Lee has fixed the primer problem with Loadmaster presses

[DLCTEX]

I recently posted about Lee's latest primer feeder for the Loadmaster press with the large primer. This week I have given the small primer one a good workout and am happy to report 100% success. I have two of the presses and keep them set up for the large or small primers. I also used a member's tip of putting the size die in the station where priming takes place. This precisely centers the case over the primer and works great. I deprime at #1, prime and size in #2, add powder and flare/expand case neck in #3, seat boolit in #4, and crimp in #5. It is working much smoother than a friends Hornady and I don't see how a Dillon could do any better. I'm finally a happy reloader. Thanks Lee!:)

[r1kk1]

I also used a member's tip of putting the size die in the station where priming takes place. This precisely centers the case over the primer and works great. I deprime at #1, prime and size in #2, add powder and flare/expand case neck in #3, seat boolit in #4, and crimp in #5. It is working much smoother than a friends Hornady and I don't see how a Dillon could do any better.

So the LM is basically a 4 station press when set up this way. Hmmm. I'm glad to hear Lee has fixed the priming issue. I can't speak for the LNL guys but a few of us have been cranking ammo out on blue since the 80s.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=26

Nice write up on the 2000.

Not trying to steal your thunder brother,

r1kk1

[VHoward]

I got rid of a loadmaster and a pro 1000 because of primer system problems. I think I will keep my Dillon Square Deal B and XL 650 however. It is nice that they fixed that problem though.

[KYCaster]

I gave up on the Pro 1000 because it only has three stations. If it had a fourth, I could live with it.

Good to hear that Lee finally did something about the Load Master priming, but the primer feed was only half the problem I had with them. A more serious issue, AFAIC, is inconsistent seating depth due to the flimsy lever that does the seating. For a while, I would reseat the high primers on the loaded rounds with a hand priming tool........that made me kinda nervous. :roll:

I also tried cleaning and uniforming the primer pockets before loading. That worked great, but kind of defeated the purpose of a progressive press, so I settled on decapping and priming by hand and taking the decap pin out of the sizing die on the press so I didn't have to mess with the poor priming system.

I talked to Lee techs several times, trying to resolve the issues and finally got Richard Lee on the phone. I thought my problems were over....if anybody could help me, he'd be the one.

He denied that there was any problem with the Load Master press, it was the best press available, regardless of price, and if I had an issue, it was obviously my fault. So I asked him to please accept my humble apologies and tell me what I was doing wrong.

Regarding the inverted primers, he told me to make sure all the primers in the tray had the anvil side facing up. He said the seating issue was just a matter of adjusting the bolt that pushed the priming lever.

He was obviously upset when I continued to question him and he finally told me that it sounded like I may be much happier with Dillon equipment.

So I took his advice.....problem solved! :drinks:

Jerry

[richbug]

I am miffed that they changed it. I fought with it for over 10 years, and finally got it to the point where it works 100% by tuning it. Now I find out there are no replacement parts for the old system that works for me.

I just ran 2500 rounds of 223 without a miss.

As for a die in the priming location, I usually put a universal case flaring die there, saves having to chamfer the inside of the necks on rifle ammo, and keeps the cases lined up at the same time.


It strikes me as a similar case of their hand priming tool, take a $10 tool that works 100%, and let the lawyers make a $40 tool out of it that isn't easy to use.

[r1kk1]

KYCaster,

I had a similar problem in the late 80s/early 90s dealing with a Challenger and an old 3 station turret. In short, I called, I ordered, I returned for 30 day money back guarantee. It was a linkage issue, not the frame. Now they have a new linkage. Too late. Judging by your experience and mine, it appears they are slow to change but eventually do change.

I've read what ultimatereloader stated about putting the decapping die in station 1. This effectively makes it a 4 station press. Too bad. So a fellow if he did this would either have a decapping die for every die head or screw one in every time he converted to something else. Too bad priming occurs on station 2.

Time will tell with the new priming system will work as intended. It's funny how you say Richard stated that you would be happier with Dillon. I had my two and still have them way before the LM came out.

Take care

r1kk1

[zuke]

I recently posted about Lee's latest primer feeder for the Loadmaster press with the large primer. This week I have given the small primer one a good workout and am happy to report 100% success. I have two of the presses and keep them set up for the large or small primers. I also used a member's tip of putting the size die in the station where priming takes place. This precisely centers the case over the primer and works great. I deprime at #1, prime and size in #2, add powder and flare/expand case neck in #3, seat boolit in #4, and crimp in #5. It is working much smoother than a friends Hornady and I don't see how a Dillon could do any better. I'm finally a happy reloader. Thanks Lee!:)

That's great to hear!
That was my one pet peeve about the Loadmaster.
I pre primed my last 1000 brass and was able to do about 3-400 in an hour when it all went smooth.

[DLCTEX]

You Dillon guys want to compare dollars invested in the setups? Press, case feeder, bullet feeder, dies, shell plates, turrets, powder measure.??

[Alvarez Kelly]

You Dillon guys want to compare dollars invested in the setups? Press, case feeder, bullet feeder, dies, shell plates, turrets, powder measure.??

It's hard to value the pleasure of using a nice piece of equipment... like my Dillon 550s.

It is easy to recognize the value in knowing I'll be able to sell my used Dillon equipment for more than I paid for it. Probably less than 5 years from now. Even forgetting about the craziness that's going on now. I just sold some of my used stuff, and ordered new from Dillon to replace it! I made a nice windfall... as I can wait the 8 weeks or so for the backlog to work its way out.

Just so you know I am not anti-Lee... I do own a Lee press (the first press I ever bought) and some Lee dies. I will probably still have them when I die... but I don't think they are going up much in value.

[VHoward]

You Dillon guys want to compare dollars invested in the setups? Press, case feeder, bullet feeder, dies, shell plates, turrets, powder measure.??

