Lee Roadmaster Press ?

[lonewolf5347]

I wonder if Lee has improved on the priming system on the loadmaster press in 9 mm.
I have the Lee classic runs fine I can get done 200 rounds a hour but would love to double it with a progressive press.
I don't feel like going dollar wise for dillon

 

[mgmorden]

I don't think the priming system has gotten much better, which is a shame because its always the #1 problem people complain about (and IIRC, Lee has stated that they'll never do tube fed primers because they feel its a safety issue).

FWIW though, if you are going to live with the Lee priming system anyways, they've got a new progressive out this year, the Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro (https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html). I haven't tried it myself but most reviews have been positive. They sell it without all the normal progressive trappings however you can mount the priming system and powder drop to it you just purchase them separately.

I personally use a Hornady LnL progressive however if the new Lee press would have come with a better priming system I'd have grabbed one just so that I could keep one press setup for 9mm and another for .40 S&W without having to switch them back and forth.

Also keep in mind - if you're going to be just using it for 9mm, the Dillon SDB press with dies and everything included comes in around $425 - a good bit more than the Lee but still fairly low compared to the other Dillon offerings). That's their cheapest option but for pistol rounds they're supposed to be good reliable machines.

 

[greyling22]

also, culling your brass helps with 9mm and the loadmster. if it doesn't have a pretty decent bevel around the primer pocket, toss it out. But morden is right, other than the priming system, the loadmaster was pretty great. And the priming system is such a good idea in theory. No primer tubes? sign me up! Unfortunately, it didn't work very well.

 

[preacherJohn]

I have a Lee Classic turret and I never did like the priming system on it. So much so, that's when I started priming off press with a hand held RCBS priming tool. It got to be a habit of priming my cases after my brass prep. As I got older and the arthritis started kicking in, I bought a bench mount RCBS priming tool. I love that thing. I fill the tube with a Frankfort Arsenal Vibra Prime, then go to town priming my cases on the bench priming tool. Last year I stepped up to the Hornady LNL AP press and can really pump out some bullets with it; but alas, I still prime off press, I'm just used to it I guess.

 

[Zendude]

The priming system seems to be the most finicky part of most progressive presses.

 

[LoonWulf]

I've got mine running well, again, finally. It ran like a top when I got it from Jmorris, but me being me I HAD to take it apart.

Using a sizing die sans decaping assembly in the station over the priming system helps, properly timing the press helps, adjusting the retention...finger thingy helps, and figguring out the correct stroke helps....it WILL still jam from time to time, so I leave the retention finger on the powder drop loose and pull the case if I don't see a primer cycle after a stroke, if its primed I just pop it back in and continue on.
I also only buy and use processed once fired brass, so there's very little force exerted on sizing. That helps to be able to feel what's happening during the cycle.

 

[jmorris]

It ran like a top when I got it from Jmorris, but me being me I HAD to take it apart.

That’s how we learn how things work.

As far as I have seen it’s still the fastest Loadmaster on the planet.

 

[refuse2bafool]

jmorris

Comparing that thing to a stock Loadmaster to that thing is like comparing Frankenstein's monster to a Ken doll

 

[lonewolf5347]

New Lee breech lock pro seem interesting