hand hurts

[Gster]

I have the exact same setup also. Do you stand or sit while loading? Maybe you could try changing the height of your seat. I load while sitting in a good adjustable office chair.

[Red Dog]

Can you still shoot with your injuries? If not no more need for ammo right?

[Heavy Metal 1]

Wow, on to the 2nd page and no one blamed LEE for it yet? I expected the "Go Blue or Go Home" crowd to recommend that all your troubles would go away if went to the dark, err, blue side...

You must see your Dr. You should see a hand therapist too as they can help fix you up as well as analyze your set up and make suggested changes.

[jmorris]

Wow, on to the 2nd page and no one blamed LEE for it yet? I expected the "Go Blue or Go Home" crowd to recommend that all your troubles would go away if went to the dark, err, blue side...

I posted a blue fix back in #5 but it's not Lee's fault but using a SS for that many rounds.

[Stavman11]

ya i feel ya OP

I have a Shoulder Pinched nerve thats been paining me for months... Luckily loading dosent effect it though... Shooting my AR from a bi-pod did... so started shooting off hand... that helped a bit... seems ta be feeling better now..

that Said

There are Progressives or Turrets for $160 and less..... and work real well..... Something ta think about..

i have 3 lee progressives and Love them... and they are not very expensive.. thus why i buy an additional one instead of swapping out Dies and Plates


Hope yer Pains go away bud



Stav

[F. Guffey]

Hydraulic press: Place a shell into the shell holder at the top of the ram, toggle a switch, remove the case, install another case, etc.. then there are other procedures that require holding, gripping and twisting. I purchased the RCBS case prep center. Holding the case while the prep center did all the turning made reloading easier for me.

Another reloader demonstrated a hydraulic press, I was not surprised when I crawled under the bench to find a home made press, they tried all the available presses at the time, non of them would stand up, the first thing to go was the top, I know they could have used less pressure, smaller pistons and adjusted the pressure to release faster etc.. I decided I would try to fashion a press with less pressure, problem, the parts he gave me were pneumatic (air). The cylinders were rated at 2.000 PSI on a one inch cylinder. I was not trying to save room, the ol’ .7854 rule would mean I would only get 1570.8 pounds of effort from one piston, the pistons were two way, that is an advantage and all four had enough travel.

Then my thoughts moved to foot operated/powered. I have a foot operated rivet machine, there is nothing suspect about the way it is built, the travel is limited, but that does not mean a press can not be adapted to foot operation.

http://www.indiamart.com/harsurabair...machinery.html

Scroll down to 'brake shoe riveting machine'.

An assist can be configured to a reloading press.

F. Guffey

[skizzums]

i love the roller handle, looks like it would really even out the force, but if there is really progressives for 160$, thats got my attention too, i always figured at least 350$

[DavidAGO]

I too, have hand pain. Even after the pinched nerve was found and corrected I still cannot just sit and crank on my Rock Chucker as I once did. Some things do help. I stand up, I do more pushing with the palm of my hand and do not try and grip the end of the handle. I limit how much I use the press in any session. I bought a Lee classic turret press, my son in law has one and the round ball is much easier for me to push against. I do love my Rock Chucker press, it will be hard to give it up completely. Wear a glove, one of the mechanics gloves that is tight fitting on your hand to operate the press seems to help me.

It was suggested to use ibuprofen. Unless you have been directed to use it long term by a physician, do not. The long term effects of any NSAID are not good.

David

[g.willikers]

Check out the Lee Progressives and Turret models,
They begin under $200 or so, depending.
They are the lowest prices of all, but not without their detractors.
Don't forget to factor in the add ons, like shell plates, extra die heads, powder measures, primer feeders, and such, if needed.

[RC20]

As was stated, you need some physical help as well as considering a change of re-loading systems.

You can try to self treat, ice in cold water soaks may help. If it goes away and then comes back, then you have to look to professional help.

Myofacial may work, other techniques work as well, it depends on the your makeup and how good the trreatment people are (a bad myofacial will fail and a good one can succeed so thats a tough one). .

