How to suck the fun out of reloading, Buy a Progressive Press!
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jmorris
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He did say the one on the left was a pre production unit. The one in the center doesn’t look like any Hornady collator I have seen.
KYregular
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Bettet peace of mind for me as well. I know there's powder in every round, and it's not double charged or under charged.
cheygriz
member
I know there's a primer and correct powder charge in every round on my 650
Charlie98
Member
I'm a pool guy...
Personally, I use my pre-LNL Hornady ProJector... love the thing. Yes, there were some teething problems, as there can be with any mechanical device. Yes, the primer mech can be a little weak without some fine-tuning. I like my progressive when I'm cranking out gobs of .45 or .41 ammos,, but prefer the single stage for most rifle rounds, and maximum charge handgun loads.
Progressives are not for everyone... when I got my Hornady I was ready to throw the thing out the window... but I pulled my head out of... uh, the clouds... and spent some time on it, and our honeymoon continues 25 years later.
Jim Watson
Member
Long thread on Benos about the Mk 7 Evolution, Evolution Pro, and Revolution loader$.
If you want to be a beta tester and client for upgrade$ and gadget$, this is a deal for you.
https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/260316-mark7-evolution/
If you want to be a beta tester and client for upgrade$ and gadget$, this is a deal for you.
https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/260316-mark7-evolution/
GW Staar
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Rule 3: Did you know you'd make such a popular thread with this line? Probably keeping people out of trouble while they watch the Kav. debacle. 
I love reloading presses, progressives especially, keeps me with something to tinker with and keeps me in good ammo......the trick to keeping them from biting is to NEVER get in a hurry. And if I had my way and the room for it......I'd have one of every brand and model......except the power strokers....they move too fast for me. Sure they work for a while, but when they crash, they crash big. Jmorris is right.....you go that direction you'd better have fail safe devices up the kazoo and they better work well...........and perhaps you better be as proficient with mechanics as jmorris. I wouldn't last a week. Gotta know your limitations.
I love reloading presses, progressives especially, keeps me with something to tinker with and keeps me in good ammo......the trick to keeping them from biting is to NEVER get in a hurry. And if I had my way and the room for it......I'd have one of every brand and model......except the power strokers....they move too fast for me. Sure they work for a while, but when they crash, they crash big. Jmorris is right.....you go that direction you'd better have fail safe devices up the kazoo and they better work well...........and perhaps you better be as proficient with mechanics as jmorris. I wouldn't last a week. Gotta know your limitations.
Well, 40 minutes to load 50 rounds of 45 ACP, FMJ Slow and methodical
But heck think of the number of yanks on the handle I saved! (it even stayed tight as I modded it with a o ring lock washer.)
At 7 rounds, Primer Tube Jam. Dissemble clear primers. Dump primers in cup, Do the primer pickup/pecking dance again.Load tube. Start over.
27 minutes in, rolling along. Decapping pin malfunction (no big deal) find wrenches fix pin, Start over
Press still not indexing exactly right, every so often not advancing enough.
Finished 50 rounds ,Oops one round no live primer, powder spill all over, cleanup on aisle 7.
Took primer assembly apart, cleaned(found hiding primer) Get teezers, add those to tool "kit"
Took shell plate off cleaned, lubed (yes ,it's tight put a lock ring on it)
Piddled around with left pawl again. Seems good, will wait until next time. Gonna shoot for 50 rounds in 25 minutes
Always good to have a "goal"
But heck think of the number of yanks on the handle I saved! (it even stayed tight as I modded it with a o ring lock washer.)
At 7 rounds, Primer Tube Jam. Dissemble clear primers. Dump primers in cup, Do the primer pickup/pecking dance again.Load tube. Start over.
27 minutes in, rolling along. Decapping pin malfunction (no big deal) find wrenches fix pin, Start over
Press still not indexing exactly right, every so often not advancing enough.
Finished 50 rounds ,Oops one round no live primer, powder spill all over, cleanup on aisle 7.
Took primer assembly apart, cleaned(found hiding primer) Get teezers, add those to tool "kit"
Took shell plate off cleaned, lubed (yes ,it's tight put a lock ring on it)
Piddled around with left pawl again. Seems good, will wait until next time. Gonna shoot for 50 rounds in 25 minutes
Always good to have a "goal"
kmw1954
Member
Some people just shouldn't bother at all! Go to the store and buy it.
I own a single stage, turret press and 2 different progressives. I can easily move back and forth between any of them and the ammo coming off them is all the same. It's not the tool it's the operator.
I've spent a lifetime working on high speed production machines that make these presses look like kids toys. Some of these machines that if it's not producing 50 pcs. per minute it's losing money. Then if it stops or breaks you have 15 different bosses screaming at you because all production has stopped. Then when you add in plastic extruders or ovens that need to keep moving to maintain temperatures stopping just doesn't work well.
I own a single stage, turret press and 2 different progressives. I can easily move back and forth between any of them and the ammo coming off them is all the same. It's not the tool it's the operator.
I've spent a lifetime working on high speed production machines that make these presses look like kids toys. Some of these machines that if it's not producing 50 pcs. per minute it's losing money. Then if it stops or breaks you have 15 different bosses screaming at you because all production has stopped. Then when you add in plastic extruders or ovens that need to keep moving to maintain temperatures stopping just doesn't work well.
Well, 40 minutes to load 50 rounds of 45 ACP, FMJ Slow and methodical
But heck think of the number of yanks on the handle I saved! (it even stayed tight as I modded it with a o ring lock washer.)
At 7 rounds, Primer Tube Jam. Dissemble clear primers. Dump primers in cup, Do the primer pickup/pecking dance again.Load tube. Start over.
