[GWS]

...My modifications have been more along the lines of modifying it to a behavior I like better like all of the expanders I have tried now. The current RCBS expanders are close but not perfect yet. I am thinking of buying a lathe to make my own versions. That could be a lot of fun.

Yes it would be. What would you do different from the RCBS expander?

I note hat I tend to sit down 5 to 8 times a month and generally load around 1.5 hours for fun. I usually crank out between 500 and 700 rounds a session but some times I do a thousand on the weekend. Then work gets in the way and I might miss a month or so. This ends up running about 20,000 to 30,000 rounds loaded per year so it just adds up over time.

Wow! I'm just not that dedicated, I guess. I get tired after an hour. Then there's the money factor. My biggest problem is justifying what it takes to keep the components in stock to do that much reloading.

I freely admit I wish I was more creative like you on the mods but I tend to sit at the machine and just focus on making ammo. The act of making ammo actually takes my mind off the stress of work so it works well for me. I actually probably enjoy making the ammo more than shooting it which is why I have so many manuals.

It's a matter of difference of interests, is all. I probably enjoy tinkering with the setup as much as I enjoy reloading. The #1 reason I bought the pro 2000 was its simplicity. I can make it do what I want it to with very little effort and money. Plus that simplicity with its small moving parts count, means a simpler to keep running press, than the other machine I was serious about. (The venerable, but more complicated Dillon 650) Especially as I intended to change calibers twice or more a session. Something most Dillon users don't like to do. Then there's the APS primer system....the most misunderstood yet most worthwhile advance in reloading in a long long time.