Press manufactures

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I see Lyman is coming out with 3 new presses but there is no innovation, just more of what is already out there with a slightly different look.

I'm not impressed with anything Hornady.

Lee has been introducing new products every year for several years now. Their Classic series equipment has made a real statement in this market. Lots of innovation but you still have to be mindful of what you buy as some products are better constructed than others.

I like my old iron Redding 1987 design Ultramags and my 1970s vintage RCBS Jr.

I like what MEC did with their new single stage press but again, not innovative.

To each their own.
 
haven't seen a lot of press innovation (though i do have a harrell combo press that is a larger version of the hood pictured on the previous page)

but what i have seen is significant innovation in precision powder dispensers that quickly dispense accurate charges.
significant innovation in annealers.
and some innovation in auto bullet feeders
 
I did a lot of reading when I first started. Not knowing how far into this I would go, I started out with an RCBS rock chucker supreme kit. That I feel was a great starter decision, but quickly realized I wanted something a bit more. I was not focused on speed in reloading, however I felt personally that single stage presses, while simple, could pose more risks vs using a turret.

I know there are those out there who for various reasons focus on sheer production volume. That is not me. I want to be safe and accurate.

In my way of thinking processing a single round from start to finish on a turret is safer than doing 25 or 50 round batches through each stage on a basic press. There are simply too many risks to having loading trays of in progress rounds sitting around on the bench as you go through each stage in batches. A turret style press keeps you focused on the task at hand, while progressing a single round through the entire process.

In the end, I chose the Lee classic turret due to it's durability and simplicity. I totally understand how a progressive press can be a good thing for some people, but that's just not me. I feel there is too many possibilities for things to go wrong in a major way and slip by without notice.

Now , getting back to that rock chucker that I still have, I use that for my initial processing of brass, by resizing and decapping my entire batch before cleaning, polishing, trimming and hand priming. I also use that press for my quick trim from lee. To me, that is about the best way to handle it, so that single stage came in handy after all. No regrets at all on that.

For me, this is my favored process. Others have their way too. everyone is different in many ways.
 
One of the most innovative and certainly most beautifully made loading presses of all time was/is the Ransom Grand Master. Designed and made by Chuck Ransom, maker of the Ransom handgun rest, they were brilliant Ransom.JPG in concept and operation but sales were slow because of price. I don't think they are now in production but those of us who bought one back when they were made consider them a treasure.
 
The Hood press shown is a very nice looking press. Probably very precise too, but it is still a single stage press. A tweek here and there, but nothing really new...
 
Most of my stuff dates to the sixties and works just fine. Lyman All American turret press, RCBS Junior. Lyman 45, 450 sizers, Star sizer. I do have a Lee turret for small batch loading and it is o.k.
Three of my MECs are old and my 1980 Grabber is smoother than my two year old 9000.
I would like a 550.
 
jmorris said:
Nothing “new” but If they get it to market, the Mark 7 Revolution would combine features that currently have to be sourced from more than one vendor all into one machine.

https://www.markvii-loading.com/The-Mark-7-Revolution_p_332.html

Another one that pretty far from a new idea but MEC has entered the metallic reloading market with another choice for single stage presses.

https://www.mecshootingsports.com/mec-marksman
Click to expand...

The Mark 7 at $10,000 is not a press for mere mortals!:what:
 
The pretext of this thread is false. There is no "best" brand of reloading equipment. Each of the major manufacturers has staked out a very well defined "best value at a price point". So they cannot be directly compared, any more than the Ford Fiesta can be compared to a Lincoln Navigator.

In a way, each price point reflects a stage of life. Whereas I "would have killed" for a basic, manual-shift Fiat micro car when I was 16, as I approach 70 there's no way I'm going to do without my automatic transmission, hands-free cell phone, and backup camera. At this stage of my life those are simply indispensable features I require. And so it is with reloading. I am simply attracted to the brand that has the feature set I require.
 
“Improving on their press” isn’t “looking to the future”. That’s simply looking for solutions for your design and manufacturing short comings. Lee has been doing that for years and has come a long way. The LnL AP is a great concept. IMHO the best concept out there for progressive presses. Hornady is a long ways off on QC. Count yourself lucky if your LnL tolerances are close enough for yours to work. Dillon? Would love to see something new from them but, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Dillon did their “look to the future” years ago and are now raking in the profits. Everyone else is playing catch up.
 
Offfhand said:
One of the most innovative and certainly most beautifully made loading presses of all time was/is the Ransom Grand Master. Designed and made by Chuck Ransom, maker of the Ransom handgun rest, they were brilliantView attachment 771212 in concept and operation but sales were slow because of price. I don't think they are now in production but those of us who bought one back when they were made consider them a treasure.
Click to expand...

