So there is plenty of talk about progressives.
There are the usual comments about "new reloaders" & single stage.

I am contemplating replacing my single stage.
I'm not new to reloading.  I have a progressive.

The biggest issue... spent primers. They go all over.

There is the "old stand-by": Rock Chucker
The "bargain deal": Lee Classic cast

I thought about the lee.  Seems from what I read, you must use the priming arm for the catcher to work.
I've never used one, but I've seen this discussed more than once. I don't want to prime with it.

The Rock chucker... As best as I can tell, uses a tray.  More than once, I've read they bounce out.
I've read about modification to prevent this. Not rally interested in "fixing" a new press.

The Redding, supposedly uses a tube like my LnL AP.  That's appealing.

The Forster Co-Ax. Well... seems like the "perfect press" from what I read.  Kinda sounds like the
"Dillon" of the Single stage world. Price, Kool-aid, and all.  (I'm really leaning this way) BUT it's the most
expensive of everything I've found. I'm not into spending money for the sake of spending money.  
I WILL spend money for a WORTHWHILE increase in features & quality. A concern is mentions of
die clearance. Also about the locking system on the dies (requires crossbolt design)... not sure why.

Hornady... doesn't seem to have a good primer catch system.  Not sure why they don't use the LnL style system.

Prices seem to range from $100ish for Lee, $150ish for RCBS, Hornady, Redding, to $225ish for Forster.

I currently use a "spartan"... so...  And I have NO experience with the others.

Looking for thoughts, experience, & advice.
I want a press for precision rifle loading. I don't want to pick up primers off the floor.
I'm not buying another single stage after I buy this.

Get the RCBS Rock Chucker, add a straw and some blue tape. DryFlash will be along shortly with pics...  

It's hard to best the Hornady SS presses, I like mine so much I bought an extra just for trimming and other task that would normally require me to change dies even though they are a snap to change.



ETA: The primer catch tray on the Hornady works great and hasn't missed but maybe two primers in the K's I've de-primed, so don't let it having a primer tray sway you from thinking it may not work great.

Single stage is single stage as far as I'm concerned. When I bought my Lee Breech Lock it was with intention of owning Rock Chucker.

Son has one and have loaded with it. Nice press. When I went to order some how frugality took hold. What ever brand you decide is fine.

My only weight to your debate is primer tube. I wouldn't de-prime without it. Spent primers everywhere are history. Fill tube and empty, simple as that.

Tray on Rock Chucker isn't the greatest engineering feat RCBS has done to date. Breech Lock isn't much money either and I load all precision rounds

using it. Redding, Forster and RCBS dies work fine seated in press.

I have the Lee Classic Cast.

It comes with a large diameter clear tube that is slipped over a nipple at the bottom of the hollow ram.

I cut a round hole in the top of a margarine tub and slipped it over the bottom of the tube.

Then a put a hose clamp on the tube, underside of the margarine top.

Then I snapped the base onto the top ............ instant spent primer catcher that is easily emptied.

The ram has a slot at the top where the primer seaters fit in (included).  Here I put two layers of cardboard, cut to fit in the slot and no more.  This way the primers dropped down (instead of out the side which they sometimes did) and there was no interference with the full travel of the ram.

My Hornady press catches primers in the cup just fine.

I'll tell you my favorite press for depriming...



It catches primers amazingly reliably.  But it's not just the reliability, but where the primers go.  There's no wankery cup to try and wiggle off of the press, spilling primers if it's too full... see that vertical slot in the press?  The primers fall into the body of the press.  I have a large hole drilled through the table under the body of the press, and the primers fall through into a glass jar.  I could gather 10,000 primers in that jar easily, and to empty it... I just grab the jar, dump, and call it good.

I deprimed close to 2,000 rounds on it this week alone, for exactly that reason.  My Rockchucker felt neglected.    I've had a lot of mileage for $25 with this press.

Mine does as well.  No problems whatsoever.  I would go with the Hornady SS, especially if I already had a LNL AP.

GlutealCleft uses a system very similar to mine. I simply placed a cardboard box under the table to catch spent primers after using a router to hog a drop hole through the bench. I've used this cheap press dedictaed solely for depriming for probably 20+ years. I had to modify the opening with a Dremel tool to widen the primer's passage way.

If you already have the LNL AP, you can calibrate the LNL Classic to it, so you can swap dies between them.

