Lee APP First Impressions

[dragon813gt]

I will get this out of the way up front. I am in no way bashing this press. These are my honest opinions after using it over the past few days. I read the instructions before using and referenced them when setting it up. Used it to deprime and swage about 600 LC cases of varying years. I purchased the primer pocket swaging kit and bulge buster kit along w/ the press.

Overall it feels like what you pay for it. That’s saying it feels inexpensive. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I understand using the right materials for the application and not overbuilding. It’s the abundance of plastic parts(I’m using the term generically) that I’m not a fan of. I foresee them breaking over time. I hope I’m wrong but time will tell.

The stock handle is a complete joke. I don’t know who thought it was a good design. I have smaller hands and the web between my index and middle finger was hitting the press arms. Maybe this doesn’t happen w/ larger hands. But I’m thinking it would put the web even closer to the arms. I honestly can’t believe they point out the grip as being really comfortable in their literature.

I didn’t mind the handle as much until I started swaging and had to put some a pressure on it. That’s when I decided to add a roller handle. Had an Inline ergo handle for the Classic Cast series that I don’t find comfortable. Used a unibit to increase the mounting hole diameter on the APP arms and mounted the roller handle.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50066384293_5a8f84e3ed_b.jpg

Increasing the hole diameter does leave less metal at the edges. But I don’t plan on using this press for any heavy operations. Bought it solely for case processing. And for this purpose it works okay.

First thing I set it up for was depriming. The riser was easy to install on the case inserter, more on that to come. The tube support was easy to setup. But I found it’s location above the riser was quite important. I had cases that were not dropping into the jaws. Tried adjusting the actuator screw to keep the jaws open more. But this didn’t work because the jaws close when the assembly is at the end of the stoke. Fixed the tube support alignment, it was dropping cases to late, and all was good.

I did have some random weirdness. At times it would not kick a case out of the shell holder. Found that some primers weren’t being pushed completely out which prevented the cases from being pushed out of the shell holder. The next case would hit the case in the shell holder and put pressure on it. Backing off pressure, pushing the case back slightly would allow the primer to drop. Not faulting the press or dies in any way. It was completely random.

I had the riser shoot off across the room on two occasions. No clue what caused that to happen. That happened early on and hasn’t happened since. I’d prefer a more robust assembly but this is a case of hitting a price point.

Everything worked great for depriming. And everything worked well for the most part when it came to swaging the primer pockets. It was quick and easy to setup. Only took a few minutes and Lee’s directions were clear for once. But then I processed a batch of LC12 cases. Stoppage on almost every case.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50069934626_5cd3263b5e_b.jpg

As you can see the swage rod is not lining up w/ the case mouth. And not just by a little bit. Everything was working perfectly the prior night and I made no adjustments to the press or dies. I simply started to process a specific batch of brass. If I rotated the shell holder so the exit was pointing towards the back of the press the mouth would line up better. But as soon as a case was inserted the shell holder would rotate back and there would be another stoppage. There’s quite a bit of play between the case and shell holder.

The case inserter does not have consistent drops when it comes to position as well. The pic is of the same case from the first photo. There were other cases that were off more.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50069378648_9fe90807c9_b.jpg

When it works., it works great. But constant misalignment makes it slow. I had every intention of selling my Dillon 600. Not so much now. It could very well be related to those specific cases. But I don’t have any issues w/ the Dillon regardless of cases. I have other batches of segregated cases that I’m going to run though it before I make a final determination.

It was a big let down when I had constant issues. I expect one every now and then. But every cases is excessive. The only other thing I really have to say is the tube feed is worthless. No collator and a single tube w/ no way to fill it off press doesn’t make anything quicker. Single feeding a case each time was faster in all regards. Anytime you have tubes w/out a collator they aren’t saving you any time regardless of press.

Don’t want to end on a bad note. So here’s a video of it swaging cases w/ no issues.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/dragon813gt/309769

[poppy42]

Well, I can’t say Whether I agree or disagree or with your assessment. Mine was just ordered today and should be here next week. I bought mine with the sole intention of processing pistol brass. 9 mm, 9 mm Makarov, and 38 special. And probably 556 and in small lots 30-06. Considering I’ve De-capped roughly 7000 9 mm cases on a single stage press ( that’s not included the 9 Makarov, 38 special and all the Other small Quantities of other brass I’ve de-capped) in the past month I expect I’ll be quite pleased with it. I’ve read several reviews on it some positive some negative. With that being said I have no way of determining whether the negative reviews are caused by design errors with the press itself or if it’s operator error. I’ll withhold judgment till I actually have my grubby little hands on my press sometime next week. With the price of $75 I paid for it from Titan reloading I can’t possibly see how I could go wrong with this investment. I’ll tell ya I am certainly not planning on processing any more brass until it gets here. Anyway I’ll add my review after I get it Set up and try it out for myself.

[BigAlofPa.]

I use mine for decapping only. I have ran 1000's of casings through it. I ran into the primers not always coming out too. I tweaked the pin depth. It solved that issue. Sometimes it will drop 2 casing at a time when doing 223/556 brass. Usually when there is only 2 OR 3 left in the tube. It took me some time too setting up the drop assembly. I think it's cleaner too for decapping. Im not getting a burnt powder trail no more. On the lee challenger press i was getting the trail.

[onelight]

I bought mine mainly for pistol brass and bullet sizing.
Added the 4 tube case feeder and it is a real time saver for me really fast .
It does have bit of a learning curve but once you learn set up at least with pistol brass if feeds it perfect 99% of the time.
Hang in there you will get it figured out.

[megasupermagnum]

About the handle, I have very large hands. The APP press handle might be the most comfortable handle I've used. The Rockchucker ball is ok, but I hate roller handles like on my Star sizer.

[onelight]

I like the handle to , I sit to the side most of the time and prefer a ball over a roller but the app handle works for me.

[tomme boy]

Did you use the de-capper that came in the swage kit? And did you set it up right? If it does not get the right amount of flair on the mouth they will hang up.

And another thing. You need to find the rhythm of the press. I am telling you it matters. Also take a rubber band and insert it into the loop on the head of the press. You want it so it pushes the spring hard up against the press on the left side. This makes a world of difference once the sliders get a little dirty or sticky.

I will not size any case on the press. Every other cast for 223 and 9mm rips the rim off. And yes I am using lube.

[dragon813gt]

Did you use the de-capper that came in the swage kit? And did you set it up right? If it does not get the right amount of flair on the mouth they will hang up.

Yes, like I said in the OP I followed the instructions. I know that most complaints when it comes to equipment is not following the instructions. I’m the type of person that reads through any set of instructions before doing anything else.

I understand what you’re saying about the rhythm. In the video I posted you can see me pause slightly before I bring the swage die down. This allows the case wobble, and there can be a lot of it, to cease before the backup rod enters the case. I have no issue doing this. It’s severe misalignment that’s the issue.

I’m heading out to the garage now to finish up what I have left. Will know if it’s just that one batch or there’s something else wrong. I should not have to add rubber bands to the press. It should work as described out of the box w/ no modifications. I don’t think is asking to much. Having to modify a press to work is why I will never buy a Lee progressive. The competition works out of the box and will continue to do so it’s entire life.

[dragon813gt]

Sometimes it will drop 2 casing at a time when doing 223/556 brass.

I left this out of my OP intentionally. I’m 99.9% certain I was not causing the double feed. Operating the handle in an incorrect manner will cause it. Since I never caught it in action I left it out. There were a lot of time it dropped two cases. This lead to brass flying across the room a few times. And I’m pretty certain it was the cause of the riser coming off once.

[GWS]

I found all the same surprises and negatives as you, except that the handle is a personal thing and even with my small hands it didn't bother me as it did you. But the rest was my experience as well. The "missiles", double feeds, bad falls, all of it.......and I found answers to each that wasn't that hard to fix. On an expensive tool one tends to scream bloody murder, but you almost expect stuff like this in one less expensive like this.

