Progressive press question

[insulinboy]

I have been looking at getting one of the lee pro 1000's for loading 9mm since I go through a metric ton of it and my single stage press gets the job done, and I will keep it for making match loads, and decapping/resizing, but I do a lot of plinking in the back yard and I'd like to be able to run a little faster for making the crappy I don't care if they aren't quite as consistent I'm shooting at 12" steel targets at 25 yards and as long as I can hit it I'm okay ammo.

However, I would like to still deprime and prime off the press. Is it possible to use the lee pro 1000 and replace the deprime/resize die with a factory crimp die and just put primed brass on the press and run it that way? I know you don't need to crimp 9mm but it makes me feel better if I could. Regardless I know I can take the priming tool and sizing tool off the press anyway and just run the bullet seating dies and powder through expansion die and still get it done that way. I generally inspect my cases when I'm priming them and I generally do that in the evenings while listing to the TV in the backround. Its relaxing to me and helps me get to sleep at night easier especially if I got over worked up about something that day.

If it cant be done with the lee, but could be accomplished with another press does anyone have recommendations for me? I'm primarally looking at the lee due to price, and I know you get what you pay for. But most of the problems people have with the lee press is with the priming mechanism that I am not planning on using anyway

 

[bumblebeefirearms]

How are you going to resize the die? I'd leave the depriming and resize die in but take out the pin.

 

[Cobalt 60]

I have been looking at getting one of the lee pro 1000's for loading 9mm since I go through a metric ton of it and my single stage press gets the job done, and I will keep it for making match loads, and decapping/resizing, but I do a lot of plinking in the back yard and I'd like to be able to run a little faster for making the crappy I don't care if they aren't quite as consistent I'm shooting at 12" steel targets at 25 yards and as long as I can hit it I'm okay ammo.

However, I would like to still deprime and prime off the press. Is it possible to use the lee pro 1000 and replace the deprime/resize die with a factory crimp die and just put primed brass on the press and run it that way? I know you don't need to crimp 9mm but it makes me feel better if I could. Regardless I know I can take the priming tool and sizing tool off the press anyway and just run the bullet seating dies and powder through expansion die and still get it done that way. I generally inspect my cases when I'm priming them and I generally do that in the evenings while listing to the TV in the backround. Its relaxing to me and helps me get to sleep at night easier especially if I got over worked up about something that day.

If it cant be done with the lee, but could be accomplished with another press does anyone have recommendations for me? I'm primarally looking at the lee due to price, and I know you get what you pay for. But most of the problems people have with the lee press is with the priming mechanism that I am not planning on using anyway

For that, you might want to go with a Lee Turret press set up to auto index. It has four stations. If you don't have to crimp (and I don't) you can use the 1000 very easily. When I first started, I did exactly what you are wanting to do.

 

[insulinboy]

How are you going to resize the die? I'd leave the depriming and resize die in but take out the pin.

Resize and decap on the single stage, then hand prime

 

[woodstock]

I use the turret press, you can use it as a single by taking out the center post, which is what I do for 223.

You have 4 die holes so in normal modee use what you want and skip past the ones you dont.

 

[Cobalt 60]

Resize and decap on the single stage, then hand prime

I used to set up my 1000 with only the decapping/sizing die in it and run brass through it - super freakin quick. Hand prime the brass. Then I would set it up with the other two and load. Much faster this way.

Now that I have learned the eccentricities of the 1000, I do all operations on the press.

 

[1006]

I believe that a crimp is needed on any bullet running in a semi auto gun. How else can bullet setback be prevented?

 

[acmech]

A buddy of mine bought the Pro 1000 and had nothing but problems with it. The primer feed issues are well known, in fact there are people making money selling after market mods for it. Good luck with it.....

 

[kf4zht]

The pro 1000s can be setup to run fine, my first one took me a couple days of playing around with it to get everything right. The second one I bought took about an hour before I was cranking out rounds. I don't use the bullet feeder so I haven't worked with that part yet.

You could do that pattern if you primed off press. Priming is stuck at station 2, and you would need to move the powder dump to station 1.

Changes you would need to make off the top of my head
- Brass would need to enter resized and primed
- First station change to Expander/Powder
- Must change to spring return on powder, but anyone who uses the chain is a sadist
- Seating die in station 2
- Remove primer pin from station 2 (JIC for safety)
- FCD in station 3

I have loaded a good amount of 9mm and 45 and for range use found that the crimp on the seating die is fine once you get it adjusted properly. For roll crimps the FCD is much better.


Now I want a way to run the 1000 where it deprimes then pushes the brass through a bulge buster. Don't think that is possible due to the BB using a pedestal instead of a shellholder.

 

[Cobalt 60]

I believe that a crimp is needed on any bullet running in a semi auto gun. How else can bullet setback be prevented?

What I should have said was I don't crimp other than what the Lee seating/crimping die does.

I had plenty of problems with my 1000 at first. All it takes to make it run right is some patience, some mechanical ability, and some learning the presses eccentricities. Kind of like the 1911 of progressive presses

That being said, if you are priming off the press, you would do almost as well with a turret press set up to auto index.