[fremont]

This is the aluminum/cast press (3 triangular mounting holes) that used to be included with the Richard Lee book. (They're around $27 in the mail order houses.)

Was using, ironically, the Lee collet die which suggests your thread down the die at least one full turn to get proper closure on the neck collet. This puts some torque on the press, obviously. Heard a rather loud POP and the base of the press (behind where the top of the ram is at the bottom of its travel) was bilaterally cracked. Guess it had enough of my toggling over with the collet die....

I'd gotten lazy over the years and just used this press instead of putting my Rockchucker back on. Took less space, etc. It also loaded some great ammo. Well, with hunting season less than a month away, the RCBS goes back on! (But, I'm buying another little Lee as a backup.)

 

[mattsbox99]

You can break a lot of Lee's for the price of a better press. I'm not about to find out though! RCBS, MEC, & Dillon on my bench!

 

[jmortimer]

Contact Lee Precision - they might replace it.

 

[jaguarxk120]

You can break a lot of Lee's for the price of a better press. I'm not about to find out though! RCBS, MEC, & Dillon on my bench!

Plus one on that, spend a few extra dollars once and never look back.

 

[mac266]

RCBS, MEC, & Dillon on my bench!

That's exactly what my bench looks like!!! RCBS Rockchucker for all rifle ammo, plus a few handgun rounds I don't shoot a lot of. Dillon 550 for mass producing pistol rounds, MEC 650 jr. for 12 gauge.

 

[unclenick]

Not me. I keep all the presses set up. The Lee Challenger is on a plastic loading pedestal that Midway used to sell, so I can pick it up and move it around to different benches easily. It gets to do a lot of decapping and sizing with Lee bullet sizing dies, etc.

Unusual to break a Challenger. Sounds like pretty enthusiastic collet sizing. But, if it's over 2 years old, its out of warranty, unfortunately. Still, you could ask Lee if they will sell you just the frame as a replacement part?

Be careful using the Rock Chucker with the collet die, as it can cam-over, which might squeeze the necks a little too aggressively? I think the reason you screw that die down a full turn is mostly just to close the collet, but a portion of that is to keep the handle from bottoming on its stops. This is so you get a certain closing pressure on the case without just pushing against the Lee's overcam prevention stop. This method is used because some case necks (especially with mixed brass or brass that has been reloaded different numbers of times) are thicker than others, and therefore are correctly resized with the handle at slightly different positions.

 

[Bird Dog II]

You can break a lot of Lee's for the price of a better press. I'm not about to find out though! RCBS, MEC, & Dillon on my bench!

I tell you what, if you can ever break a Lee Classic Cast (Iron) Single Stage Press, you have been taking the same stuff that made Barry Bonds hat and shoe size go up 30% It is evey bit as strong as a Rock Chucker (which I like very much also).

 

[Leosniper]

Unclenick is right on the money. The collet die needs to close in order to work properly. I've had virgin brass crunch from over-tightened collet die. I'd star off at 1/2 turn and go from there.
If you broke your Lee Press, I'd imagine that you can call Lee Precision and they'll make it right for you. I have owned both RCBS and Lee presses. My brother just broke a part on his Lee Press after 30 years of faithful reloading of everything from 9mm to 300 Win Mag. I'm still a firm believer of Lee products.

 

[scott0116]

You can get the classic cast online for about $77.00. It's better than a rock chucker and just as good as the redding bb2 as it has stronger linkage. I actually broke a bench using it to swage linotype! I have at one time or another owned every press lee has made with the exception of the hand press, but i always set limits to what i thought they could accomplish. The little c frame reloader that you broke was only used to size bullets and deprime.

 

[mattsbox99]

The only thing I don't like about RCBS is that they now outsource their Rockchucker frames.

 

[scott0116]

The only thing I don't like about RCBS is that they now outsource their Rockchucker frames.

At least the quality is still the same! The thing i like about the Lee and Reddings is the spent primer tubes. Some claim the Lee is stronger than the rc because the ram is slightly larger, but the ram is just a 1 1/8" hollow steel tube. The rc is probably still the best choice for people that use the ch swage dies.

 

[StretchNM]

At least the quality is still the same! The thing i like about the Lee and Reddings is the spent primer tubes. Some claim the Lee is stronger than the rc because the ram is slightly larger, but the ram is just a 1 1/8" hollow steel tube. The rc is probably still the best choice for people that use the ch swage dies.

Scott, the ram is a solid chunk of 1-1/8" machined steel with a small hole in it for primers to escape. It is certainly not a "tube" in the language we would use talking about presses.

The RC may be the best press for someone who might leave their press in their driveway behind their truck....because you also get the oppurtunity to buy an insurance policy when you buy one. As it stands, however, it is just slightly inferior to the Lee Classic Cast (which, coupled with replacement insurance policy, might, to some, explain the RC's slightly superior price).

 

[fremont]

I put my RC back on the bench and ordered another $26 Lee aluminum cast for backup. I'd frankly be sorta embarrassed to ask Lee to replace it.

 

[ranger335v]

" Some claim the Lee is stronger than the rc because the ram is slightly larger, but the ram is just a 1 1/8" hollow steel tube."

That may be true but the real issue is that a larger diameter ram (and hole) means there is a larger contact area and that reduces long term wear. Add the fact that primers/grit get directed down the small center hole to keep the ram clean GREATLY reduces ram and hole wear for a much extended press life.

I can't imagine putting enough lever pressure on my two little Lee "Reloader" presses to pop the bases off. All the Collet Die requires is about 20 pounds of lever pressure anyway, no matter how much harder we press down the necks won't get any smaller than the mandrel.

It would be quite easy to pop the top off those dies on my RC II. No matter what press they get used on it takes some care to use them correctly.

 

[MMichaelAK]

Sounds like you got it covered Fremont. Lee makes a great press for the money. I wish the rest of the manufacturers wold take a page frmo Richard Lee and rather than charge more for paint, make it easier for new people to get into reloading. The more of us there are, the better.

 

[scott0116]

Scott, the ram is a solid chunk of 1-1/8" machined steel with a small hole in it for primers to escape. It is certainly not a "tube" in the language we would use talking about presses.

Not the classic cast press, the ram is a thin hollow tube. I took the ram insert off just to see how large the hole was leading to the plastic disposal tube.

 

[jaguarxk120]

If the first press broke why would you buy a second? The idea is to purchase a press of greater quality so it won't break!

You can lead horse to water but you can't make him drink

 

[Bird Dog II]

Sounds like you got it covered Fremont. Lee makes a great press for the money. I wish the rest of the manufacturers wold take a page frmo Richard Lee and rather than charge more for paint, make it easier for new people to get into reloading. The more of us there are, the better.

Amen to that. God forbid, but another six years with our current.... (uhm...trying to stay non-political) ....situation and there is no telling what kind of crazy restrictions will come down from Washington.

Lord above, please grant the 5 constructionist members of our supreme court with great health!

 

[mac266]

If the first press broke why would you buy a second? The idea is to purchase a press of greater quality so it won't break!

Yep. The only Lee products I currently use are a few die sets. I like their factory crimp die, and their carbide dies are cost-effective. Other than those, I've replaced everything Lee with RCBS, Hornady, MEC, Lyman, or Dillon. ALL of those brands are good, as is Redding (just don't have anything made by them). Really what it boils down to is this: For reloading equipment, if it's not Lee, it's probably good quality.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Mac you gotta try out Redding stuff, the dies are a work of art. Some day I'll get a Ultra Mag press, that's gotta be the best around. But right now I have to make do with the RCBS A2 and a Hollywood Universal.