The angled drops, double feeds and missiles I fixed permanently with two mods I just described in another thread here last night. I could repeat it here if you want, but look at my post in the other thread first where I posted videos to demonstrate. With the two mods and one other thing I fixed everything, and now those LC .223s feed fine. The one other thing is this: The case heads are rough as hell because of the letters roughly embossed around the primers. Factory brass bases are smooth and they feed much better. The fix was to tape a 400 grit sandpaper sheet to the bench and slide each case across it to smooth the stupid heads.....hangs around the x-press shell holders went away. Factory, like Winchester or Rem (the factory I tried) had no such problems with Lee's plowed shell holders.

As you will see from the first video, I also did 7.62 LC brass. That was much easier, the bases slid better too. But I want a quick change between the two calibers using the 4-way feeder and mod-1 made that possible.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?404378-Automated-sizing-only&p=4935002&viewfull=1#post4935002 (post 16) Good luck.....I quite like mine now and retired my RCBS bench swager as being 3 times slower. ;)

[dragon813gt]

Went through about 300 cases this morning. Same issues right off the bat. The problem is the shell holder. There is to much play in the floating setup. The case is not centered under the backup rod because of it. I installed the o-ring that they tell you not to use w/ the x-press shell holders. It worked a lot better because the shell holder stayed in place. If a rim is broken or out of round I don’t want to use that case anymore to begin w/.

Before I installed the o-ring there was an easy fix. I just had to push on the shell holder to align the case. I marked it in the pic below. Problem was there was a stoppage that had to be addressed.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071302428_48a3811962_b.jpg

I went through a bag that had mixed year cases and for the most part there was no problems. Same thing for the few bags single year cases. Even reran the problem batch w/ the o-ring installed. Night and day difference.

This happened as well.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071865856_b3659e1a5d_b.jpg

It double fed cases for no apparent reason. It was towards the end of the tube. Since I don’t plan on using the tubes I’m not really concerned about it. At some point I may order up long tubes and drill them for cotter pins so my oldest son can fill them off press. He was trying to keep the tube topped off while I was running the press but wasn’t able to.

The last thing I’m not a fan of is the breech lock bushings. I use many brands of presses so they serve no purpose for me. They add unneeded complexity and a potential failure point IMO. If all you use is Lee presses I see how they are convenient. But like the handle it’s about personal preference. If the press is tapped for standard dies one doesn’t have to worry about losing an adapter. I really prefer the K.I.S.S. principle and the bushings do not follow it.

[GWS]

This happened as well..................It double fed cases for no apparent reason. It was towards the end of the tube.

Yup happened to me as well.....the clear down tubes cured that......haven't made them for the single feeders just the 4-way.....I only use the single feeders for pistol.....but If I did for rifle I'd still make downtubes for it.....prevents the case sliding down before the case below is out of the way....no more double feeds.
https://i.postimg.cc/qq8NMjWp/IMG-3291.jpg

the down tubes made of thin-wall, pressed into the 4-tube Feeder are both about 1-7/8"long... Looks like one is shorter....optical illusion. I made them the same height to be able to set the 4-tube feeder once for both calibers... leaving 1/16" inch between tube and the tallest shuttle.

The tube for .308 is 9/16" O.D. and friction-fits, as is, into the widest outlet.
The one for .223 is 7/16" O.D. and had to be wrapped with aluminum HVAC tape, two wraps, to press-fit the other smaller outlet....the one with the notch in it.

Each is cut out on one side to allow the case to be held vertical closer to the slide, yet allow the case to progress on the slide past it without hindrance.
Below: See, the drop tube prevents the top case from pushing the bottom case sideways. There's just too much vertical room between the shuttle and Lees's feeder drop allowing the next case in line to drop behind the other before the shuttle can push it out of the way. My drop tube is just 1/16" higher than the shuttle. It works way better.
https://i.postimg.cc/KjwGXCG0/IMG-3285.jpg


https://youtu.be/CD9w_bZIK-s

If you don't use an electric collator for rifle, then you need the $25 four-way and the simple mods above to make it sing: link below at Midway. (out of stock at Titan)

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020023248?pid=868423

[gpidaho]

I believe the best use of the APP is sizing bullets. It can be set up with the old style Lee size dies, the new APP bushing sizers or with the adapter the Noe bushings. The single tube feed is a joke as it is as easy to feed the press manually as it is to fill the tube. I bought the four tube feeder and collator and this did make depriming 9mm fast but you lose a lot of the feel for loose pockets. Make sure you clean your brass enough to remove any grit before feeding it. Our local range has sand as fine as dust and I scuffed the plastic slide. This caused the spring to buckle or fly off. I waxed the slide and at Tomme's suggestion added a small tube inside the spring. This got things back to operational. Still the feeder double feeds at times and doesn't always line up properly in the shell holder. If I knew then what I know now, I would have just bought the basic press and used it solely as a bottom drop bullet sizing press fed by hand. The only addition I've found handy is the Noe bushing adapter. Gp

[onelight]

I have deprimed several thousand pistol and revolver cases with the 4 tube feeder and coallator with The exception of the random upside down case no real problems at least 30 or 40 a minute it is fast when you get the setup down , don't give up to soon mine has 0 mods

[dverna]

Thanks for posting your review.

I have a Dillon 600 and looked at getting the APP for swaging primer pockets as I though it would be a bit faster/easier. I will stay with the Dillon.

[GWS]

Thanks for posting your review.

I have a Dillon 600 and looked at getting the APP for swaging primer pockets as I though it would be a bit faster/easier. I will stay with the Dillon.

I have the RCBS bench swager which works almost identical to the Dillon 600. If your not willing to make the simple mods to make feeding rifle fail-safe, you are probably right to do it the slow way.

However I have retired my bench swager because the APP with modified feeder parts is so stinking fast and efficient that'd feel deprived if I had to go back and feed individual cases to the bench primer again.;).........plus it's wonderful to deprime with if you like to wet tumble before sizing.......and it's a breeze if you have a Redding GrX and have got lots of .40s&w to debulge. And if you cast boolits and need a sizer....even more worthwhile.

I would have bought one just for the case feeding/depriming feature, but its worth a lot more than that to me now.

It's the case feeding of this press that makes all the difference for me, so for me it was way worthwhile to make that case feed system sing.........and if you have a Dillon electric Case Collator all the better!

[dragon813gt]

Thanks for posting your review.

I have a Dillon 600 and looked at getting the APP for swaging primer pockets as I though it would be a bit faster/easier. I will stay with the Dillon.

When it works it’s a lot faster. It’s the stops that obviously cause the problems. I like the 600 and enjoy flinging the cases for distance into a bin. Once setup it swages the pockets perfectly. But so does the kit for the APP. And setup was quicker and easier w/ the APP.

A 650 is the best option for case processing. One pass and the case processing is complete and ready to to be loaded. But you have to pay quite a bit. I thought about getting a case feeder for my 550 and an aftermarket swager. But the press is not designed to swage cases. And the cost of those parts was more than the APP.

For me the APP is worth it for depriming alone. But only for bulk processing. Normally I deprime on press at time of loading. So once initially processed I wouldn’t be using the APP anymore. But I can say the same thing for the 600. So I’m not unhappy w/ my purchase.

I have a large batch of RP cases that are sorted. Along w/ a couple thousand more unsorted LC cases. I’m not giving up yet. And I still haven’t tried 7.62 cases. There are thousands of them to process as well. If it works well for bulge busting and body sizing 357 Sig cases it’s just icing on the cake. Already have a Star so it will never be used for bullet sizing.

[Reverend Recoil]

I have re-sized thousands of 45 Auto and 38 Special cases on my Lee APP with no trouble. 9mm Luger cases get stuck in the sizing die. The express sell holder does not engage in enough of the case head to pull them out without stripping. The Lee APP is the best I have used for case de-priming, expanding, and bullet sizing.

