Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

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Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Jarhead » 26 Jul 2020, 4:05 pm

Hi all!

I have an auto breach lock pro- and I am reloading 6.5 Creedmoor - which is too long to run the auto indexer on every station- I have been thinking about getting a single stage or hand press.

If you have a Lee Breech Lock Hand Press can you let me know if you would recommend it and why? I 'll stick with Lee for comparability with my existing dies, etc..

Get the kit with the priming ram or just the hand press? Does it work better with optional do-dad part # 9XXXX?

If you have any experience with this hand press it would be great to hear from you!
Regards,

Jarhead
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 26 Jul 2020, 4:45 pm

Jarhead wrote:Hi all!

I have an auto breach lock pro- and I am reloading 6.5 Creedmoor - which is too long to run the auto indexer on every station- I have been thinking about getting a single stage or hand press.

If you have a Lee Breech Lock Hand Press can you let me know if you would recommend it and why? I 'll stick with Lee for comparability with my existing dies, etc..

Get the kit with the priming ram or just the hand press? Does it work better with optional do-dad part # 9XXXX?

If you have any experience with this hand press it would be great to hear from you!


Is the 6.5CM different to all the other short-action dies? Or does your press not work with anything longer than .223Rem?

I have two O-Frames, the C-Frame, and the Hand Press from Lee. All are good for different reasons.
The Hand Press is the fiddliest to work with as it's not mounted to anything, I mainly use it to de-prime, size, and/or flare pistol brass without having to be tied to the bench. Can't recall if I've ever used the priming ram, I generally use dedicated hand-priming tools. 99% of my loading is done on the O-Frame, while the C-Frame has outstanding access when loading the smaller, more fiddly cartridges.

I don't use any auto presses simply because I like to see what is happening at every stage. My presses don't feed anything. I run them all through the sizing die, then the trim die if required, then hand prime them all, then dump powder into them all, then seat bullets into them all, then crimp them all if required. All separate stages so I can see exactly where I'm at at any time. I am using a powder thrower for a lot of my loading now, with regular weight checks. I've found the Lee thrower to have outstanding consistency.
Last edited by bladeracer on 27 Jul 2020, 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by boingk » 26 Jul 2020, 9:48 pm

I'll second the Lee thrower, I'm using an auto drum (#90811). Shot a 0.87 MOA group out of my Marlin 1895 with it measuring the loads, not too shabby for a big old 45-70 levergun.

I'd have a think about an O-frame press, or simply use a bit of manipulation on the turret press. I've used mine in single-station before and had zero issues doing thing that way. You're going to be taking the brass in and out of a hand press anyway... why bother when you have a do-it-all?

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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by wanneroo » 27 Jul 2020, 10:17 am

The Lee breech lock hand press is what I started with in 2013 because it was $30 on sale and I could try reloading to see if I liked it and was worthwhile to me. I loaded about 500 rounds of 9mm and then started looking for a proper single stage.

The hand press works like any other single stage except you are the one doing all the work and my only complaint is I think the handle could be a tad longer for beefier hands like mine. Now it exists for me as a tool for the bench and I use it every so often to screw in a die and fix a boo boo mistake on some brass quickly or pop primers out, etc. One advantage to the hand press is it is very portable so you can literally reload anywhere you want. If you want to sit in a chair on a mountain top and resize brass you can.

Unless you absolutely do not have the room just get a regular single stage press. I wouldn't worry about compatibility, all modern mainstream manufacturers of dies interchange and the single stage press isn't going to have a lot of farkles on it anyways. I have all sorts of brands on my benches.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Jarhead » 27 Jul 2020, 10:46 am

Bladeracer,

What do you currently use the hand press for?

On the Auto breech lock pro, case overall lengths of over 2.3" cannot auto index- the bullet hits the bottom of the bullet seating die as it indexes which jams things up.

6.5 CM has a COAL of 2.82" according to SAMI (and 2.91" according to my most recent load development).

I have found that you can use auto index to deprime, neck size, prime and drop powder- I am also using an autodrum boingk- but the indexing rod needs to come out once the bullet goes in and the progressive becomes either manually indexed or just a simple single stage with 4 stations- 3 not being used.

