Lee Hand Press

[Magnus]

I think I'm going to buy the hand press this week.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005...oading+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=41YuDzQnyhL&ref=plSrch

Just to start me off and learn the process. I'll be graduating to the bench set later in the year. Anyone have any tips or experience with these?

 

[Brian Colt]

I use one just for decapping before tumbling, using old dies. Keeps my newer stuff cleaner.

 

[meketrefe]

Personally I would stay away from the hand press. It is fun for a few rounds but otherwise you are going to hate it.
Instead get the simpliest lee press where you actually have some leverage. Bolt it to a scrap piece of wood and then clamp it to
your workbench or a table. This will serve you later in life to take to the range to work on reloading like simply seating bullets
and will give the same service for this and other basic things as presses costing x10 more but in a small package.
You don't even need a balance to start and can load by volume using the measure provided with the dies.
you can use a few plastic dividers form ammo cases as your improvised re-loading tray.
A plastic bin, some hot water and a bit of simple green is all you need for super clean brass. Not as shiny but better for the dies and cleaner than simply tumbled brass.
No much is needed to get started and make it a more efficient and enjoyable experience.

Lee Reloader Single Stage Press

 

[MilesTeg]

I agree with meke. The hand press is nothing more than a novelty. Yes it works but at the bare minimum standards. Do you really want to be at the bare minimum with something as potential dangerous as ammo?

 

[meketrefe]

In order to be efficient you need your two hands. One to pull the lever and the other to prep cases and seat bullets.
Try to do this with a press that needs both hands and you will be going way slower and might make you hate reloading before you even start.
Even for a simple press to take into the woods one might bring the small single stage press and bolt it to a tree stump. lol.
I like the tools to work for me and not me working for the tools.

 

[togmaster]

Magnus what caliber do you intend to load?

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

I wouldn't say it's a novelty. It's just fine for what it does. Comes in handy when you have to do certain things and don't want to tool up your progressive press.

 

[MilesTeg]

I wouldn't say it's a novelty. It's just fine for what it does. Comes in handy when you have to do certain things and don't want to tool up your progressive press.

When you can get a comparable single stage press for the same money or less and have a vastly superior tool. Then in my book yes it's a novelty.

 

[Deplorable Me]

Find a basic bench mount. The one you showed is nice for very limited production and in the field for shortening cartridge OAL or for increasing crimp. It works, but very slowly.

 

[meketrefe]

I wouldn't say it's a novelty. It's just fine for what it does. Comes in handy when you have to do certain things and don't want to tool up your progressive press.

Before one gets into progressive presses and other expensive investments I think everyone can use a simple single stage press that always comes handy later on.
I cannot think of anything that a hand press can do better than a simple small single press.
But perhaps there is something I never came across??

 

[kev74]

I could see the hand press coming in handy if you wanted to reload at the range.

 

[meketrefe]

I could see the hand press coming in handy if you wanted to reload at the range.

The whole point of a small single stage is that you can bring it to the range and clamp it to your shooting bench or a table or counter behind your if you have one.
I have never used nor seen a single hand press at the range. Only single presses.

 

[Brian Colt]

I use my hand press for decapping only. As such, it gets used while watching tv, lounging outside, not paying all that much attention to the process. Only real point is to dump out the old primers every 20 or so, otherwise it will jam the casing.

 

[Magnus]

Magnus what caliber do you intend to load?

I'm going to be reloading .38s and .45s

 

[Magnus]

Personally I would stay away from the hand press. It is fun for a few rounds but otherwise you are going to hate it.
Instead get the simpliest lee press where you actually have some leverage. Bolt it to a scrap piece of wood and then clamp it to
your workbench or a table. This will serve you later in life to take to the range to work on reloading like simply seating bullets
and will give the same service for this and other basic things as presses costing x10 more but in a small package.
You don't even need a balance to start and can load by volume using the measure provided with the dies.
you can use a few plastic dividers form ammo cases as your improvised re-loading tray.
A plastic bin, some hot water and a bit of simple green is all you need for super clean brass. Not as shiny but better for the dies and cleaner than simply tumbled brass.
No much is needed to get started and make it a more efficient and enjoyable experience.

