Press or handloader for beginner with no workshop?

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As to the original question. I have a Lee hand press that I use on a fairly frequent basis. It is certainly not a high volume operation, but I'm not a high volume shooter.

The only rifle cartridges I've tried with it are 6.8SPC and .45-70. No real problem with either of those, but as some have suggested, it does require a pretty decent level of effort to resize. With a bench mount you can take advantage of your weight on the downstroke and your large muscles (if standing) on the upstroke. With the handpress its pretty much all upper body - shoulders and chest get a good workout.
 
Lots of options for temporary mounting of a press. My best suggestion, get a Black and Decker WorkMate... the heavy duty one. Then mount press to a 2x12 and then clamp the board to the WM. Keep your scale on a seperate platform to avoid vibration. Everything can be chucked into a closet with no muss no fuss.
 
IMO, you should get a single stage press and mount it using any of the space-saving methods mentioned above

I think you'll regret spending the money on a hand press.
 
I used to just have a small Press mounted to a short thick Board...was easy to C-Clamp to any Kitchen Table, Coffee-Table or Wooden Chair Seat for use.


Yeahhh...get a 'good' Single Stage Press, and find a way...
 
Hey folks,

I think we are missing the barn by about 12 yards here. If you read his initial and I think only post, you will see Bennadatto clearly states that he plans to get a single stage press in the future, but for the present he wants to know about using a hand tool for his reloading. He also clearly mentioned that he was familiar with using something like a Workmate, but he simply does not have room for such solutions at this time.

So, what do most of us do? Most of us tell him to get a single stage press for bench use, in spite of his telling us that a bench press was something he intended for the future when he had more room.

At least there were a few folks who actually responded to the point of using different hand tools, and a few of those responses were positive in nature. To Mongoose who suggested that one would regret spending money on a "hand press," I would respond by mentioning that I have been reloading for 50 years now and have acquired several single stage presses, a Hornady LNL AP press, and six shotshell presses (both single & progressive). In spite of all those more modern and fancy presses I have, I still on occasion use my Lyman Nutcracker tools when I want to do reloading out on the road and travel light.

I also have the Lyman Acculine hand tool which I think would be a better choice than the Lyman Nutcracker tool because it uses standard shell holders and dies, and it develops more mechanical advantage as it full length resizes both pistol and rifle cases.

I hated the original Lee Loader that you whack with a hammer, but if I had nothing else, it sure is a compact tool that will make good ammo. To suggest that hand tools have no use because you can use a single stage bench mounted press is just as wrong as suggesting that single stage presses have no use because you can use a progressive press.

If Bennadatto is not ready for a bench press and wants to try a hand tool, lets give him information on the hand tools we are familiar with.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
Dave Wile said:

If Bennadatto is not ready for a bench press and wants to try a hand tool, lets give him information on the hand tools we are familiar with.
Click to expand...

I say: Here-here!

I'm kind of in the same boat and don't want to hear about the single stage presses yet. I figure when I get to that point, I can use the hand press for something, maybe decapping.
 
Dave...Thank you! You've hit the nail on the head. I do want to be clear though, I do truly appreciate all the creative ideas everyone has shared. It has certainly been food for thought in coming up with a space-conscious solution to my reloading problem.

I have come across some conflicting info though. On Cabela's website, the reviews of the Handpress are very positive, especially it seems for ppl reloading .30-06. I haven't seen any complaints about having to have Herculean strength to reload, but most on here seem to think that it takes serious strength to use the press.

It seems obvious that it would take a bit more effort to use the Handpress, but for those with experience, is it just even worth considering?

PS: I probably should have said this earlier, but at present, I won't be reloading tons of ammo yearly. Maybe 1000 or so per year.

Thanks again!
 
