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Old June 13, 2009, 10:18 AM   #1
Uncle Billy
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How would you rank the quality of the brands of reloading hardware?

I wrote a long question about the best hardware to use, and it posted in this thread right after a sticky that answered all my questions. so, "Never mind", in the voice of Rosanne Rosanna Danna from SNL.
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Old June 13, 2009, 06:30 PM   #2
Crosshair
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Here are the ones I have experience with.

Lee: Innovative, inexpensive. Not always the most durable or easiest to use and sometimes goes out of adjustment. (For many, like myself, the lower price more than compensates for this.) Some products, like the Auto Disk dispenser, you will find no equal. IIRC the warranty isn't as good as others. The Classic Cast Turret press is superb once you learn it's quirks, but their single stage press feels flimsy.

RCBS. Built like a tank, but you pay for it. Not as innovative as LEE in terms of design IMHO.

For my single stage I have an RCBS and could not be happier. I use it for FL sizing of rifle cases. For a turret press I have a Lee Classic Cast. There is a bit of a learning curve with the LCC, but once you get the hang of it you get most of the speed of a progressive press , the versatility of a single stage, all at a fraction of the price a progressive will run you.

For dies I now mostly use LEE dies because of the powder through expander on the pistol calibers. For neck sizing I have had hit and miss performance with the Lee neck sizers and only slightly better with the RCBS. I now just neck size by backing out the FL die a little bit. For rifle cases I like the Lee dies as well because the expander rod is a nice long taper and irons out mouth dents much better than an RCBS.

It takes more effort to extract a case from a Lee die because of the expander arrangement so you are much more likely to have case head separation with a Lee die in my experience. This only applies to small cases like the .223. On larger cases this has not been a problem
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Old June 13, 2009, 06:36 PM   #3
Wildalaska
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Quality wise?

1. Redding
2. RCBS/Hornady/Lyman/Dillon


WildiuseacomboofallexceptdillonAlaska ™
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Old June 13, 2009, 06:37 PM   #4
Nnobby45
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Well, here's my experience.

RCBS single stages. Work fine. Slow.

Add Piggy Back unit to RCBS and convert to progressive:
Interesting concept. Worked reasonably well EXCEPT, the primer feed was unreliable. Not recommended.

Dillon 550B:

Excellent progressive press. Used it since mid 80's, or so and never looked back. Have used their free warranty for parts replacement more times than I can count over the years. Recommended.
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Old June 13, 2009, 06:50 PM   #5
Nate1778
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Man speaking from my own experience, Lee has been nothing but successful for me. Guess I was a lucky one with no problems and loading ammo still to this day on my turret.
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Old June 13, 2009, 08:25 PM   #6
wncchester
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"How would you rank the quality of the brands of reloading hardware? "

I rank them the same as what brand of auto is the best quality, or best value for the money. Meaning, it ain't that simple and a WHOLE lot of it boils down to what each man wants or needs. Fact is, they are ALL quite good and any good reloader can make good ammo with any of the brands.

Never mind how long anyone has been loading with a Rock Chucker, the question is has anyone actually worn out any press IF it was properly cleaned and lubed from time to time. Or dies, or scales, etc.

My RC II is twenty years old and going strong. My Lyman Spar-T is fourty five years old and going strong. ??? NO ONE wears out an iron press of any brand, it takes one very huge volume shooter to even wear one slightly loose!
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Old June 13, 2009, 10:03 PM   #7
freakshow10mm
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We use Dillon machines for commercial ammo. Have a RCBS Rockchucker for bullet swaging and small chores. Have a Lee Classic turret to process .223 military brass.

Redding and Dillon make really great stuff. RCBS is very good also. Lyman makes better case prep stuff. Lee dies are really nice in pistol and I like their FCD in some rifle cartridges.
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Old June 14, 2009, 07:34 AM   #8
Sam06
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IMHO

1. Redding/Forester/Wilson

2. RCBS/Lyman/Dillon/Hornaday

3. Lee

Best SS press: Forester Co-Ax, Redding, RCBS,Hornaday, Lyman, Lee

Best turret Press: Hollywood, Redding, Lyman, Lee

Progressive: Hornaday LnL, Dillon 650, RCBS, Dillon 550, Lee
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