The 1 add-on that almost every single stage press should have

[engineer40]

Currently I'm rocking a stout Lee Cast single stage and a Redding turret for my presses. I'm going through ammo so fast with some of my pistols and AR's, I really need to get a true progressive. So I've been doing a lot of research on progressive presses over the last couple weeks.

During my researching, it really surprised me the amount of people that hated their single stages "because they couldn't stand having to re-set their dies up every time".

The following is only my opinion and I'm sure there will be others who don't share it. I'm sharing this info to help our community here just in case there are others who don't know about these... Which became more apparent to me after my recent researching.

One of the best things I ever bought for my single stage press was the Hornady LNL Conversion Kit. For the most part, it will work on about every manufacture's single stage press.

Amazon.com : Hornady 44099 Lock N Load Conversion Kit : Gunsmithing Tools And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com : Hornady Lock N Load Die Bushing 10 Pack : Sports & Outdoors

-I spend 0 time setting up my dies because they are always preset and stay perfect.
-I can change out from one die to the next in about 2 seconds, not exaggerating.
-I produce very concentric ammo.
-My OAL stays consistent when I pull the die out and put it back into the press at a later date.

I can't actually think of any negative thing about using these for a better reloading experience. Hope this helps!

 

[ohiohunter]

-I spend 0 time setting up my dies because they are always preset and stay perfect.
-I can change out from one die to the next in about 2 seconds, not exaggerating.
-I produce very concentric ammo.
-My OAL stays consistent when I pull the die out and put it back into the press at a later date.

I can't actually think of any negative thing about using these for a better reloading experience. Hope this helps!

I don't get it?

Everything you mentioned is what I get out of my dies except I take maybe an extra 5sec to unscrew my dies.

 

[rcoody]

Currently I'm rocking a stout Lee Cast single stage and a Redding turret for my presses. I'm going through ammo so fast with some of my pistols and AR's, I really need to get a true progressive. So I've been doing a lot of research on progressive presses over the last couple weeks.

During my researching, it really surprised me the amount of people that hated their single stages "because they couldn't stand having to re-set their dies up every time".

The following is only my opinion and I'm sure there will be others who don't share it. I'm sharing this info to help our community here just in case there are others who don't know about these... Which became more apparent to me after my recent researching.

One of the best things I ever bought for my single stage press was the Hornady LNL Conversion Kit. For the most part, it will work on about every manufacture's single stage press.

Amazon.com : Hornady 44099 Lock N Load Conversion Kit : Gunsmithing Tools And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com : Hornady Lock N Load Die Bushing 10 Pack : Sports & Outdoors

-I spend 0 time setting up my dies because they are always preset and stay perfect.
-I can change out from one die to the next in about 2 seconds, not exaggerating.
-I produce very concentric ammo.
-My OAL stays consistent when I pull the die out and put it back into the press at a later date.

I can't actually think of any negative thing about using these for a better reloading experience. Hope this helps!

seems like if you use a lock ring on your dies and screw the die in till the lock ring is tight that would do it.

my co-ax just has a slot that the lock ring on the die slides into. Changing dies is no problem and settings stay the same until you decide to change them.

 

[NoFences]

Looks like an interesting addition. I'll have to try one out on one of my presses. Thanks for the tip.

 

[engineer40]

I don't get it?

Everything you mentioned is what I get out of my dies except I take maybe an extra 5sec to unscrew my dies.

seems like if you use a lock ring on your dies and screw the die in till the lock ring is tight that would do it.

my co-ax just has a slot that the lock ring on the die slides into. Changing dies is no problem and settings stay the same until you decide to change them.

I agree with both of you. This is just another option. During my reading it was really surprising me how often people were complaining about changing their dies in their presses. So I thought I would offer this info up.

They LNL bushings are still pretty dang convenient to use. Just look at the reviews from people.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'd just get a T-Mag and be done with it. You can buy additional turrets so you can set all your dies in each each turret and never fiddle with anything, plus it's a much stouter press than any Lee.

of course it costs more too.

 

[engineer40]

I'd just get a T-Mag and be done with it. You can buy additional turrets so you can set all your dies in each each turret and never fiddle with anything, plus it's a much stouter press than any Lee.

of course it costs more too.

It's no doubt that turret presses like the T Mag or the Redding T-7 can surely put out some great ammo.

I think I have concurred on about everything I've ever seen you post. And our differing opinions here most likely have no measurable outcome on ammo quality. However I can't believe that any turret press would be stronger or have less flex than my Lee Cast single stage press.

It would be a fun experiment to chain each press up to a couple 1 ton dually's to play tug-of-war and see which press gives out first. Using Ford trucks of course (to start another opinion battle).

 

[SidecarFlip]

It's no doubt that turret presses like the T Mag or the Redding T-7 can surely put out some great ammo.