To me, it's not about the dollar invested in the set up. It the frustration or lack there of in the set up. My first Press was a Lee Breechlock Challenger bought in the anniversary reloading kit. I still have that press (worn out). My next press was a Lee Classic Turret press. That was a good press, but decided I didn't want a turret press so I sold it. That guy is still using it happily for all I know. The next press I bought was a Lee Load Master. I used all the info available on the loadmaster videos forum and just could not get it to work satisfactorily. The priming system was just terrible. The frustration level with that press was unbearable. I sold it on E-Bay before my frustration level caused me to destroy it. I then bought a Dillon Square Deal B in 9mm as that was all I loaded for and had no plans to reload anything else. No regrets, no frustration, didn't look back. I then bought a rifle chambered in .223 and bought a Lee Pro 1000 for that caliber. Big mistake. Again the priming issues. After much research and trying different things, my frustration level was so high, I sold it. I then purchased a Dillon XL650 and guess what? No problems, no frustration, no regrets except not going for the XL650 in the first place. I now load .223 and 357 mag on the XL650 and still load 9mm on the sdb. I recently bought a Lee Classic Cast single stage to replace the Challenger. That is one awesome single stage press. I also still use Lee dies.

So to me the loadmaster and pro 1000 are not presses I would recommend for anyone. I do however tell people that the Classic Turret and Lee's single stage presses are just fine. I can only recommend based on my experiences with the equipment and won't parrot what someone else says just because it is a certain brand.

[runfiverun]

dollar value.
hmm LEE in box in garage with some of the bench still attatched
to it=$0.00 value.
press that works everytime, all the time, worth every nickle.

same as the rcbs mold i threw in the garbage versus the 2 cavity lee that pours shiney filled out boolits.
either way i'll live 10 years longer just from less aggravation and stress.

[TheDoctor]

This reminds me of my boys. Same arguments, different day. Almost funny. How much less or more a product costs someone is little consolation if it does not make them happy. Each has their own preferences, and NO amount of arguing will change that. In business, if you HAVE to convince someone how good your product/service is, you've already lost.

I have used the Pro 1000, its not adequate for what I WANT. I do not NEED someone telling me my choice was/is poor. (Not my word of choice) If it worked for me and I was happy, so be it.

I currently use a Loadmaster. I have used it for about a year. Almost happy, but there are physical issues with it that I am tired of working around, and refuse to do so any longer. If someones works great for them, then I am happy for you. You have a press that does what YOU want it to do, not what someone else thinks your press should do.

[sparky45]

Well, over on *bay, a 1000 was over $340 the last time I checked, EVERYTHING related to reloading is sky high. That said, the 550's were going for over $700 and the 650's for over $1500. It's insane!!
I to have several presses: Dillon 650; 2 Lee BreechLock Challenger Presses; and a small Lee single stage. I also used to have a Lee Pro1000 and 2 Lee Loadmasters. Those are long gone, couldn't get them to consistently prime. I use all my Presses in various ways, the BreechLock's to work up loads and the single stage to decap. Once I have a load ready to go, it's onto the Dillon. Works for me..


It's hard to value the pleasure of using a nice piece of equipment... like my Dillon 550s.

It is easy to recognize the value in knowing I'll be able to sell my used Dillon equipment for more than I paid for it. Probably less than 5 years from now. Even forgetting about the craziness that's going on now. I just sold some of my used stuff, and ordered new from Dillon to replace it! I made a nice windfall... as I can wait the 8 weeks or so for the backlog to work its way out.

Just so you know I am not anti-Lee... I do own a Lee press (the first press I ever bought) and some Lee dies. I will probably still have them when I die... but I don't think they are going up much in value.

[r1kk1]

DLCTEX,

I don't think anyone here has attacked any of your posts. Most of what was stated was people we're glad Lee fixed the priming issue. In your original post you compared it to a Hornady and Dillon. Lee is Lee. The Hornady has a feature that no other progressive press has - LNL bushings. RCBS has a couple of things no other progressive has: a steel frame, the ability to go from strip primers to tube setup and the option of manual index or auto index. Dillon has been around a long time doing one style of presses - progressive's.

You don't need to feel compelled to validate your purchase any more than I do. If it works for you great! Equipment is amortized over years. It should be a one time purchase. If it is not, it is an expensive lesson. My two presses from Dillon are older than the LM. They are approaching three decades of use and still going strong.

I commented on your setup. It appears to be a four station progressive with auto index. To be fair and honest, Hornady, RCBS, and Dillon 5 station auto indexing presses allow for a powder check solution. Sure a fellow can use his eyes but the LM is sold as a five station press. There are guys on this forum that have used the LM successfully before the primer fix. Not that many judging by posts. Also, I have never seen a piece of equipment that has more how to videos, troubleshooting videos but the two progressive presses from Lee. I have seen numerous posts stating that you need to view this or that, tweak this, or tweak that. If I question why it's not fixed or addressed at the factory level, my posts are either ignored or attacked. Where is the value in that? At any price?

I can say I have more custom Lee bullet sizers and moulds that easily total in at around a grand. So judging by your posts let me ask you this DLCTEX: Is the money I spent on the custom side of Lee ok because it's Lee or I did I spend too much regardless its Lee?

r1kk1

[Springfield0612]

Glad to hear Lee is taking the steps to improve the things that need it. I've always been impressed with their customer service and this shows their willingness to listen to their customer base to make the products that they want and need. Now do I want or need a progressive press?

[Randy C]

The first progressive we bought was a lee glade to have it and not afraid to try another one we use rcbs and lee now. They all have strong suits and not so strong.

[KYCaster]

Sorry if I rained on your parade...just telling it like I see it. I could have been happy with the Lee equipment if I had gotten some solutions from Lee rather than insults. AFAIC, taking 20 years to admit that there's a problem doesn't fit my idea of good customer service.

If it's any consolation, Dillon isn't much better about trying to find solutions to chronic problems with their presses. There are a few after market parts available to make the 650 and 1050 presses run smoother.

For the past six months I've been spending 8 or 10 hours a week helping a friend who has an 06 FFL, pulling the handle on 650's and 1050's.

I'm not the least bit impressed with the priming system on the 650. Priming on the 1050 is far better, but still one of the weak points on the press.

I have two Hornady L&L AP presses. I'm satisfied with the overall performance of the press, but the priming system could stand some improvement.

When you get right down to it, the primary consideration when designing reloading presses for the hobbyist is the cost. If it isn't affordable by the average reloader, it won't sell. You're obviously happy with the Lee equipment you have, but don't expect everyone to agree with you.

When I started looking for a progressive press waaaaay back in the late 80's, I was trying to feed a 1000 round a week IPSC habit for my son and I. I was loading all that on a Lyman Spartan single stage press and it was taking entirely too much time.

When I asked the "experienced" shooters, they all recommended Dillon presses. I heard lots of comments like, "I broke the (fill in the blank) on my 550 and they sent me a new part, no questions asked." Great endorsements for Dillon's customer service, but the message I got was every press that Dillon made......broke. I haven't seen or heard anything since then to change my mind.