[44magLeo]

I have found that most of my feeding issues are adjustment related. As the instructions tell you if the cases feed early or late you need to adjust where the tube holder sets in comparison to the feeder. Once you get it right the cases fall straight down.
Leo

[onelight]

I have found that most of my feeding issues are adjustment related. As the instructions tell you if the cases feed early or late you need to adjust where the tube holder sets in comparison to the feeder. Once you get it right the cases fall straight down.
Leo
I agree , when new to the app a person might want to use it 5 or 6 sessions to get a good feel for cause and effect of how it is set up before doing mods on it . It will work really well as it comes.
I have found for decapping handgun cases that I can get by with the 45 colt shell holder for all of them .
When the case feeder is properly set up for the case the controlled feed sets the case just right to deprime.
It's no fiddling with the shell holder but this would only work for depriming , my primary use.
But that said we all use our tools in the way we are comfortable with and the way we like that how it should be.:smile:

[GWS]

I have found that most of my feeding issues are adjustment related. As the instructions tell you if the cases feed early or late you need to adjust where the tube holder sets in comparison to the feeder. Once you get it right the cases fall straight down.
Leo

1. Of course adjustment is important, that's the first important step, but it doesn't fix all the issues with all the calibers. Sharing which calibers you were perfectly successful with, just adjusting the drop just right would be helpful to all. Tilting into the revised "plowed" .40 S&W shellholder was a problem for instance...long after a successful "straight drop of the case".

https://vimeo.com/397244915

2. Onelight says he "gets by" with the .45 colt shell holder for all of them? The .45 colt has a big rim, its a big bullet. How would one "center a small rimless case in that so the decapper doesn't hit an edge on the way down?

3. Yet for me it is most annoying to change calibers, since you have to undo that long bolt, and readjust everything every time. A mod there is worth the trouble....and makes the press 10 times more fun to use......

[onelight]

I don't know it mine is unique in the way it positions the case for decapping , but one of the issues you have mentioned and I have seen is the shell holder has to be positioned nearly perfect or the case will not load into it.
The over size shell holder they don't even touch so that interference is eliminated for uncrimped handgun cases.
It does not work perfectly but close , give it a try I hope you will be surprised How well it works. If I am not decapping a large batch I leave the large shell holder in place and just set up the case feeder for the cases being decapped.

[GWS]

Hah! and I don't have a .45 Colt anymore to load....it was stolen many years ago before I bought a gun safe! But I may buy that shellholder to see what all your noise is about! Curiouser and curiouser! ;)

The following picture is proof that you can deprime a crapload of .223 in 30 minutes without one flying missile or failure using the down tube and dremel tool bevel removal. The little APP should be renamed the "Bottleneck Remover". Love it! That was military crimped primers too on LC brass. Went to the wet tumbler then the APP swaged it all. Did I say I love the APP??!!

https://i.postimg.cc/7LWdP8Fy/IMG-3298.jpg

[cwlongshot]

I have one too.

Havent removed it from its box.

I bought for bullet sizing. Im waiting till I finish a bench.

CW

[dverna]

When it works it’s a lot faster. It’s the stops that obviously cause the problems. I like the 600 and enjoy flinging the cases for distance into a bin. Once setup it swages the pockets perfectly. But so does the kit for the APP. And setup was quicker and easier w/ the APP.

A 650 is the best option for case processing. One pass and the case processing is complete and ready to to be loaded. But you have to pay quite a bit. I thought about getting a case feeder for my 550 and an aftermarket swager. But the press is not designed to swage cases. And the cost of those parts was more than the APP.

For me the APP is worth it for depriming alone. But only for bulk processing. Normally I deprime on press at time of loading. So once initially processed I wouldn’t be using the APP anymore. But I can say the same thing for the 600. So I’m not unhappy w/ my purchase.

I have a large batch of RP cases that are sorted. Along w/ a couple thousand more unsorted LC cases. I’m not giving up yet. And I still haven’t tried 7.62 cases. There are thousands of them to process as well. If it works well for bulge busting and body sizing 357 Sig cases it’s just icing on the cake. Already have a Star so it will never be used for bullet sizing.

For a bit more money, I plan on getting a 5.56 conversion for the 1050 and do my 5.56 primer swaging on that. I KNOW the Dillon will work flawlessly and I shoot a lot more 5.56. I will retain the Dillon 600 for .308 Military brass swaging. At this time most of my 5.56 is shot out of bolt guns and quantities were too low to justify loading on one of the progressives. That may change and then I will have the 5.56 conversion for the 1050. My plan was to use the 550 for loading 5.56 for the AR's but will now do it on the 1050.

I have never had the need to process pistol brass before loading it (defeats the advantages of a progressive in my opinion) and I have a Star for sizing so the APP does seem to be worth the space on the bench for my needs. Plus I HATE fiddling around to get a machine to work. For many others it is a good option, just not for me. That is why I appreciated your unbiased product review. Too many people either try to justify what they bought, do not know there is another/better way, or cannot afford better equipment. That is not meant as an insult to everyone who loves what they use but I have found it is not an uncommon issue.

BTW, your comments on tube feeding are spot on. They look impressive in a video until you need to refill the damn things.

Again, good job. You helped me to a better path.

[onelight]

I also set mine up for 223 after reading this thread out of curiosity I did shoot two while getting the case feeder adjusted then proceeded to decap 120 crimped primer cases with no stops except for the 2 I dropped in the tube upside down. I was using the 223 shell holder for them.
If I had a Dillon and didn't mind spending the money I would go Dillon no doubt it is better equipment .
But when I saw I could get the app and additional parts to do all the calibers + sizing bullets for about $150 total it becomes a "why not" it does an amazing job for a 75.00 press with a 20.00:case feeder. And it works amazingly well . This thing costs less than a lot of die sets. Is it perfect ? Nope , but it is worth way more than it cost even if used only to decap handgun cases before cleaning , which I bought it for.

[dragon813gt]

One of the main reasons I have not bought a 650 or 1050 is space. The bench in my garage is multi use. And the one in my basement is small. I don’t have the space to leave one of the Dillons setup permanently. If I did I would gladly buy a set of one of them to avoid primer size swaps. The APP is small but even then I had trouble finding space for it in a cabinet. It appears I’m at max capacity.

I did not think the APP would run like a Dillon. I was hoping it ran like the LCT in that you set it up like the instructions say and it just runs and runs and runs. I realize that it’s a simpler press but that was my hope. I will be home a few days next week. Will run some 7.62 through it. And will try to body size some 357 Sig. Pretty sure I’ve processed all that I have but it won’t hurt to run them through for testing.

[1hole]

... here’s a video of it swaging cases w/ no issues.

I watched the video but don't understand what you're calling "swaging cases"; do you mean FL sizing or swaging crimped primer pockets or something else. ??

[onelight]

Look forward to hearing how it goes for you.
The only rifle cases I have processed on mine were the 223 I mentioned above so interested to hear how these go and any tips you may find for setup.
I have also not sized on mine I load on a LCT and a ABLP so size and prime on them for handgun.

[dverna]

One of the main reasons I have not bought a 650 or 1050 is space. The bench in my garage is multi use. And the one in my basement is small. I don’t have the space to leave one of the Dillons setup permanently. If I did I would gladly buy a set of one of them to avoid primer size swaps. The APP is small but even then I had trouble finding space for it in a cabinet. It appears I’m at max capacity.

I did not think the APP would run like a Dillon. I was hoping it ran like the LCT in that you set it up like the instructions say and it just runs and runs and runs. I realize that it’s a simpler press but that was my hope. I will be home a few days next week. Will run some 7.62 through it. And will try to body size some 357 Sig. Pretty sure I’ve processed all that I have but it won’t hurt to run them through for testing.

