You are a very clever guy. I don't even own a Lee press but I still watch your vids just to see your great inventions. Your not an expert. Your probably better than the experts.
Wow....very innovative. I have three Lee M1000 (45 ACP, 38 special/357 mag, and 9mm) progressive presses. The M1000 pre-dates the Lee 1000 Pro. That being said, it's about the same thing. Speaking of 9mm reloading problems. That primer shaker. Yes, I've had the non-functioning shaking motion of the primer reservoir too. I solved that problem after noticing that my grooved support column had worn to a point of being flat. So, I turned the column a bit and viola. A fresh new surface, to bring the shake back. Put a new column on your "Parts To Buy List". Primer seating feeling. Yup, sometimes the primers will get crushed and go in sideways it was just difficult to tell what the problem was. But, I solved my problem (or gotten close to perfection) by decapping and swaging the primer pockets of ALL of my 9mm brass before running it through for reloading. It's especially important with "range pick ups". Apparently, the various brass manufacturers are really bad at keeping the primer pocket's spec consistent from brand to brand. As for your plastic mechanism that was made to keep weight on the primers and the alarm. Yes, primer feeding can sometimes be a problem. But, I've found that I only needed to ensure that the trough was kept loaded. So, I always keep the trough filled up. Don't left the level fall below 3/4 way below the top of the though. The weight of the primers in the trough is enough, until I get the empty reservoir refilled again. And, it doesn't hurt to also ensure that the plastic trough is free from burrs too.
BTW.....I have the Lee APP on the way. Hope it'll help with my brass processing. Especially with the decapping and primer pocket swaging. Hummmm......I might even sell off my Dillion 600 super swage if all goes well.
You have done a great job in getting the press to work to some extend, something I expect the factory should have done. Got a lee pro1000 which i regret every single time i use it mostly due to primer issues and honestly i dont have the time or patience to fiddle with something the manufacturer should have done in the first place. This is a very well known issue end lee just doesnt seem to care, so If asked i will never recommend their products. Guess you get what you pay for, should have gotten the dillon 750 instead. You have done a far better job in finding and fixing the very well known problems that Lee should have done. Thanks for sharing this great info so others can learn and try fix the failed system. Shame on Lee. Love your content cheerz
Wow, you have more time than I do...keep up the good work👍 I fixed my priming system about 12 years ago by putting a wrap or haywire in each of those grooves in the stand pipe. It gives a positive bump instead of a negative one which agitates the system perfectly. Still on my original haywire and press, I got to be 20,000 plus rounds through it by now...only time I ever get a primer feed problem is if there is less than 10 or 15 primers in the chute and if you get that low your not paying attention, lol.
I reload up to .308 on my lee pro. Needed some spacers to get the clearance. And here I thought my press was modified. Wow! Incredible. Do you have a video of just you reloading in action? I couldn't find one. I'd like to see it run.
Dude, you are f**kin nuts, a GOOD kind of nuts, I've had a pro 1000 since the early 90"s....everything you talked about is true & Lee should be ashamed for selling this press for soooooo many years with zero improvements, I gave up and use it for 9mm omly, my other 10 calibers, i went to the competition for success, good job for sticking with this......I can only imagine why you stopped selling on ebay.....Lee's letter must have done it! ....they should pay you for your great ideas & improve the press. keep up the good work!
Far easier Priming off Station, then b4 that u get a chance to ckean the primer Pocket I removed the decapper, moved the powder Die into Stage1 ,Stage 2 i use a RCBS powder lockout Die..if no powder in case or a under or over fill , the check Die will stop the machine ..hencecthe Lock out Name
Two questions: 1. Can you list any common parts that you would expect to break in normal use? I'm going to order one of these presses, and would like to order any common wear items when I order the press so that I have them on hand. 2. In your opinion, does your plexiglass primer pusher completely void Lee's recommendation to avoid all primers other than CCI and Remington? Do you believe any brand of primer is equally usable with the primer pusher installed? Thanks so much. I'll echo James Harris. Kudos to you for your video collection. You've studied, trouble shot, and modified a lot of aspects of these machines. Most people would try to turn around and make a bunch of money off of such work. And I wouldn't blame you if you did. Just the same, you're a big man for freely sharing your knowledge. Thanks so much.