So, now I have two Hornady L&L's, one Dillon Square Deal, a Lyman Spar-T and a Lee Classic Cast on the bench. I use all of them regularly, and they all have their strong points and their weak points, and so far they've been able to do all the reloading tasks I need. I don't think I'd be any happier with different brands.

YMMV
Jerry

[nhrifle]

I picked up a Pro 1000 when I started loading 9mm in quantity. The priming system gave me fits. I settled on priming with my hand primer and doing the rest on the press. It's working pretty good now, but I would like it if the press would just feed and seat the primers as it should.

[Randy C]

same with us


I picked up a Pro 1000 when I started loading 9mm in quantity. The priming system gave me fits. I settled on priming with my hand primer and doing the rest on the press. It's working pretty good now, but I would like it if the press would just feed and seat the primers as it should.

[DLCTEX]

I just get really, really tired of dillon users having to proclaim their high place in reloader heaven every time someone says anything good about another product. The thread is about Lee press, not dillon. And it is a 5 stage press, what point are you trying to make? Trying to excuse dillons 4 holer? If I had waited until I could afford a dillon I would have still been using my rockchucker for everthing.I have had my Lee equipment for years and could sell it for more than I paid also. The point of the thread was to let other Loadmaster owners know how to help a problem they may have, not to get into a argument over dillon being better. Start you own thread and quit highjacking mine.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I just get really, really tired of dillon users having to proclaim their high place in reloader heaven every time someone says anything good about another product. The thread is about Lee press, not dillon. And it is a 5 stage press, what point are you trying to make? Trying to excuse dillons 4 holer? If I had waited until I could afford a dillon I would have still been using my rockchucker for everthing.I have had my Lee equipment for years and could sell it for more than I paid also. The point of the thread was to let other Loadmaster owners know how to help a problem they may have, not to get into a argument over dillon being better. Start you own thread and quit highjacking mine.

Well, to be fair, YOU mentioned Dillon in your first post. I didn't feel the need to say anything until you challenged Dillon owners in post #8 to add up the cost of their equipment. I get it. Lee equipment is cheap. By the way, I own a Lee press. I still use it. I will probably never sell it. I just like the quality and feel of my Dillons better. I understand cost has to be an issue for some. It is not an issue for all. I prefer value. I have owned and used many Dillon Square Deal, RL300, RL450, RL550, XL650 and Super 1050 presses over the years. I even used a 450 Jr. I liked them all. As my needs changed, I sold many of them. I still own 2 550s, 2 Square Deals, and a SL900... But if I add up what I paid for all my Dillon presses, dies, powder measures, conversion kits, casefeeders, etc, then subtract what I got when I sold some of them, my remaining Dillon presses were free. That's value.

I also don't think anyone was saying Dillon was "better." There are valid arguments to be made for owning any piece of reloading equipment. Price can be a very real limiting factor for some. Time is money. How fast can you afford to be? Lee works great for some, not so great for others. Same for Dillon. There are a few on this board that didn't warm up to their Dillons. Some eventually sold them. As for me, the 4 hole manually advanced Dillon 550 suits me just fine. Yes, I miss the Super 1050, but it is way more press than I need today. As I noted, a fine peice of machinery is wonderful to use. Have you ever reloaded on a Spolar? Now there is a work of art. I have been wanting one ever since I first laid eyes on one. Easy to use is an understatement. Everything is silky smooth... but I digress.

I am glad Lee fixed the problem. I am glad you posted the fix. I'm also glad that people can reload on an affordable machine with less complications.

At least in some way, we are all trying to do the same thing. Reload ammo. The equipment we choose to do that is the trade off between dollars available, functions required, and reloading speed required to match the time we have available and still meet our ammo requirements. For some, a single stage anything will meet their needs. For others, it'll be an Ammomaster.

[Randy C]

Dillon has the market on selling tool heads but Hornady has the market on their die change bushing but if you put a piece of shot under the brass screw on RCBS Dies and take a pencil and mark on the die and on the press it will be as accrete as anything else, Then you could afford to buy dies for your friends as well as for what you reload. I may be new to a progressive press but if you do a tool head change you still have to check the length and powder charge and adjust if needed, The extra tool heads cost money and I think they make people lazy and if something goes wrong they easily overlook it. They are all good presses in the hand of the right person.

[VHoward]

Don't have any problems with tool head changes myself. You should always be double checking your powder charge at the beginning and a few other times during any loading session.

[DLCTEX]

I check when changing tool heads, but little if any adjustment is needed as I leave the inexpensive powder measure on the tool head. I have not found OAL change at all. The Lee tool heads cost me an average of $8 each(I've had them a while) and I have 8 of them. I feel the Lee equipment is not cheap, but inexpensive. It would probably surprise many which manufacturers are using Lee's designs and even patents.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

DLCTEX,

I'm not going to **** in your thread with poop from other manufacturers, though I've owned at least one of every manufacturer. I'm glad to hear Lee has fixed the primer problems on their Loadmaster. The younger Lee that's taken over the company has made many improvements and met yet resolve all the problems associated with Lee progressives. If he does, many of the other manufacturers will be in trouble.

I've owned the Lee Classic Cast (still own it) and a Lee Classic Turret (regret selling it) as well as many, many dies, powder measures, boolit molds, bottom pour pots, etc. I'm happy with all of it.

If Lee manages to completely perfect the Loadmaster, I'm going to be forced to buy one for each pistol caliber I own. Then I can reserve my other progressive strictly for rifle calibers.

[jris211]

You Dillon guys want to compare dollars invested in the setups? Press, case feeder, bullet feeder, dies, shell plates, turrets, powder measure.??

To be honest, I must be the only one. I ordered a dillon 550b and returned it within a week. It had priming issues, the spent primer system was terrible and would jam the press. I called dillon and you know what they told me? Is it too much for you to handle? I was close to saying" hey, *******. I reloaded well over 30k rounds; i know how it's done". Never again will i buy anything dillon related. I bought that press because i heard so much good about it and was let down. I lost 100$ in shipping but it beats the 800 i put up for the press and the other parts I needed for the various calibers I load. Is dillon a good company? Must be because many rave about them. To me their presses are plagued with the same issue every other manufacturer's has. I felt I paid for a name with those so called "great blue machines"

[David2011]

I'm glad Lee fixed the primer issue. I don't anticipate buying their progressive but am interested in the Classic Cast if I ever replace my Rock Chucker II.