I am in the process of downsizing. Recently sold one of the 1050's and one of the 550's. My reloading area will be reduced to 1/3 of the space I had. One thing to consider is quick change options. Some interesting stuff on YouTube. Neither the 1050 or 550 take up a lot of room but I will be permanently mounting the 1050 for sure as I use it the most. All the other "stuff" takes up a lot of room if permanently fixed....Star, two Lyman sizers, Co-Ax, Rock Chucker, Diilon 600, RCBS Bench primer, RCBS powered trimmer.

It is getting too expensive to keep the shop in the detached garage heated (Michigan winters can be brutal) so I am moving everything except the shotshell reloaders to the basement. Nothing light about reloading shotshells (or their output) so I plan to keep those reloaders well lubed and in the garage.

Anyway, have a look at quick change options and see if they might help you out.

[GWS]

Quick Change options:

Yeah I have that problem too. The best option for me was to share the bench space my RCBS APS bench primer was sitting on. So I ordered Lee's quick change mounts:

Picture below shows the on the large side Lee base plate after drilling through the bench (the plate was wider than I expected):

https://i.postimg.cc/W1Yy23cH/IMG-3230.jpg

Next, the APP mounted to it (holes of course match) APP here is set up for debulging .40S&W....made a bigger bottle for finished brass. Believe it or not the upside-down fed .40 was smoother going than the base down. Redding GrX die is mounted on the bottom. This use was problem free....went like greased lightning!;) The reason I bought the Redding GrX five years ago was that I cleaned up after a local police meet at the range......they used early Glocks, and while not damaged much, they left enough bulge as to make it necessary to smooth the brass near the base to feed well in my .40's.

http://i.postimg.cc/FsZqBpWm/IMG-3236.jpg

Mounting the RCBS bench priming machin was harder.......had to use a steel tubing standoff to make it work.....but it did......next two pictures:

https://i.postimg.cc/zXG4Cn9x/IMG-3299.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/3xy663rp/IMG-3302.jpg

Storing the switched out tool wasn't too bad:

https://i.postimg.cc/yYptvDKs/IMG-3300.jpg

Next, The Inline Fabrication option:
Yesterday, I ordered the Inline Fabrication Quick Change flush base and two top plates, one for the APP and one for the RCBS bench primer. I want to see for myself what difference it makes in flex or lack of flex, footprint, change speed, and storage of the stored tool........who knows.....I may get a Summit top plate too, if I like it. I'll report my findings next week.

[dragon813gt]

I watched the video but don't understand what you're calling "swaging cases"; do you mean FL sizing or swaging crimped primer pockets or something else. ??

Primer pockets. I say it multiple times in this thread.


Anyway, have a look at quick change options and see if they might help you out.

Almost everything is mounted on Inline Fabrication quick change plates. This is really convenient when moving presses between benches. But w/ the plates mounted the presses take up more space. When I was using a single bench I had one plate w/ multiple holes drilled it that was attached the bench top. I would simply mount whatever I was using and put it away at the end.

The bench in the basement has a 550 sitting on it. Nowhere to store it so it just gets moved to the side if I’m using something else and remounted when I’m done. The garage bench has a vice mounted to it unless I’m reloading. It gets used more than of my presses.

Having to much stuff can be a problem. I have plenty of storage space. But I already fight rust w/ everything in the garage. If I put it in the loft above it will rust faster. And I’m not keen on keeping anything of value in the basement. This becomes a swimming pool if there is a fire. W/ young kids their stuff takes up the rest of the house.

I’ve been saving for a deposit on a new house w/ some land. I’m not happy w/ how our Governor has handled the current situation so a move to a state like Arkansas is looking better every day. I just need to be w/in two hours of an airport, that’s not really expensive to fly out of, for my job. I can get a lot more for my money if I move pretty much anywhere else.

[GWS]

I lived in Arkansas for a year......11 months too long.......fire ants and chiggers will keep you out of the woods.

I live in the four corners...Arizona, NM, Utah, Colorado. Ariz. and Utah are conservative, Colo and NM, not so much......but then there's conservative Texas. Austin is Liberal, but its suburbs are not. I like their suburbs. My son lives in that area and loves it. (Move there from North of Denver.)

Durango Colo has an airport to the world.....but Colo's gov. is no better than yours. Durango is expensive tho. Farmington NM south across the border, relatively inexpensive, and still within range of that Airport and the Colo Mountains both 1 hour away, is strongly conservative in a liberal state. In the four corners the best feature is the trout rivers, Navajo Dam, the mountains and the hunting, and the weather. Texas not so much ...... a big state where the speed limits are 80 for a reason.....to get somewhere eventually.;) Oh, and I like the Sedona Arizona area. Utah......oh boy....used to be great, but getting expensive. Lots of people where there used to be lots of room. But the St. George has a great climate. Good luck in your search.........

[dragon813gt]

Wherever I move it has to be green. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Phoenix area. It’s an oven for 3-4 months of the year. The others are great but don’t make suffering through the others worth it.

I really like the Albuquerque area of New Mexico. The east side of Sandia Crest is green. And since you’re about a mile up the summers aren’t as oppressive. But the state’s government is a no go for me. I can say the same thing for Oregon. It’s beautiful there but it’s a lost cause. And to much rain.

There’s a lot to consider w/ a move. The school system is very high on my list because of my young kids. It’s years away at the earliest so I have plenty of time. Who knows, leaving the country may become the best option. But this is the wrong forum for that discussion.

Here’s a pic of the bench in my garage.
https://live.staticflickr.com/974/39961791220_7673b74987_b.jpg

[Dukeconnor]

I have one. I got sucked in with the hype.
My impression is it is a frail little machine.
I have relegated it to cast bullet sizing. it excels at this.

[onelight]

I have one. I got sucked in with the hype.
My impression is it is a frail little machine.
I have relegated it to cast bullet sizing. it excels at this.
My first impression was man this thing is tiny ! And it is I don't believe it is intended to replace a heavy press ,
But to size bullets and deprime cases and remove primer crimps . People are using it for all of these and more , most are finding it a very useful addition to the loading process .
I am curious as to what the hype is . What did you expect for 75.00 :grin:

[GWS]

Richard Lee preached for years that presses are overbuilt. And his designs always set about to attempt to prove that. And he's right to a point. With a Lee press one is more careful with it, because it is fragile compared to say a Rock Chucker or a Redding anything. We expect our "overbuilt" presses to last two livetimes....the Lee's well we hope they will last until we are through with them!;)

The APP is a different animal.....its not a lightweight version of any other press. It's a "auto processing press' meaning case or bullet processing......if you load with it too, as some actually do, it does work......but it's not going to be as pleasant to load with as a heavy press.

That said, the APP is the first single station press to have a case/bullet feeder.......and THAT my friends is what bowled me over. Someday, because of this little beginning, all singles will have case and bullet feeders, mark my words. I aim to start with the RCBS Summit.....:)

[onelight]

How right you are GWS , and as far as know it is also the first press that will accept die or shell holder top or bottom or both . A very innovative tool.

[44magLeo]

GWS, I did a bit of a mod to my APP so you don't mess with the long bolt. I put it up through the press and built spacers to hold the tube holder at the right height.
I wrote it all up in one of the APP mod threads so I won't write it all here. Makes changes much quicker.
Leo

[hpdrifter]

I have one. I got sucked in with the hype.
My impression is it is a frail little machine.
I have relegated it to cast bullet sizing. it excels at this.

That and de-priming is the only reason I bought it. Works marvelously for both.

[BigAlofPa.]

The part where the primers fall though. Is rusting on mine. I noticed it when i was dumping the primer bottle. I steel wooled it and applied barricade to it. I have dies from the 70's that are not rusting.

[GWS]

Sorry, I have no problem with rust ever......one of the perks for living in New Mexico. But if I want green and mountain meadows I have to travel north for 45 minutes. ;)

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I size boolits, deprime and size and also expand case mouths. I have had few troubles with mine once I learned to adjust it properly. I would agree about filling the tube feed with boolits, you could take the spring off the shuttle and just plunk them in the bushing by hand. Not bothered at all by the handle.