That is a beautiful press. RCBS made one in similar fashion years ago. I ran across one needing a rebuild three or four years ago. While I was considering buying it (why did I pause!?) someone else was smart enough to snatch it up. I’ve stopped buying guns and started buying presses. Awful addiction or wonderful hobby?
 
The Mark 7 at $10,000 is not a press for mere mortals!
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t dispute that anymore that if someone said there is nothing new or innovative about another single stage press.
 
After looking at that bald eagle press, I could swear it's a twin brother to RCBS designs, right down to the color of paint and texture of the metal. Could RCBS be making this under contract?
 
Presses on hand existing, not including ones I have sold or given away to a beginning reloader to make room on the bench.
RCBS Rock Chucker over 20 years old -- 223, 300blkout and 308Win ammo
RCBS Summit -- I think is overlooked. It absolutely improved runout over my RockChucker. May be an unfair comparison with the Rock Chucker being over 20 years old. 30-06, 6.5Creed
Hornady LnL AP Ammo Plant -- Had to make many small improvements -- -- High volume pistol
Lee Classic Turret -- medium volume pistol.

Did have a Dillon 550 but sold it and thought about getting a Dillon 650 but went with the Hornady LnL Ammo Plant. Both have their quirks. Friend of mine has a 650 and have implemented a few small fixes to get it to run flawlessly but I will say his fixes are fewer than mine on the Hornady LnL.
 
What you are seeing here is one of the greatest, if not the single greatest, innovations in the history of reloading: The Pacific "C" press, which, with it's introduction in 1928, revolutionized reloading. With it came Pacific's introduction of the 7/8x14 die concept, which has since become the industry standard. Every time we hand load a cartridge we owe something to this tool. DSC00282.JPG
 
flashhole said:
Nice bit of history. Does the linkage block accommodate a second handle mounting location?
Click to expand...
The first Pacific presses did not have an up or downstroke option and were upstroke operation only. The two-way option did not appear until well after WWII. I bought my first reloading press, a Pacific "C" when I was 14, back in the 1950's and it was upstroke only. The two-way option appeared sometime later. Attached photo shows a few of improvements over the years: At left is 1920's model. Next to it is another innovation by Pacific, the auto-primer feed attachment, introduced in the 1930's, and priced at $3.00. Second from right is my actual 1950's first press, which by that at time was improved with integral auto-primer feed mounting. At right is the much improved and stiffened press, which featured up or down operation..Photo from my tool collection. DSC_0105.JPG
 
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I have a Duke's mixture of reloading tools. I started with Pacific back in the 70's and still have them. My only other adventure into other equipment has been a Lee Classic Turret. I use it now for pistol rounds, my Pacific Multi Power "O" type press is used for rifle cartridges, and it doesn't see much work these days. My dies and other accessories are Lyman, Lee, Pacific, Hornady, RCBS, and all work as I wish them too. My Pacific DL-266 shotshell reloader still works like a champ. I don't need a Dillon even though I admire the machines and love the RCBS green, and I'm thinking that all of this stuff will outlast me.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
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Bang! said:
Appears Lee is making a change on their Value Turret press. Anyone have experience with this change? Can’t find it on Lee’s web site, only here at Titan reloading.

https://www.titanreloading.com/lee-...et-press/lee-4-hole-turret-press-w-auto-index
Click to expand...
On the LEE Reloading & Casting Equipment Group found on FaceBook, there are reports from the folks using it. The first one showed up a little less than a year ago in the group. One of the members sent in an old turret for updating and he receive this one in its place. So far nothing but good reports.
 
I don't hang out on Facebook (I just don't want a perpetual record of my words and interests created and associated with my real name). As such I did not see this change.

I am following this thread because I don't have any reloading gear in the town I work in and am thinking of getting something for here, yes, cheap.

I am looking at the Lee four hole turret press kit at midway. Is that the same press as the one you are talking about with the update? I had a Lee Pro several years ago (about thirty). The auto-index was so bad I ended up removing it entirely. Ultimately I gave it away. I hope that, if I get a new Lee, it will be better.
 
Hodgdon has been working on a new progressive press, If suppose to be a precision progressive press with brass and bullet feeders.
 
Interesting. Right now, if I really needed the quantity, I would go with a Dillon 650 with a case feeder or a 1050, or maybe even an automated 1050, but I don't shoot that much. My LNL keeps up with my needs just fine, even feeding cases and bullets by hand.
 
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