Jake wrote: I forgot you were the resident expert!
LEE Pro1000 issues
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Echhh!
Put your glasses back on.
Ahhhh....much better.
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To set up dies on a Pro-1000:
Resizing die:
Raise the shellplate carrier/ram up all the way. Screw in the sizing die until the bottom of the die just kisses the carrier. Tighten the lock rings. Adjust the decap stem so that it protrudes through the die, the top should be about 1/16" above the collet. I set my collet tight enough that it reliably decaps without slipping, but loose enough that if I get a problem, the decap pin slips up instead of snapping off. If that doesn't make sense to you, don't worry about it right now, it will make sense later. (I had some spent primers get mixed in a bucket of .45 brass and broke 2 decap pins due to spent primers laying in empty cases).
Expander/powder drop die:
Remove the powder measure & actuator sleeve from inside the die (unscrew measure, turn it upside down, the sleeve will fall out). Take a single case. Decap/resize it. Run it into the 2nd station, with no primers in the press. Raise the ram up. Screw in the expander die until you feel it touch the case. Lower the ram. Now screw in the die 1/2 turn more. Raise the ram, expanding the case. Visually inspect the case, look for the flare. Test fit a bullet on the flared case. It should fit and sit there, but not be snagging on the edge of the case mouth. Tighten down the expander die in 1/4 turn increments until you are happy with the flare. Lock the nut, put the actuator sleeve back in, tighten the powder measure.
To adjust the seater:
Remove the seating knob and stem from the die. Run a resized, flared case (unprimed, no powder) into 3rd station, run the ram up.
Screw in the seater die until you feel it touch the case. Lower the ram, tighten another half turn. Raise the ram and crimp the case. Inspect the crimp. On a semiauto cailber it should just barely roll in the rim from where the expander rolled it out. On revolvers or any other bullet with a cannelure to crimp into, you want the case mouth lips rolled into the groove.
If it has too much crimp, unscrew the die in 1/8 turn increments, testing it on fresh resized/expanded cases, until you like it. Likewise for not enough crimp. You are better off at this stage to have a little less crimp than you want.
Now, reinstall the seating stem and adjusting knob.
Place a factory equivalent loaded round of ammo in station 3. Raise the ram. Tighten the seater stem knob down until you feel the seater stem touch the top of the factory round in the station. Lower the ram, tighten the stem another 1/8 turn.
Take a resized/expanded (but unprimed, no powder) case and put it in 3rd station. Put a bullet on top of the case. Raise the ram and seat/crimp. Inspect the finished product.
Measure OAL with calipers or compare to a factory round (I use a fresh one in case the one I used for setup got set back during setup).
If not deep enough (too long) turn adjuster knob in to set the bullet in farther.
If too short, turn the adjuster knob out to set the bullet in less.
The crimp should be at the edge of the cannelure near the point of the projectile- so that the case mouth will touch the edge of the cannelure if the bullet is pushed back. This prevents the bullet from pushing back. The brass case mouth should be crimped in enough that it is in the cannelure but not so much that they deform the bullet.
If too much crimp, loosen the entire die to reduce.
If not enough crimp, tighten the entire die to increase.
***NOTE: If you turn the die body at this stage, you will need to turn the seater knob the opposite direction the same amount to keep the bullet length the same. You will need to check OAL again after adjusting the crimp.
Once you have it, lock the die body in.
Run a single shell through all stations with no supplies. Seat a bullet in the empty case. Check to see if it chambers in the gun(s) you will be using it in.
If everything checks out A-OK, set that bullet aside. I mark it with Sharpie to denote it's dud status. This is now the template you can use to setup your seater next time, if you have to change settings for a JHP vs FMJ, or a .357 mag vs .38 or something else that entails changing dies.
Setting timing:
INdex the ram fully up and down a few times, watch the carrier shellplate. If it stops off station, raise the ram all the way up, then bring it down about halfway (as long as it is above the primer punch). Turn the phillips-head screw clockwise. It is fine thread. Takes a lot of turns. Rotate the shellplate this way until you see the carrier start to line up, turn slowly. When the carrier jumps to lock in the spring-ball by 3rd station, turn the screw about another half turn to preload the ratchet. The plate won't actually turn now, you're just taking out the slack from the spring-ball pulling the carrier too far forward of the ratchet.
Cycle the ram a few times. It should line up just fine. If primers keep turning sideway, try advancing the shellplate another 1/4 turn on the screw. You have to have the carrier up enough that the shellplate doesn't bind in the primer punch.
