User Panel
Posted: 4/14/2018 7:49:48 PM EDT
I've been eager to see more about the new Auto Breech and Lee finally seems to be shipping. I was interested in getting one as a back-up. Something progressive I can use for the stuff I load but don't shoot a ton of.
Now, after seeing that the press has no automatic primer system, my interest has dropped to about zero. I have no real desire to deftly pick up and place each primer in the arm. And I've used the Safety Prime (or tried to use) on my Turret. It is less than ideal. The only way I can see the Auto Breech having much value is if I process and then prime off press. That may be what Lee expects most users to do. I guess that's not the worst thing in the world but I still think a lack of a real primer system is a deal killer. Anyone else agree? Or am I missing something? Thanks. I'd like to add that I generally like Lee stuff. I use Lee dies for pretty much all my pistols and some of my rifles. The Turret Press is a handy and uncomplicated machine that works well for most applications. The Auto Drum is a reliable and accurate dispenser. Heck. I even like the cheap little Lee balance beam powder scale. |
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[#1]
It has a manual priming system,
https://leeprecision.com/safety-primer-feed-small-and-large.html As for the way the system works, you use the safety primer to load a primer into the cup isntead. Hence will work like this below, but on the on the auto breach press instead. And yes, you have to push the pacman every top of stroke to load a primer into the primer ram cup each time, so it not like the pro or loadmaster system that will auto load the primer in the primer ram on it's own. https://youtu.be/YwqOpknjsZI |
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[#2]
Sure. So why make a progressive press that has a single primer arm that has to be individually fed? And have you used the Safety Prime? I fiddled with mine quite a bit--including as per the video linked above--but was never happy with it.
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[#3]
Not sold as a progressive press, but as the world fastest single stage press instead.
Go to the third video on this page if you don't believe me, https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html |
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[#4]
<snip> this being a Lee thread, the topic is Lee equipment.
You want to espouse the virtues of another make of press, start your own thread. Part of this being a Technical Forum is that we don't talk down to others about their choice of equipment. dryflash3 |
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[#6]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbWBdYJuQ2E
That guys is still getting used to the manual primer deal. He missed one just in demonstration. |
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[#7]
I'm with you OP. I can't imagine buying a progressive that requires manually priming.
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[#8]
Quoted:
It has a manual priming system, https://leeprecision.com/safety-primer-feed-small-and-large.html As for the way the system works, you use the safety primer to load a primer into the cup isntead. Hence will work like this below, but on the on the auto breach press instead. And yes, you have to push the pacman every top of stroke to load a primer into the primer ram cup each time, so it not like the pro or loadmaster system that will auto load the primer in the primer ram on it's own. https://youtu.be/YwqOpknjsZI View Quote |
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[#9]
Quoted:
Wait, LEE has a priming system that works? Why don't they use it with all of their presses. I live my turret, except for the safety prime. I've gotten to the point I don't even use it. View Quote I bet most owners do something similar and I'm sure the bad Safety Prime experiences far outnumber the good. Heck, they'd have been better off making the Auto Breech run on APS strips. |
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[#10]
Quoted: When I load on my Turret I'll either prime manually (if I'm only loading a small batch I'll drop them into the seater one at a time) or size/deprime first and then prime off the press. I bet most owners do something similar and I'm sure the bad Safety Prime experiences far outnumber the good. Heck, they'd have been better off making the Auto Breech run on APS strips. View Quote |
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[#11]
Melvin
I don’t have the press you bought, but I do run a safety prime (mine is old now, has a black primer flip tray on it, not a white one) on a Lee cast single. The combo does an awesome job of seating primers to the correct depth and loading primers on the arm ..for me. It’s one of my favorite features of the press. Make sure your primer arm is aligned with the safety drop/pez dispenser if yours isn’t working would be about the only thing of potential value I can add (and make sure you have the correct large/small primer arm installed. Hope you get yours dialed in...am with you, loading primers one by one by hand would be a show stopper/no way to go through life. Video in action (not mine, not sure why this guy is holding brass cockeyed) |
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[#12]
What an odd combination of features.