I use the autoindex to prep- just to neck size and deprime after a tumble clean. That is convenient as I dunk each neck in graphite and put it in the press with one hand, and cycle the handle with the other hand. The worked cases end up in the catch bin. Then those case sit around until I decide what to do with them.

When it comes time to load, I take the indexing rod out, prime each case (single stage step 1) and put them in a 50 hole loading block. I use the autodrum to fill a "load case" (single stage step 2) which I dump on a set of scales, trickle up to the correct weight and then funnel into each case. Then I seat the bullet (single stage step 3).

The auto breech lock pro is a good progressive press- but it is built to a price (I paid about $200 for mine). It does it's job very well but I think the low cost means it will not do the job well for as long as a Dillon or RCBS. Loading they way that I am is using 4x the amount of strokes that it would in pure progressive mode. I am wearing it out 4x faster than I want to. So I have been thinking about getting a single stage or hand press to do the 3 single stage steps.
Regards,

Jarhead
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Jarhead » 27 Jul 2020, 10:52 am

Bladeracer,

No need to answer that last question, I just reread your response, and saw the answer in there-Thanks!...must have missed it the first time around.
Regards,

Jarhead
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Bugman » 27 Jul 2020, 12:31 pm

If this info is of any help...a mate of mine shoots 6.5 in F class comps. He always uses a single stage press and the loading results and target results are really good.
I think most of his fellow club members only use single stage presses for this type of shooting.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Jarhead » 27 Jul 2020, 1:14 pm

Thanks Bugman!
Regards,

Jarhead
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Oldbloke » 27 Jul 2020, 2:32 pm

This might be another cheapish option.

OK for light work.

Press Lee breech lock.jpg
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Gamerancher » 27 Jul 2020, 3:21 pm

Yeah Oldbloke, while they aren't a bad little press used appropriately, I believe they are the one that give Lee presses a bad reputation. They don't tolerate a lot of force and tend to flex. They also get pretty sloppy quickly, not enough bearing surface on the ram to hold it straight.
I use one when I travel overseas as it's light, small and with an aluminium plate affixed to it, is easily clamped to any flat surface for reloading in a motel room.( Just don't tell management ) :lol:
I have the hand press and I mainly use it for de-priming cases with a universal de-priming die before I wet tumble them prior to reloading. I have used it to do some case prep in front of the T.V and fire in the house but, as something to use constantly for reloading, yeah,....NAH.

For a single stage press that will spend it's life at the bench I reckon these are hard to beat for "bang for your buck".
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Oldbloke » 27 Jul 2020, 4:05 pm

Yeh, C type presses were popular yonks ago. But the O style is far better and now the dominant type in use.

Same price as the hand press. $71
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 27 Jul 2020, 4:29 pm

Oldbloke wrote:This might be another cheapish option.

OK for light work.

Press Lee breech lock.jpg


Yep, that's the C-Press I like for fiddly little cartridges, better access and you don't need the strength of the O-Frame.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 27 Jul 2020, 4:39 pm

Jarhead wrote:Bladeracer,

No need to answer that last question, I just reread your response, and saw the answer in there-Thanks!...must have missed it the first time around.


I just edited it to make it clearer :-)

I use it very little, only the odd occasion I might be doing a pile of pistol brass and don't feel I need to be sat at the reloading bench for a couple hours in the cold.
I had a look at the priming ram and it does look like I have used it, though I can't recall the specifics. I really do find the Hand Press quite awkward to work with, but figured it was just because of my own injuries. If you fabricated a clamp so you could clip it on and off a bench at your whim it would be much more useful I think. If you put it in a bench vice in a workshop it'd work well I reckon.

I built a field kit around the Hand Press in an aluminium Bunnings briefcase so I could do load development at the shooting bench. I also found all my dies need to be reset between the O-Frame and the Hand Presses, which is a pain in the butt. It's just easier for me to walk back to my office, reload the brass, and walk back to shoot it. If I had to travel more than a couple hundred meters to do load development though, a field setup would be really useful.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by mickb » 27 Jul 2020, 11:10 pm

I only own the Lee hand press these days. I remember when I got it and picked it up I thought the box was empty, started cursingd ebay sellers who forget to send the item! It was in there, just much lighter than I expected. I'd read the specs, but having owned the RCBS rockchucker and Lee Classic cast heavyweights, it was hard to get my head around just how minimal it is. But it works fine and fits in the front pouch on a day pack. Throw in dies, chosen powder and components you can do load testing at the bench . Or sit in front of the TV depriming and sizing cases watching the football.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Jarhead » 28 Jul 2020, 11:13 am

I also found all my dies need to be reset between the O-Frame and the Hand Presses


Bladeracer, That piece of information is gold.