Lee Reloader Single Stage Press

That's not a bad starter set up. I would love to jump into those progressive ones but I want the basics down first.

 

[MilesTeg]

Best bang for your buck.

LEE BREECH LOCK CHALLENGER PRESS KIT

Just add dies and this will get you going.

As a side note I bleed green but there stuff is more expensive.

 

[whauburger]

Lee Classic Loader 45 ACP

And get one for .38....

This is my opinion. Buy the cheap slow yet effective classic lee loader kit. Learn to load with them. Load each step slowly and learn. Then when (not if) you decide to dive into a progressive you understand each step well and have a very good understanding of what is going on. Then the classic kits which didn't cost to much will take up a small amount of space in your reloading cabinet.

Since you aren't talking about working up rifle loads I don't see you taking a set up to the range to work loads and what not. HOWEVER, a lee classic loader kit will store nice and compact in a truck/ car as a just incase or your getting the eff out of the area and bringing some essential zombie crisis equipment.

 

[li02liberty]

As others have said get the basic lee single stage over the hand press. Much easier to use. Just bolt to a board the clamp the board to whatever you want. I still use my old lee single stage to deprime rifle cases before tumbling.

 

[meketrefe]

The price of the kits is nice but you also get a bunch of stuff you will end up not using at all.
I would get the stuff I need and only what I need one at the time. Be practical. Power trimming is a lot easier in the long run.
The bushing system is great but not necessary if you want to have the dies pre adjusted get some locking rings.
I would keep it very simple until you know you like it. It demands a lot of time and attention to detail.

 

[Darth]

The price of the kits is nice but you also get a bunch of stuff you will end up not using at all.
I would get the stuff I need and only what I need one at the time. Be practical. Power trimming is a lot easier in the long run.
The bushing system is great but not necessary if you want to have the dies pre adjusted get some locking rings.
I would keep it very simple until you know you like it. It demands a lot of time and attention to detail.

Chuck the cutter in a drill with the Lee.

That's how I do it.

Most dies come with locking rings too, but no doubt that bushings are faster.

 

[meketrefe]

Chuck the cutter in a drill with the Lee.

That's how I do it.

Most dies come with locking rings too, but no doubt that bushings are faster.

The lee cutters work fine. A power station can be used for deburring / chamfering or more drills on the side.
The fastest and most consistent way to trim brass is the forster 3 way cutter.
The large shaft is better to take both short and large cases and it also takes a power unit with the adaptor.

yes, dies come with rings. but if one wants the dies to be dead one one needs locking rings with set screw. Lee are ok to lock but
then you loose the adjustment due to the rubber O-ring only. Also quick change bushing floats a few thousands. So one needs to consider
this when seating bullets for loading match ammo and readjust as needed.

 

[Darth]

But for power cutting, and "I'm just getting into reloading", I still give it to Lee. I still use it happily.

I don't like Lee lock rings though. I agree on the O rings. Quick change bushings may float if not put in the same index, but for me, I'm happy.

 

[meketrefe]

They should work for most purposes. I am just saying for people who want to have a quick setup to go through the stages. threading the ring vs. a bushing is not a huge difference.
Actually wiht the bushing one can leave the lee and no need to touch it so in that case the bushing is a good thing for quick swap.
Both lee and hornaday (lock and load) sell their female piece for their bushing system to screw in any press that has the 1.25x12 adapter threads.

 

[gun_slinger_boy]

Speaking of trimming. I have found what is for me the ULTIMATE trimming system. It's the worlds finest trimmer (WFT) by Little Crow Gunworks Deburring/Chamfering Tools for the PPT
Using the World’s Finest Trimmer I got the second gen WFT2 which allows you to use bushings for each individual caliber. They will even make custom bushings for you very inexpensively. I chuck it to my drill press and trim away. You'll be hard pressed to find a faster system. It's a 1 step operation. I was able to trim 1000 223, 762x39 and 762x51 in 2 days (could do it in one if you are a machine). 3000 casings in 2 days is quite impressive if you ask me.