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Lee Pro 1000 old style shell plate vs new style

J

johnnydogs

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My old style shell plate doesn't have the indexing holes shown on this shell plate. My question: Is the stud that goes thru this hole on the pro 1000 removable or do I drill new holes in the old shell plate?
Thanks
Martin
 
I’m confused about the stud that you are talking about. I use Pro-1000 presses and I have both kinds of shell plates (old with no holes and new exactly like your picture) and nothing on my machine uses those holes for anything.

Both shell plates work for me. I really have no idea what the holes are used for.
 
Sevens said:
I’m confused about the stud that you are talking about. I use Pro-1000 presses and I have both kinds of shell plates (old with no holes and new exactly like your picture) and nothing on my machine uses those holes for anything.

Both shell plates work for me. I really have no idea what the holes are used for.
Click to expand...

You probably have an older style Pro 1000.
 
I am sure that I do! Can you please tell me about the stud?
 
It's located at the 11:00 position and you have to have a hole (actually 3 holes) in the shell plate or you cannot raise the handle all the way.
 
What’s the benefit? It sounds as though it would lock a shell plate in to place, but why?
 
I have both with and without holes, but my Pro 1000 doesn't have the pin. Let me know which one(s) you are looking for. If I have one with holes and you have the same number without, I am willing to trade you.
The pin is to insure the plate doesn't move during the reloading process. My auto breech lock has a pin but is a four state press.

wyo-man
 
Sevens said:
What’s the benefit? It sounds as though it would lock a shell plate in to place, but why?
Click to expand...

Just picked up a new Pro 1000, but in researching it before buying, I'm guessing the pin is there to make sure the shell plate is properly aligned.

One of the problems that the older version seems to have is having primers getting seated sideways. Among the theories on why this happens is the timing on the shell plate is off so the primer pocket is not aligned with the primer. When you go to seat the thing, the primer will catch the edge of the pocket and get flipped. With a physical pin there the plate should always be aligned correctly.

FWIW, I'm also using a 30+ year old 3 hole Lee turret press, and the timing on it, which mechanically is a lot like the Pro 1000's setup, is pretty hopeless where I line the thing up by hand after it attempts to do it by itself (,even after changing out the plastic piece that's supposed to control it.) Since I use that press for the more precise target loads with a Hornady Auto Charger it's not a an issue since I'm usually waiting for the Auto Charger to finish trickling the powder.

Another thing I noticed, the pin sticking up through the hole in the plate gives a reference on how far down the plate has gone, and a visual cue to know if the primer has been fully seated or not. Probably not that important once you get a feel for the thing, but it did help with the first few rounds I put through it.

There seem to be a lot of people who like to beat up the Pro 1000, and I'll admit some of it is deserved. However, if you're reasonably intelligent, attentive, and understand what's happening when you're working the lever, the thing works.
 
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