Lee Auto Disk Vs Pro Auto Disk

[kevinmcc2]

Well I am about to pull the trigger on the Lee Classic Turret kit off of Kempf (https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?...mart&Itemid=41)

And was wondering since it comes with the regular Auto Disk I assume, will this be reliable enough for 9mm and 40 S&W or should I order the Pro Auto Disk with it and use that instead?

It has the option to upgrade for 12 dollars more.. Is it worth the extra?


OR

Should I get the Lee Pro 1000 Progressive...?

[springer99]

I ordered the same kit from them and it came with the Pro Auto Disk measure as standard. I'd give them a call to confirm. How much do you plan to reload? This kit will put out 160-180rds/hour without a problem.

[tkglazie]

Definitely make sure you get the Pro Disk, even if you have to pay a bit more (I agree that you probably wont have to).

If you are looking for extreme versatility, go with the LCT. If you want high volume, get the progressive. I load leisurely with my LCT (visually inspect each case before placing in the holder, doubletap the handle on the up and down powder feed stroke, visually inspect the charge before placing bullet, separate seat and crimp steps) and I still see 100-125 rounds/hour rates.

The real beauty of the LCT is the ease in switching between load/bullet combos within a caliber or between calibers. When I load I usually make up 1-2 boxes (50) of 3-4 different loads and/or calibers. This does two things- it keeps me from getting bored and lets me keep my stock well rounded without going overboard with a ton of inventory for each load and caliber. If I had a progressive I would do the opposite- crank out 500-1000 of each load once I get it setup.

Oh and one more thing- definitely get a second turret with your set- one for 9mm, one for .40

Good luck

[noylj]

The Auto-Disk is just as reliable. However, the polystyrene hopper is screwed directly down and the threads will break after a while (polystyrene is not an engineering plastic designed for bolting in and out).
The Pro Auto-Disk will last forever, basically, and you won't be buying replacement hoppers every 6 months. It is simply a better design.
If you get the Auto-Disk, buy the Pro Auto-Disk upgrade kit.

[Lost Sheep]

What kind of quantities will you be loading. If only a couple hundred per sitting, the turret. If a thousand or more, the progressive. If in between, you will just have to figure out what suits you. Tglzie has good advice.

I myself used to have a couple of used Pro-1000 presses that I retired in favor of the Lee Clasic Turret. I never got comfortable with monitoring multiple simultaneous operations on the Lee Progressive. My style is much more suited to the turret and using the auto-indexing that allows continuous (vs batch) processing, my throughput on the turret is equal to my Pro-1000's and I am relaxed at the end of it.

But tha't just me.

Lost Sheep

[lee n. field]

OR

Should I get the Lee Pro 1000 Progressive...?

Watch this guy's videos first.

(What I would like to see Lee do is make a progressive out of the classic turret, the same way the Pro 1000 is based on their low end turret press.)

[dickttx]

The Lee Classic Turret with the PRO Auto Disk and Safety Prime is a very, very nice piece of equipment. And from the comparisons I have made the Kempf kit has everything you need for handgun loading except a scale, and really includes nothing you don't need. I am sure they would add a good scale to your order also.

[5R milspec]

It's up to you but I love my Lee Pro 1000 that I bought a year ago.So fare I have run about 2000 or more cases through my press rangeing from 380,9mm,40,and 45.I 'm not a big shooter like most on this site but for me and my son we love what the press can and and has done for us.

Changeing it over from 9mm to 40 is a snap you just change out the die block.Now when we need to change it for 380 I need to change out the shell plate and die block.I'll say it's quick and simple.The 45 gets bothe the die block and ( shell plate carrier all together ) I can change it out in about 10 minutes so it's not that much of a deal for me.

My kit came set up with 9mm ready to go for $175.All I did was to check the dies for correct adjustment.Hope I was able to help out for I would buy the kit again.

[Lost Sheep]

As has been pointed out, the Lee Auto-Disk powder measure comes in two varieties. Standard and Pro.

The Pro Auto-Disk and the Standard Auto-Disk are 100% interchangeable in all applications and installations. The bases of the units are virtually identical. In fact, you can convert a Standard to a Pro by swapping the hopper and a couple of parts. The only difference in the base unit is that the Pro has a teflon coating on the base unit and the Standard does not. They mount and operate exactly the same way.

The Pro has a round and much taller hopper than the Standard's rectangular hopper. Whether a larger, taller powder reservoir is more desirable is up to you. (Three and a quarter inches vs five and a half.)

The Pro has a Teflon coating on the main body. The coating is supposed to make the operation smoother and perhaps reduce powder leakage. I can't tell, but I think it may reduce the break-in time.