To be honest, I must be the only one. I ordered a dillon 550b and returned it within a week. It had priming issues, the spent primer system was terrible and would jam the press. I called dillon and you know what they told me? Is it too much for you to handle? I was close to saying" hey, *******. I reloaded well over 30k rounds; i know how it's done". Never again will i buy anything dillon related. I bought that press because i heard so much good about it and was let down. I lost 100$ in shipping but it beats the 800 i put up for the press and the other parts I needed for the various calibers I load. Is dillon a goof company? Must be because many rave about them. To me they're presses are plagued with the same issue every other manufacturer's has. I felt I paid for a name with those so called "great blue machines"


Dillon is not a "goof" company. I guess costs factor in even in their machines. The spent primer system is easily fixed by removing the cotter pin and replacing it with a long 4-40 machine screw with a self locking nut. Zero issues with it since then. The priming system on the 550 is its weak point. It has to be kept very clean and dry, with no lubrication in order to work. There may be some dry lubes that work well with the Dillon priming system. I would like to know if there's something that works without getting sticky. I've chamfered the corners of the primer slide lightly with a fine Swiss cut file. I periodically clean the primer slide pathway and slide with Hoppe's and it's pretty trouble-free.

David

[jris211]

That was a typo. I meant "good" company. No one would rave about a "goof company" Notice how the d and f are side by side on the keyboard? I was just a little irritated because a press that costs that much money should be fine out of the box. I watched many videos about the press and also read the manual numerous times to get familiar with it. When the rep told me the whole "too much for you to handle" ****, I got a little irritated. That press, to me, was not worth the money or the frustration. I've been loading on a Lee classic turret press and it's been 100%. Granted, it's not as complex as a progressive, but it's reliable and relatively fast. I did order a loadmaster today to see if the priming system is fixed. I read a lot of bad reviews and a lot of good ones. It's very mixed. But, if it's a bad press, I'll gladly fork up the 25$ to ship it back to midway. Beats the 60$ i paid to ship to dillon. We'll see

[RobS]

I did order a loadmaster today to see if the priming system is fixed. I read a lot of bad reviews and a lot of good ones. It's very mixed. But, if it's a bad press, I'll gladly fork up the 25$ to ship it back to midway. Beats the 60$ i paid to ship to dillon. We'll see

http://loadmastervideos.com/

Do a bit of reading at this site and you'll likely not have any issues. As you have read there are people doing some modification and tweaks just as the Dillon guys are doing in order to get them to run right. Once I did a few of the mods to a few of the parts I've been running LoadMasters for years now with no problems. Have setup 6 or 7 of them for various people here and there and they are going strong too. Yes the new priming system they just came out with is much improved. The is a mod I did to the new priming system but I don't know if it was needed however I was just going to cut to the chase so to speak.

The other great tool is to look on youtube.com type in Loadmaster mods or something like that. The big one to do is the case ejector mod.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wmN7mCcO8A and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FPefqtth8Y

[r1kk1]

Mine runs right with NO tweaks or mods.

take care

r1kk1

[RobS]

Mine runs right with NO tweaks or mods.

take care

r1kk1

When did you get your press and how many rounds have been run through it? If you click on the link I put up top you will hear the person who loaded thousands of rounds with no issues however things start to wear and there in comes a rather simple mod that he did to the case ejector. I did my case ejector mod nearly as soon as I got the press even though it didn't need it yet. Each press I've setup since has also had this mod done. I've worked over the new primer system to cut down on the slider travel but I don't think it was needed. Then again I'm a tinkerer and have modified my own reloading dies to work better for cast boolits too.

[r1kk1]

When did you get your press and how many rounds have been run through it?.

Mid 80s, and over 100k rounds through it. No mods or tweaks. Only thing to break was round counter and powder measure body. It's not red.

take care

r1kk1

[gunoil]

How bout pics of new lee primer system!I'll stick with "mikesreloadingbench.com"....Shame loadmaster aint a 6 hole press:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TryUXIzYVFk

My 1050 is fun but lil' loadmaster is rite there as a 100%'er.

[jris211]

http://loadmastervideos.com/

Do a bit of reading at this site and you'll likely not have any issues. As you have read there are people doing some modification and tweaks just as the Dillon guys are doing in order to get them to run right. Once I did a few of the mods to a few of the parts I've been running LoadMasters for years now with no problems. Have setup 6 or 7 of them for various people here and there and they are going strong too. Yes the new priming system they just came out with is much improved. The is a mod I did to the new priming system but I don't know if it was needed however I was just going to cut to the chase so to speak.

The other great tool is to look on youtube.com type in Loadmaster mods or something like that. The big one to do is the case ejector mod.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wmN7mCcO8A and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FPefqtth8Y

Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. The press should be here on tues next week. I'm surprised the dillon guys have to modify their presses to work. I mean all that money for a press and it requires modifications. I was considering going with the square deal b, but after the treatment I got from dillon, I won't bother. If the loadmaster doesn't work out, I'll deal with the turret press till a better progressive model is released. The turret can size bullets, and also obviously reload ammo. Plus, the speed is respectable with great consistent ammo. A lot of my friends buy ammo off me so I need something to up the production. I know, you shouldn't be doing that, but I have yet to have round that caused anyone an issue (knock on wood). Especially given the fact that even walmart ammo is extremely expensive, I'll be able to make up the money I put in for the loadmaster fairly quickly. Thanks again for the info. I'll post next week and give you an update

[Beesdad]

Good luck with your new LM press... Based on my experience you will not have any problems.

I plan to add two more in the next few months... I currently operate 5 with each set-up on a different cal. ..... All that is needed is to add powder and primers and then pull the handle..

[jris211]

Good luck with your new LM press... Based on my experience you will not have any problems.

I plan to add two more in the next few months... I currently operate 5 with each set-up on a different cal. ..... All that is needed is to add powder and primers and then pull the handle..

So I'm guessing they did fix the priming system issues? I'm assuming they did because you have 5 and soon to be 7. That makes me feel better.

[Beesdad]

So I'm guessing they did fix the priming system issues? I'm assuming they did because you have 5 and soon to be 7. That makes me feel better.

Not sure what Lee has done but once I had a shake free mount with the correct die configuration priming has been + 99.9%... The LM was my first progressive press .. Prior experience was single stage.