1. The only part I have ever broken is the pin that pushes the old primer out of the shell in the first stage. A common cause of this is accidently putting a berdan primer in or putting brass that has crimped in primers. I saw a new cause the other day on face book was a primer that was crimped on the inside of the shell. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1311970428864984&set=gm.1340708302637872&type=3&theater I belong to a Lee reloading group which is where I got the above information if you want to join here is the site. facebook.com/groups/608944419147601/?fref=nf I went back and read the warning on the lee press and it does not mention that using other primers voids the warranty. The main issue is they feel other pirmers can detonate more easily . I have had CCCi primers detonate in my press only once. Did not cause any damage. I have never had a warranty issue with my press. Others that have said it is easy and straight forward. On their site they have a warranty tab, click on it and submit a picture of the broken item along with other information and they well handle it from there. Hope this helps.
The plastic rachet and gear that works the "advance" will need to be changed when worn. Also, I've had to change the cast shell plate/carrier (TR3975) on two of my presses. While you're making a parts list, get a supply of shell keeper spring fingers and whatever else you might feel is right for you. I've lost many a spring and screw in my day. What a PIA it is, when a missing/lost minor part delays my reloading.
the reason the primer tray stopped shaking is the post with the groves in it flatened out,,, all you have to do loosen that post and rotate it about an 8th to a 1/4 turn and wala it works again .....
Interesting comment on grooved post wear, so II checked my post and I do not see any significant wear on the grooves. For my press I found the cause of the lack of shaking was that over time the plastic primer chute had warped. Depending on temperature and humidity there would be times that the shaker pin was not even close to the grooved post. That is why I designed a shaker pin that wrapped around the grooved post. Now if the temperature or humidity warp the primer chute it will still get shaken.
Nice work here but the priming system on the Pro 1000 is the weak link. Priming off-press is really the only way to retain your sanity while using this press
Yes I agree with you. The amount of time I put into the modifications does not warrant the time I saved. But I am a retired Mechanical Engineer so I enjoyed doing it, which is kind of a definition of a hobby😊. In a later video I do add gravity tube system to my Lee press that works quite well. It is similar to what Dillion uses. At the time I made it a not all gravity tube primer feeders were using a blast shield, now they all are. So if you are interested in making it you MUST add a blast shield. I will add the link here th-cam.com/video/AkEyyxALLhE/w-d-xo.html.
I refuse to prime with my hand held primer tool. It defeats the idea/purpose of buying a "progressive press". Try swaging ALL of the primer pockets on ALL of your 9mm brass. Talking especially about/with the range pick ups. You'll be amazed at what the brass makers are doing and it's NOT LIMITED to a particular brand/headstamp of brass.
@@ma96782 This is another video I put out that helped greatly with seating primers. th-cam.com/video/j5JmqgoNv6g/w-d-xo.html Read comments others put on this video.
What gun are you shooting your 9mm ammo from? If it is semi auto, have you ever experienced feed problems? Since you are using a Pro 1000, which can't fit the factory crimp die, I assume you don't have feed problems? I don't want to buy a Pro 1000 only to experience this, and wish I would have bought the Classic Turret press.
I have fed over 10,000 rounds through a glock 19, SW shield 9mm and a Taurus 9mm revolver and no feed problems. The die in station 3 of the Lee Pro 1000 seats the bullet and crimps the case to the side of the bullet. Could not tell you what the difference is bewteen the Pro 1000 crimp and the Lee factory crimp. Also the Pro 1000 loads pistol rounds and the only rifle round it loads is the 5.56 / .223. So if you want to do large rifle rounds you might want to take that into consideration.
I have been in contact with Lee and they are looking at some of my changes. Since posting this video I have put out this video th-cam.com/video/j5JmqgoNv6g/w-d-xo.html , I feel that this is one very important change to make . It takes very little time and is low cost. If you do not have problems with primers tipping now you might as you press wears with usage. This change will stop the problem from happening.
NotAnExpert Thanks for your great videos. You must be a teacher by trade. I've loaded 10's of thousands of rounds on my Lee pro 1000, but sadly I'd given up on the auto prime system and went back to hand priming. Lots of little quirks with the Lee that seem to change each loading session. Sometimes it goes smoothly others it's a nightmare. Your videos will help make my reloading sessions more consistent. Thank you.
also to get your primers to slide better,,, is every now and then wax the path way with son of a gun or armorall protectant,,,,apply it with a Qtip let dry for 1/2 hour and polish it by running down a fresh Q tip....
