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Thread: Lee Hand Press

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master
    rockrat's Avatar
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    Think I have 4. Use to use one I had kind of worn out, to prime 50 bmg brass, but not now. Have one sitting next to my recliner. Been using one for 30+ years on and off. Largest I size is around 308 win. Use to size mag brass when younger and hands didn't ache then. Loaded lots of ammo on a hand press.

    Use to take it to silhouette matches to make ammo if needed. Could put press, primers, dies, 310 tool, powder and bullets and Lil Dandy in a 50 bmg can. I would work up a load then grind on a rotor so 2x powder throws would get my the amount of powder I needed. I would use a 310 tool to seat primers and seat bullets.

  2. #22
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    Randy's press is a Rolls Royce compared to the Model T Lee. There is just no comparison.

  3. #23
    Boolit Bub JCM45's Avatar
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    I use mine in my home office when it's too hot in the garage to use my bench mounted presses. I do everything with it except resize brass.

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pressman View Post
    Randy's press is a Rolls Royce compared to the Model T Lee. There is just no comparison.
    Amen and amen! There are some items produced by Lee that are more or less unique or do a superior job filling a special niche. Other things like the Hand Press that do a job reasonably well, but lack that final touch of class, and some are just a flat miss, which is the way I feel about their shotgun press and progressive press. That's my own opinion, and like armpits, everybody has a couple of them, some just stink more than others!

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    I've had a Lee hand press for 15-20 years, thought it would be useful for work at the range. It works fine but it's NOT a pleasure to use so I reload at home, not the range. Doubt I've loaded more than maybe 50 rounds with it.

    On the other hand, and for the same low price, I have two hard mounted Lee small "Reloader" presses that are dedicated to de- and re-capping with a Universal Decap Die and (Lee) Auto-prime II; absolutely love that system! (If I had a few more free inches on my loading bench I'd have three of the tiny presses; the decaper and one for Large and one for Small primers.)

    What I'm saying is we should buy our own reloading tools for their intended purposes. IMHO, Randy's excellent hand press is well suited to off-bench reloading but Lee's hand press is not. And having two or three of Randy's presses set up just to handle my primers would be foolish.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master hoodat's Avatar
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    So, this evening I decided to use the Hand Press to seat bullets. I've got a bunch of 9's that I had previously sized, primed and flared with the press. Our coffee table is more akin to a work bench, and our living room is more of a hobby room. Things are going great, and I feel safe and organized. The old Alcan #7 powder gives good case fill, and I'm gonna be sad to finish it off. Bullets are Bear Creek 115 gr. that I've gotta say I like a lot. When I'm done tonight, I'll have another couple hundred gong bangers. jd

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    It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    guy from our club shoots for the country uses one to seat his bullets .if he uses lee tool its good enough for me.

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have one I got in a bulk buy from a deceased estate, it's still in the packet I have more presses than I need so for the moment it will stay in the packet.

  9. #29
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    Had one 15-20yrs. Still don't know how I ended up with it. I tried it, guess it's out of alignment.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  10. #30
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    I think they are a great tool. Are they anywhere near as good as Randy's tool? Not by a long way but they have one real advantage. Anyone can afford one. I would rather have a tool of lessor quality that I can afford than not have a very nice tool because I can't afford it.

    I started with a lee whack a mole because I couldn't afford a real press. Had it not been for that cheap lee loader I would have been several years before I could have started loading.
    Now I could afford Randy's press but I have 15 or 20 bench mounted presses and 2 lee hand presses ( that I rarely use) so I have no use for a better hand press. I have a Lyman Spar T mounted on a bench in my shooting shack for loading at my shooting range. I really have no use for a hand held press but I rarely sell or throw away anything that might be of use later.

    I didn't need the second lee hand press but it was $2 at an auction and I will probably find a friend that needs one some day.
    Any way the lee is cheap and it works even though it's not in the Rolls Royce line up or even a cheap chevy.

  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master

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    " Cheap Chevy" watch what you saying ... I had parked my 1968 Chevelle about the time the Pandemic shut everything down.. I don't even remember how long ago that was ...
    Rolled back the car cover this morning and hooked up battery charger , engine oil was full , radiator was full , wiper tank was full ...heck even had a full tank of gas . After getting battery fully charged and hot ...that sweet thing cranked up after getting gas into the 4 barrel carb ... a lot easier than I thought ,,, and she sat there and purred like a continted kitten ...smooooth as you please ... I don't know what Car Fairy God Mother has been looking out for my Fathom Blue 68 ... but after sitting all that time I think she's ready to do some road running ... So don't bad mouth old Chevies ...
    I will help you bad mouth a Ford Fairmont Station Wagon ... worst car I ever owned ... it started falling apart before it was even paid for !

