Upgrading to a progressive?

[Markus]

I have a Lee Classic Turret Press and decided I wanted to step up to a progressive press. Ive got the lee perfect powder measure and a few four hole shell plates. Now what would I need besides the press itself to begin reloading? And any place for a good deal would be awesome too...

[jumpthestack]

If you're willing to wait a while, get a C&R FFL and then sign up for the dealer discount at Grafs. You can save serious cash on a Dillon and accessories. If you go the Dillon route, the store on brianenos.com has a very good guide on what accessories are good and why.

[FuzzyBrows]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=552004

u totally missed my thread on the first page of the reloading section. found an awesome price with shipping included from midway usa n they sent it in 3 days. too bad rite after i purchased it and posted it all the lee progressive presses in every caliber kit are in back order til 5/xx/12. still a great price.

[Markus]

you got it for 155 shipped? grafs is doing it at 166 right now so eleven bucks more aint bad...

I was more wondering what accessories I would need with it given what I already have from my LCT press.

@Jump Ive got a C&R license already how should I go about getting it on file with them?

[j.primo]

If you're going to go progressive, then all you be able to use from your previous setup is your dies. If you get, say a Dillon, and use the Dillon powder measuer, then you would have to get a case activated powder die, plus different tool heads for your different calibers.

[lpspinner]

Ive got a C&R license already how should I go about getting it on file with them?

Just contact Midway, Grafs and Brownells and tell them you have an 03 FFL and you want to get set up with dealer pricing.

[rd2play]

I have a Lee Classic Turret Press and decided I wanted to step up to a progressive press. Ive got the lee perfect powder measure and a few four hole shell plates. Now what would I need besides the press itself to begin reloading? And any place for a good deal would be awesome too...

I just upgraded last week from the Lee Classic turret. I read and researched a lot the Dillon presses, and then I went with a Hornady LNL AP.

The reason was simple: more features than a 550B for less money. Good quality US made and lifetime warranty.

It's got five stations, so I can use a dedicated crimp die and a powder check die, plus auto indexing. I use some of my Lee dies, including the Lee Auto powder setup.

All you need to get started is the press, plus the shell plate. I got my press for $379.99 from Midsouth Shooters supply.

Setup was a breeze, especially since I didn't have to set up the Hornady powder. It comes with a DVD that covers the entire set up (videos are also on youtube). It was quick.

Once you figure out all the moves and how to pay attention to the different things going on, you'll love the productivity increase.

[klewan]

Before you decide to become a "Windex Drinker", check out how much it costs to buy all the parts you'll need for a caliber change. When I was looking for a progressive 17 years ago, that was the thing that decided no "Windex Drinking" for me. So I got the Loadmaster with all the accessories; case feeder, bullet feeders, both size of primer feeds, the works. Back then you couldn't get case or bullet feeders for the other brand.

I wonder when Lee is going to come up with a 550 style shellplate for the LCT. That way you have 4 cases at work at the same time, and every pull of the lever gives you a completed round. You provide the energy to turn the shellplate and insert the case and a bullet, which hasn't stopped hundreds of people from buying 550's.

550's are a simple press that people from the lower half of the mechanical ability/reasoning continuum can successfully operate. (There was a thread somewhere; a WDer had dropped his hand priming tool and he couldn't figure out how the 4 pieces went back together. Other WDer's chimed in that he should return it to RCBS and let them put it back together.That's when I started realizing whom the 550 appealed to).

[j.primo]

I've been using an LCT and it works well for my volume. If/when I go progressive I probably would get a Dillon and throw all my money into the 650. I really like the 5 stations. I do like the Hornady LNL AP more, BUT Hornady's AP doesn't have removable tool heads. Hopefully they decide to make one before I go Blue, otherwise I'd choose the LNL AP in a heart beat.

[socal44]

I've been using an LCT and it works well for my volume. If/when I go progressive I probably would get a Dillon and throw all my money into the 650. I really like the 5 stations. I do like the Hornady LNL AP more, BUT Hornady's AP doesn't have removable tool heads. Hopefully they decide to make one before I go Blue, otherwise I'd choose the LNL AP in a heart beat.

No need for a toolhead. The LNL uses quick change bushings. Install dies, adjust and you're done. Really quick and painless

http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-Load-Die-Bushing-3-Per-Pkg

[Clownpuncher]

No need for a toolhead. The LNL uses quick change bushings. Install dies, adjust and you're done. Really quick and painless
http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-...hing-3-Per-Pkg

^^ this. Plus, I don't change all my dies out with each caliber change. Only caliber specific ones. The powder drop, lockout die, and universal decapper always stay in 1, 2, and 3.

[Cowboy T]

I have a Lee Classic Turret Press and decided I wanted to step up to a progressive press. Ive got the lee perfect powder measure and a few four hole shell plates. Now what would I need besides the press itself to begin reloading? And any place for a good deal would be awesome too...

Which cartridges are you going to be reloading? That's an important question that can affect a recommendation.

[Markus]

.40 .45 and .357 I also own a 7.62x54r rifle and may be getting another c&r rifle too. The question for me is do I keep the lct so I can do rifle rounds and just use the pro 1000 or get something entirely different. Oh and if I get one of those kits then should I get it in a caliber I already have or something different?

[Cowboy T]

With one exception, the way I do it is Pro 1000 for the handgun rounds, LCT for the rifle rounds. That one exception is my .45 Colt Magnum load, and that's because A.) I don't shoot a whole bunch of those, and B.) the turret's already set up.

For your listed cartridges, if you do go for the Pro 1000, I advise you to get the 38/357 version, and then pick up three additional things:

1.) the shell plate for the .40,
2.) the shell plate holder assembly for the .45 ACP (I assume your .45 is the ACP variety; if it's .45 LC, then get that version), and
3.) the red case collator.

The reason for this specific recommendation is two-fold. First, the .38/357 and the .40 both use small primers. Therefore, all that's needed is swapping the shell plate and die turret. Changing primer size on Pro 1000's can be done, and I've done it, but it's way easier to just get the shell plate holder assembly for the large primers (that'd be the .45's, in your scenario) and keep steppin'. The second reason for getting the Pro 1000 in .38/357 is that it comes with the "tall" case feeder block, intended for revolver cases. The tall case feeder block works equally well on the shorter semi-auto cases. However, the .40 version of the press comes with the "short" case feeder block, which works nicely for the shorter semi-auto cartridges like 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, etc., but it doesn't work as well on the revolver cases like .38/357, the .44's, .45LC, etc. So get the .38/357 press with the tall case feeder block for the greater versatility.

The benefit is that you save a lot of coin, thus you can buy more components w/ the money saved. Plus, you keep your LCT, which the 7.62x54R and similar rounds just cry out for.

[j.primo]

No need for a toolhead. The LNL uses quick change bushings. Install dies, adjust and you're done. Really quick and painless
http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-...hing-3-Per-Pkg

Hornady's LNL is quick, but I just like the idea of having the dies + powder measurer all together. Plus the tool head would hold the dies + measurer together neatly on a stand when not being used in the press.