I have tried car wax, armorall, graphite and molybdenum Disulfide; the molybdenum disulfide lasts the longest and works the best. My favorite primers are CCI and I could not find them during the shortage the only ones I could find were plain brass cups, they did not have the nice slippery shiny coating that CCI puts on. Also the brass primers cups did not have a polished surface so even with a nice slick primer chute they would need a push to keep them on their way. The primer pusher I added makes the system much more robust and makes it very easy to add an electronic low primer alert. I did not think that a low primer alert would be a big deal but now that I have it I love it!
WIERD because i use Winchester primers not as slick as CCI but they seat easier than cci they also ignite easierin my weapons,,,, Lee says not to use them for that reason,,,,, I shoot pistol and AR competition and have over the years loaded prob 20,000 45 acp 10000 9mm and 20,000 223 never had a accidental primer ignition and the only time the primers wont slide in my un modified primer feeder,,, is after maybe 1000 to 2000 primers have been ran down the tray so i (Son of a Gun) it about every thousand primers just to make sure i have no problems....
I have heard one machinist refer to these types of tools as "kits". If you were to buy a model engine kit out of the box it would not work very well if at all. But if you take your time clean up any rough edges and fix other things you find along the way, by the time you are done you can have a nice working machine.
I just put up this video, it shows how I converted my press to a tube feeder like many other companies have. It takes some hand fitting to get the parts to fit just right and the timing to work but once that is done for me it has worked great! th-cam.com/video/AkEyyxALLhE/w-d-xo.html
You are a very clever guy. I don't even own a Lee press but I still watch your vids just to see your great inventions. Your not an expert. Your probably better than the experts.
Wow, just like everyone else I too must say you are a very intelligent person. Your solutions are genius!
You ever think of working for Lee. Hartford, Wisconsin is a beautiful town.
Wow....very innovative.
I have three Lee M1000 (45 ACP, 38 special/357 mag, and 9mm) progressive presses. The M1000 pre-dates the Lee 1000 Pro. That being said, it's about the same thing.
Speaking of 9mm reloading problems. That primer shaker.
Yes, I've had the non-functioning shaking motion of the primer reservoir too. I solved that problem after noticing that my grooved support column had worn to a point of being flat. So, I turned the column a bit and viola. A fresh new surface, to bring the shake back. Put a new column on your "Parts To Buy List".
Primer seating feeling. Yup, sometimes the primers will get crushed and go in sideways it was just difficult to tell what the problem was.
But, I solved my problem (or gotten close to perfection) by decapping and swaging the primer pockets of ALL of my 9mm brass before running it through for reloading. It's especially important with "range pick ups". Apparently, the various brass manufacturers are really bad at keeping the primer pocket's spec consistent from brand to brand.
As for your plastic mechanism that was made to keep weight on the primers and the alarm.
Yes, primer feeding can sometimes be a problem. But, I've found that I only needed to ensure that the trough was kept loaded. So, I always keep the trough filled up. Don't left the level fall below 3/4 way below the top of the though. The weight of the primers in the trough is enough, until I get the empty reservoir refilled again. And, it doesn't hurt to also ensure that the plastic trough is free from burrs too.
BTW.....I have the Lee APP on the way. Hope it'll help with my brass processing. Especially with the decapping and primer pocket swaging. Hummmm......I might even sell off my Dillion 600 super swage if all goes well.
Sprinkle a little bit of powdered graphite into the primer tray and a little more into the chute. It helps the primers slide down a lot more smoothly.
That low primer alert is sweet.
You have done a great job in getting the press to work to some extend, something I expect the factory should have done. Got a lee pro1000 which i regret every single time i use it mostly due to primer issues and honestly i dont have the time or patience to fiddle with something the manufacturer should have done in the first place. This is a very well known issue end lee just doesnt seem to care, so If asked i will never recommend their products. Guess you get what you pay for, should have gotten the dillon 750 instead.
You have done a far better job in finding and fixing the very well known problems that Lee should have done. Thanks for sharing this great info so others can learn and try fix the failed system. Shame on Lee. Love your content
cheerz
How do you not have more views? You're videos are the best.
Wow, you have more time than I do...keep up the good work👍
I fixed my priming system about 12 years ago by putting a wrap or haywire in each of those grooves in the stand pipe. It gives a positive bump instead of a negative one which agitates the system perfectly. Still on my original haywire and press, I got to be 20,000 plus rounds through it by now...only time I ever get a primer feed problem is if there is less than 10 or 15 primers in the chute and if you get that low your not paying attention, lol.
One of the smaller plastic wire zip ties in the grooves works for me. Very effective and much simpler than a complicated pusher system.
