Anyone use a lee portable hand press?

[Noah Zark]

I have two Lee Hand Presses that I used to use at home and at the range until I discovered the much more ergonomic Lyman Acculine Hand Press. I use a couple of them all the time now. Can't recall where I put the Lees.

Noah

[Tracy]

I have a Lyman Acculine press, which is similar to the Lee hand press. You can also reverse the linkage and use it as a bench-mounted press.

[Bronco72]

I use the Lee hand press to deprime cases while I watch TV. Then they are ready for the wet stainless steel pin tumble. I reload the rest of the steps, with clean brass, on a Dillon 550 or a Rock Chucker, usually the Dillon!

[fgd135]

I started out reloading with an Acculine press. In retrospect, I wish I'd held on to it when I got an RCBS press, but sold it. They're long discontinued now, and any remaining ones seem to be way overpriced on fleabay.
At the range, nowadays I use a Lee hand press to decap black powder cartridges before dropping them in a water jug to soak on the drive home, which is way easier and faster for me than whacking out the primers with a hammer and punch.

[jdgabbard]

These days I mostly use mine for adding an extra step I don't have room on my 4-hole Lee Turret for. For example, when I'm loading 5.56, and need to use a FCD. Outside of that, I might use it when I don't want to setup the press with a turret for a caliber I shoot very rarely. I'll pull out the handpress and knock out a box of ammo. Depending on what you're loading it can give you a workout. But for most pistol caliber stuff it isn't too bad.

[Electrod47]

My evolution...1970's Lee Load All, several calibers Then 1980's..the Hand Press...couple years later a Bench mounted Lee single stage then finally a Lee 3 holer then a 4 holer and more and more etc. I still have 2 hand press's that get work for straight wall pistol shotshell I'm always tinkering with. Caught the fever for the hand press seeing in 1971 "Valdez is coming" Watching Burt Lancaster make his "Own Load" in his snipers nest with the Sharps Rifle I knew I had to do that. All reloaders need to know they can go portable.

[gwpercle]

My evolution...1970's Lee Load All, several calibers Then 1980's..the Hand Press...couple years later a Bench mounted Lee single stage then finally a Lee 3 holer then a 4 holer and more and more etc. I still have 2 hand press's that get work for straight wall pistol shotshell I'm always tinkering with. Caught the fever for the hand press seeing in 1971 "Valdez is coming" Watching Burt Lancaster make his "Own Load" in his snipers nest with the Sharps Rifle I knew I had to do that. All reloaders need to know they can go portable.

LIKE LIKE LIKE !!!

For the longest time I didn't think anyone else saw the value of the little Lee Hand Press ...
it's good to see so many others useing them like I do !

And I enjoyed the movie " Valdez is Coming" also , one of my favorites along with "Shane" !


Gary

[gc45]

Have one, used it for making loads at the range until some jerk complained about me having gun powder, and open container, on my bench. The boys on the BOD were nervious, took a vote and I lost, no more reloading at the range now.

[Green Frog]

Have one, used it for making loads at the range until some jerk complained about me having gun powder, and open container, on my bench. The boys on the BOD were nervious, took a vote and I lost, no more reloading at the range now.

Those guys would really get their panties in a bunch if they saw a Schuetzen match with breech seating going on… often with the same case being constantly reused by de- and repriming, then powder being added from a measure on the bench, and a bullet being seated in the chamber ahead of the prepared case! Oh the humanity of it! Pass the smelling salts!
Froggie

[Soundguy]

I sometimes take one to the range if doing load development..and not alot of people there waiting on a lane.

[W.R.Buchanan]

3B: I use the updated version of the Lee tool. I thought you had one?

It is far superior and I fixed every problem that the Lee tool has.

The Lee tool is less expensive than mine, but you get what you paid for with the BPM tool.

Plus that,,, it will stand up by itself, and the Lee needs help.

Available at www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

Randy

[Tripplebeards]

No, I wish I had one, those things look awesome!!! I have the Lee loader kits for the single calibers and then I bought a Lee economy press that I never put to use yet that I was going to use just for sizing Cast Boolits

[Bazoo]

I'd like to have a BPM press. While I haven't used one, I see one thing that would be harder to do than with the Lee. If one was working without a work surface, such as off your lap, it would be hard to work. I have used the Lee hand press while sitting on the ground, without a work surface.

It sounds awkward, to use the hand press this way, but holding the press in the off hand, putting the case and bullet on the press with the strong hand, it's easy to keep the press vertical so that nothing shifts while you move the handle.

[lightload]

I use one for decapping and priming.

[Green Frog]

Randy’s BPM tool is the one I alluded to in post #20 above. If I were going to use a hand press a lot, and having used both the Lee tool and the HDS ancestor of the BPM, I would definitely not go cheap. Buy the good one once and you’ll enjoy it long after you forget the cost!
Froggie