I'm also a little confused about the supposed advantage of breech lock over the turrets, which cost what, $12 a piece (yes, I'm sure the real answer is they make more per unit off bushings)? Seems a 4 hole pro 1000 would have been better, especially if they're just writing off on press priming anyway. I assume they will address the shortcomings with add-on parts shortly after release. |
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[#13]
Quoted:
Melvin I don’t have the press you bought, but I do run a safety prime (mine is old now, has a black primer flip tray on it, not a white one) on a Lee cast single. The combo does an awesome job of seating primers to the correct depth and loading primers on the arm ..for me. It’s one of my favorite features of the press. Make sure your primer arm is aligned with the safety drop/pez dispenser if yours isn’t working would be about the only thing of potential value I can add (and make sure you have the correct large/small primer arm installed. Hope you get yours dialed in...am with you, loading primers one by one by hand would be a show stopper/no way to go through life. Video in action (not mine, not sure why this guy is holding brass cockeyed) View Quote Also, by most accounts, the old Safety Prime with the round tray works better than the new style with the folding tray. Mine is the new style with the folding tray. |
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[#14]
Quoted:
Just to clarify; I do not have one of these new Auto Breech presses. My experience with the Safety Prime comes from using one on a Turret Press. Also, by most accounts, the old Safety Prime with the round tray works better than the new style with the folding tray. Mine is the new style with the folding tray. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
Melvin I don’t have the press you bought, but I do run a safety prime (mine is old now, has a black primer flip tray on it, not a white one) on a Lee cast single. The combo does an awesome job of seating primers to the correct depth and loading primers on the arm ..for me. It’s one of my favorite features of the press. Make sure your primer arm is aligned with the safety drop/pez dispenser if yours isn’t working would be about the only thing of potential value I can add (and make sure you have the correct large/small primer arm installed. Hope you get yours dialed in...am with you, loading primers one by one by hand would be a show stopper/no way to go through life. Video in action (not mine, not sure why this guy is holding brass cockeyed) Also, by most accounts, the old Safety Prime with the round tray works better than the new style with the folding tray. Mine is the new style with the folding tray. |
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[#15]
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[#16]
Lee Breech Lock Pro First Impressions |
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[#17]
I've been very successful with the Safety Prime system on my Classic Cast Turret Press. This process looks very similar to my current process. I just expect to be about 4 times faster than the turret press which should work out to be about 800 rounds per hour.
I'm hoping the unit I pre-ordered arrives soon. I want to use it to bulk load 9mm and 45 ACP, I'll do my low volume calibers on the turret press. |
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[#18]
I see a lot of people slamming the Lee Safety Prime System, and although I don't use it for really high volume work (I have an XL650 for that), I find that it works just fine and have no problems with it.