You do not need to be a body builder to use the Lee hand press, but the short handles don't give a whole lot of leverage either. I suppose a big man may be able to grip it like a nutcracker at some point in the operation, but my hands are not large enough to do that. You will feel it in your shoulders when you resize 25 or more. Even just expanding case necks on
.45ACP I like to shift my grip to a push-pull (like archery) to get easier leverage. Never tried to rig up any thing like extenders or breaker bars. Being a mostly sedentary office worker I need all the exercise I can get.
 
Hey Bennadatto,

If you could find a Lyman Acculine hand tool, I think it would be better than the Lee hand tool. It is a bit longer and has more mechanical advantage. The linkage can also be reversed so the tool reverses from up stroke to down stroke, and it can then be mounted to a bench if one is available. The Acculine should come with a primer seating die. I would not be afraid of buying the Lee tool, but I would choose the Lyman if I could find it.

I have a Lyman Acculine tool but rarely use it even though I think it is way more practical than the Lyman 310 Nutcracker tool. I have had Nutcracker tools for about 50 years, and I am kind of attached to their old fashioned charm.

Just make sure the Lee hand tool will use standard shell holders and dies before getting one. If it does not use standard shell holders and dies, I would definately search for a used Lyman Acculine hand press.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
Just make sure the Lee hand tool will use standard shell holders and dies before getting one.
Click to expand...

It does. The kit form also comes with a ram prime tool. I don't use it for seating primers because I use a separate Auto-Prime (which does require special shell holders). Can't give you any reliability info on the Lee Hand Press or Auto-Prime. Neither of mine have broken, but they don't strike me as particularly rugged for the long haul either. I can say that for the price invested I've received more than enough use in return.
 
The Lee hand press absolutely works with standard size dies and holders.

The Lee hand primer does use an oddball type of shell holder, but it's unrelated to the hand press. For hand priming I prefer the RCBS model. Using the hand tool for priming, as with ramming bullets, allows you to be very precise. I esp. like it with European military brass that has extra deep pockets.
 
Hey Stainless & Cosmoline,

I am very familiar with the Lee Auto Prime hand primer tool. I first tried it maybe 25 to 30 years ago and immediately stopped using the primer function on my RCBS presses. I thought it was pretty cheaply made, but I really liked priming everything with it. I bought a set of the special Lee shell holders just to use with the primer.

Then a few years after I started using the Lee hand primer, RCBS came out with their hand primer that used regular shell holders. Well, I'm not exactly married to RCBS, but I sure have used and acquired a bunch of their tools over the years, and their new hand primer was built like a tank compared to the Lee tool. I bought the RCBS and expected to throw the Lee tool away. Boy, was I wrong. The RCBS tool may be built like a tank, but it must not have been built by anyone who actually reloaded ammo. It simply is not very user friendly. To change primers to a different size and to change shell holders is a royal pain in the neck. I used it a few times and finally had to admit that the cheaply made Lee hand primer tool was a heck of a lot easier to use.

I may have used that Lee tool for maybe ten years or more when the thumb lever finally broke. I was really ticked off at first. That never would have happened to the RCBS tool, so I went back to it. After a week or so of using the RCBS tool and being unhappy with the way it worked, I went out and bought a new Lee hand primer tool, and it is still working for me today.

I like my RCBS stuff, but their hand primer tool just is not for me - I'll take the Lee tool. It is not that expensive, and I did get a lot of years use out of it. Better yet, it is very easy to change both primer sizes and shell holders.

If I happen to be out somewhere using my Lyman Nutcracker hand tool, I will generally use the Nutcracker primer die even though it is way slower than priming with the Lee Auto Prime. If I want to travel light while loading, taking the Lee Auto Prime is extra baggage, and it is more subject to getting something broken in the travel.

If Bennadatto wants to start slowly and save the bucks, he can do his priming with either the Lee Hand Loader or the Lyman Acculine hand loader. When he gets to the point where he wants to make it easier to prime his cases, however, I would recommend the Lee Auto Prime with the box of shell holders.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
I just mounted a single stage to my new bench and after the first couple hundred reloads have to admit, it's a heck of a lot better than what I was doing.

