by LEE, they show the "buffer" and spring above the plate....Having problems either way of bullets feeding reliably. I am using 185 grain swc, 200 grainers don't work either! Any Idea's?


First I would like to say sorry it took so long to reply back, but I had to get away from this problem for a while and think of a solution. I am glad to say I have solved the problems of this feeder not feeding reliably! So far I have loaded over 300 rounds without having a single slug fall out, or fail to feed.
There were a few problems. The #1 problem was that the near side of the feed finger was hitting the near round riser’s (left side) enough that it was deflecting the fingers with the slug so as to not align with the case mouth. I could not see this happening because I was concentrating on where the slug was ending up.
I tried adjusting the “rotational” position of the unit till the fingers cleared the left side of the riser, but now the slug was ending up about a third away, (left side) from the center of the case. My conclusion was that I had to put some clearance on the top left side of the riser where it was rubbing and deflecting the finger.
I marked the risers left side (upper and lower travel of where the feed finger was hitting). I removed this riser and filed a notch in the area of contact. Reassembled it, adjusted the nut just enough to hold the unit. Then I adjusted the “ROTATIONAL” position of the stamped metal unit secured by the nut on the crimp die, until the slug was ending up in the center of the case, I then started cycling slugs…. Perfect alignment was achieved!
(Occasionally you might have to grab the very left end of the plastic unit and VERY SLIGHTLY adjust the bullet into position at the end of the feeders stroke, this is caused by the slop in the feeder.)

NEXT PROBLEM: “Slugs sliding off the flat bottom base of the feeder” No matter how many slugs (185/200 grn LSWC) I had in the tube, sometimes I would get one to slide out of position which would then cause an “avalanche” of tumbling slugs! Figured it was too “slippery”. So I added a small round pc. (Size of the base, no larger) of 240 grit wet/dry 3m sandpaper, super glued to the top of the flat base bullet feeder (this is where the bullets rest on top of each other until the feed finger grabs one and moves it to the casing) FIXED, Never had one tumble out again!

Thanks for every ones patience,

STINKKOAT

[Kenstone]

Lots of vids on youtube that deal with the Lee bullet feeder
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...+on+a+Pro+1000
Watch them full screen and you might see the answer to your question
This one is from Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxATPpOhNVk

edit: Lee instructions showing buffer nut under the plate, spring on top, for the Pro 1000 here:
https://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/BF3498.pdf

[jmorris]

Lee has a lot of good products for a very good price and value. Their bullet feeders are not one of them.

If a manual tells you to boil production equipment and it is not to sterilize it, just figure it’s not that great.

[kmw1954]

I am a Lee fan and have 3 different Lee Presses including a Pro1000 and I have stayed completely away from the bullet feeders. There are just too many small moving plastic parts for my liking. I think of myself as a very patient fellow but I am not that patient.

[jmorris]

For me it wasn’t about getting it to work but keeping it working. The fingers lost tension after a few hundred and started spitting bullets. Boil them and they are good for a few more hundred.

If doesn’t take too long and you realize hey cost more time than they save.

[Kenstone]

OK, after reading/watching all the online love/hate info on these Lee bullet feeders, I bought some off Amazon for 9mm/38.

My plan is to overcome the weak tension of the fingers by MacGyver'ing a hairpin type spring to them.
The plan is to install this feeder on my single stage used for bullet sizing so I can size from the Lee bullet feeder tube, thru the sizer, into another tube, and use the filled tube to feed the Hornady bullet feeder dies on 2 progressives.
whew
I can foresee getting the Lee bullet feeder to move all the way forward, before moving up under the seating die, as the challenge.

And if that goes well I'll move the feeder to either a Loadmaster or Pro 1000.

Still hoping @stinkkoat comes back to the thread he started as his 1st and only post

[abunaitoo]

I tried the bullet feeder when i first got my Lee 1000.
It worked sometimes.
Had to watch it closely, like a 3 year old on a toy store.
Decided it was just as fast to do it by hand.
At one time I thought about modifying so the bullet feeder was manual, instead of auto.
Never got around to trying it.
You might try something like that.
Just like the priming system, it looks like it would work well, but you have to watch it closely all the time.
Kind of like supervising poor workers. You spend so much time watching them, better just to not use them.
Get some thing better

[Kenstone]

I tried the bullet feeder when i first got my Lee 1000.
It worked sometimes.
Had to watch it closely, like a 3 year old on a toy store.
Decided it was just as fast to do it by hand.
At one time I thought about modifying so the bullet feeder was manual, instead of auto.
Never got around to trying it.
You might try something like that.
Just like the priming system, it looks like it would work well, but you have to watch it closely all the time.
Kind of like supervising poor workers. You spend so much time watching them, better just to not use them.
Get some thing better

Manual, never considered that, thanks for posting.
Another thing to test out, kind of like the safety prime on a ABLP...another manual operation.

The Lee Bullet feeder does have a quite violent motion when running a press at the same speed without the feeder.
In some of the vids in my above youtube link, Lee feeder users look to be running their presses painfully SLOW
Not this guy though, resizing on a turret press:

[jmorris]

My plan is to overcome the weak tension of the fingers by MacGyver'ing a hairpin type spring to them.

There was one sold by MA Systems or Scharch years ago that worked the same way but with metal “fingers” with a could spring and wingnut/screw, that was pneumatic as a commercial bullet feeder, it worked.

[jmorris]

My plan is to overcome the weak tension of the fingers by MacGyver'ing a hairpin type spring to them.

There was one sold by MA Systems or Scharch years ago that worked the same way but with metal “fingers” with a coil spring and wingnut/screw, that was pneumatic as a commercial bullet feeder, it worked.