Last week I saw new 40 cal. LM's advertised for $210.00 w/ free shipping... I don't see how it gets any better than that....

[r1kk1]

I'm surprised the dillon guys have to modify their presses to work. I mean all that money for a press and it requires modifications. I was considering going with the square deal b, but after the treatment I got from dillon, I won't bother.


Mine isn't modified. You got a bad tech. I had one when I brought my SD in to be refurbished. He said, "Look, an old guy with an old press." I replied, "Look, an ex burger flipper with a used joke book." They upgraded mine complete with a new box. I traded the SD now B model press for an original Star lubrisizer. I hear the 550 has grease zerks. Mine was a 450 upgraded.


I spent quite a bit of time researching the LM. On this forum, Beesdad and Vaquero have helped me out in this area. Accurate Reloader uses a decapping die to help with priming issues in the LM press. Great videos. Upon research, Vaquero told me the LM can accept cartridges up to -06 in length. That around 2-½" case length. Too limiting for me. I load .17 cal to .50 caliber on mine.


You will get a bad tech. Got my share at Lee but I will NOT shoot the company down. I have one press of theirs left, pre CC series "ole knuckle buster" and it follows me to hunting trips. I have numerous custom services things such as bullet sizers, rifle crimp dies for wildcats and moulds. I don't have any die sets to speak of since they don't carry a lot of obsolete, proprietary or wildcat dies compared to CH4D or RCBS.


Alvarez Kelly, Morris and a few others know more about Dillon than I do. I've only had mine since the mid 80s, both of them. Mine work out of the box even when rebuilt by Dillon. Very good company. Beesdad and Vaquero can help you out with Lee stuff. They even have a LM forum. All of the above guys are good guys.


Dillon presses do NOT require modifications to work as both of mine did not. I've read your posts and would have loved to see how it was mounted and to look for issues. If I got a bad tech, time to find another one. It's your right. Mine is mounted to a strong mounted, bolted to a maple bench with close to a 2" thick top. A solid mount will end most powder and primer issue woes no matter who made the press.


Jris211, Mikes reloading bench, the forum I mentioned above will help you with the LM. Mount it SOLID! Learn the press as it is quite a bit more complicated the the 550 you complained about. Give it a fair chance. Shipping is cheaper because it is based on two things - weight and package size for a given distance from you. Makes sense.


My opinion differs from yours. My experiences are different. Mainly mine come through less than a handful of decades using a press upgraded from a previous generation with a very conservation 100k+ round count. I like when they release new shellplates for the latest cartridges. Whidden and Tubb come to mind for the long range accuracy guys.


Have fun and good luck with your next press. If it doesn't work you have LNL and 2000 to try next. Understand the limitations and once again, mount it solid like Pat Marlin's Rock Dock or Inline Fabrications mount.


Take care


r1kk1

[jris211]

Mine isn't modified. You got a bad tech. I had one when I brought my SD in to be refurbished. He said, "Look, an old guy with an old press." I replied, "Look, an ex burger flipper with a used joke book." They upgraded mine complete with a new box. I traded the SD now B model press for an original Star lubrisizer. I hear the 550 has grease zerks. Mine was a 450 upgraded.


I spent quite a bit of time researching the LM. On this forum, Beesdad and Vaquero have helped me out in this area. Accurate Reloader uses a decapping die to help with priming issues in the LM press. Great videos. Upon research, Vaquero told me the LM can accept cartridges up to -06 in length. That around 2-½" case length. Too limiting for me. I load .17 cal to .50 caliber on mine.


You will get a bad tech. Got my share at Lee but I will NOT shoot the company down. I have one press of theirs left, pre CC series "ole knuckle buster" and it follows me to hunting trips. I have numerous custom services things such as bullet sizers, rifle crimp dies for wildcats and moulds. I don't have any die sets to speak of since they don't carry a lot of obsolete, proprietary or wildcat dies compared to CH4D or RCBS.


Alvarez Kelly, Morris and a few others know more about Dillon than I do. I've only had mine since the mid 80s, both of them. Mine work out of the box even when rebuilt by Dillon. Very good company. Beesdad and Vaquero can help you out with Lee stuff. They even have a LM forum. All of the above guys are good guys.


Dillon presses do NOT require modifications to work as both of mine did not. I've read your posts and would have loved to see how it was mounted and to look for issues. If I got a bad tech, time to find another one. It's your right. Mine is mounted to a strong mounted, bolted to a maple bench with close to a 2" thick top. A solid mount will end most powder and primer issue woes no matter who made the press.


Jris211, Mikes reloading bench, the forum I mentioned above will help you with the LM. Mount it SOLID! Learn the press as it is quite a bit more complicated the the 550 you complained about. Give it a fair chance. Shipping is cheaper because it is based on two things - weight and package size for a given distance from you. Makes sense.


My opinion differs from yours. My experiences are different. Mainly mine come through less than a handful of decades using a press upgraded from a previous generation with a very conservation 100k+ round count. I like when they release new shellplates for the latest cartridges. Whidden and Tubb come to mind for the long range accuracy guys.


Have fun and good luck with your next press. If it doesn't work you have LNL and 2000 to try next. Understand the limitations and once again, mount it solid like Pat Marlin's Rock Dock or Inline Fabrications mount.


Take care


r1kk1
Yeah, I have the lee reloading stand which is pretty solid. I mounted my 550b to a thick wood block and had that thing attached with two c clamps to the stand. It didn't move at all. It was on there solid. You're right though. Can't begrudge dillon for one bad tech. The major attraction to the loadmaster for me is the fact that I've owned basically nothing but lee equipment, except for a lyman ladle and lyman lead pot. They've always been good to me. Was turned off to the loadmaster due to the horror stories I heard about the priming system. I'll let you know about the loadmaster. I like it too because I'm very familar with the lee equipment and I have all their dies for the calibers l load. Also, I like how easy it was to set the proper flair with the lee powder through expander die and pro auto disk. The dillon was nice because it was consistent and you didn't have to settle for a close to what you want charge. But the flare, even when I set it right was always too much for me. Tried the lee micrometer but it's too inaccurate

[OuchHot!]

I am very hopeful over the improvement of the LM primer system. My first progressive was/is the pro1k and because it was a gift, I persevered and got it to work OK. The major problem with lee at that time in my opinion, was Richard Lee. As KYcaster points out, he is pathologically incapable of admitting fault. I heard his kid was taking over so maybe some of the real problems will be corrected.