@@patdennis3751 I did the same…works fine.
Definitely not a professional or anything. Pfft! Dude, your video is mega professional quality. I'm very impressed, sir.
Yes I do, th-cam.com/video/JobS4fp5s8Y/w-d-xo.html
Great mods!!!!!! Thanks for sharing. I need to do some of these to my two PRO1000's!!!!
thank you so much please help me fix the bullet feeder design
This is brilliant
I reload up to .308 on my lee pro. Needed some spacers to get the clearance. And here I thought my press was modified. Wow! Incredible. Do you have a video of just you reloading in action? I couldn't find one. I'd like to see it run.
Great video nice to see some info that is smart
Dude, you are f**kin nuts, a GOOD kind of nuts, I've had a pro 1000 since the early 90"s....everything you talked about is true & Lee should be ashamed for selling this press for soooooo many years with zero improvements, I gave up and use it for 9mm omly, my other 10 calibers, i went to the competition for success, good job for sticking with this......I can only imagine why you stopped selling on ebay.....Lee's letter must have done it! ....they should pay you for your great ideas & improve the press. keep up the good work!
I agree have had my pro 1000 since 89
I hand prime
Far easier Priming off Station, then b4 that u get a chance to ckean the primer Pocket
I removed the decapper, moved the powder Die into Stage1 ,Stage 2 i use a RCBS powder lockout Die..if no powder in case or a under or over fill , the check Die will stop the machine ..hencecthe Lock out Name
The best upgrade for my Lee Pro 1000........ A Dillon 550! No more tinkering now.
Great video
Two questions:
1. Can you list any common parts that you would expect to break in normal use? I'm going to order one of these presses, and would like to order any common wear items when I order the press so that I have them on hand.
2. In your opinion, does your plexiglass primer pusher completely void Lee's recommendation to avoid all primers other than CCI and Remington? Do you believe any brand of primer is equally usable with the primer pusher installed?
Thanks so much. I'll echo James Harris. Kudos to you for your video collection. You've studied, trouble shot, and modified a lot of aspects of these machines. Most people would try to turn around and make a bunch of money off of such work. And I wouldn't blame you if you did. Just the same, you're a big man for freely sharing your knowledge. Thanks so much.
1. The only part I have ever broken is the pin that pushes the old primer out of the shell in the first stage. A common cause of this is accidently putting a berdan primer in or putting brass that has crimped in primers. I saw a new cause the other day on face book was a primer that was crimped on the inside of the shell. facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1311970428864984&set=gm.1340708302637872&type=3&theater I belong to a Lee reloading group which is where I got the above information if you want to join here is the site. facebook.com/groups/608944419147601/?fref=nf
I went back and read the warning on the lee press and it does not mention that using other primers voids the warranty. The main issue is they feel other pirmers can detonate more easily . I have had CCCi primers detonate in my press only once. Did not cause any damage. I have never had a warranty issue with my press. Others that have said it is easy and straight forward. On their site they have a warranty tab, click on it and submit a picture of the broken item along with other information and they well handle it from there. Hope this helps.
The plastic rachet and gear that works the "advance" will need to be changed when worn. Also, I've had to change the cast shell plate/carrier (TR3975) on two of my presses. While you're making a parts list, get a supply of shell keeper spring fingers and whatever else you might feel is right for you. I've lost many a spring and screw in my day. What a PIA it is, when a missing/lost minor part delays my reloading.
the reason the primer tray stopped shaking is the post with the groves in it flatened out,,, all you have to do loosen that post and rotate it about an 8th to a 1/4 turn and wala it works again .....
Interesting comment on grooved post wear, so II checked my post and I do not see any significant wear on the grooves. For my press I found the cause of the lack of shaking was that over time the plastic primer chute had warped. Depending on temperature and humidity there would be times that the shaker pin was not even close to the grooved post. That is why I designed a shaker pin that wrapped around the grooved post. Now if the temperature or humidity warp the primer chute it will still get shaken.
It would have to get awful hot to warp !!!!!
Nice work here but the priming system on the Pro 1000 is the weak link. Priming off-press is really the only way to retain your sanity while using this press
Yes I agree with you. The amount of time I put into the modifications does not warrant the time I saved. But I am a retired Mechanical Engineer so I enjoyed doing it, which is kind of a definition of a hobby😊. In a later video I do add gravity tube system to my Lee press that works quite well. It is similar to what Dillion uses. At the time I made it a not all gravity tube primer feeders were using a blast shield, now they all are. So if you are interested in making it you MUST add a blast shield. I will add the link here th-cam.com/video/AkEyyxALLhE/w-d-xo.html.
