RCBS dies in a Lee Press

[ScotchMan]

Extremely new to reloading (have not produced a round yet), I am setting up my Lee Pro 1000 press. I've got it 99% set up, I accidentally broke the powder measure chain putting it on too tight so I need to get another one.

Anyway, I got the 9mm set from Lee, and I bought RCBS .38 special dies. When I put the dies in the press, the attachment from the powder measurer does not thread into the RCBS die. I have read everywhere, and was told by the salesperson, that the dies would work in a Lee press. Anyone familiar with this?

I also found out the .38 special cases won't fit in my shellholder...but I know how to fix that, get a new shellholder.

 

[abelacres]

Lee has powder through expanding dies.
As far as I know, RCBS does not.

 

[ScotchMan]

So it won't work?

 

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

The salesman was correct...the dies do fit in the press. BUT, as stated above, you wont be able to use your pro auto disc. Lee's dies are powder thru, as stated above. And, as far as I know, RCBS does not make such dies. Just buy the Lee powder thru expander die for 38/357. Good luck!

 

[mehavey]

Extremely new to reloading....

You haven't lost a thing. In fact you may have saved yourself some real grief.

Learn your reloading without all the auto/progressive razz-ma-tazz. Use the press as a single stage in batch mode -- size all cases in the batch at once. Change to the deprimer/expander die and run all cases again. Prime all the cases. Fill all the cases using a scale (or calibrated/self-made dipper) at one time. Check all the cases for powder at one time. Seat all the bullets at one time, ...and consider crimping them all at one time too.

These are lessons you will never forget, and will give you invaluable insight as to what you are looking for if/when you finally go progressive.

 

[Lost Sheep]

mehavey's advice is good. Learning on a progressive is kind of like learning to walk wearing roller skates. It can be done, but it is a lot easier if you start out wearing regular shoes.

You can do it. But it is easier to do if you pretend your Pro-1000 is a single-stage for a while.

I never did get comfortable with trying to watch my Pro-1000 presses performing three operations at once. Trying to keep track of multiple simultaneous events was just beyond my powers of observation.

But all of that is beside the point.

First, if your powder measure is an auto-disk (a likely assumption), and you have the spring and "F" lever to substitute for the chain and "T" lever, you can operate satisfactorily. I did on my Pro-1000s for three decades before I even knew there was a "T" lever and chain.

Second, the Lee Pro Auto-disk is designed to work in conjunction with the Lee Powder-through and expansion die. As IllinoisCoyoteHunter and abelacres have intimated, I don't think the Lee Auto-Disk powder measure can work with the RCBS Dies.

The salesperson who told you the Lee Powder Measure would work on a Lee Press is (technically, and in a limited sense) correct. The Lee Auto-Disk will work on virtually ANY press. However, he completely missed the point. As far as I know, the Lee Autodisk will ONLY work with Lee Dies. It does not matter what press they are mounted in. The measure actually mounts on the die. Only the chain (if you use it) connects to any part of the press.

I was once sold (against my will-they changed my order without checking with me) a standard Auto-disk because the salesman thought the Pro-autodisk would not work with my Turret press. Wrong. Just because a guy works in sales for a company does not mean he knows diddly about the product.

One of the nice things (for me, at least) about Lee is that they provide the appropriate shellholder with every set of dies. No other die maker does that. It actually makes sense, since many shell holders fit different cartridges. If you load that family of cartridges, you just wind up with extra shellholders, or if you use a progressive (as you do) the single shell holder Lee provides free is of no use at all. For your progressive you will need the shell plate (shell holder) for the 38 Special. The 9mm plate will not work, as you have discovered.

Many loaders not only buy the shell holder for their different cartridges, but buy the entire carrier (primer feed, carrier, shell plate, the whole assembly) to make caliber changes more convenient.

Good Luck

Lost Sheep

 

[ScotchMan]

Thanks for the advice. I'm about to head back to the shop and get my money back for the RCBS dies. I can get the Lee set online, with shellholder, for a lot cheaper anyway.

 

[lee n. field]

Anyway, I got the 9mm set from Lee, and I bought RCBS .38 special dies. When I put the dies in the press, the attachment from the powder measurer does not thread into the RCBS die. I have read everywhere, and was told by the salesperson, that the dies would work in a Lee press. Anyone familiar with this?

I have basically that setup.

You will need to buy a lee .38 belling die, which the powder measure will mount to the top of. They can be had separately. Right here:
Lee Powder Through Expander Die 38 Special, 357 Magnum
, $10.49 from Midway.

