New Auto Breech Lock Pro

[Rule3]

I did miss it, and after viewing it, I am even more intrigued. There are a lot of pistol only reloaders out there who load two or three calibers who will be interested. Not everyone loads a zillion calibers like some of us.

It will do all these.

PRODUCT # SHELL PLATE CARTRIDGES
90582 1 38 Special, 357 Mag, etc.
90584 2 45 ACP, 45 GAP, etc.
90629 3 45 Win Mag
90630 4 222, 223, 380 Auto, 32 S&W Long, 32 H&R Mag
90647 7 30 M1 Carbine, 32 Auto
90648 11 44 Special, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt
90649 13 45 Auto Rim
90944 19 40 S&W, 10mm Auto, 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 38 Auto, 41 AE

 

[WestKentucky]

if it has room for .223 and a shell plate for .40 then I think it will also be capable of 6.8 spc and probably most of the other AR length rounds too, provided a shell plate is made to hold the base. Only concern though is the force to resize a bottleneck may be too much for the cast aluminum upper and lower housings. We will see... I’m getting more interested the more I see of it.

 

[Tilos]

if it has room for .223 and a shell plate for .40 then I think it will also be capable of 6.8 spc and probably most of the other AR length rounds too, provided a shell plate is made to hold the base. Only concern though is the force to resize a bottleneck may be too much for the cast aluminum upper and lower housings. We will see... I’m getting more interested the more I see of it.

After looking at the pics in the quick start, I'd be more concerned about that Nylon looking shell plate carrier, but it could be stronger than the pot metal carrier on the Pro 1000.
The force to pull the sized bottlenecked case out of the sizing die puts that nylon carrier/shell plate center bolt in tension, not a good thing.
Who really knows, we're all waiting to get our hands on one.

I've noticed that sometimes when something seems confusing, we tend to overanalyze...or just make something up that seems plausible .
"if you don't know, make up a story"
works for me,

 

[RealGun]

<snip>

But Rule3, you ask a very good question. I'm trying to imagine what is the actual purpose of the press from a marketing perspective and I come up with two major possible reasons. The first is to offer a 4 hole press to address the shortcomings of the 3 hole Pro 1000. The second is that Dillon sells a ton of 4 hole SDBs. Different animal of course but the SDB is limited to straight wall pistol rounds and while the new Lee might process some of the small rifle cartridges, obviously it isn't going to handle anything bigger than (approx.) .223 so that might actually be the reason why the press is so small, to keep users from trying to handload cartridges like 30-06 on it. I think Lee will try to use that as a selling point to try to lure possible Dillon customers. Will it work? I doubt it. They (Lee) already say the PK 4000 is the "fastest, easiest and most economical progressive press ever made". This is of course absurd but there it is.
<snip>

The niche, I believe, is providing somewhere to go when a Leedite wants four stations, supporting the entire Lee 4-die set, and wants to move on from a turret but not wanting to mess with or pay for the Loadmaster. As a turret user, I can certainly see the merit in producing one round per lever pull. The size of the press and its unpretentious strength means it can have a shorter stroke, similar to the turret with a choked up lever length.

 

[Rule3]

if it has room for .223 and a shell plate for .40 then I think it will also be capable of 6.8 spc and probably most of the other AR length rounds too, provided a shell plate is made to hold the base. Only concern though is the force to resize a bottleneck may be too much for the cast aluminum upper and lower housings. We will see... I’m getting more interested the more I see of it.

I do 556, 308 and 30-06 on a Turret, is this new press going to be any less??

 

[LiveLife]

I don't think we can entirely go by the B/W pictures from the manual as below picture shows what appears to be 3D printed top compared to cast/metal top - https://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/PR2679.pdf

3D printed top?

Pre-production top?

Silver colored top on Lee website - https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html

 

[LiveLife]

I added some information to my previous post (#206)....needed after I predicted prematurely about the cast iron base that turns out is steel .....at least its not aluminum or other pot metal.

B/W pictures of press base from the manual shows unpainted metal base and what appears to be white 3D printed shell plate carrier and final red colored carrier on Lee website.

Final silver colored base and red colored shell plate carrier on Lee website - https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html

 

[Walkalong]

Innovative if it is.

 

[Nordeste]

I am still so intrigued about how this thing does the priming, whether the primers have to be fed one by one a la LCT or there is some sort of automation in that department.

 

[LiveLife]

Pro 4000 uses Safety Prime just like LCT and comes with small/large priming arms - https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html

You can see the priming arm being installed in this picture.

 

[9mmepiphany]

and final red colored carrier on Lee website.

However, that is only a rendering...pretty hard to judge anything other than form

 

[LiveLife]

However, that is only a rendering...pretty hard to judge anything other than form

I took a closer look and the picture on the web page looks the same. Do you think both pictures were rendered?

Bottom picture was zoomed in from this picture from the web page - https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html

 

[9mmepiphany]

Do you think both pictures were rendered?

