Lee Loader for 9mm in a semi auto

[Bmi48219]

I’ve kept mine but transitioned to presses too, but I use the decapper punches & bases all the time. I deprime all my brass before tumbling and while not quiet, it is quick.

[dbosman]

Some one is spreading tales about Lee Loaders. A variation on this has appeared in Reddit reloading forums too.

[Lloyd Smale]

Lloyd,
I didn’t intend my post to be insulting or direct it at you.
Apology aside, fact is many LL users went that route because it was how we could afford to start reloading. Most of us have upgraded our equipment but the point is we decided to reload, and had to start somewhere.
I use Blue Coral car wash for its intended purpose and when tumbling brass.
I never owned a horse, they require too much work for what you get.
On the other hand, half the cost of a new car is buried in the electrical system, at least with a crank start car a guy could figure out why it won’t run.
I don’t use my LLs much anymore because I shoot a lot. But I don’t shoot fast, you figure that out quick using a LL. Just like I figured out I much prefer fishing to cutting firewood & shoveling snow, that’s why I moved here.
To each his own.

no offense taken. I know that just because i feel that its a waste of time someone else might get a kick out of doing it. But personally i have only about 15 years at best left on this earth and im not wasting my time with a mallet and a lee tool to make 20 rounds of ammo a day.

[AABEN]

When I started to reload I bought a Turret Press because I know I was going to reload a lot of different calibers hand gun and rifle,s one year I reloaded over 3000 round hand guns and rifle that was the best thing I did my buddy want me to start out with single stage press !!!!!

[mdi]

Unlike some previous posters above, I like to reload. Once I operated a Dillon auto-everything press for a friend that shot in competition. I got no satisfaction from yanking on a handle over and over, and over , ad infinitum. Yeah there were a lot of 45 ACP rounds in a bin after I got bored enough to stop, but I would have been feeling more satisfied after filling out a tax return. The only thing "reloading" about my experience was inspecting some brass prior to dumping it in a hopper. But a big difference here is I don't badmouth progressive press "reloaders" like many talk about Lee Loaders. I guess I consider myself a "handloader" as I enjoy the reloading as much as I do shooting.

To much baloney about Lee Loaders floating around and a lot just isn't true (how many times has "Lee Loader only neck sized my .357 Magnums" or 44 Mag., 9mm, etc., been posted?). Perhaps my opinion is skewed because I like tools and am very mechanically inclined, and I am far from the cave man that can't/won't try anything new/modern/high tech. (The last 10 years of my career I worked on, repaired "fly by wire" and computerized safety systems on heavy construction equipment much of which makes a modern auto electronics look like points and plugs ignition systems).

So, I like handloading and occasionally use one of my Lee Loaders...

(Old story; in 1969 I was shooting my 38 up in the hills above LA and as I emptied the cylinder I thought "I wonder if I could reuse these?". I knew no one that reloaded so I researched in "American Rifleman" and looking at ads for components I went to the library and studied up. I bought a Lee Loader, one pound of Bullseye, 100 CCI primers, and 100 generic LRN bullets. I already had a mallet and for 10-12 months I pounded out some safe and accurate ammo that kept me shooting almost every weekend. I did not reload to "save money", didn't learn to reload for improved accuracy in my old Model 10, I was curious. I found an extension to my hobby that taught me a lot more about shooting and the guns I own. Fast forward roughly 40+ years, I took some time off to go sailing, and I still like reloading, not for any reason other than I like reloading)

[44magLeo]

I agree with MDI on what he says.
Nothing wrong with the progressive presses if you feel you need to load fast, go for it. Me, I use a single stage press. I have some Lee Loaders. I have more of the Lyman 310 tools. Cost a bit more, but no hammering.
Leo

[gwpercle]

A Lee Hand Press with a Lee Ram Prime unit and a set of Lee Dies will be much more useful for 9mm Luger loading . Also eliminates all that pounding . The Lee Hand Press Kit which includes the Ram Prime unit , case lube and a powder funnel sells for about $55.00 (Midway) .
I use one to reload all my handgun ammo inside my heated and cooled house even though I have four bench mounted presses in a outbuilding ... the hand press is very handy !
Gary

[BigAlofPa.]

I started out with the Lee loader in 9mm and 45 acp. 9 was not fun to do. It really aggravated my arthritis. The only issue i had besides that was not getting the primers set in enough. I had a lot of no fire rounds. I still have the loaders. Don't know why im hanging onto them. I should sell them. Their just collecting dust lol.

[243winxb]

Avoid the hammer loader

[JoeJames]

Might not be too bad if just reloading straight wall rimmed pistol cases which headspace on the rim, like say a 38 Special, but 9mm is a horse of a different color. I would not do it.

[onelight]

They sell cheap presses that will be much faster and better for your intended use. If you are worried about space the little Lee C press takes up less space than your jug of powder and box of bullets will.

[David2011]

Having owned single stage presses for 40 years and Dillons for 30, I agree with much of the sentiment expressed above. The Dillon 650 was purchased solely to feed the pistol in my avatar for competition shooting. It’s just about getting a task done. The ammunition is of good quality but it’s not a hobby any more than painting the house. The Dillon 550 is very different to me. With it, I slow down and enjoy loading much more but it still has the job of producing a reasonable volume of rounds.

I have personally imposed limits set at 60 rounds as the most I generally load on a single stage and 100 as the minimum for a progressive. It’s not worth setting up a progressive for less than that and I rarely need more than 60 rounds of weighed powder charge ammunition at one time.

Target ammunition even for .223 is loaded on a single stage but defensive ammunition for the same caliber is loaded on the 550 or 650. Case prep is done on the 650.