'Best" sizing press?

[r1kk1]

I want the new mec. Also want an ultra mag and a coax real bad. But, the lee does anything they will do at half or 1/3 the price, and it's also cast steel. They actuslly make them from melted down rail road tracks.
Anyway, nice collection of presses! With the exception of the summit, but glad you can use it as an arbor press, that makes sense. The primer cup was so stupid I actually drilled out the shell holder mount to have them drop straight through the bench. That metal was very tough to drill!
So so you have the new mec also? How many presses do you have if I may ask?

Well Lee is cast iron and the steel thing was great advertisement as discussed below. I've used a cheater bar on the Champion for some grunt work and Dave at CH4D said my bench will snap before that press will. There is a difference between presses and what they can do. EDG swears up and down the Ultramag has stronger linkage and leverage due to where it mounts compared to the Champion. I own both and use them over the years for case forming including somewhat radical wildcats and the feel on the Champion is quite a bit different and I like it better, much better. The COAX is a B3 model and it may not be ergonomic but it loads effortlessly.

Drew I wanted an O press unlike others so I bought the Champion. It, Ultramag and the Iron Press each weigh twice of the Lee. Fit and finish are top notch too. Next I've always wanted a COAX and bought one. It doesn't fit in conventional C or O presses. I found the Ultramag for 100 bucks New in box at a gun shop in Oklahoma. I spotted it on the bottom shelf covered in dust. Price was handwritten on the box and I brushed a lot of dust off the box, opened it and said wow! It was dust free and beautiful. I took it home and Redding's own reloading book classified it as a C press. I call it a hybrid C. I don't own the MEC but sent an email and they gave me the specs. I may pass on it.

My LNL AP just got here today for the RV. I have a 550 and a brand new 650 at home. I don't know how many presses and never needed any of them, I buy them because I want to. It's a hobby.

Drew if I'm in your neck of the woods or if your in mine, come over and reload some. If I got an offer from JMorris like that, I would just stand in awe looking at all the digital stuff he does. I swear he can reinvent a self emptying mouse trap that would reset itself!

take care

r1kk1

[Drew P]

Well Lee is cast iron and the steel thing was great advertisement as discussed below. I've used a cheater bar on the Champion for some grunt work and Dave at CH4D said my bench will snap before that press will. There is a difference between presses and what they can do. EDG swears up and down the Ultramag has stronger linkage and leverage due to where it mounts compared to the Champion. I own both and use them over the years for case forming including somewhat radical wildcats and the feel on the Champion is quite a bit different and I like it better, much better. The COAX is a B3 model and it may not be ergonomic but it loads effortlessly.

Drew I wanted an O press unlike others so I bought the Champion. It, Ultramag and the Iron Press each weigh twice of the Lee. Fit and finish are top notch too. Next I've always wanted a COAX and bought one. It doesn't fit in conventional C or O presses. I found the Ultramag for 100 bucks New in box at a gun shop in Oklahoma. I spotted it on the bottom shelf covered in dust. Price was handwritten on the box and I brushed a lot of dust off the box, opened it and said wow! It was dust free and beautiful. I took it home and Redding's own reloading book classified it as a C press. I call it a hybrid C. I don't own the MEC but sent an email and they gave me the specs. I may pass on it.

My LNL AP just got here today for the RV. I have a 550 and a brand new 650 at home. I don't know how many presses and never needed any of them, I buy them because I want to. It's a hobby.

Drew if I'm in your neck of the woods or if your in mine, come over and reload some. If I got an offer from JMorris like that, I would just stand in awe looking at all the digital stuff he does. I swear he can reinvent a self emptying mouse trap that would reset itself!

take care

r1kk1

thansk for the generous offer, and if I am I definitely will. I swung though last year on a delivery to New Orleans.
I need 100$ more than I need a dusty ultramag, but I'd surely part ways with the paper if I saw that gem on a shelf! I feel like that would never happen around here.
Congrats on the LNL ap. I love mine!

[jimkim]

Yeah the rumor that Lee O press is made from steel train rails is a urban legend.

At one time it was on their website. It was also in their catalog. I'm still not sure how they alloyed steel to create cast iron, even though it was explained on this forum.
Found a thread. The link on post 26 no longer goes to the original page. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...on-Press/page2


Sent from my VS880 using Tapatalk

[paul h]

I have a rockchucker and a co-ax. The rockchecker collects dust, the co-ax is a joy to use.

I don't know if the co-ax is the best, but I've never wanted for more in a single stage press.