I'm new to all this so take this for what it's worth but I researched the shit out of single stage presses before buying and I ended up with a Redding Big Boss II press and I'm very happy with it. Very solid machine (more so then the RC, Hornady's and Lee's Ive seen) and the spent primer setup works like a charm.

The only problem with Redding stuff is it is really marked up high by most places and they are very slow about getting product out. The place I ordered mine from sold it to me for $130 (average street price is ~$180) but it took 4-5 months to get it. Now that same place doesn't even carry Redding stuff anymore, I assume because they got sick of the wait times too.

If the Redding Big Boss II is anything like the T-7(and it is), then it's an excellent press. I love my T-7.

As pictured above...........some presses just beg to have modifications done to "improve" functioning.

FOR ME................

My LEE M1000 is sort of like that LEE C press (only the used primer access hole is more like the entire hollow base).   Anyway, I thought about cutting out the bench and letting the used primers fall into a cup/container placed under it.  But, I didn't want to weaken the bench.  So, I chose to let them accumulate.  

Now, when the space if full......I vaccum up the used primers, do some bench cleaning and do some press maintenence (oil/grease the moving parts etc...).  

I figure that way.......I remember to do the needed maintenence.

YMWV.

Aloha, Mark

You don't have to use the priming feature on the Lee. Just drop the priming arm in the slot to keep the primers from popping out of the ram and deprime. The priming system works at the bottom of the down stroke.

This press is built like a tank and for the money it's a bargain. I use mine to swage .45 jacketed hollow points from .40 brass so that should give you an idea of just how strong this press is.

I am a relatively new owner of a Co-Ax. I just received it about 2 weeks ago. So far I love it and don't anticipate that to change anytime soon.

I have a Dillon 550 and also a Lee Challenger prior to getting the Co-Ax. I have managed to break the handle toggles twice on my Lee press. The first time was the cast aluminum toggles and the second time was the newer steel models. The second time all I was doing was using a Lee FCD to put a light crimp on and the toggle snapped. In all fairness Lee was good about getting me replacement parts (I had to pay the first time though). I just decided it was time for a better, more reliable press.

Enter the Co-Ax...currently I only have it mounted to the bench with 2 c-clamps. It does not move and is rock solid. It's in the same spot my Lee press was bolted to and the Lee used to rock forward on the down stroke of the handle. Admittedly that is due to a design flaw of my bench top, but its a non-issue with the Co-Ax.

To date I have deprimed about 120 pcs of brass, sized the same 120 pcs, and fully loaded and seated only 10 rounds. In my first foray in to getting my seating die adjusted I completely crushed the shoulder of a 6.8 round. The thing is that even though I crushed it I was totally surprised when I raised the ram and saw the case. I had no idea that I had just put that much force on it. The leverage this press provides is phenomenal.

The one limitation I have found so far is the use of my RCBS collet bullet puller. The handle design of the Co-Ax does interfere with that. I will remount my Lee once I rebuild and rearrange my bench.


ETA: Oh and I just love how my spent primers end up in that nice little jar at the bottom of the press. Works like a charm!

I love my Big Boss II, but wish I had of bought a T-7 - woulda saved me a lot of screwing/unscrewing pistol dies.

I also have a Lee Classic Cast.  I never attached the primer arm, I use a hand primer tool.  I haven't had a problem with spent primers getting away, they all go down the plastic hose into a bucket on the floor.


mm

I set my T-7 head up months ago, and haven't had to touch the dies since.



 

Lots of opinions. I expected as much.... and they are appreciated.
Most people seem to "like their press"... whatever it might be.

I'm not a fan of mine.  It was given to me many years ago, acquired in a batch of "stuff" and not wanted.
Basically... "You can have that if you want it." I took it... (and later his daughter )
...it worked fine for many years. Still "works".

Some presses brag about power. Some brag about "virtually no run out & self aligning".

Anybody can say what "they do"... but that doesn't mean the others don't.
My little old "Spartan" doesn't have much "leverage"... but it sizes 8mm ok.
It throws primers... EVERYWHERE.
It seems to load accurate ammo... (I've shot .33 MOA groups with ammo loaded on it)

IS THERE a difference as far as what quality ammo a single stage will produce?
Or are they pretty much the same?

I don't hear Forster brag about very little run out, I hear users of the press make those claims. I do hear Forster brag about power and I can confirm they are right about that.

I would pick a Redding T-7 over a standard single stage any day.  

Built SOLID and work great!  

They have a tube to catch the primers.  It can be made longer to go into a larger container.

FH