Lee APP Press?

[first-model]

Hey everyone,

For many years I used a Lee single stage press for my reloading, and was very happy with the results. I know that people tend to either love or hate Lee, but in almost 20 years I only ever had one very small problem, and Lee fell all over themselves to make it right.

I got out of reloading a few years ago, but I'm thinking about getting back into it. I see that Lee has a new press out call the APP, and I'm wondering if anyone has any real life experience with it?

Automatic Processing Press - Lee Precision

I don't do enough volume to justify the cost and complexity of a progressive press; this will mostly be for doing small volumes of revolver calibers (the various persuasions of 32, 38, 44, and 45).

Mike

 

[GypsmJim]

I have a heavy duty cast iron C-frame for heavy stuff. Also, several cheap Lee presses for priming, flaring and bullet seating. Granted, I have to manually handle each case but I'm sure of the results and i get to inspect each one along the way.

The APP looks ingenious. Kudos to the design engineers. Buttt, it has too many plastic parts, you still have to load the cases each time and I'm not sure faster is better.

Example...I often have a case where the primer doesn't perfectly line up with the pocket. I can "feel" it go in. My guess is that the APP might cause a lot of mashed primers. Also, for large cases that require a lot of pressure to resize, I question how long it might hold up.

 

[Dino1]

I have the APP and use it to de prime and swag the crimp on military brass.

I would not use it for loading purpose, that is not what it is designed to do.

It is the best swag tool out in my opinion, you don't have to sort your brass by headstamp, just load it up and pull the handle and your done.

 

[mr Hotgun]

I,ve a Lee app press
I,m using it to size my powdercoated bullets works great

For decapping, sizing etc i use my lymann press

 

[OKFC05]

Mike, you didn't ask for suggestions, but I'll make one anyway. The Lee turret press is the best loading press Lee ever made, particularly if you don't need to feed a competition habit with large volumes of pistol ammunition. Mine dates from early production and I still use it for calibers like .380, .270 and .45, and small batches of test loads. I use Dillon presses for large volumes of .38, .40 and 9mm, but the turret press is just as good, just slower.
The only part that wears out in my turret press is the plastic "donut" that rotates the turret, and I bought a dozen of those from Lee. I have a Lee single stage press that I never use, because the turret can be easily operated as a single stage press.
IMHO, the Lee turret press is half the price of the Lee progressive, but 10x more reliable and usable.

 

[SMSgt]

Lee has a bad habit of requiring different, non-interchangeable shell holders for everything and upgrade they make. Version 2 won't take Version 1 shell holders, version 3 won't take Version 1 or 2 shell holders, etc. For that reason alone I ditched Lee. I don't need to buy a new set of shell holders every time I buy a new product.

 

[hotshot357]

I bought one and I just love it. I don't reload on it but I deprime cases, size bullets. Like Dino1 stated it's designed for case prep, but Lee does state that it can be used for reloading. If you do get one purchase the 4 tube collator and the roller handle. I believe you will love it also. I got mine thru Titan and the press was $75.29. Well worth the money.

 

[GypsmJim]

I have the APP and use it to de prime and swag the crimp on military brass.

I would not use it for loading purpose, that is not what it is designed to do.

It is the best swag tool out in my opinion, you don't have to sort your brass by headstamp, just load it up and pull the handle and your done.

Lee advertises the press as a "convenient single stage loading press". It sounded like the OP had that in mind.

 

[Racer X]

I bought one and I just love it. I don't reload on it but I deprime cases, size bullets. Like Dino1 stated it's designed for case prep, but Lee does state that it can be used for reloading. If you do get one purchase the 4 tube collator and the roller handle. I believe you will love it also. I got mine thru Titan and the press was $75.29. Well worth the money.

What does the 4 tube collator do? Hold 4x the brass before a refill?

 

[mmb617]

I like mine. I don't ask a lot of it but what it does it does well. All I do is deprime, size and expand 9mm and .45 acp cases. It's much faster than doing those operations one case at a time on my single stage press.

Everything else I do on my Lee single stage press. I did change over to a roller handle on the APP which is a good upgrade as it makes the machine more comfortable to use. I haven't changed over to the 4 tube collator as refilling the tube gives me a break from pulling the handle.

 

[tlawler]

I’ve got one that I use for depriming. At some point I’m sure I’ll use more of it’s capabilities. But for depriming, it’s a speed demon!

 

[fredj338]

I bought an app for sizing bullets. It works quite well, even though its pretty cheaply made. It is rasily twice as fast as pass thru sizing. I will be interested to see how long the plastic parts last.

 

[Fishslayer]

I'm wondering if anyone has any real life experience with it?

Friend of mine has one & absolutely loves it. There are some aftermarket accessories for it that make it really hum. I've seen him in action with it & plan on getting one.

I don't do enough volume to justify the cost and complexity of a progressive press; this will mostly be for doing small volumes of revolver calibers (the various persuasions of 32, 38, 44, and 45).

Mike

Have a look at the Lee Classic Turret. It can be a single stage if you want and can go quite a bit faster if that's what ya want. WAY simpler (AND cheaper) than a progressive. IMO it's a good middle ground that always seem to get overlooked in the great "Single stage or progressive?" debate. Big plus for me is the ability to simply change out the turret when changing calibers & don't need to completely readjust the dies.

Lee presses are great, it's the accessories that are kind of cheap & cheesy but they always seem to work.

 

[mmb617]

I will be interested to see how long the plastic parts last.

I was concerned about the durability of the plastic parts but I haven't had any problems with them.

What I did see as a problem in the making was that the right side handle support was starting to twist cocking the handle on my roller conversion. I welded an extra support onto it which seems to have corrected the problem.