[jris211]

Thus far, the loadmaster is proving itself to be a good press. The only issue I am having that the primers will mostly always seat looking somewhat deformed. Typically, it looks like a dent is on the primer. There is no doubt that they will function fine without issue, but I do want them to look as good as if they were primed off my classic turret press. I initially thought that it was maybe caused by the rocker arm being adjusted to seat the primer too deep. However, I did adjust as per Lee Precision's instructional video. Also, when I heightened the bolt to not seat as deep, the primers weren't seated enough. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks

[Tom Myers]

Three things come to mind.
Check the top of the priming pin to make sure that it is flat and square.
Take out the turret and look down into the shell holder while operating the ram handle to make sure that the pin is coming up square and centered in the shell holder.
Check the end of the operating lever that lifts the priming pin. It is a stamped item and burrs can be formed on one side or the other where the lever contacts the bottom of the primeing pin. Make sure that the contact surface is smooth, rounded and square.

[Beesdad]

Three things come to mind.
Check the top of the priming pin to make sure that it is flat and square.
Take out the turret and look down into the shell holder while operating the ram handle to make sure that the pin is coming up square and centered in the shell holder.
Check the end of the operating lever that lifts the priming pin. It is a stamped item and burrs can be formed on one side or the other where the lever contacts the bottom of the primeing pin. Make sure that the contact surface is smooth, rounded and square.

Tom's priming recommendations are spot on ... Additionally some have found that the bolt that is used to adjust the seating depth needs to have the bolt head impressions removed to eliminate primer seating variability -- the LM will seat primers without deformation.. I would recommend that you utilize the resize die (with de-cap pin removed) in station 2 and it will force the priming pin to center on the case primer pocket.

[bannor]

I only load 9mm, 223, and .45, and not a lot of 223. maybe 5k per year .45's, but 4x as much 9mm (the wife shoots it a lot). :-) 2k a year .223's. Normally, I shoot 20k a year rds of .22lr, but we all know where that's gone to. So now I do a lot more airsoft work. when and if I get the chance to buy 100k rds of .22lr for 6k, I'm going to get a signature loan at the bank and do it, for real.

I use the lee progressive. I swap out the dies/head maybe 3x per year. I just enough .45 brass to be able to load 6 month's worth of shooting without needing to reload again. At the time, 9mm and 223 brass was free for the picking up. I can't imagine paying 3x as much for other companies' loading-gear. Maybe if I was shooting 5x as much.

[jris211]

Three things come to mind.
Check the top of the priming pin to make sure that it is flat and square.
Take out the turret and look down into the shell holder while operating the ram handle to make sure that the pin is coming up square and centered in the shell holder.
Check the end of the operating lever that lifts the priming pin. It is a stamped item and burrs can be formed on one side or the other where the lever contacts the bottom of the primeing pin. Make sure that the contact surface is smooth, rounded and square.

it looks like the priming pin may be a little off center. How do I adjust this to make centered? I tightened the shell plate and it still looks like it may be a little off

[jris211]

I think i may be ok. I readjusted the bolt that controls how deep a primer goes and it seems to have fixed the issue. Thanks guys

[Beesdad]

Glad your problem has been corrected.. Good luck

[jris211]

Glad your problem has been corrected.. Good luck
Hey wanted to give you a heads up. I loaded around 350 9mm tonight on my loadmaster. This thing thus far has worked great. I had 4 rounds without primers and 1 with a primer smashed into it. I blame myself though because I know I short stroked the press a few times. Other than that, for 230$, I'm happy as hell with it. Much faster than my lee classic turret press and the quality doesn't suffer either

[Blanco]

I have 3 LoadMasters and love them. You have to be willing to accept that they have some quirks. I feel that most of the people that bash Lee had a bad experience. With a Load Master you must be patient and willing to use you mechanical skills to think through their issues. The 1 item that made my loaders almost problem free was a solidly mounted base. Once the machine quits wiggling the problems stop. 110134110135

[Beesdad]

I have 3 LoadMasters and love them. You have to be willing to accept that they have some quirks. I feel that most of the people that bash Lee had a bad experience. With a Load Master you must be patient and willing to use you mechanical skills to think through their issues. The 1 item that made my loaders almost problem free was a solidly mounted base. Once the machine quits wiggling the problems stop. 110134110135

Nice setup... Good to see someone who is willing to spend a little time to set the press up properly and understand how it operates... I found my biggest quirk with the LM was me...

thanks for posting the photos..

[Blanco]

That bench is a welded steel base. The top is 3 layers of 3/4" MDF. Under each loader there is a 3" Maple block and a piece of 3/8 Aluminum plate. The mounting holes on the loaders was opened up a bit to take 5/16 bolts that go all the way thru the top. The other pieces are screwed together with some heavy duty (hurricane proof ) construction screws.
I would estimate just the bench is 300+ lbs. Needless to say, it just does not move around. Just the stability alone has improved my reloading experience exponentially. Now when I set a length on the seating die, it stays where I put it!
I loaded about 300 9mm last night. When I empty a tube I spot check the last case for powder weight and loaded length. All measured 1.124 and all the random rounds I picked out were the same 1.124

[kryogen]

Well i can report that my lm still fails at priming......

[Blanco]

Well i can report that my lm still fails at priming......

Lee has upgraded the priming system on the Loadmaster. Contact Lee's customer Service. They can help you fix it or get the right parts.

[Beesdad]

Well i can report that my lm still fails at priming......

Have you reviewed mikesreloadingbench.com for his recommended press modifications to fix these issues?

[jris211]

I have 3 LoadMasters and love them. You have to be willing to accept that they have some quirks. I feel that most of the people that bash Lee had a bad experience. With a Load Master you must be patient and willing to use you mechanical skills to think through their issues. The 1 item that made my loaders almost problem free was a solidly mounted base. Once the machine quits wiggling the problems stop. 110134110135
I don't even think that they have quirks. I think it comes down to people not following the directions. Yeah the primer feed had reported issues, but now they really improved it. The only times I had issues is when I short stroked the press and I caught myself doing it. Then sure enough , an issue came up. Other than that, I'm happy I returned that dillon 550b (which was junk; mine was at least) and got this

[kryogen]

well, I have revision 4 of the small primer and rev 3 of the large primer maybe? I don't even know which one is last and how to tell....

I still get sideways and upside down large primers.

