Just purchased my first Press

[Skip Sackett]

I'm not being THAT generous Smith Crazy. After all, I offered him some 9mm brass, not 43 Mauser. Every time I go to the range I seem to come home with 100 or so extra 9mm and 40 S&W brass. ;-D

Humble too! What a guy!

 

[smokinwoody]

BECAUSE I AM A RELOADING/HANDLOADING JUNKIE!

RIGHT ON ..BROTHER.....

Im a Dillon press Junkie...

No pot metal press or dies for me....

 

[Jc85]

id defiantly go. perhaps this Sunday.
thank all of you for you're replays. Had a reloading dream last night. My brass was filthy, My items should be arriving any day now Ill let you know how it goes.

 

[Dan-the-man]

I've had a Load Master for several years now and the best advice i could give a novice Load Master owner is to NOT set up or use the case feeder.

Most of the complaints Load Master user's have is problems with the priming. I found that the majority of those problems went away when I took off the case feeder. I personally found the case feeder to require more attention then I wanted to give it. That would interfere with the smooth operation of the press which caused priming issues.

If you notice, Dillon and Hornady progressives don't come with case feeders. That's an expensive option. You have to feed those presses by hand and you will be much happier if you do the same with your Load Master.

The Lee Load Master Zone is a great forum that has lots of good information on setting up and modding your press.
Also...buy some spare parts like primer sliders , the beaded chain and primer springs. You'll need them. They're cheap parts so buy a few.

I'm very happy with my Load Master...especially after I got rid of the case feeder.

Dan

 

[Jc85]

.buy some spare parts like the beaded chain. You'll need them. They're cheap parts so buy a few.
Dan

yea so ive noticed.
My load master arrived and I have to say for setting up my first progressive press the directions were not as in depth as I would of liked. All in all If I would of done it before and known what to expect, set up would of taken me 15 minutes at most. (to get it assembled) I still need to adjust and fine tune it before I begin production. Thank you for the lee load master forum. Ill join there shortly. Also thank you for the tip about the case feeder, Ill see how it goes.

Im making my bench atm, for now I had the machine just mounted to a table in the garage for initial assembly. Now I have it mounted to a piece of old shelving which I secured to my table with a continues hole through the back mounting pad of the press and 2 C clamps. sturdy level and portable. If I need to move it, just remove the back bolt, loosen the clamps and retire it out of harms way.
Thanks all for the help.
JC

 

[blujax01]

... Im making my bench atm, ...
JC

When you get that bench finished don't forget to post a photo of it.

Happy Loading,

~ Alan

 

[Wheelgunner840]

Congrats on starting the reloading adventure. If someone already mentioned it, I must have missed it, so let me say that your number one priority is to buy a good reloading manual!

I really like the Lyman 49th edition reloading handbook. It will answer many of your questions with regard to powder, bullet weight and type, burn rates, etc, etc. Read it all, and take your time.

Best of luck!



WG840

 

[Jc85]

\ so let me say that your number one priority is to buy a good reloading manual!
I really like the Lyman 49th edition reloading handbook
WG840

agreed. I own that, the lee #2 edition and a paper manual for my caliber.

so, oh my god.. whoever said that the loadmaster needed a bit of "tinkering" to get it to function properly made a gross understatement.
Oh and agreed on the auto case feeder causing priming / depriming issues.
So to get started I did an initial set up and cycled a few empy cases through it Till I encountered a "stiff" indexing cylce. Then No indexing at all. I looked closely at my carrier and see the priming pin in the UP position. I dissembled the priming arm (or whatever the technical name is) and discovered a bent/broken piece of plastic. (the one that slides/retracts after the primer is seated. Lucky lee send a replacement one with it (funny). After re assemble I still had 0 indexing on the indexing arm, I unscrewed the alignment bolt at the bottem of the press (please excuse me for not using the technical names, I haven't committed them to memory and my instruction booklet is not in fornt of me.) Re aligned the carrier for proper indexing, then had to re adjust the auto feeder, the 1/4 shaft seemed to of bent in the bracket (Christ what a stiff cycle that must of been.) Oh and don't even get me started with the proper alignment of the dies. All said and done I know more about the internal workings of my lee load master then I do my own wife. Got everything working smoothly nice and lubricated so I decided to do a trial decapping run. The auto case feeder really just causes problems And say you didn't have a case fully seated or some mishap those cases start to get backed up quickly, interfering with the entire action of the dies and indexing until the case feeder arm is cleared.
But as of this moment my press is set up, aligned, dies set to proper depths and awaiting powder, bullets, primers to start production. Wish me luck.
Jc

 

[blujax01]

All said and done I know more about the internal workings of my lee load master then I do my own wife...
Jc

... ...

 

[Jc85]

hah that would be a funny sig.

 

[anomad]

Sounds like quite an adventure! Adventure in frustration?

If you can get it set up and tuned up like those videos that were posted above you'll be churning out ammo with the best of 'em.

 

[Fishslayer]

Every time I go to the range I seem to come home with 100 or so extra 9mm and 40 S&W brass. ;-D

I call that "incidental bycatch."

At the moment I load for .45ACP & .38/.357 and am setting up for 9mm since I bought a SIG nine for the wife's anniversary gift.

I have a big ol' box of .40 brass that got picked up while policing my .45. One of these days I'll have to buy something in .40.

 

[Jc85]

I deprimmed about 250 cases tonight. One got wedged up in there and broke off my pin. woe is me.

 

[Jc85]

Contacted lee. ( after 30 minutes of trying to call in and getting a busy signal) their sending me out a new one asap.