[dragon813gt]

Used it again today. First up was a gallon freezer bag full of RP 223 brass. No issues when it came to depriming. May have had a few primers hang up but there were hundreds of cases in the bag so it wasn’t a big deal.

Next up was swaging the primer pockets. Smooth sailing at first. And then the case inserter stared to hang up at the shell holder. Would push the handle down, case inserter would release the case and move about a case length back and stop. Took it apart, nothing apparent, wiped it down and put it back together. Did it initially on reassembly a few times but was fine from then on out. Had issues w/ case alignment from time to time. More on that to come.

After that batch was fixed up I switched over to process LC 7.62 brass. Pulled out a quart bag that was all LC 07. Adjusted the case inserter jaws for the larger case. But there was random weirdness. The jaws would close to much and the case would end up on top of the jaws. This would lead to a case flying as it was pryed out of the tube support. No rhyme or reason why it was doing this.

Switched it over for swaging the primer pockets. I really appreciate how simple and easy it is to setup. Tested a few cases to make sure I could insert a primer and all was good. W/in the first ten cases I had constant misalignment problems. But I was able to pinpoint, not fix, the issue.

The case inserter had very inconsistent drops. It wasn’t setting them over the swage rod. Here is what it looked like when it wasn’t far enough into the shell holder.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50088688797_fb8ba504b1_b.jpg

And here’s how it looked when it was set properly over the swage rod. You can see the “2” on the shell holder.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50088452816_a032d1b0dd_b.jpg

Because the case inserter is run by a spring it’s not consistent. I could take a case that wasn’t inserted far enough, remove it, run it through again and and it would be set properly. I’m chalking this one up to design limitations. W/ no hard physical connection between the case inserter and upper die carrier you are at the mercy of a spring. I’m going to say the alignment problems w/ 223 cases are caused by the same thing.

I finished up swaging all the 7.62 primer pockets in fairly short order. I would use the case inserter to push the cases in a little further if they came up short.

I don’t like adjusting the Dillon 600 and was going to order a second one so I could have one set for each type. Would have spent more time overall had I attempted to switchover one tonight. I think I’m going to order a second APP swage kit for the same reason. This way I can swap out in seconds instead of a few minutes.

I’m hoping I can get the case inserter to stroke fully every time. As well as getting the jaws to open and close consistently w/ 7.62 brass. Going to try F/L sizing the 5.56 brass w/ it. If it doesn’t work it doesn’t work. If it does it will be quicker since I only have to handle the case once. By then the WCT I ordered should arrive and I can see how well that works. Have everything else and the only part I have to figure out is timing for annealing.

The APP has saved me a quite a bit time w/ depriming alone. Don’t know if that makes up for time loss w/ swaging the primer pockets. But I’m happy w/ the purchase.

[elmacgyver0]

I may have to get me one of these.
Sounds like a challenge, could be fun.
Problem is more junk to take up room.

[onelight]

When mine does not position the case properly but is picking it up and exiting the case feeder smoothly it has always been the alignment of the shell holder , a dinged case head , or a short stroke on the handle.
The shell holder has to be just right to get smooth feeding.

[poppy42]

Well the mailman delivered mine about 8:00 pm Monday night. I got it mounted, up and running today. I just got through de-capping Roughly 2000, 9 mm cases! The only issue I had is one of those sneaky little 380s managed to find its way in to the tubes instead of a 9 mm! Personally for the price I think it’s about the best thing since sliced bread. Tomorrow I got about 1000 ACP cases To de-cap

[tomme boy]

Why would you swage RP 223 brass? They don't have a crimp.

[mattw]

I have been running the crap out of mine. I am figuring out how to make it work without mods. Sized bullets this weekend, small 358's. After adjusting the finger grip on the claw the press did not drop a single bullet at the start or end of the tube. The same adjustment also made 223 and 30 carbine work without dropping a single case. I have not tried to size 225 bullets yet, I suspect they may be a problem as they are so short. Those little fingers are the key to making it run right.

[dragon813gt]

Why would you swage RP 223 brass? They don't have a crimp.

To try and work out kinks w/ the press. It’s not like it hurts to run them through. I was not able to set primers in some of them. And judging by feel when they were run on the swager the pockets were tight.

[KLR]

Except for the handle, my APP experience is exactly the same as the OP's. Both 223 and 308 have alignment issues. And the misalignment is not in the direction of the slider so it is entirely established by press and shellholder relationship.

The primer pocket swager does not put enough radius on the primer pocket for different types of crimps and I had a lot of trouble with seating primers.

It was quicker to ream the pockets with a chamfer mounted in a drill and then resize on my Rockchucker - and a lot less aggravating.

It did work well to resize 9mm brass. The only problem was that the breech lock bushing would loosen during resizing.

I contacted Lee and explained my problems and explained how I had followed their instructions to the letter. Andy at Lee blew me off and claimed my swaging misalignment was caused by running with the dies loose (Bull!!!) and told me to use a 1/2" wrench on the 9mm die body and "give it all I got" to keep it from loosening. (there is no 1/2" wrenching flat on their die body).

I think these cheap presses suffer from tolerance stacking. Some of us get the short end of the stick.

[dragon813gt]

My work schedule was screwed up today so I was home by 11am. Gave me time to try full length sizing LC 5.56 brass. I had the press broken down and put away. I appreciate how quick it is to setup. Only took a few minutes.

Sprayed the cases w/ Dillon Case Lube and took off running.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/dragon813gt/x7610C

Had one issue that wasn’t press related. The rim on a case must of had a crack in it. Because it ripped out of the shell holder and stuck itself in the die. My youngest son saw me removing it and went and got his toy hammer. Now I have to worry about him getting up on the stool and hitting the die w/ his hammer [emoji23]

Press works perfectly for full length sizing LC 5.56 brass. I don’t shoot 308 in a high enough volume to warrant using this press. It seems like it has enough leverage to size them w/ relative ease. But I will use a single stage for that.

I need to find a way to get Slo-Mo movies off my phone that doesn’t involve a computer. Didn’t realize I was shooting in Slo-Mo. I had been hand feeding w/out the tube. When I put the tube on the clearance wasn’t high enough. Caught a case being pryed out and flying across the room. Quite amusing to watch [emoji23]

[onelight]

Nice video ! You have your press running smooth.

[dragon813gt]

Nice video ! You have your press running smooth.

I did. Don’t know what happened but I had a lot of stuck cases. I’m not a fan of spray lubes for bottle neck cases and I’m going to blame it. I caused the issue to persist by not switching over to mink oil(lanolin) sooner. Once I did no more stuck cases. Now they’re in the tumbler to remove the lube. Still have a couple gallons to size and I might just break out a single stage. Don’t want mink oil all over the APP.

[tomme boy]

I have tried a few different lubes and they all stick in the Lee 223 fl die for me. I can take the same lubed brass and run it through the same die in my rcbs press and not get any stuck cases. Same way even with 9mm.

I am not using the APP for any case sizing at all. Not worth the headache. Swaging and bullet sizing it works great.

[mattw]

I lube my rifle cases with Hornady case lube, just the smallest amount in the palm of my hand and roll 7 or 8 cases thru my hand. That tiny dab will get a bunch of cases done and needs refreshed every 40 or 50 cases. I have run a couple thousand 9mm and 30 carbine and about a 1000 380 and mixed 223 thru mine since it came in. I have yet to stick a case. My 9mm die is Lee, my 380 is Hornady, my 223 and 30 carbine are RCBS. That sounds very frustrating and would drive me nuts! The main reason I picked mine up was to size PC bullets, but so far that is the process that has seen the least use.

Maybe clean your die inside with IPA? Is the die leaving any scratches on the case? Maybe a bit of brass buildup in a die, that will make them very sticky.