I think I have concurred on about everything I've ever seen you post. And our differing opinions here most likely have no measurable outcome on ammo quality. However I can't believe that any turret press would be stronger or have less flex than my Lee Cast single stage press.

It would be a fun experiment to chain each press up to a couple 1 ton dually's to play tug-of-war and see which press gives out first. Using Ford trucks of course (to start another opinion battle).

I should have known but I didn't want to guess... We are a Ford family as well. MY BIL is a higher up over at SVO Dearborn., and of course I have a Ford pickup, diesel 4x4 so we could do that.....lol

I got to sit with Mullaly at his daughters (my niece's) wedding. Mark Fields too.

We went in our lugs your arse car... I have a Caddy Sedan Dewillie. I thought it would make a positive impression but everyone was too loaded to notice.

I keep using my Rockchucker, it's old and slow but good. I don't load a lot of pistola stuff so slow is good. with me.

I think I'm going to buy a 460 Smith X frame Hunter though, It intrigues me. I have a 27 2 screw 44 mag that I deer hunt with in northern Michigan with, I bought 45 acres near Big Rapids so I don't always have to go 'out west' to hunt.

Thats all I load pistol wise. Straight walled cases are so much easier than bottlenecks. No fiddling around with bumping or shoulder datums or neck tension. Size and decap, flare and seat and crimp. Pistol shooters don't know what they are missing....lol

...and I do use Lee dies for pistol loads. Lee dies with Hornady lock rings.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't get it?

Everything you mentioned is what I get out of my dies except I take maybe an extra 5sec to unscrew my dies.

Same here... I thought everyone knew to use the set-screws in the lock-rings to hold them in place so you don't have to reset your dies overtime.

But I will agree with the OP that those Hornady lock-n-load bushings are pretty cool, and they do make things a lot faster, and you don't have to unscrew your dies in and out each time, just a quick twist to lock-in or lock-out. I've been considering converting my RCIV to the L-N-L setup.

 

[Bravo 4]

One of the best things I ever bought for my single stage press was the Hornady LNL Conversion Kit.

Yep, been using them since they first came out.

 

[Trickymissfit]

one small question mark about this idea. Sizing a long strait walled case like a .405 Winchester or even a .444 will exert a lot of energy on the threads in use. The thread being something in the 1.25" diameter range will most certainly transfer that energy to the female threads in the press frame. Now the press is probably simple cast iron (I won't take it deeper here, but could), and of course the bushing is probably something like 8620 steel (it's much easier to turn 8620 than a generic CRS). Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that under extreme pressure the female threads are going to take a serious beating. The idea is right, but it looks to me like they saved a couple dollars by not having a replaceable sleeve for the 1.25" thread to go into.
gary

 

[SidecarFlip]

Good point Gary and why I've never considered the Lee Breech Lock system with the inserts. From a physical perspective, don't look like much in the way of accurate and repeatable locating there...

I like the rotating turret presses myself like the Lyman and the Redding.

 

[engineer40]

I think I'm going to buy a 460 Smith X frame Hunter though, It intrigues me. I have a 27 2 screw 44 mag that I deer hunt with in northern Michigan with, I bought 45 acres near Big Rapids so I don't always have to go 'out west' to hunt.

You know in that area you can hunt with a rifle cartridge right?

I'm very familiar with the Big Rapids area. I grew up in White Cloud, the exit before BR. And I now own some property in Reed City, the exit past BR.

 

[engineer40]

one small question mark about this idea. Sizing a long strait walled case like a .405 Winchester or even a .444 will exert a lot of energy on the threads in use. The thread being something in the 1.25" diameter range will most certainly transfer that energy to the female threads in the press frame. Now the press is probably simple cast iron (I won't take it deeper here, but could), and of course the bushing is probably something like 8620 steel (it's much easier to turn 8620 than a generic CRS). Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that under extreme pressure the female threads are going to take a serious beating. The idea is right, but it looks to me like they saved a couple dollars by not having a replaceable sleeve for the 1.25" thread to go into.
gary

I'm sure someone better than me could somehow measure the force exerted on the female threads in the scenario you describe. All of my engineering I do has to do with 1's and 0's, so I wouldn't even know where to start.

I can tell you I regularly test COAL and runout (both the case necks and after the bullet is seated) and I have outstanding results. In fact when I first bought my Sinclair concentricity gauge, I thought it may not be working because the dial wasn't moving on the first few rounds I tested. So I grabbed some mil-surp ammo and Yup, the gauge was definitely working.

At the end of the day we all do this to create accurate and repeatable results. I have been able to do that with these Hornady bushings.



I didn't have faith in the design of the Lee bushing system. I never used it, so I can't comment directly on it. The Hornady seemed like a better setup to me and that's why I went with it.

Turret presses are great! I have a Redding turret also.