Mod to the Lee Pro - 1000

[Ben]

I own an old Lee Pro - 1000 ( probably over 30 yrs. old ) that has the 3 hole turret on top. I use the press to de-prime, F/L size and flare 38 Specials. It works just fine for this purpose. I can fill all 4 case tubes and make some real progress with this machine.

Catch is............... , FOR YEARS, the press has thrown primers out the rear of the press onto my bench. I can't believe that I've waited this long to correct the problem.

It won't be throwing primers out the rear of the press after the modification that I made today. I've installed " Deflector Plates " in the areas where the primers have been thrown. I ran 50 cases through the press after the " Mod " was done. PERFECT. Not a single primer escaped the press.

I don't know if you have this problem or not ? If you do , with a bit of .014" thickness aluminum and a hot glue gun, you can bring this annoying problem to a grinding halt.

See photos below of the " Mod ".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/002-40.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/003-33.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/004-30.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/005-23.jpg

[beex215]

you should see mine. ill take a pic of my setup.

[geargnasher]

Beex215, I'm interested in your pics. I always enjoy seeing others "lee-menting" their presses.

Ben, you know Lee changed the shape of the cut in the ram that makes a "chute" for the spent primers since your press was made. If yours just has a hole drilled through the end of the ram at an angle, it's one of the ones that throws primers everywhere. The newer ones with a deep, milled slot in the ram tend to not throw them everywhere as badly, you might check with Lee about getting one of the newer rams or see if they'll make you a half-price full-replacement deal on a whole new press frame. I made sheet metal deflectors similar to yours, but taller on the right side for one of my old-model Pro-1000s.

Or you could ditch the lousy design of the ram and base all together and do this :mrgreen::

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094ff7d6cc7c107.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=5808)

The primer collection tube at the bottom of the ram catches 100% of them! I'm just going to keep pulling your leg about it and one day you might make one yourself :-D

Gear

[beex215]

to prevent primers from going back.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n312/beex215/IMG_0645.jpg
to prevent primers from going down into the holes. where they stay for eternity.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n312/beex215/IMG_0646.jpg
a bridge that is made out of a primer wrapper, that falls into a cd tray.
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n312/beex215/IMG_0647.jpg

[Ben]

beex215

That is certainly one way to do it.........

[Ben]

Gear :

Yep, mine is one of the old ones that throws primers everywhere.

Obviously the Lee engineers didn't do a lot of testing and evaluating on this old design before it went into production. A 2nd grader doing testing and evaluation of their proto-type design would have noticed problems with the manner in which spent primers were disposed of.

As far as I'm concerned for my own reloading needs with this press , I think I've got this little spent primer problem taken care of now.

Ben

[geargnasher]

It certainly does work! Lee ought to sell snap-on plastic shields like that, or give them away as a free upgrade for all the messes they've made.

Gear

[Ben]

Gear,

Yes, it would cost them every bit of .07 cents or so to do that.
Probably wouldn't bankrupt them, now would it ?

Ben

[Gliden07]

Mine sends the primers into the base of the press! Found that out when I took the press off the board (after a friend gave me it) it was mounted to and 3000 spent primers went all over my celler floor!! I cut a U shaped channel in the front of the board between the 2 front mounting holes. I need to mount a deflector on the board to direct the spent primers to a garbage can now. I was gonna use an old flexible cutting board.

[Ben]

Gliden07

Yes, this press and the Lee Reloader have " hollow bases ".

All is well and good .......but if the primers have no escape route, ....well, you already know the rest of the story.

I always drill 1 " holes ( 3 of them in a triangle format )and saw out to give you an opening in the bench slightly smaller than the base of the press. Keep a catch container under those holes and you should be good to go. Gravity will take care of the rest..........

Ben

[geargnasher]

Somebody here figured out a way to use a plastic bottle to catch the primers, I think they cut the top off the cap and clued it in a hole in the bench under the press to provide threads, that way it could just be unscrewed to empty.

Gear

[44Vaquero]

I did last year Gear there is a picture posted in the Homemade thread. I used a Wide mouth water/sport drink bottle, a 5/8 drill bit, half round rasp and 3 small wood screws. It works great!

[geargnasher]

I have the memory of a circus flea, thanks for weighing in 44Vaquero.

Gear