BUT

What I was doing also worked just fine for me for several years.

I started with the Lee Handpress and the Lee Auto Prime and cranked out several thousand 45/70 and 44 Mag cartridges just fine. Straight wall case with carbide die and no lube? Doable. Slight taper no neck case with a little lube? Doable. Take a good seat and put the palm of each hand on the handles and push straight in then slightly rotate the press and push/pull to extract it and you can roll right along.

Because of the way you have to rock the press around, I wouldn't prime with it using, for example, the Lee Ram Prime gear. Trying to hold the press in one hand while pulling a primer and putting it on the stem then seating the case up top and grabbing the press to seat the primer strikes me as a mess waiting to happen. The hand primer option makes it a cinch in comparison.

My reloading equipment fit into a milk crate, so easy storage. The stuff just works.
 
Those hand loaders have been around for ages and people are still buying and using them. I guess they can't be too awful. And I'd bet they're a whole lot better them nothing?
 
Part of the value of a forum is that sometimes peoples' responses can question and expose poor assumptions.

I expressed my opinion that the OP would regret having spent the money on a hand press, since it appears that money (and space) are a problem. I noted that the "I don't have room" argument really isn't a good one, because if you have room to sit down at a table and have a bowl of cereal, you have room for a single-stage press.

Since I don't know everything in the world, I do appreciate when people point out things that may not necessarily follow a posted request for information to the letter. I guess that some others, who do apparently know it all, don't realize that this can, for some people, have value.

Finally, the fact that at least one person has found some value in a hand press invalidates my own opinion about choosing a single stage not at all.
 
Hey Mongoose,

You are a good guy, and I am sorry if my comment offended you. I don't mind disagreeing with something you might say on occasion, but I don't remember ever having any reason to offend you. I know I have also agreed with your comments on numerous occasions, so I am inclined to ask for your consideration if I have said something that may have seemed to be unkind. It was not my intention.

Your input on this thread as well as many others certainly has value, but I thought your one statement was wrong and could lead Bennadatto to an ill formed decision. My intention was to make a counterpoint to your assertion about the utility of hand tools; it was not intended to demean your personal integrity.

I certainly do not know it all, and if I am perceived by others as a "know it all," I am doing a disservice to myself. Again, I offer my regrets if I have offended you. I know you are a credit to the forum.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
mongoose33 said:
Part of the value of a forum is that sometimes peoples' responses can question and expose poor assumptions.
......snipped
Since I don't know everything in the world, I do appreciate when people point out things that may not necessarily follow a posted request for information to the letter. I guess that some others, who do apparently know it all, don't realize that this can, for some people, have value.

Finally, the fact that at least one person has found some value in a hand press invalidates my own opinion about choosing a single stage not at all.
Click to expand...
I have been a member of this group for quite sometime now. I had not been able to log on for a while because I had been busy working. Today is my rest day -- finally!! -- happened to log on. Since I had been thinking of reloaders and stuffs for quite sometime, when I saw this post, I read each and every contribution of members up to the end. I can say for sure that you guys have educated me. Suffice to say, I have not even started yet and yet I found value in everything that was posted here so far...

Differences in opinions are healthy...do not be disheartened, OK? I value your input too. I want to learn. But I will defer buying until I learn more.
 
Hey Bennadatto,

There are two Lyman Acculine hand presses on E-Bay right now. One is a $75 Buy-It-Now and includes a set of Lee dies for 380 ACP, but that's not a great deal if you don't need the die set. In fact, it's not all that good of a deal even if you can use the die set. It does not seem to have the Ram Prime Die System with it.

The other Acculine press has five days to go and started at $9.99. It is located at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320473223507&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

The ad for this one does not indicate whether it includes the Ram Prime Die System, but you could ask the seller about that. If it goes for a low price, it would make a great hand tool for you. A new Ram Prime Die System costs about $19. I Think I would rather spend a little more and get the Lee Auto Prime tool and a set of shell holders for seating primers.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
I've been using the Lee reloader for depriming/priming and the Lee Turret for my loading, both are fixed to the bench with c-clamps.