I refuse to prime with my hand held primer tool. It defeats the idea/purpose of buying a "progressive press".
Try swaging ALL of the primer pockets on ALL of your 9mm brass. Talking especially about/with the range pick ups. You'll be amazed at what the brass makers are doing and it's NOT LIMITED to a particular brand/headstamp of brass.
@@ma96782 This is another video I put out that helped greatly with seating primers. th-cam.com/video/j5JmqgoNv6g/w-d-xo.html Read comments others put on this video.
Thanks so much for this.
all i can say is Well Done looks like you can take a nap while reloading lol
I like it looks Luke a time machine
What gun are you shooting your 9mm ammo from? If it is semi auto, have you ever experienced feed problems? Since you are using a Pro 1000, which can't fit the factory crimp die, I assume you don't have feed problems? I don't want to buy a Pro 1000 only to experience this, and wish I would have bought the Classic Turret press.
I have fed over 10,000 rounds through a glock 19, SW shield 9mm and a Taurus 9mm revolver and no feed problems. The die in station 3 of the Lee Pro 1000 seats the bullet and crimps the case to the side of the bullet. Could not tell you what the difference is bewteen the Pro 1000 crimp and the Lee
factory crimp. Also the Pro 1000 loads pistol rounds and the only rifle round it loads is the 5.56 / .223. So if you want to do large rifle rounds you might want to take that into consideration.
Set your dies "correctly" and you probably won't have anymore problems. Many millions of rounds of 9mm had been loaded before the FCD was a thing.
You should consult for Lee. Help them get their you know what together.
I have been in contact with Lee and they are looking at some of my changes. Since posting this video I have put out this video th-cam.com/video/j5JmqgoNv6g/w-d-xo.html , I feel that this is one very important change to make . It takes very little time and is low cost. If you do not have problems with primers tipping now you might as you press wears with usage. This change will stop the problem from happening.
NotAnExpert
Thanks for your great videos. You must be a teacher by trade.
I've loaded 10's of thousands of rounds on my Lee pro 1000, but sadly I'd given up on the auto prime system and went back to hand priming. Lots of little quirks with the Lee that seem to change each loading session. Sometimes it goes smoothly others it's a nightmare. Your videos will help make my reloading sessions more consistent. Thank you.
You are welcome! I am glad that they have helped. I am actually a retired teacher and mechanical engineer.
also to get your primers to slide better,,, is every now and then wax the path way with son of a gun or armorall protectant,,,,apply it with a Qtip let dry for 1/2 hour and polish it by running down a fresh Q tip....
I have tried car wax, armorall, graphite and molybdenum Disulfide; the molybdenum disulfide lasts the longest and works the best. My favorite primers are CCI and I could not find them during the shortage the only ones I could find were plain brass cups, they did not have the nice slippery shiny coating that CCI puts on. Also the brass primers cups did not have a polished surface so even with a nice slick primer chute they would need a push to keep them on their way. The primer pusher I added makes the system much more robust and makes it very easy to add an electronic low primer alert. I did not think that a low primer alert would be a big deal but now that I have it I love it!
WIERD because i use Winchester primers not as slick as CCI but they seat easier than cci they also ignite easierin my weapons,,,, Lee says not to use them for that reason,,,,, I shoot pistol and AR competition and have over the years loaded prob 20,000 45 acp 10000 9mm and 20,000 223 never had a accidental primer ignition and the only time the primers wont slide in my un modified primer feeder,,, is after maybe 1000 to 2000 primers have been ran down the tray so i (Son of a Gun) it about every thousand primers just to make sure i have no problems....
I have owned 5 lee pro 1000 presses over 28 years
I maintain 2 at all times one set for small primers and one set up for large primers i have even loaded 243 and 308 on them !
oh and 22-250
Send this prototype to lee and say I fixed it.
Dude you should just build your own press
I have heard one machinist refer to these types of tools as "kits". If you were to buy a model engine kit out of the box it would not work very well if at all. But if you take your time clean up any rough edges and fix other things you find along the way, by the time you are done you can have a nice working machine.
hand prime all your ammo..save your sanity
I just put up this video, it shows how I converted my press to a tube feeder like many other companies have. It takes some hand fitting to get the parts to fit just right and the timing to work but once that is done for me it has worked great! th-cam.com/video/AkEyyxALLhE/w-d-xo.html