If it gets worse, do the whole adjustment over again, and advance the shellplate around another station and try again. You can't go backwards and make it work- it's a one way ratchet.
Good luck.
Resizing die:
Raise the shellplate carrier/ram up all the way. Screw in the sizing die until the bottom of the die just kisses the carrier. Tighten the lock rings. Adjust the decap stem so that it protrudes through the die, the top should be about 1/16" above the collet. I set my collet tight enough that it reliably decaps without slipping, but loose enough that if I get a problem, the decap pin slips up instead of snapping off. If that doesn't make sense to you, don't worry about it right now, it will make sense later. (I had some spent primers get mixed in a bucket of .45 brass and broke 2 decap pins due to spent primers laying in empty cases).
Expander/powder drop die:
Remove the powder measure & actuator sleeve from inside the die (unscrew measure, turn it upside down, the sleeve will fall out). Take a single case. Decap/resize it. Run it into the 2nd station, with no primers in the press. Raise the ram up. Screw in the expander die until you feel it touch the case. Lower the ram. Now screw in the die 1/2 turn more. Raise the ram, expanding the case. Visually inspect the case, look for the flare. Test fit a bullet on the flared case. It should fit and sit there, but not be snagging on the edge of the case mouth. Tighten down the expander die in 1/4 turn increments until you are happy with the flare. Lock the nut, put the actuator sleeve back in, tighten the powder measure.
To adjust the seater:
Remove the seating knob and stem from the die. Run a resized, flared case (unprimed, no powder) into 3rd station, run the ram up.
Screw in the seater die until you feel it touch the case. Lower the ram, tighten another half turn. Raise the ram and crimp the case. Inspect the crimp. On a semiauto cailber it should just barely roll in the rim from where the expander rolled it out. On revolvers or any other bullet with a cannelure to crimp into, you want the case mouth lips rolled into the groove.
If it has too much crimp, unscrew the die in 1/8 turn increments, testing it on fresh resized/expanded cases, until you like it. Likewise for not enough crimp. You are better off at this stage to have a little less crimp than you want.
Now, reinstall the seating stem and adjusting knob.
Place a factory equivalent loaded round of ammo in station 3. Raise the ram. Tighten the seater stem knob down until you feel the seater stem touch the top of the factory round in the station. Lower the ram, tighten the stem another 1/8 turn.
Take a resized/expanded (but unprimed, no powder) case and put it in 3rd station. Put a bullet on top of the case. Raise the ram and seat/crimp. Inspect the finished product.
Measure OAL with calipers or compare to a factory round (I use a fresh one in case the one I used for setup got set back during setup).
If not deep enough (too long) turn adjuster knob in to set the bullet in farther.
If too short, turn the adjuster knob out to set the bullet in less.
The crimp should be at the edge of the cannelure near the point of the projectile- so that the case mouth will touch the edge of the cannelure if the bullet is pushed back. This prevents the bullet from pushing back. The brass case mouth should be crimped in enough that it is in the cannelure but not so much that they deform the bullet.
If too much crimp, loosen the entire die to reduce.
If not enough crimp, tighten the entire die to increase.
***NOTE: If you turn the die body at this stage, you will need to turn the seater knob the opposite direction the same amount to keep the bullet length the same. You will need to check OAL again after adjusting the crimp.
Once you have it, lock the die body in.
Run a single shell through all stations with no supplies. Seat a bullet in the empty case. Check to see if it chambers in the gun(s) you will be using it in.
If everything checks out A-OK, set that bullet aside. I mark it with Sharpie to denote it's dud status. This is now the template you can use to setup your seater next time, if you have to change settings for a JHP vs FMJ, or a .357 mag vs .38 or something else that entails changing dies.
Setting timing:
INdex the ram fully up and down a few times, watch the carrier shellplate. If it stops off station, raise the ram all the way up, then bring it down about halfway (as long as it is above the primer punch). Turn the phillips-head screw clockwise. It is fine thread. Takes a lot of turns. Rotate the shellplate this way until you see the carrier start to line up, turn slowly. When the carrier jumps to lock in the spring-ball by 3rd station, turn the screw about another half turn to preload the ratchet. The plate won't actually turn now, you're just taking out the slack from the spring-ball pulling the carrier too far forward of the ratchet.
Cycle the ram a few times. It should line up just fine. If primers keep turning sideway, try advancing the shellplate another 1/4 turn on the screw. You have to have the carrier up enough that the shellplate doesn't bind in the primer punch.
If it gets worse, do the whole adjustment over again, and advance the shellplate around another station and try again. You can't go backwards and make it work- it's a one way ratchet.