I want to use the Turret as a single stage (not hard) for depriming and priming at the same time (again not hard) but since the Turret has no relief tube for spent primers, how do I build something that will retain the primers and still be able to clamp the Turret to my bench?

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

My Colt and Me
 
This thread has answered a lot of questions I have been pondering lately. I see (works great for my type of learning) how to set up a single stage press. I now understand how it can be done and I am def going to investigate that route...

However, similar to the OP I will be starting with some form of a hand loader. No need to justify my choice but perhaps another newbie might benefit. Space is not an issue and I now understand how to set up a small bench, but one issue is portability/area of use. My main job takes me away from home for 24 hour periods. My side job I am away and need to be mobile but with downtime. Both jobs will not appreciate a portable bench setup being, well, set up. I can do everything at work (especially the main job) and keep a somewhat low profile. What good is a portable bench setup if I can't use it. Plus, being the lone income source, when I am home family time is not cut short. Another issue I see is startup cost. I still need to factor in powder, primers, bullets and other needed tools. Saving just a bit on the loader gets me that much closer to putting up pictures here of my fumbled attempts :)
Also, from reading various posts and other forums, this initial purchase is not something that will be obsolete later. It can still be used as a supplement to a bench loader. I am not a big competitive shooter but I try to get out there as much as possible either to compete or for recreation, so I initially don't need to be prolific in my output.
Finally, if for some reason I would rather buy factory and not enjoy reloading (not likely) I am out that much less. If I really enjoy it, well...then I will appreciate the step up in technology.
Anyway, thanks for hearing me out. Thank you all for your informative wisdom on this forum, and thanks to the OP for starting this thread.
Now I retire back to the dark corner :)

Aloha,
HIPunch
 
The handoader should work ok for pistol ammo. But if it's rifle ammo you want to do, don't overlook using a picnic table. We retired and traveled the country in our motor home for 8 years. Except for measuring the powder inside the RV, because of the wind, I loaded rifle cases outside on the picnic tables. I mounted a press on a 2 x 12 and clamping it to the tables. Either way though be sure you figure out a way to do it. Loading is a lot of fun and saves you a lot of money.
 
I have had for years one of the Lee Hand presses like this one:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduc...rce=froogle&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=9315

I had a single stage press and an old Lyman turret at the time and didn't like how the priming worked on either of them and decided to take that operation to the hand press and RCBS hand primer, I could set anywhere in the house and do that operation on my lap over a shoe box. For a long time I had a universal decapping die in my hand press and decapped all my cases and then hand primed them. Not a high speed operation but very portable.

I will keep my hand press and be glad I have it!

Best of luck and God Bless!

larrupin
 
I've used a Lee Hand Press for 38/357 and 40 S&W for three years now. I load about 300 rounds a month with it. While I do have room for a dedicated bench and press now that the eldest has moved out I've decided to keep my hand press. This press has easily exceeded my expectations for strength, durability, and ease of use. For the handgun rounds I can get 50 rounds per hour pretty easily. I've loaded a few .30-06 rounds on it just to see how it works. It takes a little effort but it's not bad.

Also, I do travel some. A can of powder, primers, bullets, dies cases, and press do fit in a small package and can be carried on the road easily. Great way to fill in the hotel time. I actually like the "Ram-Prime" tool that came with it. You can feel the primer seat without question.

All the Best,
D. White
 
If I, was to start reloading in my truck this is how I, would set thing's up. One midway table, it is small, and braeck's down into three part's, also would get a couple extra top's for it. A RCBS Partner Press, it is a little heaver the the Lee C Press, I would feel more confidnt using it on larger rifle case's. Yes I do have both and use both of them for diffrint jobs. Then the die set. Powder and bullits, and other thing's. All of this stuff should store easly under the bunk with no trouble.
 
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