[Beesdad]

well, I have revision 4 of the small primer and rev 3 of the large primer maybe? I don't even know which one is last and how to tell....

I still get sideways and upside down large primers.

I would contact Lee's customer service and they can help resolve your issue...

[magic mike]

The only change to the primer system I have seen lately is the shape of the slider. Looks like it has been changed so that it is not as likely to get pinched by the primer pin in the event of a short stroke situation. IMHO, the three biggest reasons for primer problems with the LM are, 1. Failure to solidly mount the press. 2. Primer pin not being flush with the trough floor. 3. The wedge bar being so blunt that it slams the slider forward as the ram rises. I have spent untold hours fiddling with the primer system on this press and I can assure you that it doesn't take much to flip a primer when using the stock setup if any of the above mentioned items are ignored. I discuss all this at length on my website if you care to read it. mikesreloadingbench.com

[Kilroy08]

I have both a Lee Load Master and a Dillon 550.

The Lee was what I could afford at the time. I understood it was an entry level progressive. Outside of a goobered primer every 50 or so rounds, things were great. I've got all sorts of ammo that I loaded with it. Was it worth what I paid for it? Yes. Sure I had to tinker with it to keep it running in a relatively smooth manner, but I knew that. It wasn't some big surprise when a primer got skipped or mashed, I just cleared the problem and chucked the offending round in the reject box.

With the Dillon, I happened to stumble across some guy on craigslist selling it and three boxes of additional reloading goodies for $150 because he had neither the time nor the interest in it. I'd be an idiot to say no. I promptly emailed him requesting that he call me and take my money. Through sheer dumb luck I scored a Dillon press that I otherwise would still be aspiring to own someday.

Now that I have my Dillon, the Little Load Master That Could sits cleaned and wiped down with a fresh coat of oil in storage. In my opinion, the Dillon 550 is far superior to the Load Master.

However, not everybody's reloading budgets are created equal. Sometimes you have to make do with what you can afford. I think I made do pretty well with my Lee stuff.

[r1kk1]

However, not everybody's reloading budgets are created equal. Sometimes you have to make do with what you can afford. I think I made do pretty well with my Lee stuff.

I found an Ultramag NIB for 100.00 on Craiglist last summer. It was a press I wanted to add to others I had. When people walk into my reloading room they are of two types: those wanting to reload and those who do. I get a chuckle when they ask how much? Or, why do you have four single stage presses when they don't realize each one is very different from each other. I don't think they understand this is not an overnight purchase but decades and taking odd jobs to support my hobby. I have bought a few tools that didn't work out and are gone. I still do odd jobs and I have one more press to buy but it's for shotshell, not metallic. I've been saving for four long years and I'm close. SO CLOSE! I love obsolete and wildcat stuff. A fellow use to be able to buy odd stuff for cheap. Not anymore.

I really admire third party vendors and inventors. I wish Mike would change the font on his website as my older eyes have a have a hard time reading scripted fonts. I love machined pieces that talented hands have carved out of a block of metal. I respect that. I don't own a dog in this fight but can truly appreciate what Mike does as well as other people's efforts. I firmly agree that any press should be solidly mounted. I've seen so many solutions over the years. It will help with priming, powder and seating issues for the most part. A solid mount will help keep a fellow running madly into the night scratching their heads.

This forum has many 3rd party inventors that need a closer look. They make awesome products to enhance and to help a more satisfying reloading experience! Some things may stretch a fellow's budget if bought overnight but more doable if spread out over time. In the end, hopefully it will be a satisfying experience.

take care

r1kk1

[odis]

I've never used one before but I have read much with great interest about the Lee press. I believe there must be something lacking in the design for so many to post how much they hate it. If they invested time and money to improve what could be wrong and the cost to the customer was about 100 bucks more it would still be a bargain.

[magic mike]

If you, as a manufacturer, sell all you can you make, and you don't mind putting your name on it at whatever performance level it achieves, I wouldn't expect much to change. That mind set is a pure business position. Hence guys like me who offer some relief to those who struggle with their purchase. Unfortunately, it also takes some of the pressure off Lee to make improvements. However, if you own the market as the low cost provider there isn't much upside to entering into the high end market where your return on investment is substantially less in relation to your expended efforts and costs.

[prs]

This has turned into quite a long thread. The current production primer fixtures are reliable. I thought the originals were reliable so long as short strokes were avoided. The revision versions in between the originals and the current were DISASTERS! One necessary maintenance feature that is paramount to avoiding priming issues that has not been addressed in this long thread is the need to empty the spent primer collection system (the inside of the ram tube) often. Once it gets about half full, that nasty primer grit and dirt bounces up into the primer well and tilts the primer pin on the way up and binds it on the way down. About the only significant mod I have made is to adapt Lee's Classic Turret spent primer collection tube to the Load Master. BINGO, it stays clean and keeps on keeping on. I load 5 pistol and 2 rifle calibers on my LM with no problems. Changing dies and shell plates is quick and easy and provides good opportunity to clean and lube the press.

prs

[Mike Hughes]

The new primer assembly works great for me. I think changing my powder measure to RCBS uniflow with case activated powder die also helped. I never could get the lee to completely stop spilling powder. The powder ends up getting in the shell holder slots and wont let the case properly line up to primer pin. The powder also will get down to the shelf where the primer pin rests and causes it to tilt and hang up.
With the RCBS, the press stays powder free. I have been using this setup for a couple of years and my primer problems have disappeared.
110415

[jris211]

The new primer assembly works great for me. I think changing my powder measure to RCBS uniflow with case activated powder die also helped. I never could get the lee to completely stop spilling powder. The powder ends up getting in the shell holder slots and wont let the case properly line up to primer pin. The powder also will get down to the shelf where the primer pin rests and causes it to tilt and hang up.
With the RCBS, the press stays powder free. I have been using this setup for a couple of years and my primer problems have disappeared.