The Pro has a "wiper" part at the outlet of the powder hopper that is supposed to be kinder to powder granules and reduce powder leakage.

The Pro Auto-Disk hopper also has a valve that allows you to shut off the powder flow by twisting the hopper a quarter turn. The standard does not. Thus the Pro Autodisk allows you to take the powder hopper off the measure without emptying it. You can't do that with the standard auto-disk.

The feature that most people tout about the Pro is how the powder hopper/reservoir mounts to the base. Many users never remove the hopper, though, making it a non-issue for them.

The Pro Autodisk has brass, threaded studs cast into the bottom of the hopper and brass knurled nuts. Very durable. The Standard auto-disk has two small screws threaded into the bottom of the plastic reservoir. You can strip the threads if you are rough when removing and replacing the hopper. Very hard to repair, although, one COULD ream out the stripped hole, superglue a machine screw into the enlarged hole and then have a hopper mount very much like the studs/nuts of the Pro's hopper.

Both Auto-Disk powder measures use the same disks for meting the powder.

Side note:

It is difficult to adjust for in-between powder drops. You can do it by reaming out a too-small hole, but once done, it is hard to go back. You would have to buy another disk.

So, here's the "unless" Some people, especially those who use the Lee Turret or Pro-1000 presses (which also have a turret disk that is easily pulled and replaced without removing the dies) choose to have a powder measure permanently mounted on their die set. Thus they have one measure for each caliber they load. The extra dollars can easily multiply while the benefits of easy replacement of the hoppers becomes less of a factor.

Also, the standard hopper is super-inexpensive as well as being cheap.

Lost Sheep
Lost Sheep

[Mike Irwin]

" Very hard to repair, although, one COULD ream out the stripped hole, superglue a machine screw into the enlarged hole and then have a hopper mount very much like the studs/nuts of the Pro's hopper."

Why couldn't one just get or cut a couple of pieces of screw rod in an appropriate diameter and make their own Pro style studs at the onset and skip all the hassle of the stripped screws?

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by Mike Irwin

Why couldn't one just get or cut a couple of pieces of screw rod in an appropriate diameter and make their own Pro style studs at the onset and skip all the hassle of the stripped screws?

Who among us would fix something before it breaks? Probably the same ones who would buy the Pro Auto-disk in the first place, thereby reducing to zero the number of people who would follow your advice. Which is excellent, by the way. Getting to the holes before they strip out would probably result in a stronger unit.

Lost Sheep

[Mike Irwin]

Uhm...

It's not fixing something before it breaks...

It's MODIFYING something to make it BETTER!

And who among us doesn't have an inborn desire to do that!

[Lost Sheep]

One man's ceiling is another man's floor.

Originally Posted by Mike Irwin

Uhm...

It's not fixing something before it breaks...

It's MODIFYING something to make it BETTER!

And who among us doesn't have an inborn desire to do that!

True. I sometimes cannot resist tinkering.

When the replacement price for the standard's hopper is only $2.00, I can resist.

Honestly, I have put more thought into a charge "disk" with interchangeable user-customizable inserts so owners could get the precise charge weight they want. Kind of like the adjustable charge bar, but swappable on-press without spilling powder.

Lost Sheep

[5R milspec]

this is why I like having one on top of all my set ups.You get more disk with each one you buy so this allows one to be able to play with the drilling out one for a closer choice to powder charge.To date I have yet done this for all my loads are good enough for me but have the extra disk if I need or want to try.

I too like to tinker and making things work better for my needs.You just gotta love the reloading world for just these things.

[lee n. field]

The 45 gets bothe the die block and ( shell plate carrier all together )

No, all you need to swap is the primer chute and tray, not the whole shell plate carrier. And the little ram that seats the primer.

And, once you've had the whole thing apart a few times, it's all easy.

[warnerwh]

I've used both. The Pro Auto Disk is worth the extra money easily. The Safety Prime also works well. With those two on the LCT you have a very good reloading press that will load about 3 boxes an hour of quality ammo.

[tkglazie]

I've used both. The Pro Auto Disk is worth the extra money easily. The Safety Prime also works well. With those two on the LCT you have a very good reloading press that will load about 3 boxes an hour of quality ammo.

Glad someone mentioned the Safety Prime. For such a flimsy looking piece of equipment I am shocked at how well (and safely) it works. Now that I am loading with both large and small pistol primers I am even more impressed with it. Changing primer type takes a matter of seconds. Swap out the safety prime unit, swap out the lever primer arm and you are good to go.