[Tazza]

There was one sold by MA Systems or Scharch years ago that worked the same way but with metal “fingers” with a coil spring and wingnut/screw, that was pneumatic as a commercial bullet feeder, it worked.

Interesting, have not seen that style, glad they made one that was not made of just plastic. I have yet to get mine to work, currently sitting in the corner of the shop.

[Kenstone]

Interesting, have not seen that style, glad they made one that was not made of just plastic. I have yet to get mine to work, currently sitting in the corner of the shop.

You might find this helpful:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...42#post4649042

[Tazza]

You might find this helpful:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...42#post4649042

Thanks for that, i have some reading to do

[stinkkoat]

First I would like to say sorry it took so long to reply back, but I had to get away from this problem for a while and think of a solution. I am glad to say I have solved the problems of this feeder not feeding reliably! So far I have loaded over 300 rounds without having a single slug fall out, or fail to feed.
There were a few problems. The #1 problem was that the near side of the feed finger was hitting the near round riser’s (left side) enough that it was deflecting the fingers with the slug so as to not align with the case mouth. I could not see this happening because I was concentrating on where the slug was ending up.
I tried adjusting the “rotational” position of the unit till the fingers cleared the left side of the riser, but now the slug was ending up about a third away, (left side) from the center of the case. My conclusion was that I had to put some clearance on the top left side of the riser where it was rubbing and deflecting the finger.
I marked the risers left side (upper and lower travel of where the feed finger was hitting). I removed this riser and filed a notch in the area of contact. Reassembled it, adjusted the nut just enough to hold the unit. Then I adjusted the “ROTATIONAL” position of the stamped metal unit secured by the nut on the crimp die, until the slug was ending up in the center of the case, I then started cycling slugs…. Perfect alignment was achieved!
(Occasionally you might have to grab the very left end of the plastic unit and VERY SLIGHTLY adjust the bullet into position at the end of the feeders stroke, this is caused by the slop in the feeder.)

NEXT PROBLEM: “Slugs sliding off the flat bottom base of the feeder” No matter how many slugs (185/200 grn LSWC) I had in the tube, sometimes I would get one to slide out of position which would then cause an “avalanche” of tumbling slugs! Figured it was too “slippery”. So I added a small round pc. (Size of the base, no larger) of 240 grit wet/dry 3m sandpaper, super glued to the top of the flat base bullet feeder (this is where the bullets rest on top of each other until the feed finger grabs one and moves it to the casing) FIXED, Never had one tumble out again!

Thanks for every ones patience,

STINKKOAT

[stinkkoat]

First I would like to say sorry it took so long to reply back, but I had to get away from this problem for a while and think of a solution. I am glad to say I have solved the problems of this feeder not feeding reliably! So far I have loaded over 300 rounds without having a single slug fall out, or fail to feed.
There were a few problems. The #1 problem was that the near side of the feed finger was hitting the near round riser’s (left side) enough that it was deflecting the fingers with the slug so as to not align with the case mouth. I could not see this happening because I was concentrating on where the slug was ending up.
I tried adjusting the “rotational” position of the unit till the fingers cleared the left side of the riser, but now the slug was ending up about a third away, (left side) from the center of the case. My conclusion was that I had to put some clearance on the top left side of the riser where it was rubbing and deflecting the finger.
I marked the risers left side (upper and lower travel of where the feed finger was hitting). I removed this riser and filed a notch in the area of contact. Reassembled it, adjusted the nut just enough to hold the unit. Then I adjusted the “ROTATIONAL” position of the stamped metal unit secured by the nut on the crimp die, until the slug was ending up in the center of the case, I then started cycling slugs…. Perfect alignment was achieved!
(Occasionally you might have to grab the very left end of the plastic unit and VERY SLIGHTLY adjust the bullet into position at the end of the feeders stroke, this is caused by the slop in the feeder.)

NEXT PROBLEM: “Slugs sliding off the flat bottom base of the feeder” No matter how many slugs (185/200 grn LSWC) I had in the tube, sometimes I would get one to slide out of position which would then cause an “avalanche” of tumbling slugs! Figured it was too “slippery”. So I added a small round pc. (Size of the base, no larger) of 240 grit wet/dry 3m sandpaper, super glued to the top of the flat base bullet feeder (this is where the bullets rest on top of each other until the feed finger grabs one and moves it to the casing) FIXED, Never had one tumble out again!

Thanks for every ones patience,

STINKKOAT

[Tazza]

Sand paper to stop the cascade effect is a pretty good idea, when i was messing with mine years ago, there was no better way to get a cuss word out than to fill the rube and start loading and having the entire tube empty in front of your eyes....

I'll have to have another go at getting mine to work again, i have been too busy to even think about it. Ammo is loaded hours or at the most, a day before i need it for a match

[onelight]

I am a Lee fan and have 3 different Lee Presses including a Pro1000 and I have stayed completely away from the bullet feeders. There are just too many small moving plastic parts for my liking. I think of myself as a very patient fellow but I am not that patient.

I agree , and if I have to load the tubes one bullet at a time and add in more set up time I saw it’s main benefit to be the fun of watching it when it was working
But they are not expensive so might be entertaining to mess with.

[turtlezx]

dang i cant get the primers to feed relably add another problem to the mix no thanx

[stinkkoat]

Need more info, what reloader?

[Tazza]

dang i cant get the primers to feed relably add another problem to the mix no thanx

I cut more bumps into the post that the primer tray gets shaken around with, it seems to keep them feeding down the ramp better. A few drops of powder make them not work as they should too, a spray of compressed air can fix it most of the time.