[nitro-express]

I had the summit. Hated it for multiple reasons. Sold it and bought a lee classic cast SS and had money left over for dinner. The lee is awesome. Adjustable lever for position and leverage, can be drilled to modify leverage points for even more power. Accepts Hornady bushings. Best in class primer disposal. Basically, it's the best!

I have a Summit, and after using it for over a year, there are reasons to dislike it. However, there are a few things it flat out does better than any traditional press.

I have it set up for BHN testing (LEE) my cast bullets, and can't see any other press working as well. Where it really shines is for bullet seating, the feel and precision are superb. It can also be converted to an arbor press, a feature not easily duplicated by a traditional press. One operation it does not excel in is FL resizing, IMO a deficiency of design.

Another niche is the top of the bench mounting, great for a stand at short depth reloading bench.



My stand at bench is a bit deep, I think a 16 in deep bench would be ideal, great for a restricted space reloading room.

Spent primer handling isn't it's strong point either, I find that any press with a hollow ram and a clear plastic hose out the bottom is perfect. Redding and LEE have it, and IMO they all should. If I de-prime in a single operation, my Ultra-Mag gets the nod.

I prefer a press that has a toggle linkage, most have, LEE does not. LEE builds a stop into the linkage, to prevent toggle, or cam over. I can see advantages to either design, but prefer the toggle over. If I were to buy a LEE, I think I'd remove the stops and try it that way.

If I were forced to own just one press, the Summit wouldn't be the one, however, if I were allowed 3, it would be one of the three. #1 would be a strong O frame, #2 would be a easy to use turret, and #3 would be the Summit. If case forming were in the mix, hard not to like the Redding Ultra-Mag. The U-M would be the perfect press if it wasn't for the front only access, I like to feed with my left hand and operate the handle with my right.

[Drew P]

I have a Summit, and after using it for over a year, there are reasons to dislike it. However, there are a few things it flat out does better than any traditional press.

I have it set up for BHN testing (LEE) my cast bullets, and can't see any other press working as well. Where it really shines is for bullet seating, the feel and precision are superb. It can also be converted to an arbor press, a feature not easily duplicated by a traditional press. One operation it does not excel in is FL resizing, IMO a deficiency of design.

Another niche is the top of the bench mounting, great for a stand at short depth reloading bench.



My stand at bench is a bit deep, I think a 16 in deep bench would be ideal, great for a restricted space reloading room.

Spent primer handling isn't it's strong point either, I find that any press with a hollow ram and a clear plastic hose out the bottom is perfect. Redding and LEE have it, and IMO they all should. If I de-prime in a single operation, my Ultra-Mag gets the nod.

I prefer a press that has a toggle linkage, most have, LEE does not. LEE builds a stop into the linkage, to prevent toggle, or cam over. I can see advantages to either design, but prefer the toggle over. If I were to buy a LEE, I think I'd remove the stops and try it that way.

If I were forced to own just one press, the Summit wouldn't be the one, however, if I were allowed 3, it would be one of the three. #1 would be a strong O frame, #2 would be a easy to use turret, and #3 would be the Summit. If case forming were in the mix, hard not to like the Redding Ultra-Mag. The U-M would be the perfect press if it wasn't for the front only access, I like to feed with my left hand and operate the handle with my right.

Great synopsis, much more eloquent than mine, you're making me want mine back now! lol. Presses that I'd love to own: I'd love an ultramag, co-ax, lee classic turret, t7 turret, mec marksman, and many other antiques out of production. But, I don't have enough dies for that many presses.

[igolfat8]

I installed an air cylinder on my Star lube sizer. How easy do you want? I just set there and pivot my ankle on the foot switch. It doesn't get much easier than that

[MT Chambers]

The Co-ax might not be a good choice because the handle is a wish bone and has to travel over the die so you won't be able to have any container. It also requires an adapter to use a regular shell holder so you would need extra stuff.

It doesn't require much force to size a bullet, it's not like you are forming the thing, just reducing the OD by a thousandth or two, less force than it takes to size a pistol case.

Gremlin460 has a thread on converting Lee breech lock presses over for the specific job than inverts them. I took his idea and did the same thing that requires no modifications to the press and automates it.

Okay lets review the Co-ax, the handle easily clears the die, you should not store containers on your co-ax, no shell holders are needed for the co-ax.
As to the ops post, the C-H Champion, RCBS Ammo-master, Redding Ultramag, and theCo-ax would be my picks.

[laveritt]

hard to beat the older model, made in USA, RCBS Rockchucker. Easy to obtain & well-built.