There are a few YT videos (if they have not been taken down) that show how to adjust and tune the Safety Prime. I am not saying it is as convenient as the XL650 system, but it is functional for sure. I agree that it is not totally automated, but on my XL650, I do not have a bullet feeder, so I am still manually placing the bullets on the charged cases, at least the new Lee unit has an automated bullet feeder option that is fairly reasonably priced. I could trade the bullet loading for the Safety Prime and be OK. |
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[#19]
Quoted:
The general consensus is the old version works way better than the new one. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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[#20]
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[#21]
^^This^^
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[#22]
Quoted:
this being a Lee thread, the topic is Lee equipment. You want to espouse the virtues of another make of press, start your own thread. Part of this being a Technical Forum is that we don't talk down to others about their choice of equipment. dryflash3 View Quote Back on topic, I hope that the free market responds and gives us a better priming solution for this as a $200-ish progressive press would be good for the shooting community period. |
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[#23]
Quoted: I hope that the free market responds and gives us a better priming solution for this as a $200-ish progressive press would be good for the shooting community period. View Quote When I first caught wind of this new press I had visions of it being some sort of offshoot or update of the Pro1000. Basically a Pro but with four die stations and a longer stroke to allow for more rifle cartridges. Would a Pro1000 that can be used to load 308 not be welcomed? Lee might still have such a press in the works. I hope they do. |
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[#24]
Quoted:
That was absolutely not my intention and my words were misunderstood. Back on topic, I hope that the free market responds and gives us a better priming solution for this as a $200-ish progressive press would be good for the shooting community period. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Quoted:
this being a Lee thread, the topic is Lee equipment. You want to espouse the virtues of another make of press, start your own thread. Part of this being a Technical Forum is that we don't talk down to others about their choice of equipment. dryflash3 Back on topic, I hope that the free market responds and gives us a better priming solution for this as a $200-ish progressive press would be good for the shooting community period. |
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[#25]
Best price I've seen so far. But not currently in stock:
https://www.natchezss.com/lee-auto-breech-lock-pro-progressive-press.html |
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[#26]
Quoted:
^^This^^ View Quote From the start, you want debur/clean, and then grease all the part of the bullet feeder. Hence as the lever is pulling the split finger piece forward in assembly via the lever rod, you don't want any kind of binding there, or on the hex shaft to the assembly. Now the weight part, as the lever rod is pulling the lower split finger part forward, all the lower plastic parts (including the U body section) all the way down on the hex shaft until it gets the bullet to the center of the die, then it can cam the lower plastic parts/bullet upwards next. So what you do is make a block chunk of lead that will fit in the back U slot that is center milled so the top of bolt does not bind up on the lead block. Also, the back of block has a channel to fit on the back end of us slot to hold it in place. This keep the lower plastic sections all the down as the bullet is being feed to the center of the die, then the lever at the last moment will pull the entire lower section/bullet up on the hex shaft to center the bullet in the die. Hence without the added weight on the plastic pieces, the lower section/bullet feed slip piece will rise up to drag the bullet on the bottom of the tool head before it gets to the center of the die, and this causes problems with the bullet square to the die/ or the bullet just knocked off the slip bullet holder isntead. I don't have one of the lead blocks handy, but will post a photo of one the next time I make one for one the lads when mod'g a machine for them. Also to point out, this block is used with the feed return spring in play as well, which help to keep the lower section down even with light weight bullets in play until the bullet has reached the center of the die before it being lifted upwards. https://leeprecision.net/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/290/22/bullet-feed-return-spring-attachment As for the split bullet feed piece, it plastic, so does have a limited life over all; but cheap enough that if you do have to buy a few spares to keep on hand, not the end of the world. Is it as good as a Mr bullet feeder die (or even mod'd Hornady bullet feeder), not by a long shot, but if you are on say a machine that you don't have an extra station to add in a bullet feeder die, then it can be made to work on the lee machines. |
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[#27]
Quoted:
Not sold as a progressive press, but as the world fastest single stage press instead. Go to the third video on this page if you don't believe me, https://leeprecision.com/auto-breech-lock-pro.html View Quote Seriously, thanks for posting link. Definitely has my interest. |
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[#28]
I sent LEE Customer Service an email late last week asking them why they chose to use a manually-fed (or manually operated) primer system on this new press. I just got the reply a few minutes ago:
Thank you for your feed back. While we term the new press as a progressive, it's intended market is for all levels of reloaders, and can be modified to the user's preference. It can be used as a single stage, and later on down the road, should the user want to increase their production, they are able to using the same press in a more progressive manner, depending on what accessories they are comfortable with. Because so many people have an issue with primer feeding on the progressive presses, we decided to use the single stage press feeder. Thank You, Laine Customer Service Lee Precision, Inc. 4275 Highway U Hartford, WI 53027 phone: 262-673-3075 fax: 262-673-9273 |
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[#29]
Trust be told, I could mod the machine to take a lee pro-1000 priming system in about a half hour, or just take an extra 20 mins to just mod it to take a tube type primer system instead.