Yes.

Look at the detail of the head of the bolt attaching the leverage arms

 

[LiveLife]

Good catch. Notice in the B/W picture from the manual below showing index pin (white circle) is missing from both color "renditions". With shell plate/carrier in the down position, the index pin should be sticking above the shell plate.

 

[someguy2800]

I took a closer look and the picture on the web page looks the same. Do you think both pictures were rendered?

Bottom picture was zoomed in from this picture from the web page - https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html

Those are solidworks renderings using the real image feature. Solidworks can make some really nice realistic renderings.

 

[someguy2800]

I used to poo on all LEE's products as being cheap junk. Then I bought some collet sizing dies. Then I bought some carbide pistol dies. Then I bought a powder measure. Then I bought a classic turret, and more dies, and an Auto Drum, ect, ect, ect. Then I started wondering why I was paying so much money for other brands when this "cheap junk" works so well.

There are three things I'm certain of. 1. This press will be full of plastic and die cast parts. 2. It will work or Lee will make it work. 3. I'm going to get one.

 

[Tilos]

Good catch. Notice in the B/W picture from the manual below showing index pin (white circle) is missing from both color "renditions". With shell plate/carrier in the down position, the index pin should be sticking above the shell plate.

The index pin is mentioned in the listing text on the Lee website.

OOPS! Maybe I read it in the description of the "new" Pro 1000 .

 

[RealGun]

I used to poo on all LEE's products as being cheap junk. Then I bought some collet sizing dies. Then I bought some carbide pistol dies. Then I bought a powder measure. Then I bought a classic turret, and more dies, and an Auto Drum, ect, ect, ect. Then I started wondering why I was paying so much money for other brands when this "cheap junk" works so well.

There are three things I'm certain of. 1. This press will be full of plastic and die cast parts. 2. It will work or Lee will make it work. 3. I'm going to get one.

I doubt that #1 will be the case. The turret has only that collar at the shell holder and the sacrificial sleeve on the index rod.. The Pro4000 should be about the same, I expect. The attachments are generally plastic though, if the same as existing, and that is a good choice of material and production for the application.

 

[Walkalong]

With shell plate/carrier in the down position, the index pin should be sticking above the shell plate.

I thought of that way of making plates index correctly years ago. I wonder if Lee would believe me or give me a cut.

 

[farm23]

WOW I have read this with great interest. I only have an old RCBS single stage and really have not need for a new press, but I also like to know how things work and this reading is giving great insight to the workings of this new press. A little while ago I only loaded 44 spl., now 44 mag, 45 colt, 45 acp and 454. Who knows I might find an excuse for a new press.

 

[WestKentucky]

I do 556, 308 and 30-06 on a Turret, is this new press going to be any less??

Almost certainly a no-go for 30-06. Probably not enough height for .308 either. I’m not gonna be the guy to rain on your parade for loading rifle rounds on a progressive...but someone will be along shortly to explain why that’s a bad idea. 5.56 isn’t so bad.

 

[9mmepiphany]

IF I jump into this, I'm looking at about $250...using my current dies and hand feeding bullets...which compares pretty well to a Dillon Square Deal at $427 (without a case feeder)

1. Press ($106)
2. Shell plate ($19)
3. Case feeder assembly ( they have a new one) ($35)
4. Safety Prime ($22)
5. Auto Drum powder measure ($37)
6. Powder Thru Expanding die ($12)

 

[Rule3]

Almost certainly a no-go for 30-06. Probably not enough height for .308 either. I’m not gonna be the guy to rain on your parade for loading rifle rounds on a progressive...but someone will be along shortly to explain why that’s a bad idea. 5.56 isn’t so bad.

OK I will tell myself it is a bad idea. Note I said on a Turret press.
I guess only load 223/556 for pistols then? Gee I thought it was a rifle round.

 

[WestKentucky]

OK I will tell myself it is a bad idea. Note I said on a Turret press.
I guess only load 223/556 for pistols then? Gee I thought it was a rifle round.

I missed that part and was thinking about a progressive. LCT will do nearly anything, and can be used as a single stage if you choose to do so.
And yes 223 is a bottleneck rifle round but it’s pretty forgiving as such due to low case capacity so a lot of people got by loading it on progressives for a long time, talked about it here and elsewhere, and now it’s kinda accepted that it can be done but won’t make ammo to the same grade as a single stage.

But to poke the bear a bit, looking at some legislation .223/5.56 did get lumped in with pistol ammo, so thanks to the gooberment .223 is pistol ammo...sometimes...when they want it to be...unless it’s scary fully-semi-automatic absurdly powerful ammo for high capacity magazine clip wielding guns with that fancy shoulder thing that goes up to use the dreaded evil bump fire doohickey.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Gee I thought it was a rifle round

looking at some legislation .223/5.56 did get lumped in with pistol ammo, so thanks to the gooberment .223 is pistol ammo

That can be traced back to 1982 and Olympic Arms