[edward hogan]

My vote goes to the Redding Ultra Mag. Might be overkill for most ctgs, but if you are working with large magnums or doing substantial case alterations, not to mention its ability to accept 50bmg size dies, it has the power no other press can offer, unless you have a 7/8x14 swaging press.

[r1kk1]

My vote goes to the Redding Ultra Mag. Might be overkill for most ctgs, but if you are working with large magnums or doing substantial case alterations, not to mention its ability to accept 50bmg size dies, it has the power no other press can offer, unless you have a 7/8x14 swaging press.

I own an Ultramag. It will only accept Lee 50 BMG dies because it can only handle up to 1-¼" dies. 50 BMG dies are 1-½". I have both the Ultramag and the CH4D Champion. The differences between the two are the Ultramag has a 1" hollow ram which allows for primer through the ram disposal. The Champion has a little over 1-⅛" SOLID ram that is drilled through for primer disposal. The Ultramag frame is cast iron while the Champion is cast steel. Redding does not recommend swaging with the press while CH4D offers swaging dies for the Champion. I have case formed using both presses and the Champion feels better than the Ultramag. The last thing is the Ultramag will accept the LNL bushing while the Champion will not due to thread pitch.

I noticed in Huntington's catalog they offer a solid ram for the RCBS Rock Chucker for bullet swaging. But pointed out by an earlier post, the king of single stages would have to go to CH4D Rock Crusher. It weighs 103 lbs. and will handle 20mm and 25mm ammo. It is a brute.

take care,

r1kk1

[sawinredneck]

OP, unless you are planning on doing something hardcore with this press, which I've yet to see anyone ask what your plans are, I'd use the Redding Boss until you get to something it can't handle? Honestly, I'm kind of scared to even think what it couldn't handle, other than heavy swagging duties! I really enjoy mine, I can easily size pc'd bullets, and have formed .243 brass from .308 brass with no issues. Try it first, if you really need more then I'd love to hear what you are doing on it!

[jetinteriorguy]

I'm not saying it is absolutely the best because there are a lot of good heavy duty presses more than capable of doing the job. But I really like the Lyman Crusher for resizing, very strong heavy built press, and it is a cam over design which should eliminate any flexing of the press having an effect on full sizing of the brass as long as its adjusted properly.

[EDG]

This press shares the linkage to the top of the frame casting feature of the Ultramag.
Only the top of the press frame is under load. The pressure on the dies pushes up on the middle of the frame top.
The pressure on the links pulls down on the ends of the frame top.
The rest of the frame is only a guide. All of the load is carried in the top of the frame, the links, the ram and the toggle block.
It would have been cute if they made the center die hole and the center ram much larger for HD work. It would not have added much cost to the press.

I can understand your preference for the feel of one press over another.
At one time I owned both M94 Big Bore and Marlin 375s in .375 Win cal. The Marlin seems like a nice design to operate. The Winchester is like operating one of those terrible 1960s Chevrolet bumper jacks.

Well Lee is cast iron and the steel thing was great advertisement as discussed below. I've used a cheater bar on the Champion for some grunt work and Dave at CH4D said my bench will snap before that press will. There is a difference between presses and what they can do. EDG swears up and down the Ultramag has stronger linkage and leverage due to where it mounts compared to the Champion. I own both and use them over the years for case forming including somewhat radical wildcats and the feel on the Champion is quite a bit different and I like it better, much better. The COAX is a B3 model and it may not be ergonomic but it loads effortlessly.

Drew I wanted an O press unlike others so I bought the Champion. It, Ultramag and the Iron Press each weigh twice of the Lee. Fit and finish are top notch too. Next I've always wanted a COAX and bought one. It doesn't fit in conventional C or O presses. I found the Ultramag for 100 bucks New in box at a gun shop in Oklahoma. I spotted it on the bottom shelf covered in dust. Price was handwritten on the box and I brushed a lot of dust off the box, opened it and said wow! It was dust free and beautiful. I took it home and Redding's own reloading book classified it as a C press. I call it a hybrid C. I don't own the MEC but sent an email and they gave me the specs. I may pass on it.

My LNL AP just got here today for the RV. I have a 550 and a brand new 650 at home. I don't know how many presses and never needed any of them, I buy them because I want to. It's a hobby.

Drew if I'm in your neck of the woods or if your in mine, come over and reload some. If I got an offer from JMorris like that, I would just stand in awe looking at all the digital stuff he does. I swear he can reinvent a self emptying mouse trap that would reset itself!

take care

r1kk1