27 minutes in, rolling along. Decapping pin malfunction (no big deal) find wrenches fix pin, Start over
Press still not indexing exactly right, every so often not advancing enough.
Finished 50 rounds ,Oops one round no live primer, powder spill all over, cleanup on aisle 7.
Took primer assembly apart, cleaned(found hiding primer) Get teezers, add those to tool "kit"
Took shell plate off cleaned, lubed (yes ,it's tight put a lock ring on it)
Piddled around with left pawl again. Seems good, will wait until next time. Gonna shoot for 50 rounds in 25 minutes
Always good to have a "goal"
You my give us old guys a bad name
I spent some time in the Mark 7 booth at the NRA meeting this year. That Evolution is an amazing machine. The primer collator on that thing is a piece of art, it's also a $998 upgrade. If money grew on trees I'd buy two Evolution machines. One for small primers and the other for large.
cheygriz
member
What really sucks the fun out of reloading is trimming pistol cases, brushing out primer pockets, weighing individual powder charges, priming off press
Zendude
Member
Getting my progressive press to run smooth is part of the fun. Or maybe I’ve just developed Stockholm Syndrome with my Lee 1000. I better not ponder that too much...
jmorris
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Then you would need to get the lawn guy to load for you.
Point is that unless the machine checks for you, you need to make sure everything is correct. If you don’t then bad products can make it into your firearm.
And automated machine that just runs and runs despite there being no powder, primers or bullets is just asking for issues.
Risky buisness
Member
Im getting here a little late...but wow some guys seem to have an awfull time with a progressive... I bought a Dillon RL 450 in the 80s, its reasonably simple and did not have all the accesories avalable currently. Ive rebuilt it and continue to use it. Is it perfect, no. But the alternative is hours of tedium on my single stage machines. Will I aquire another one oh hell yes, but it wont be full of wizbang stuff to complicate the issue,
I think that perhaps some users get the full auto super delux and probably do have trouble, getting all the functions to roll at the same time, I want to save some time, but dont require the case colator, low powder thingee or primer alarm. and I bet the guys who are rattled by the device would be better served by starting simple, adjusting one thing at a time and thinking their way around some trouble spots.
I think that perhaps some users get the full auto super delux and probably do have trouble, getting all the functions to roll at the same time, I want to save some time, but dont require the case colator, low powder thingee or primer alarm. and I bet the guys who are rattled by the device would be better served by starting simple, adjusting one thing at a time and thinking their way around some trouble spots.
Well, 40 minutes to load 50 rounds of 45 ACP, FMJ Slow and methodical
But heck think of the number of yanks on the handle I saved! (it even stayed tight as I modded it with a o ring lock washer.)
At 7 rounds, Primer Tube Jam. Dissemble clear primers. Dump primers in cup, Do the primer pickup/pecking dance again.Load tube. Start over.
27 minutes in, rolling along. Decapping pin malfunction (no big deal) find wrenches fix pin, Start over
Press still not indexing exactly right, every so often not advancing enough.
Finished 50 rounds ,Oops one round no live primer, powder spill all over, cleanup on aisle 7.
Took primer assembly apart, cleaned(found hiding primer) Get teezers, add those to tool "kit"
Took shell plate off cleaned, lubed (yes ,it's tight put a lock ring on it)
Piddled around with left pawl again. Seems good, will wait until next time. Gonna shoot for 50 rounds in 25 minutes
Always good to have a "goal"
Quit trying to pull the wool over our eyes,,,,
You're having fun and you know it!!!
Which is why I do not do it! (the trimming and primer pockets"
. You should uniform them and debur the flash hole for bench rest match pistol at 10 yards!
H2O volume of brass and check with concentric gauge. Weigh each projectile.
Yep the Blue team has already entered.Sounds more like you need a better press........
Erief0g
Member
Perhaps I'm somewhat lucky. I'm a self taught reloaded. Yes, by you folks and the brian enos forum. My first and only press is a dillon xl650 with strong mount, case feed, powder check, and a plethora of accessories to safely reload.
It took me two years to make the purchase and get started. Been saving brass for five years. Just a few weeks ago I realized my self defense 9mm had more stock than my practice. It was pretty warm in the garage so I couldn't crank it all out in one sitting but I was able to crank out 1700 rounds that day. I even did a pretty full teardown, clean, and grease afterward.
Perhaps I'm lucky I never had to take my old knowledge and Apply it to progressive
It took me two years to make the purchase and get started. Been saving brass for five years. Just a few weeks ago I realized my self defense 9mm had more stock than my practice. It was pretty warm in the garage so I couldn't crank it all out in one sitting but I was able to crank out 1700 rounds that day. I even did a pretty full teardown, clean, and grease afterward.
Perhaps I'm lucky I never had to take my old knowledge and Apply it to progressive
rodregier
Member
The big "secret" when setting up a progressive press is to just put a single cartridge case
thru the successive stations until you get the press setup sorted out
thru the successive stations until you get the press setup sorted out
rodregier
Member
The big dividing line for single stage versus progressive it what kind of action type are you feeding.
(Ammo shooting consumption rate)
If it's a manually operated firearm or a revolver, you'll probably be happy with a single-stage press.
If you are feeding a semi (or full)-auto you're probably going to want the increased production throughput of a progressive.
(Ammo shooting consumption rate)
If it's a manually operated firearm or a revolver, you'll probably be happy with a single-stage press.
If you are feeding a semi (or full)-auto you're probably going to want the increased production throughput of a progressive.
I don't think your that lucky. I'm a reloader and handloader. Owned about every Manufacturers gear in the last 30 years. My reloading room is the best room in the world and I love being in there. Reloading and handloading equipment change all the time. Love to cast bullets too. So use as much equipment has you can to see how it works. Started like most do on a single stage and moved on from there.
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