I have seen a few cases not go into the shell holder correctly, pulled them and checked them in normal shell holder and found the there was either a booger on the rim, ejector tried to take a bite or the case web was swollen and they did not want to work well in a normal shell holder. Those go to the junk bucket!

Bullet sizing. These were old and had age hardened and I was dropping the .002 inches.
https://youtu.be/Hd-HpZhBXNM

[44magLeo]

Some others that use the APP and other automated machines have trouble with LC brass. It seems the LC bras when they stamp the lettering in the case it isn't done as well as it could be. It often leaves high spots on the case head. This lifts the case enough so the rims rub on the shell holder. This extra resistance stops the cases a bit short of center.
When you runs the case through a second time it passes just fine, this is because the high spot is in a different place and doesn't lift the case as much.
One fellow keeps a piece of 400 grit sand paper so as he's inspecting cases he runs LC cases one pass on the paper to smooth off these high spots. He then has no feeding issues as far as the cases moving through the shell holder.
I have found the some 223 cases don't have the extractor groove cut evenly around the case. Using a Lee priming tool some cases don't fit in the shell holder, turn them a bit and they slide in.
On close inspection I found that the bottom of the groove can be out of round by a couple thou and be tight in the shell holder.
I haven't found this issue on the regular shell holders.
So perhaps a bit more case prep before you run them through your APP might clear up some of your issues.
On the cases I found tight in the priming tool shell holder, I gently clamped them in a cordless drill. I have a set of diamond coated jewelers files. I use one that fits the extractor groove. With the drill spinning the case I lightly run the file across the groove. This takes a bit out of the groove and allows them to go in/out of the shell holder.
I have a set of diamond bit that fit in my Dremel tool. I might try opening the shell holder a bit. This would take less time. I don't have much of the LC brass. Mostly range pick up.
I have plenty of other brand brass with out the hassle.
Some of the other brand brass does have crimped primer pockets. I think they do this because it can get shot out of AR type rifles. Don't want people complaining about primers falling out and jamming up the guns.
I shoot all my 223/5.56 ammo out of my bolt action rifle. Sp with that brass I have much l;ess trouble than that shot oiut of an AR type rifle.
No dents or dings to worry about.
Leo

[dragon813gt]

I bought this to potentially save time. Not to add more steps to processing. If I have to do anything special I will go back to using one of the other presses I have. It’s not like LC brass is odd. You will find a lot of people using that brass specifically. I had the same issues w/ at least one other brand so far.

If it only works for depriming that’s okay. But at that point I may as well just use another press and size at the same time. A picky and finicky press is not a way to save time. It’s certainly priced accordingly.

[GWS]

I bought this to potentially save time. Not to add more steps to processing. If I have to do anything special I will go back to using one of the other presses I have. It’s not like LC brass is odd. You will find a lot of people using that brass specifically. I had the same issues w/ at least one other brand so far.

If it only works for depriming that’s okay. But at that point I may as well just use another press and size at the same time. A picky and finicky press is not a way to save time. It’s certainly priced accordingly.

I guess I enjoy the challenge of spending $75 for a press/case feeder and making it unpicky and unfinicky!;) For me the sell was made with two words, "Case Feeder!" Mines runs fine now, even LC .223., but I do have to slide the rough heads on the sandpaper.....and that's no fault of Lee's.

For pistol you can't not save time.....decapping and or debulging with a case feeder. Yes you can get out your progressive if it has a case feeder, and match it......but why take your progressive off line just to decap before you tumble when you don't have to....or to run brass through a Redding GrX die. No time saving in that.......

[dragon813gt]

The case feeder does not save any time w/out a collator. You have to account for filling tubes, which take time. I’m able to grab and insert a case while moving the handle up. There is no wasted time w/ this method and I can keep up w/ the press.

And you can certainly save time when loading pistol.....w/ the likes of a turret or progressive. Processing brass in a separate step is wasted time and effort. The only time I go to this length is when trimming revolver brass. But this is done one time. Otherwise dirty cases get tumbled and then loaded on a LCT or 550 in one shot.

I realize everyone has their own steps when it comes to loading. But when you’re talking efficiency, time, loading tubes and performing any process off press, or beforehand, is inefficient. For true efficiency you want to fill a powder hopper, load collators w/ primers/cases/bullets and pull the handle once for every loaded round. I was obviously not expecting the APP to be this type of press because it’s incapable. W/ more time to shoot and more room I would buy a 1050 or Mark 7 press and set them up w/ auto drives so I didn’t even have to pull the handle.

[tomme boy]

44Magleo. If you have to spin the head to get the rim into the shell holder it is from case head expansion. That is one thing you should be looking for to pitch the case. It had a over pressure condition that made the head swell.

[megasupermagnum]

44Magleo. If you have to spin the head to get the rim into the shell holder it is from case head expansion. That is one thing you should be looking for to pitch the case. It had a over pressure condition that made the head swell.

Not always. Being fired from a semi auto can leave some dings in the rim of a case.

[GWS]

True enough, and if it's .223 LC brass, it may again be the stupid lettering. It makes the brass tilt ..... too dang often. Wiping those butts over a piece of 400 grit sandpaper does help, but it's a pain unfortunately. Another bad those bumpy uneven bases cause when processing them on the APP.

[poppy42]

Well He is a further update for anyone is interested got my new app press Monday and after roughly 10,000 cases through it I’m extremely impressed. Outside of a few minor hiccups caused by operator error I don’t have one single issue with it. Now I’ve yet to size a bullet with it as I’m trying to get through this mountain of brass I have. It certainly beats the heck out of trying to De-cap brass on a single stage press! For the price I think it’s one of the best investments I’ve made! I can’t wait to size some powder coated bullets on it!

[cwlongshot]

IIRC. EAGLE EYE in AZ? Makes some adaption adjustment things to make these much smoother.

IIRC he has a thin shim and all those tipping issues disappear. Probably do same yourself with paper spacers. The rim JUST catches cause the SH is hi/lo.

Then the "fingers" are not as well designed as they could be. (Its a LEE after all) there si also too many plastic prts.

CW

[LabGuy]

Well, I just ordered one last night. Looking forward to fiddling with it.

[onelight]

Well, I just ordered one last night. Looking forward to fiddling with it.
It's a fun little press , I can stand there and decap a hundred hand gun cases running the press with my left hand and drinking coffee with my right.:smile: takes about 90 seconds

[Reverend Recoil]

I resized 2500 9mm Luger cases with my Lee APP. A thin coat of lanolin case lube was applied first. I did not have one case stuck in the Lee carbide sizing die.

[Nodakjohns]

I have read most of the replys on this thread. I will chime in with my experiences. I preordered mine back in December so i have had it for awhile now. I use it strictly for pistol. I cast so i have used it extensively to size my .45 and 9mm. I have a couple small mods to ensure continuity. Namely the 4 tube feeder with collator and a 1 inch clear hose to the bottom where the bullet drops out down to a catch pan (repurposed coffee can). For sizing bullets i tape off 3 of the holes with painters tape on the collator. I have measured my bullets after nose down and nose up sizing an i can find no difference.
I also set it up to deprime brass. It does this very well, after cleaning i size my pistol brass on it, then i bell the mouth. I hand prime with my franklin armory hand primer and load on my regular press. So yes the app does allot of work for me and it has added speed to my routine even when i have to fudge around with it a little bit. (Which i kind of like doing). I have to give it two thumbs up from me. I am a fan.

[Chad5005]

got mine in thursday and set it up friday.sized and belled 1250 9mm cases.used my 4 tube case feeder and collator off of my loadmaster.other than upside down cases every now and then and a few 380 cases i had no problems.i used lee carbide dies and a few shots of one shot in the box of brass before sizing,next will be 1500 357 mag cases.lol for sure a lot faster than my old hand press,it will only be used for processing hand gun brass from 9mm to 500 s&w

[poppy42]

One thing I learned the other day, kind of the hard way. I set my app press to size about 409 mm cases the other night. I have experienced, on occasion, when de- capping brass, I have had the occasional case slide through so that two cases drop instead of one. not really an issue when you’re just de- capping. You can always get the occasional case de-capped when sizing. Oh I almost forgot. When I am de-capping I have the cases drop in to a 2 gallon bucket. Sometimes it’s a little difficult when you have a lot of cases in the bucket to find the one that sneak through and still has a spent primer in it. Like I said no big deal when you just de-capping brass. By the way I have decamped well over 20,000 cases between 9 mm, 45 ACP, 380, and 38 special. All that in the three weeks since I first got my press. Now you can understand why I use a 2 gallon bucket to drop my cases into. Here’s were the problem arose. When I was sizing my brass I decided do use the same bucket that I use when de-capping. Well I got through about 395 of the 400 cases I was sizing, when I had a Little Misfeed and the press dropped an unsized case into the 2 gallon bucket with the rest of the sized ones! Needless to say I couldn’t tell which case was unsized by looking at it! So I had to size all the cases all over again! From now on when I’m sizing cases I’ll use a little bin to Collect the brass just in case of! I hope this made sense to anybody that’s reading it it certainly made sense to me as I was typing it. Anyway just a little bit out of app press humor! LOL

[onelight]

I do the same thing poppy42 I drop in a small bin when I get 25 or 30 I dump that in a bigger can . It's much simpler to find the occasional case that slips by.

[Qunchr]

I've used my APP for a couple of weeks now. Purchased it manly to debulge my 40s.I like it so well that I ordered a second to use just for depriming brass before wet polishing. I'm looking at auto case feeders now, trying to reduce as much repetitive motion as possible. I'm good with the standard case feeder for depriming, anyone know of a case feeder that can be setup to feed case mouth down for debulging? I saw the thread on here to 3D print one but I don't want to make the monetary or time investment on 3D printing.

[GWS]

What I did is fill 4 36" long thinline tubes (9/16) using Lee's shaker collator (modified a little of course to make it 100% reliable, think inserts to make the inlets a little smaller). Once in tubes you just turn each tube upside down and insert them into the APP feeder....even better if you use the Lee Universal four tube feeder on the APP rather than the single tube feeder.

I already had a Redding GrX that I mounted under the frame.....with the push rod above.

As for the monetary/time investment on 3D printing.....I recently suckered right in there......;)

I reasoned that the machine could be a monetary plus if I ever learn to use use well. For the price of a Mr. Bullet Feeder, I can make many feeders, bullet or case, and other tools as I come up with later. Win win........if I ever get comfortable....anything but at this point. :roll: If you are young......better still.

[44magLeo]

I've been hoping I could find one of those 4 tube feeders and collators at a good price.
It's not a thing I'm in a big hurry to get but it will be nice to have.
Leo

[GWS]

https://www.titanreloading.com/lee-precision-reloading-equipment/lee-press-accessories/lee-universal-case-feeder $26.50

https://www.titanreloading.com/lee-case-collator?search=case%20collator $12.00

At Grafs & Sons the price is a little bit higher, but they have a $10 flat shipping rate. So the more you add to the order the more you save. I always do the math to see where I order from.

I bought an extra $12 collator for rifle and did the following mod to make it 100% on filling tubes with either .223 or .308. (in the videos below, the Lee Universal 4-way is at the bottom, shown in the last frames, held together with tiny bungie cords.

https://vimeo.com/365180828

https://vimeo.com/365180897

[dragon813gt]

Figured I would post an update since I recently purchased 2,000 LC 5.56 cases from Jeff Bartlett. I should have ordered 10,000 but that’s another story.

I’ve decapped all of them. I did have issues w/ primers not being pushed out completely. I had one where it pushed just the face off, the sides started to push out and I had fun trying to remove that case form the shell holder. I am using the Lee swage kit decapping die for this operation. It’s set up properly and the pin is below flush on the collet. An extended pin seems like it would fix this issue.

Even w/ clean cases I had to pull the shuttle apart to clean it and the press. At first this was every 500 cases or so. Towards the end of the run I was stopping every 100 cases. I know the press is going to become dirty from use. The issue is that the shuttle doesn’t push back and I’ve brought the press down on it and the top piece that you snap on has been knocked off. I can see this breaking since it’s plastic. This is my fault for not paying attention close enough but when you’re in a rhythm you’re moving along and the shuttle delay is really random. Cleaning fixes the issue but it comes back.

I’m about halfway through swaging the primer pockets. The only real issue I’ve had is the backup rod assembly likes to loosen up. This is the black knurled fitting that the rod adjustment is in. Since it’s knurled you’re not supposed to put a tool on it. But it likes to work itself loose quite often. Flats so you can put a wrench on it or a set screw would be a welcome addition IMO.

I have very few feeding issues anymore. I figured out the rhythm. Have to make sure the handle is brought all the way up so the shuttle pushes as far forward as possible. Bring the handle down slightly and stop. The fingers release the case, which can cause it to wobble but it eventually stops. Lower the handle the rest of the way and repeat. As long as the case is pushed completely forward by the shuttle and it has a brief pause after releasing the case it’s smooth sailing.

Very happy w/ the press right now. Wish it was designed so you could put a Dillon Case trimmer on it. I’m sure I could redesign the handle to give it clearance. But at that point I will just put the case trimmer on a 550 and call it done. I can’t buy one right now anyway. And I’ve been through all the designs that are like the WFT, including the actual one, and had very poor results.

[Dsltech1]

I had the same issue with the shuttle sticking. Recommendations I found on another forum were to stiffen the spring and car wax. Loose piece of heat shrink around the spring works great. I use plain carnauba car wax to lube the track. It isn’t abrasive like a cleaner wax is. I have since de-primed a 5 gallon bucket of 9mm and part of a bucket of 5.56. The shuttle didn’t have any delay or stick at all. Only time I cleaned the shuttle was after the 9mm when I changed the spacer over for 5.56. Watch for jams the spring and shuttle aren’t as forgiving with the heat shrink over the spring.

[mjwcaster]

Some good ideas in here. I still need to go through all the APP threads for more.

I’ve had mine a few weeks, only sized/swayed/deprimed .223 so far. Need to get casting so I can try sizing boolits.
Bought collator and 4 way feed tube, works good enough for the price.

I’ve had some of the same issues, biggest is feeding cases and swaging case alignment, sound familiar.
Case feeding/flinging is the biggest issue due to the previously mentioned flinging of unsized case into the finished container. Currently using a small container taped to the bench , need to upgrade to an akro bin on a slide mount for easier emptying.
Much nicer to only have at most 40 cases to resize vs a whole bucket.

The handle is a torture device for me, doesn’t help that I tore and beat up my hand working on the van that week, but it needs to changed, it plain hurts, even with a glove and especially swaging.

I need to use it more, play with adjustments and maybe some mods. But so far I am enjoying it.

Is it worth the money?
Well I plan on keeping the second one that I accidentally ordered, so for me the answer is yes.

But I went into this thinking it would be a nice kit that needs finishing, not Dillon level perfection.

Someday I will add a 1050 to my collection, but until then this is well worth the money and slight aggravation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I've really enjoyed my APP. Was having an issue with the jaws closing as the carrier came under the case feed tube. Mostly a problem when feeding .44 mag/ spl cases. The spring, as it approached horizontal was hitting that bump out on the carrier just ahead of the spring hook. I buzzed it down a bit with the dremel so the spring had clearance and now it functions perfectly.

I no longer use the bullet feed opting instead to drop them in the sizing bushing by hand. I remove the carrier for that. So I deprime and flare cases on it and along with hand priming, it's just one trip through the Rock Chucker after I charge the cases with powder. Two trips for 9mm since I seat and taper crimp separately.

[Preacher Jim]

I have now sized and deprimed 9k 38spc and 16k of 45acp. After tuning and fitting the 4 tube feeder it has had only 7 hick ups for a cheap press I can recommend it to anyone who likes to tinker to tune setting up. Screwed a pan to catch finished brass and feed into plastic shoe boxes. Carbide dies are absolute necessary with this unit.