Are they both using the breech lock system? If yes, I was assuming that you wouldn't need to reset them.

It sounds as if the hand press is not as convenient to use as I was envisioning.
Regards,

Jarhead
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 28 Jul 2020, 7:56 pm

Jarhead wrote:
I also found all my dies need to be reset between the O-Frame and the Hand Presses


Bladeracer, That piece of information is gold.

Are they both using the breech lock system? If yes, I was assuming that you wouldn't need to reset them.

It sounds as if the hand press is not as convenient to use as I was envisioning.


Yes, they're all Breechlock.
I have never actually measured the differences, so I just did.
With a die set to just touch the shell holder at the top of the stroke in the O-Frame press, the C-Frame stops about 2.3mm short, and the Hand Press stops about 1.8mm short with the same die. Ammo loaded in the O-Frame would come out 2.3mm longer and 1.8mm longer using the same dies set up for the O-Frame.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Cooper » 29 Jul 2020, 10:18 am

Jarhead wrote:
I also found all my dies need to be reset between the O-Frame and the Hand Presses


Bladeracer, That piece of information is gold.

Are they both using the breech lock system? If yes, I was assuming that you wouldn't need to reset them.

It sounds as if the hand press is not as convenient to use as I was envisioning.


I have the hand press. Mainly used to deprime cases with the Lee universal decapper. I haven’t really used it for awhile.
I also have the Lee Auto breech Lock Pro and a Lee Breech lock Challenger Press. I also found that dies needed a slight adjustment swapping between the two (haven’t tried in hand press) which was a bit annoying as the convenience of having the breech lock system is swapping dies without resetting them.

I find the o frame style press easiest to used due to the side access to case. The frame of the Lee auto breech lock Pro seems to get in the way abit when I feed projectiles in. Probably just because I started o frame style. Dunno.

You can adapters to run the Lee breech lock in Rcbs/ Hornady press. But you’ll probably have to adjust dies between presses. Which you’d probably have do even if you went with another Lee press.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jul 2020, 4:34 pm

Cooper wrote:You can adapters to run the Lee breech lock in Rcbs/ Hornady press. But you’ll probably have to adjust dies between presses. Which you’d probably have do even if you went with another Lee press.


I can swap dies between my two Challenger presses with no measurable difference, I would assume a different design of press would be very unlikely to match the die set up of another design.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jul 2020, 4:39 pm

If they don't match, could you use a shim?
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jul 2020, 5:20 pm

Oldbloke wrote:If they don't match, could you use a shim?


I can't see how to make that work. The shell holder is tight in the ram so it can't be shimmed, and the interrupted thread can't be shimmed because it's a thread. About all you could do is make new shellholders for use in different presses. Having to adjust the dies is not really a big deal at all, I have to adjust bullet seating dies all the time because I play with lots of different bullets. It's especially quick and easy if you have some rounds to set them up on. Put a round in the shellholder, raise the ram to the top of the stroke, adjust the die down onto the bullet, lock it in place. But unless I'm doing a pile of ammo away from the bench it's just easier to do it on the bench press rather than set the dies up in the Hand Press then set them up again in the bench press. If you only use the Hand Press then it's a non-issue.

The interrupted thread pitch is 1.5mm but I wouldn't recommend trying to load with the die not tightened down.
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jul 2020, 5:32 pm

Place a shim between the die and press. Raising the die and matching the other press.

If you you get my meaning
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jul 2020, 5:39 pm

Put a shim here.

20200729_173751.jpg
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Re: Lee Breech Lock Hand Press- worth getting?

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jul 2020, 5:53 pm

Oldbloke wrote:Put a shim here.

20200729_173751.jpg


It's an interrupted thread though, shimming it just reduces the amount of contact of the thread. Half of the thread has been cut away leaving three sections, each about 12.5mm wide. If you shimmed it to be .75mm higher then you have halved the contact area of the thread.
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