Good luck.
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Striking down evil with the mighty sword of teamwork and the hammer of not bickering!
Carpe Noctem- we get more done after 2 am than most people do all day.
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Try a slightly different height on the shell feeder--Too low will bind most of the time, too high will bind every so often.Jake wrote:
I need to get my Z bar (.45 acp loader) adjusted better I think.
I viewed the Lee videos numerous times and I'm not making head way.
After I make the adjustment, it runs great for a little bit, then I get a lot of resistance on the "up" pull.
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* Note....Remove the powder measure & actuator sleeve from inside the die (unscrew measure, turn it upside down, the sleeve will fall out).
If you happen to have powder in the container, turn it to the closed position FIRST.
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While we are talking about powder measures (see above post): Get some powdered graphite and apply it to the inside of the measure and powder pathways, that helps prevent static charges which sometimes make the measure funtion inconsistantly.
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Mark
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Just a thin coating on the parts. Puff it in there from the tube it comes in, then wipe it around. Lee mentions using a pencil on the disks and powder chute, I found that powdered graphite was easier and sllowed me to coat everything.thorn wrote:How do you keep the graphic from mixing with the powder on the way down into the casing?
thorn
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Mark
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Mark
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Is it possible to have too much flare?
I know I know....."straight man" here again....UGH....I can't type anything with out putting my foot in it.....ugh....there I go again......
I'm referring to flare on a case FYI!
I know I know....."straight man" here again....UGH....I can't type anything with out putting my foot in it.....ugh....there I go again......
I'm referring to flare on a case FYI!
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Over-flaring the case can lead to shortened case life because of metal fatigue. In addition, if it is too open it may not hold the bullet in the correct position until the case is crimped.Jake wrote:Is it possible to have too much flare?
I know I know....."straight man" here again....UGH....I can't type anything with out putting my foot in it.....ugh....there I go again......
I'm referring to flare on a case FYI!
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny
Mark
NRA Training Counselor-Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Reloading, Personal Protection in the Home, Personal Protection Outside the Home, Home Firearms Safety, Chief RSO. NRA Endowment Life member.
Mark
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How can I tell if it is over flared?
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Jake,Jake wrote:Is it possible to have too much flare?
I know I know....."straight man" here again....UGH....I can't type anything with out putting my foot in it.....ugh....there I go again......
I'm referring to flare on a case FYI!
Yes, you CAN have too much flare on the case.
It is usually detected because the case has so much flare it will not enter the seating die without force.
This causes VERY SHORT case life for your cases, the necks will split in two or three loadings.
This applies ONLY to straight walled cases, cases with shoulders will NEVER have the mouth catch on the seating die mouth, though it MAY catch up in the die in the shoulder.
Buckshot
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Update....NE Ohio....
Ok, I got my cases flared just right now.
I'm not sure why suddenly it became an issue, as I've loaded a bunch with no issue. Apparently something came out of adjustment.
As I mentioned before, I was having a lot of resistance after depriming the case.
Now I'm seeing "scratches" on the case. I'll post some pics later, I'm too tired now.
I do need to pull and inspect the die, but being that it's fairly new and a carbide, I know it's not worn out.
I'm still having Z Bar issues too. I rotated the Z bar holder to see if it made a difference, in case the hole was worn and somethings still not right. Stock pic, I'll update it with actual pics later today.
This is hard to explain, but I have a question as to where you have the Z bar holder set.
When you loosen the bolt on top of the press that allows you to move the Z bar holder, the holder can sort of slide forward and back.
I've tried a number of different placements with no luck.
Off to Dream Land to saw some logs.....
Ok, I got my cases flared just right now.
I'm not sure why suddenly it became an issue, as I've loaded a bunch with no issue. Apparently something came out of adjustment.
As I mentioned before, I was having a lot of resistance after depriming the case.
Now I'm seeing "scratches" on the case. I'll post some pics later, I'm too tired now.
I do need to pull and inspect the die, but being that it's fairly new and a carbide, I know it's not worn out.
I'm still having Z Bar issues too. I rotated the Z bar holder to see if it made a difference, in case the hole was worn and somethings still not right. Stock pic, I'll update it with actual pics later today.
This is hard to explain, but I have a question as to where you have the Z bar holder set.
When you loosen the bolt on top of the press that allows you to move the Z bar holder, the holder can sort of slide forward and back.
I've tried a number of different placements with no luck.
Off to Dream Land to saw some logs.....
NRA Certified Instructor: Pistol
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Hope for the Best. Plan for the Worst.
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Hope for the Best. Plan for the Worst.
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