But that is not what the machine is all about, but instead as stated, a fast single stage press isntead. |
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[#30]
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[#31]
I know one loader who sizes on a single stage, hand primes/bench primes........Then does the rest on a Hornady LnL AP.....and is happy as a clam!
Knowing him he'll probably buy a couple of these new Lees as just what the doctor ordered, and set them up for different calibers. |
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[#32]
Quoted:
The general consensus is the old version works way better than the new one. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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[#33]
In exchanging a few emails with one of Lee's customer service employees, I learn that there's a new and improved Safety Prime now. This has been available since July of 2017 and can be distinguished from previous models by grey trough and triggers sections.
Mine is a fairly recent purchase but it isn't this new gray system. I'll have to send it back to Lee and have it exchanged for the latest version. |
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[#35]
I am interested in this press. It may finally get me off of my single stage that I have used for the past 10yrs. Not that I won't use the single any more, but it will be used for precision rifle only.
I don't shoot enough volume to justify a true progressive press. |
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[#36]
I just bought one. I have a Hornady progressive with case feeder, but once it's configured, I hate changing calibers. I think I'll just leave it as my .223 station and use this for some of the pistol calibers. I tend to prime off press anyway, so the primer feed doesn't bother me. Hand priming just has a better feel for me. We'll see how it goes! If it works well, they are cheap enough to set up one each for a few different calibers.
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[#37]
Quoted:
I just bought one. I have a Hornady progressive with case feeder, but once it's configured, I hate change calibers. I think I'll just leave it as my .223 station and use this for some of the pistol calibers. I tend to prime off press anyway, so the primer feed doesn't bother me. Hand priming just has a better feel for me. We'll see how it goes! If it works well, they are cheap enough to set up one each for a few different calibers. View Quote Priming off press is a hassle but so is dealing with a few turds out of each batch. |
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[#38]
That's one of the main reasons I prime off press. Makes it easier to feel how I did swaging the pockets and no dealing with mashed up primers. I can feel it before it happens.
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[#39]
I got one haven't taken it out of the box yet. At the very least it will speed up resizing .223.
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[#40]
Short video if it in action.
Lee Auto Breech Lock Pro Demonstration |
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[#41]
I just saw this I have been loading for years on a single stage lee everything I shoot except 30-06 and 22lr. I load thousands and thousands of 9mm and just started looking for something like this! I want something like this that I don't have to pull the handle 400 times to produce 100 rds.... but still have the ability to go slow and make sure everything is working right. I use the old round lee safety prime system on my single stage and love it, I would actually prefer that the press have that system because I have seen lots of trouble out of automatic primer feeds on vids and forums. This thing really has my intrest
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[#42]
Quoted:
I just saw this I have been loading for years on a single stage lee everything I shoot except 30-06 and 22lr. I load thousands and thousands of 9mm and just started looking for something like this! I want something like this that I don't have to pull the handle 400 times to produce 100 rds.... but still have the ability to go slow and make sure everything is working right. I use the old round lee safety prime system on my single stage and love it, I would actually prefer that the press have that system because I have seen lots of trouble out of automatic primer feeds on vids and forums. This thing really has my intrest View Quote I'm hoping to really speed up production of 9mm and 45ACP so I don't get annoyed with reloading those calibers. I'll keep the turret press for low volume stuff. I'll let you know how it goes when the press arrives. |
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[#43]
Mine is out for delivery today. FYI, Dan at Inline Fabrication already has mounts ready to accept this new press. I just placed a big order since I'm setting up all new shop at the new house. Time to get organized!
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[#44]
So what's the consensus among early adopters? Are you happy with this new press? How's the primer system working?
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