    I bought the Chevelle in 1979 for $300.00 and it just keeps on keeping on ...

    So not to get totally off topic I have two Lee Hand Presses and they are one of Lee's better idea's ... one day , when I hit the lottery , I'm going to get one of Randy B's Lexus hand presses ... those are some sweet looking .
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 07-27-2021 at 07:55 PM.
    Certified Cajun
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    When I said cheap chevy, I was talking about my 2001 Cavalier not a 68 Chevelle. Wish I still had my 67 El Camino.

  13. #33
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    Totally off topic... I had a ‘73 El Camino and got a vanity tag that said “Ayatola” which I thought was funny. I got so many bad comments I changed it to 2 DR SW which was how it was actually titled, but really confused folks. I wish I still had one of the old El C’os myself... it would be good to haul loading stuff to the range! I could sit on the tailgate and use my hand tools! (See how I got back on topic?)

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I have several presses, but my two Lee hand presses do 90% of my reloading. I love them. I like the "feel" I get through them, especially when loading my thin walled 44-40 cases.
    My Rock Chucker can load one easily as silk or crush the case entirely and it almost feels exactly the same.
    KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by beagle74 View Post
    Im gonna have to have one of these.
    1968 Chevelle or a hand press ?
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by rbuck351 View Post
    When I said cheap chevy, I was talking about my 2001 Cavalier not a 68 Chevelle. Wish I still had my 67 El Camino.
    1967 El Camino ... now that's a sweet ride ...
    I prefered the 67 body to the 68 , always thought it looked better but I'm not complaining ... I'm still driving the 1968 and just about everyone else ...isn't driving theirs ...
    ... I wish I had a dime for every time some one told me " I used to have a 196_ , just like that "...
    My motto is don't get rid of a car you like .
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  17. #37
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    I've had my Lee Hand Press for a little while, I use it to deprime and for swaging. I started out on a single stage press and wouldn't think twice about using it for complete reloading in any of my calibers.

  18. #38
    Boolit Mold
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    My reloading kit fits in an attache case I picked up at Goodwill, and has my 310 tong tool with .30-30, .308W and 38-55 dies, a Lyman-Ohaus scale, a Lyman dial micrometer, load books, primers etc.

    When I need to do something which the 310 tool won't handle, it also has the Lee hand press with .308W and .30-30 dies. That is mostly full length resizing if needed, and bullet sizing. The 310 tool I bought in 1968, the LHP in 1986. I also have dies for both tools in .357, .45-70 and .30-06 which I don't use any more but hang on to "just in case."

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1hole View Post
    I've had a Lee hand press for 15-20 years, thought it would be useful for work at the range. It works fine but it's NOT a pleasure to use so I reload at home, not the range. Doubt I've loaded more than maybe 50 rounds with it.

    On the other hand, and for the same low price, I have two hard mounted Lee small "Reloader" presses that are dedicated to de- and re-capping with a Universal Decap Die and (Lee) Auto-prime II; absolutely love that system! (If I had a few more free inches on my loading bench I'd have three of the tiny presses; the decaper and one for Large and one for Small primers.)

    What I'm saying is we should buy our own reloading tools for their intended purposes. IMHO, Randy's excellent hand press is well suited to off-bench reloading but Lee's hand press is not. And having two or three of Randy's presses set up just to handle my primers would be foolish.


    That's why you get the Lock n Load version of my press so that you can quickly change from one die to another. You do batches of cases not one round at a time.IE: Sizing and Depriming, thru the batch, then change the die and do the Priming, then change the die and seat the boolit and then change the die and crimp.

    Goto Youtube and find my video of loading 5 .44 Magnum rounds in 8:30 seconds while explaining it.

    My current record is 200 .30 Cal. Carbine rounds in just under 2 hours from start to finish. I did all the sizing and depriming on the first go round, then primed on a RCBS Bench primer. Then belled and charged all the cases then seated bullets and then crimped them all.

    Had to keep busy to make the time cut, but didn't break a sweat cuz I was doing it at the Kitchen Table sitting in a comfortable chair watching TV.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Randy: Thanks for explaining all that. I just went to your site and ordered one of the standard die type. A very slick and straight forward site to deal with. GF

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check