However, once you have triggered it there is never any fully going back so you are likely in for a lifetime of accommodating , adjusting your approach, physical therapy etc.

Tough one but the only way to some balance is working on it.

[skizzums]

what would a turret do for me? arent you still doing one pull per step? or am i mis-understanding them?

[F. Guffey]

skizzums, yes you are, but when sizing on a single stage press it takers 100 pulls of the handle, when seating it takes another 100 pulls/trips of the ram and if you crimp separately there is another pulls of the handle. When using a progressive 100 trips of the ram sizes, installs the primer, dumps the powder, on most pressed the reloader places the bullet on the case to be seated, then seats and crimps,

So, on the progressive the reloader places the case into the shell holder and places a bullet on a case, pulls the handle to get a loaded round unless the press is auto advance. If the press is not auto advance the reloader must advance the shell plate.

Then there are case feeds and bullet feeds.

Yes, the handle must be pulled on a progressive, the number of times the handle must be pulled is reduced with a progressive, there are task that require the use of hands.

To reduce the pain created when prepping cases I use the RCBS Case prep center.

F. Guffey

[KMAX]

Seek medical advice. Then worry about the reloading setup. It may be a problem for other activities in your life than just reloading.

[Wreck-n-Crew]

A progressive press as stated will reduce the number of pulls to 1 per round whereas you may be using as much as 4 pulls per round with a SS press like we have.

When you do the math, the time spent reloading is generally produces up to 4 or 5 times as much ammunition per hour. Time saved charging the powder, putting on and removing casings and finished bullets are eliminated. Setup time is a little longer initially, after that it is all out speed.

[skizzums]

i know how a progressive works, but i thought turret presses were something different

[salvadore]

Skizzum, you call that a mess?

[jmorris]

i know how a progressive works, but i thought turret presses were something different.

They are all turret will do for you is a quick change of dies, same number of strokes.



Click this photo to play the video of what it is like to load with a bullet/brass fed progressive.


Your pocket may hurt more but your hands will feel a lot better. How much do you spend on meds for your aches?

[skizzums]

yeah, thats waht i thought a turret press was, just a way to not have to adjust and switch dies, i probably will get the lee 1000 progressive for 9x19after looking at it, i wanstaware how affordable they are, i dont need a progressive for my other cals, i load at least 1k a month of 9mil an prob only 2k a year of 38/357 and less than 1k a year of 223 and 762x39, but 9mm keeps me busy every week

thanks for everyones replies, i will let my hand heal up and find a way to keep from makiing the same movements for awhile, at the very least getting a differnt handle should utilize different muscles until i get a better press, also was thinking a longer bar that would allow more leverage and change the angle that ive been using, as for doctors, i dont think its that bad, im still fairly a youngin and still, at least partly, invincible

[buck460XVR]

If it's a repetitive motion injury, then a change in the angle/height or position of the lever may help considerably. Another thing may be how YOU pull the handle. I've been a carpenter for 45 years. If you swing your hammer with your wrist, you will end up with carpel tunnel. Swing with your arm and you do not. Set the press so that you use your arm for the motion and not just your wrist. Bad angle or using your wrist only with the increased pressure of a progressive, even with it's fewer strokes, will also aggravate your wrist pain.

[skizzums]

IVE GOT IT!!!!! this fix all my problems and give me back a social life
http://ammoload.com/mark_x_pistol.htm
http://ammoload.com/mark_l_rifle.htm

now, where did i leave that $59,000??

[jmorris]

I wanted one of thoes, actually a Camdex at one point. I went cheap though.

Still gets the job done and all I have to do is fill it with powder, primers, bullets and brass and hit the start button.

Video of how it works is here.
http://s121.photobucket.com/user/jmo...O0114.mp4.html

[F. Guffey]

I suggested a hydraulic assist, I suggest a foot operated modification because modifications have been made by or for returning vets that wanted to shoot and or reload. I have purchased equipment from one of them, he also does gun smith work.

F. Guffey

[jmorris]

Sounds interesting, do you have photos or links of / to the foot operated presses?