110415

I actually sent it back and put my lee classic turret back up. The loadmaster was working overall ok, but i was having issues with smashing primers and auto index was giving me issues. GOt to the point where the damn thing would not index and the indexing rod was jamming. The priming system's new design works well (had only a couple rounds without primers), but given the fact that powder is hard to come by now, I'd hate to waste any of it. Plus, the whole thing of priming on the upstroke was a bad idea on Lee's part. The force it takes to size, seat, bell, and taper crimp while seating a primer makes it too easy to smash the primer even if you're being careful. I figure that I'm happy with my turret has to offer. It's not as fast as a progressive, but I've never had a reject round that was missing any components. Plus, it can also be used to size my cast bullets. I did a quick reloading session last night and loaded some 9mm self defense rounds. Loaded 100 in 22 min. Wasn't even rushing. And the nice thing, like i said, there were no reject rounds that needed pulled. I'll hold off till I get this full time police job that I have coming. After that, maybe a couple paychecks in, I'll scoop up the dillon 650 and give them a try. IN fairness, I didn't given Dillon a fair shake. Plus, I hated the whole manual indexing on the 550b

[rbertalotto]

Plus, the whole thing of priming on the upstroke was a bad idea on Lee's part. The force it takes to size, seat, bell, and taper crimp while seating a primer makes it too easy to smash the primer even if you're being careful.

+1...I totally agree! I went back to my Lee 1000 and couldn't be happier.

[Blanco]

I actually purchased one of my Loadmasters from a guy who was using it to reload 45 ACP. He had been having issues with the priming system and finally gave up on it I paid $150 for it and got a bunch of extras with it. Including 10k pcs brass extra primers, Boolits, etc.
After setting it up. I replaced the entire priming system parts with new parts from LEE, and a new slider bar. I think I paid about $25. parts and shipping. Other than basic maintenance and cleaning I haven't had any real issues with it.
Just like some of the people here, the guy who gave mine up just got frustrated and walked away from a fixable issue. I have since loaded somewhere in the neighborhood of 10k rounds. I know its that many cause i'm out of brass

[Beesdad]

Blanco, I had almost the same experience with one of my 5 LM's.... It also was in 45 ACP and the previous owner indicated that the priming system was not reliable... When the press was delivered I gave it a good cleaning, replaced the entire priming system with spares that I all ready had on hand and within 2 hours I had it running... now if it has any issues it is operator induced..

The press was so new that Lee replaced all of the priming system parts that I had used to make the repair for free under warrantee ... Now if I can find one more LM press from someone who is not willing to take the time to understand how it operates I will have a press dedicated to every cal. I currently produce.

[Blanco]

I'm always on the lookout for a good deal. When it comes to a used Loadmaster the price has to be right because a new one is not very expensive. Most of what I see is someone who bought one and thought reloading would be a neat hobby. After looking at the monetary commitment not to mention having to deal with component availability and rising cost a lot of people get cold feet real quick. Those types usually want all the money back out of their equipment and it's usually more than a new Loadmaster. I haven't looked lately but back around the first of the year there were some places running the Loadmaster one caliber set up for just over $200
I keep looking because the supply and availability issues seem to be easing up. I know there will be those that look at store bought ammo and say it just aint worth it. Then they look at the stuff they have and box it back up and try to peddle it.
Even the ones that have issues don't scare me, Short of a broken frame or ram. Just gotta find the right deal.

[seabreeze133]

Been through 1 Lee progressive, 1 lee turret, 2 Dillons and went back to an RCBS Rock Chucker for everything I load for. Not a super fast system, but any problems are something I did wrong. Usually needing to clean dies or press.

Cheers

seabreeze

[jris211]

Blanco, I had almost the same experience with one of my 5 LM's.... It also was in 45 ACP and the previous owner indicated that the priming system was not reliable... When the press was delivered I gave it a good cleaning, replaced the entire priming system with spares that I all ready had on hand and within 2 hours I had it running... now if it has any issues it is operator induced..

The press was so new that Lee replaced all of the priming system parts that I had used to make the repair for free under warrantee ... Now if I can find one more LM press from someone who is not willing to take the time to understand how it operates I will have a press dedicated to every cal. I currently produce.

I understood how the press operated, it was just the indexing rod was a huge issue. The priming system fed primers fine, but like i said, the whole thing of priming while the other stages are being performed was a bad idea. My indexing flipper part was not catching on the "rib" portion of the press. I adjusted the position of the ram by loosening the bolt on bottom of press and messed with it for hours. It just wouldn't reliably catch and sometimes the whole indexing system would jam. The press is a very simple design that I really like, but this issue was too annoying to deal with. I may buy another down the road to try my luck again. The best press Lee has ever created is the classic turret press.

[jris211]

I actually sent it back and put my lee classic turret back up. The loadmaster was working overall ok, but i was having issues with smashing primers and auto index was giving me issues. GOt to the point where the damn thing would not index and the indexing rod was jamming. The priming system's new design works well (had only a couple rounds without primers), but given the fact that powder is hard to come by now, I'd hate to waste any of it. Plus, the whole thing of priming on the upstroke was a bad idea on Lee's part. The force it takes to size, seat, bell, and taper crimp while seating a primer makes it too easy to smash the primer even if you're being careful. I figure that I'm happy with my turret has to offer. It's not as fast as a progressive, but I've never had a reject round that was missing any components. Plus, it can also be used to size my cast bullets. I did a quick reloading session last night and loaded some 9mm self defense rounds. Loaded 100 in 22 min. Wasn't even rushing. And the nice thing, like i said, there were no reject rounds that needed pulled. I'll hold off till I get this full time police job that I have coming. After that, maybe a couple paychecks in, I'll scoop up the dillon 650 and give them a try. IN fairness, I didn't given Dillon a fair shake. Plus, I hated the whole manual indexing on the 550b

Hate to bring back an old thread, but in case someone may find this info helpful, I'll post it. After having issues with lee pro 1000, lee loadmaster, and dillon 550b, I invested in an rcbs pro 2000 with auto index. Works great. Priming APS system is amazing and the press is solid cast iron. I'm using my lee dies with the uniflow case activation and it's phenomenal. I only had 2 primers sideways; I short stroked the press and that's it. I made around 500 rounds so far and very pleased with it. Plus the $50 rebate is nice too.

[shoot-n-lead]

It's hard to value the pleasure of using a nice piece of equipment... like my Dillon 550s.

It is easy to recognize the value in knowing I'll be able to sell my used Dillon equipment for more than I paid for it. Probably less than 5 years from now. Even forgetting about the craziness that's going on now. I just sold some of my used stuff, and ordered new from Dillon to replace it! I made a nice windfall... as I can wait the 8 weeks or so for the backlog to work its way out.

Just so you know I am not anti-Lee... I do own a Lee press (the first press I ever bought) and some Lee dies. I will probably still have them when I die... but I don't think they are going up much in value.

Well, that about covers it...[smilie=p: