Any information on the new Frankford Arsenal progressive?

[wdfwguy]

The F10?

[Burnt Fingers]

This is the first I've heard about it. Ya got any links?

[LUBEDUDE]

No news of it on their website as of 30 seconds ago.

[jmorris]

Just a computer generated image here. Maybe a Chinese version of a Mark 7 that’s obviously influenced by the Dillon 1050, that was influenced by the Star.

https://www.shootcenter.com/product/frankford-f10-progressive-press/

[wdfwguy]

I've just seen the image and description above, along with pricing for the press and matching bullet and case feeders.

[Burnt Fingers]

This really sounds like vaporware to me.

But who wouldn't want a Chinese made progressive press with little to no parts availability?

[onelight]

The thing that concerns me about progressives is the long term support . If a guy sets up for multiple cartridges you can have a lot invested beyond the cost of the press much of that is not going to work on anything but that press if it is dropped after a few years and you need factory parts of any kind you could be stuck.
If I want cheap it's Lee for me when you can buy the basic press for $125.00 and most of the extras will work on another Lee I have PM and case feeders and dies that have been through multiple Lee's. If I need or want a better press I would go Dillon because they keep products in production for many many years , they do upgrades and offer great support but the basic product lines stay in production and have a great deal of after market support.
This is a tough market to break in to. Its would be hard to make a better press for money than some of the Lee's , and would take many years to establish a higher end product that could compete with Dillon.

[jmorris]

I think all it has to do to be successful is work and less expensive than equally functional presses.


Lee sells a lot of presses because they are cheap. Dillon sells a lot because they are the best. If someone makes a press that’s better than a Dillon and as cheap as a Lee, both would be out of business.

However, I won’t be holding my breath. :)

[jmorris]

It’s going to be pretty cheap for a 10 station press.

https://www.gunsmidwest.com/frankford-f10-progressive-press.html

[porthos]

if it is made "off shore" i will avoid it like a plague. as i do with rcbs equipment. i pay more; but, i buy american.

[ioon44]

After buying a few items from Frankford Arsenal, I put Frankford Arsenal on my do not buy list.

[Burnt Fingers]

It’s going to be pretty cheap for a 10 station press.

https://www.gunsmidwest.com/frankford-f10-progressive-press.html

There's cheap, then there's inexpensive. I have a feeling this press is going to be cheap.

It's a VERY large undertaking bringing a new progressive press to the market. RCBS has been trying for many years to break into that market. The 800 lb gorilla is Dillon. The bonobo over in the corner is Hornady. The Gibbon out in the yard is Lee.

You have to have the ability to get parts into the consumers hands within a short time frame. You need good tech support, you need to be able to supply conversion kits, tool heads and the like.

I, for one, would not want to be a beta tester for this press.

[selmerfan]

There's cheap, then there's inexpensive. I have a feeling this press is going to be cheap.

It's a VERY large undertaking bringing a new progressive press to the market. RCBS has been trying for many years to break into that market. The 800 lb gorilla is Dillon. The bonobo over in the corner is Hornady. The Gibbon out in the yard is Lee.

You have to have the ability to get parts into the consumers hands within a short time frame. You need good tech support, you need to be able to supply conversion kits, tool heads and the like.

I, for one, would not want to be a beta tester for this press.

Perfectly stated and it made me laugh out loud. Thanks! And I LOVE my Dillon 550C!

[Lloyd Smale]

do yourself a favor and dont make the learning mistakes i did. Save up some money and buy a dillon.

[Lloyd Smale]

There's cheap, then there's inexpensive. I have a feeling this press is going to be cheap.

It's a VERY large undertaking bringing a new progressive press to the market. RCBS has been trying for many years to break into that market. The 800 lb gorilla is Dillon. The bonobo over in the corner is Hornady. The Gibbon out in the yard is Lee.

You have to have the ability to get parts into the consumers hands within a short time frame. You need good tech support, you need to be able to supply conversion kits, tool heads and the like.

I, for one, would not want to be a beta tester for this press.

couldnt have said it any better. Ive had all three and my blood is blue

[dverna]

At 1/3 the price of a 1050 I would try it. But I would get a schematic and order 6-10 of every part that looks like it might break but I could not fabricate on my lathe or 3D printer.

Heck I even have spare parts for the 1050.

[Lloyd Smale]

i curious to see one. Anyone have a link to something where there for sale or a video of one in use.

[jmorris]

That CGI I posted the link to in #4 is the most I have found. As far as spare parts, that’s why I generally own two of something. Mostly due to my luck I could have 999 spare parts out of the 1000 in a machine and we know what one is going to need replacement. If I have another machine, I also have an extra of every part.

[jeff423]

As stated above given my experience with past Frankfort Arsenal equipment I will not buy anything more from them - except their case polish.

[Lloyd Smale]

only thing ive had from them are there primer tube feeders and they work great for me at a reasonable price (much better then the 300 dollar albatross dillion sells which was the only JUNK ive bought with the dillon name on it) . I also have a vibrating tumbler from them. Its probably 10 years old now and has MANY miles on it and for the last 3 years has done duty tumbling 20lbs of bullets at a time to powder coat and it still worked yesterday.

[jmorris]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6Dpi7-hEmk

If they get all the bugs worked out by the end of the year, they should do well at the price point.

[salpal48]

I think I,m just going to keep all my Stars

[Randy Bohannon]

Frankfort Arsenal products, no buy list.

[erwos]

I mean... I'll buy it if it works and FA supports it correctly. I can see why people are not enthused, of course, FA's track record isn't the greatest. But a reliable 10 station progressive that has a $550-$600 street price and doesn't murder your wallet on caliber changeovers would be a massive game changer for the bulk blaster reloading market. 650s are fairly affordable for caliber switches, but once you're in RL1100 and Mark7 territory, switching calibers is brutal due to toolhead costs alone. Being able to get 650 toolhead switch costs on a 10 station press is a big deal to me, at least.

If it gets popular enough, I absolutely could envision third parties releasing parts to fill in for any small quality gaps, too. Let's face it, even the Dillons have a pretty robust aftermarket of third-party parts.

[hollywood63]

Nope [smilie=s:

[Lloyd Smale]

im curious what products you guys who are bashing FA have bought from them that is junk?

[GhostHawk]

Your not alone in that Lloyd.

I have the FFA hammer style bullet puller which has given good service.
And the FFA hand depriming unit which I truly love. Lets me deprime brass from the comfort of my recliner, wash in citric acid solution, since I am upstairs next to the kitchen. Then I run a brush through primer pockets and hand dry each piece of brass. Which quickly shows me if there is a split or a problem.

All in all a very good tool which enabled a major change in reloading. Dies now only touch clean, bare dry brass. I know this is making a difference on my dies.

Now I doubt I'd ever go to a progressive, I just don't shoot enough to make it worth while.
But you have to wonder what these people got ahold of from FFA to leave such a sour taste in their mouth.

[Blindshooter]

I mean... I'll buy it if it works and FA supports it correctly. I can see why people are not enthused, of course, FA's track record isn't the greatest. But a reliable 10 station progressive that has a $550-$600 street price and doesn't murder your wallet on caliber changeovers would be a massive game changer for the bulk blaster reloading market. 650s are fairly affordable for caliber switches, but once you're in RL1100 and Mark7 territory, switching calibers is brutal due to toolhead costs alone. Being able to get 650 toolhead switch costs on a 10 station press is a big deal to me, at least.

If it gets popular enough, I absolutely could envision third parties releasing parts to fill in for any small quality gaps, too. Let's face it, even the Dillons have a pretty robust aftermarket of third-party parts.

At that price a lot of higher volume shooters would just buy another machine or three and skip the change overs. Pistol game guys will spend bucks to speed up loading so they get more trigger time.

[farmbif]

It looks like it is real solid, but all I see are pictures, I guess theres nowhere to put my grubby paws on it, frank fords web sites says "coming soon"
the price sure is right if, IF, it can be compared to a 1050.

[Blindshooter]

Looked a little closer at the video JM posted, looks like a really long operating handle throw?

[onelight]

I have no complaints I have the FFA hand priming tool have used it on less than a 1K cases but it seems heavy duty and easy to use with easy to adjust primer seating depth.
And I have the FFA wet/pin case tumbler that I have cleaned perhaps 30K cases with .
Both tools work for me.

[erwos]

At that price a lot of higher volume shooters would just buy another machine or three and skip the change overs. Pistol game guys will spend bucks to speed up loading so they get more trigger time.
Full load on one of these is still $1200-1400 with the case and bullet feeders, it's not THAT cheap, and you can get a 750 for about that kind of money. No need for swage on pistol for the most part.

But as a raw case processing machine play, I sorta like this press. Mount it up, rip out the primer feeder, and you should presumably be able execute caliber switches pretty quick. I wonder if they'll have an offset toolhead available.

ETA is the end of the year, BTW, and that probably means early 2022 in reality.

[AR-Bossman]

I like how we believe there will be enough components available to use such a machine. I guess if you wanna do a quick dime bag primer run.

[TNsailorman]

Right now the powder and primers will cost more than the machine---if you can find them at all.

[Lloyd Smale]

Full load on one of these is still $1200-1400 with the case and bullet feeders, it's not THAT cheap, and you can get a 750 for about that kind of money. No need for swage on pistol for the most part.

But as a raw case processing machine play, I sorta like this press. Mount it up, rip out the primer feeder, and you should presumably be able execute caliber switches pretty quick. I wonder if they'll have an offset toolhead available.

ETA is the end of the year, BTW, and that probably means early 2022 in reality.

maybe if it were 500 ready to go but if its as much as a 750 then i wouldnt even consider it over the 750.

[Lloyd Smale]

I like how we believe there will be enough components available to use such a machine. I guess if you wanna do a quick dime bag primer run.

plenty enough at my house

[slohunter]

china made, no thanks.

[jmorris]

Says the guy that couldn’t have posted that if he didn’t own something made in China. :)