Lee Handpress Question

[Garret7857]

Hello everyone,
I was going to get into reloading and due to space constraints, I settled on getting a Lee Hand Press next pay day and I was wondering if RCBS Dies work in it. I saw some threads online say they do, but the salesman at Cabelas said they won't work so I'm looking for some more input.

Thanks!

[Erud]

I don't own one personally, but I'm pretty sure any standard dies will work fine, including RCBS. Looking at it on the Lee web page, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't work.

[Seismic Sam]

Oh BOYOHBOYOHBOY!!!! OHHH! NUMMY NUMMY!!!

That being said, I think the original poster has the cart before the horse, and I would like to know what you mean by "Lee hand press". Is it the really cheap "whack-a-mole" kit, or is it a Lee manual turret reloading press? NEITHER of these is to be confused with a PROGRESSIVE press of ANY brand! I also get the feeling that you may have decided to buy stuff BEFORE you read a good reloading manual (like Lyman, Hornady, or Speer), and this is the most lethal and costly mistake you could possibly make. Seriously!! You need to LEARN how ALL this is done before you go out and spend ONE CENT on actual equipment, and you can get a tutor to help you PROVIDED you have RTFM "Read The EFFEN Manual" at least TWICE cover to cover!! Handloading is no joke, and when you are making ammo that can get up to 35,000 PSI or more, one screw up with the powder or the bullet seating can jack the pressure to the point that the gun will blow up, and it generally comes straight back in your face. Your attitude and desire to learn everything you can BEFORE you start reloading will determine what happens. Good luck!! It's a fun hobby, but TOTALLY demanding o the highest degree of care when you actually load ammo.

The 800 lb.reloading Troll....

[Erud]

I also get the feeling that you may have decided to buy stuff BEFORE you read a good reloading manual (like Lyman, Hornady, or Speer), and this is the most lethal and costly mistake you could possibly make. Seriously!!

"most lethal"?



PS - you are the weirdest dude on the whole internet.

[Pat Cannon]

If by 'Lee hand press' you mean this (the Wack-a-Mole as Sam says)...



...then I say, don't! I almost did but I went with a Lee turret kit instead and I'm really glad I did. It's the difference between rounds/minute and minutes/round. Here's the authoritative wisdom from this forum back in 2009: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=7381&p=75570

But I think you mean this (right?)...



...which would not be so bad. If you're going to be loading a few dozen at a time it'd be tolerable I think. If space is your limiting factor more than money, a single stage or turret press is still doable -- I've heard of guys clamping their press to one of those folding sawhorse workstands so they can tuck the whole thing away in a closet.

Oh and I see Lee sells this thing:

[Scratch]

Sam...


I'm assuming he means this and I don't know why RCBS dies wouldn't fit. Lee dies and RCBS dies have the same threads.

image.jpg (29.3 KB) Viewed 4281 times

But personally... I couldn't imagine using that for loading. I got a Lee anniversary kit with the breech lock press and decided it was way to slow after about a week. This one would be even slower than that. Maybe try to find a used single stage press to start with. Might find one for 60 bucks or so with some extra goodies... Ebay, craigslist....?

[Bearcatrp]

They fit. I have one and my rcbs dies fit. Lighten up sam.

[Seismic Sam]

Well so far, the regulars are all arguing about WTF a Lee hand press is, plus the matter of whether either of the two that take threaded dies will take other brands of dies. And yes, Erud, lethality can and regularly is rated in deaths per thousand or million exposures, with the bite of a black mamba having a lethality of (made up number here) 450/1000 victims, and the bite of a half-tone tintype of a lemur having a lethality of approximately 1 in 50 gazillion.

Meanwhile: could the original poster please tell us if he already has a reloading manual at least an inch thick, or plans to buy one AFTER he buys a press of some sort??

[P3 Orion]

I own a Lee hand press. It is an older version with 7/8x14 threads vs the newer models which have the breech lock system. While not an ideal press they will work. If I was to load 20-50 rounds it would work fine. More than that I would opt for something better. A single stage bench mounted or a turret type press would be better. Now if I had Sam's money, I would get a Dillon 1050 with a motor drive and never look back. All kidding aside, it is a limited, functional press. I use mine with a universal de-priming die and punch spent primers while watching old western movies. AND to answer your original question about compatible dies, take your pick, anything with the common 7/8 x 14 threads works fine.

[P3 Orion]

If you would like to try before you buy, PM me.

[Pat Cannon]

Sam's right about the manual being the first thing to get. Lyman's 49th Edition seems to be considered the gold standard. It's at Gunstop, and if you mention the "email special price", it's 15% off (whatever that comes to) through Thursday the 24th.

Ooh, but it's only $17.65 on Amazon, with free shipping if you're a Prime member. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MY ... 1_1&sr=8-1

[Garret7857]

Thanks for the replies everyone. And yes it was the hand press that looks like a C clamp kinda. I was kind of looking into the whack a mole one but then I discovered the hand press.

I figured a good starting setup for me would be the hand press, the RCBS .38spl/.357mag/.357Max die kit I saw at cabelas today, and clamp a Lee Perfect Powder Measure to my desk and I should be set to reload! I would get a progressive but I don't think I'm going to be loading hundreds of rounds in a day and finding space for it would be hard since I am moving into an apartment in the fall.

Thanks again everyone!

[Pat Cannon]

Oh, and the Lyman manual is one and five sixteenths inches thick.

[Garret7857]

Oh, and the Lyman manual is one and five sixteenths inches thick.

I'll order one tonight!

[hard h2o]

I started with a Lee "wack-a-mole" in .30-30.

I loaded many rounds with that thing. Gives you more of a feel for what goes into reloading and forces you to slow down and learn more than if you start off with one of those high dollar progressive units.

It is a more intimate way to reload. Gives your ammo a more artisan feel. I feel that my ammo now is more legitimate and authentic having used more primitive tools while I was learning the ropes.