[Preacher Jim]

Looking at the handle I am reversing sides machining a n aluminum bar to fit skate bearings an making a roller handle on mine

[dragon813gt]

The handle is a torture device for me, doesn’t help that I tore and beat up my hand working on the van that week, but it needs to changed, it plain hurts, even with a glove and especially swaging.
It’s why I changed mine to a roller handle. A lot more comfortable and it doesn’t chew up the web between my fingers. W/ swaging I eventually start using the tube so at the bottom of the stroke I can use both hands on the handle. This keeps stress off my right elbow which can start to hurt on long runs. But I have this issue w/ all presses. Getting old sucks [emoji23]

[Preacher Jim]

Dragon it sure does I notice my press sessions are getting shorter and blue emu has become my friend.

[poppy42]

Funny, I’ve had surgery on both hands/wrists, torn tendons on the right and I shattered the let wrist in about a dozen places. Lots of plates and screws in the left. I’ve put about 40,000 cases, and to many boolets to count through my app press since I got it in June. With no problems with the stock handle. What dose the roller handle do Increase leverage? Or is it just that the handle turns. I’ve never had a roller handle so I’m not sure of the benefit.

[Preacher Jim]

Poppy it reduces stress on my wrist arthor was screaming easier this way.

[poppy42]

Poppy it reduces stress on my wrist arthor was screaming easier this way.

Oh ok. Like I said never used one didn’t know what the advantage was. whether it was increase leverage, or just the fact that the handle rolls and less stress on your wrist. thanks for your response.

[poppy42]

Ok here’s a couple things(not really mods) I suggest for new app press owners. The first one is to call Lee and get a second case inserted assembly! If you’re planning on using your app press to size bullets and you’re going to size multiple diameter bullets, Such as 22 caliber and 30 caliber. Really any sizes that would require you to change the fingers from large to small. By fingers I mean the two gizmos the grip the bullet in the front of the case inserter assembly. Small boolets required the small fingers. And large boolets require the larger fingers. Call Lee and get an additional case inserted assembly. Set one up with small fingers and set the other one up with large fingers. Change out the assembly as opposed to taking inserter assembly apart and changing the fingers. Trust me it’s a heck of a lot easier to do it this way. To remove the case inserter assembly all you have to do is disconnect the spring and slide it off the back of the press. Takeoff the assembly with the small fingers put on the assembly with the large fingers. It’s well worth the investment!
I think it cost about 10 bucks! I will tell you that if you call Lee, tell them your assembly is damaged they’ll send you another one under warranty.

The second thing is kind of my own design it takes a little bit of explanation so bear with me.
As far as I’m concerned, when processing large batches of brass, the one thing that takes the most time is filling the tubes that hold the brass. Now I know you can get their case collator and their case feeder assembly. At a cost of about 35 bucks! That’s all well and good but seeing as I am a little on the broke side and also a little on the cheap side, I have a problem paying $35 (which is about half the price of what I paid for the entire press) just to be able to feed cases. Ive never used it so I’m not so sure it’s that fantastic of a set up anyway. So here’s what I did.
I went down to the local Home Depot and bought a 4 foot length of pex half-inch id tubing. I cut it into four 1 foot lengths. I attached a cheap dollar store funnel to the clear plastic tubes that are supplied with the press. Now when I fill up the initial plastic case tubing I also fill up the four pieces of pex tubing with the cases that I’m going to de-prime.
Now when the initial tube runs out of cases I simply take one of the pex tubes (That I’ve pre-filled) and insert it into the Funnel there by filling up the factory tube. Not an ultimate fix but it certainly speeds things up. I paid $1.67 for 4 foot of pex tubing and in my case that’s a heck of a lot better than paying $35 for their case feeder assembly.!
Now the one problem I did come up with is that half inch ID tubing is only big enough to except 9 mm,38 special, 357 mag and such. For 45 ACP cases I’m gonna have to find tubing with a larger inside diameter.
Just a couple of things I’ve come up with that work well for me. I hope you all find them useful.

[CRracer712]

Hello all, new to the forum, not so much to reloading (started in ~2000).

I'm just getting in to casting bullets and bought this APP, arrived yesterday. I initially set it up to resize some 9mm powder coated bullets, the bullets I initially resized were not mine, but a friend's who had cast from their RCBS 2 cavity mold, I believe it's the 124 grain round nose target mold. While it is round nosed, it has a pretty pronounced 'shelf that leads in to the taper on down to a pretty small round nose.

While resizing, I had several that'd drop through and out in front of the open jaws. At the same time I might run through 10 or so without issue. I had adjusted the feed tube to the recommended 'penny' thickness. I also narrowed this gap(seemingly making it worse), and widening it(which initially seemed to fix it. But eventually it went back to spitting out one or two at random.

I'm wondering if those pointy round nose bullets just aren't going to feed very well. Anyone have this issue, or ideas on how to improve it? I'm using the thinnest guide plate(the one with two holes, as opposed to a hole and a C)

I had no issue using the original style bullet size on the APP, including using the included plastic jar(as opposed to just having them drop in a bucket).

[megasupermagnum]

I've never tried the bullet feeder on mine, I like to bullets by hand. I do know that the fingers on that slider are adjustable. There is a philips screw underneath the slider. Try adjusting it so that the fingers open up just enough to allow a bullet to fall in.

[CRracer712]

I was thinking about those fingers last night. When it worked for these bullets, the fingers were closed during bullet drop, and open to dispense bullet in sizer die.

When they would drop out, the fingers were open, allowing the bullet to slide right on through.

I'll check out that slider and see if I can get an adjustment to work, thank you!

[CRracer712]

I've never tried the bullet feeder on mine, I like to bullets by hand. I do know that the fingers on that slider are adjustable. There is a philips screw underneath the slider. Try adjusting it so that the fingers open up just enough to allow a bullet to fall in.

This worked like a charm, although the adjustment I needed wasn't the phillips screw underneath (that appears to just hold assembly together). The adjuster was at the back of the slider, straight blade, plastic threaded pin. Screwing it in keeps the jaws from opening too far so the bullets can't force the fingers open and slide on through. Works flawless now. Thanks!

[megasupermagnum]

This worked like a charm, although the adjustment I needed wasn't the phillips screw underneath (that appears to just hold assembly together). The adjuster was at the back of the slider, straight blade, plastic threaded pin. Screwing it in keeps the jaws from opening too far so the bullets can't force the fingers open and slide on through. Works flawless now. Thanks!

Sorry about that. After looking at mine, the philips I was thinking of only holds the track on. I'm glad you figured it out.

[CRracer712]

No worries, you got me in the right neighborhood! I'm just glad it's adjustable :smile:

[mattw]

That adjustment will fix almost any feeder problem on the little press. It is so critical to feeding, prevents dumping a whole tube of bullets on the floor.

[lesterktm]

I have deprimed and swagged about 2k .223 so far. A bit of tweaking and rhythm and I could flow pretty quickly. On swagging I had started with universal decapper and it had not flared the mouth. This was an issue once swagging. I then switched to the decapper that came with the app swage kit. Vast improvement once swagging.

[poppy42]

De-capped 4,000 cases yesterday! I really love this press!

[CRracer712]

The first one is to call Lee and get a second case inserted assembly!

I added that to my cart on lee's website along with a couple plastic pieces for my breech lock pro, it was all free except shipping, which was ~9 bucks. Lee's advertised price on the parts were 25 total, but free in the cart.

[Norcal707]

So, what's the verdict on swaging crimped primer pockets with the APP? Should I just get on Dillons back-order list for their SS 600? I have over 10k of LC, Wolf Gold, etc. in 223/556 that I need to do along with some 308.

[cwlongshot]

Mine is just for cast bullet sizing... It works verybwell even just single stage NO FEEDER is quick and easy.

CW