Hmm. The pro 1000 comes set up for one cartridge. Did you get this used, or set up for something else?

The Pro 1000 is not a fun press to start with.

 

[ScotchMan]

I ended up returning the dies, got my $45 back. Now I can buy the proper Lee dies for $27 and get the shellholder too.

I got it new, it was (and is) set up for 9mm. But I want to reload .38 as well. I've decided I'll tackle that project later if I don't get a second press for it.

I got the Pro 1000 because it is inexpensive and my friend just started reloading with it and had nothing but good things to say. I'm in it for the cost savings, not for the tweaking or trying new loads. I will identify the loading that is most similar to my defense ammo and then make lots and lots of it for practice; I don't plan on making any other loadings within a given caliber. So for me, volume is the most important aspect.

I will, of course, be careful and start slow and double check things. But once it is set up and I know its working, I want to crank out ammo quickly.

 

[lee n. field]

I got it new, it was (and is) set up for 9mm. But I want to reload .38 as well. I've decided I'll tackle that project later if I don't get a second press for it.

You realize you'll need to get a different shell plate for .38 too, right? And, you'll have to disassemble the Pro 1000 to replace the shell plate, and readjust it once reassembled. Don't worry, it's not such a big deal.

I got my Pro 1000 3 or 4 years ago, and have a fair bit of experience with it now.

With the .38, because of the depth of the case, it is difficult to examine the case by sight to make sure powder has dropped. I've had, so far, two squibs from .38 loaded on the Pro 1000. I've about decided to go back to loading .38 Special on my single stage press, at least for the charging, seating and crimping steps. Sizing, priming and belling I'll do on the Pro 1000.

 

[Sevens]

Sizing, priming and belling I'll do on the Pro 1000.

I do all my handgun in exactly that manner. (well, except for .30 Carbine)

I bought a used Pro-1000 set up for 9mm. I bought shell plates for .380/.327, .38/357, can do .40 and 10 on the 9mm plate, bought the .45 shell plate and I still need to grab the .44 Mag plate.

Already had all the dies. Snagged a handful of 3-hole turrets. I have put maybe $100 extra to do ALL of these calibers.

Bought a second carrier so I can switch between small & large priming, but I see now that it wasn't a big deal to switch that, so I could have saved $35 here.

Now I process my brass at light speed, but I still meter powder out and charge cases 50 at a time and seat bullets single stage.

Gives me all the confidence in the world in my loads and my success rate is 100%. Only now, I produce so much more, so much faster.

And knowing what I know now, it's not just the fact that I'm doing three jobs with only one pull of the lever, the real time/energy savings comes from the fact that I merely drop a piece of brass in place (instead of having to manually slide it in to a shell holder) and I never have to touch the sized/flared/primed pieces at all, they auto-eject in to a pile for me.

The time I have saved, the repetitive small motor stuff that was wearing on me -- all of that has been cured.

I've been doing this for a couple decades now and I'm pretty happy with the way I've found my way at the bench... but this might have been the smartest thing I've done in quite a while.

 

[ScotchMan]

Ended up returning the whole thing and getting a Lee Classic Turret press. I had nothing but problems with the Pro 1000. I'm sure a lot of it is me, but it requires too much fine tuning to get everything working, and once one thing was set something else would get out of whack.

Doesn't seem like it'll be significantly slower with the turret and its a simpler machine, which appeals to me. And it'll be a snap to switch between calibers.

 

[oneoldsap]

Let's see , RCBS dies in a Lee press . That would be akin to putting a Porshe engine in a Yugo ! They'll probably fight you , and not want to go in !

 

[lee n. field]

Gives me all the confidence in the world in my loads and my success rate is 100%. Only now, I produce so much more, so much faster.

I've noticed over the years, that most of the reloading stuff I buy is for labor saving. And it's worth it.

Ended up returning the whole thing and getting a Lee Classic Turret press. I had nothing but problems with the Pro 1000. I'm sure a lot of it is me, but it requires too much fine tuning to get everything working, and once one thing was set something else would get out of whack.

The Pro 1000 is not a press to start with.


To improve reliability on mine I ended up taking stuff off. No case feeder, no ejector rod. The loaded round shows up at station one, where I can inspect it.

If I had to set myself up from scratch at this point, I'd probably get the Classic Turret.

Let's see , RCBS dies in a Lee press . That would be akin to putting a Porshe engine in a Yugo ! They'll probably fight you , and not want to go in !

Humbly disagree.