gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Mar 21, 2020 10:19:22 GMT -5
Below, a video of me just feeding/depriming 4 tubes of crimped LC .223....out of the box....sucked a little, but still faster more convenient than most other ways:
The biggest problem with feeding rifle is the shuttle design.....it's beveled on top and the newer plowed shell plates tip .223's too!...see below:
.
Now imagine running a case along the top ... at the end the last of the rim goes down the bevel and tilts the case and it falls crooked ... often missing the target.
Below: Used a Dremel with a sanding drum to get rid of that:
But that's already deprimed brass....below actual depriming....better, not too bad....
This machine feeds cases pretty well....really well when tweaked and makes a great, and very fast fast deprimer. Even with rifle brass......eventually.....
BUT.......
You deprime so you can do something else......me? I wanted to swage. Swager finally came....it flat sucks. Keeping my RCBS bench swager.....much better, easier, less painful.
I tried the swager kit on a batch of 100 .223 cases I deprimed tonight with the APP........I was really disappointed. No feel. Really hard to tell if it swages or misses or how hard to push the handle down....and you have to prime to find out whether it's swaged...and often you have to go back and do it again,and again.
The RCBS or Dillon bench swagers do it better, faster, and way easier on the body. Doesn't do a bit of good feeding cases fast when you have to swage and swage again....and prime in order to tell if you did anything. Life's too short to swage .223 LC brass on this thing.
Maybe it does better on large primer cases, but I'm betting not enough better.....still I will try....
Ergonomically it is hard to swage.....hurts after a while....I'd rather use the old RCBS press swager.....and that's saying a lot, because I'd much rather use the newer bench swagers than that one. Those swage with no pain.....and you can tell when you've swaged....you are not left wondering just how hard and just how long you have to keep pushing....geeze. No video of that....no point.
I think the guys who need to size boolits are happy enough, and I will use mine to deprime before wet tumbling....but that's probably all....sorta an expensive deprimer! 
So am I feeling buyer remorse? It was cheap, I needed a winter project, I did get a nice deprimer on a removable stand out of it.....so...no remorse, just disappointed in what it coulda been. I'm still interested in making a feeder for the Summit....a real beefy press.....but maybe next year....this project wore me out!
|
|
|
|
Post by hacker54 on Mar 21, 2020 13:32:11 GMT -5
Greg thanks for sharing what you have tried and learned with yours. I don't see myself doing crimped primers yes I do come across a few now and then so I just do a ream job with the hand deburr tool. This press will be good for the needs I have and will order mine in the next couple days along with other useful items that I need. OK since this tips the 223's as well did you do try your hanger/paper clip mod to see if that help that out as it did for the 40 S&W?
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Mar 21, 2020 14:37:02 GMT -5
since this tips the 223's as well did you do try your hanger/paper clip mod to see if that help that out as it did for the 40 S&W? I pushed the wire in, but the rim of .223 is smaller than .40, so I would have to make another one.....and I didn't. Getting rid of the beveled drop seemed to make everything a lot better. Also I was half wondering if the LC brass might have had issues around the extractor area....like rough base, or bent rims. Checking for that was not done. As was obvious it doesn't do it every time.....and commercial brass slides better too.
Even when I was depriming .40 S&W, Winchester brass fed fine without the wire, while Speer brass sucked bad due to the pressed lettering that was rough as hell and wouldn't slide as well.
I think the easier idea might be to fill in the primer trough on the shellholders with solder or even epoxy to stop the tilting. Maybe Lee will see that there is a market for both and start supplying the flat bottom holders.....think I'll ask. I don't have problems with proud primers often.....maybe some do.
Whatever you do.....stay clear of that stupid swager....what on paper seemed a great idea, execution flat out stunk. You couldn't run fast enough to make me EVER use that again......okay, to be fair I should try swaging with the large holed 7.62 LC brass.....but I'm not going to hold my breath, nor spend nearly as much effort on it. It doesn't even feel good....hurt my shoulders.....just not for me.
BTW, the Lee quick mount flexed more than I like....the right front bolt, I haven't fastened yet as it requires surgery on a piece of quarter round molding....hope it helps a little....I prefer zero flex, but I'm not sure the Lee mount is capable of it. We will see.
|
|
bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457 
Location: Northern California
|
Post by bob on Mar 21, 2020 21:45:34 GMT -5
Greg, sorry to hear/see the problems you've encountered, I don't load very many military cases as most of my stuff is commercial type cartridges. I know if it can be fixed you'll find away.
Most of my semi auto stuff becomes range brass for someone, I'm lazy and not practical, I do have a ready source of brass though.
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Mar 21, 2020 22:33:47 GMT -5
Turns out the swager problems were more me than Lee..... A fellow who reads directions better than me (especially late at night) noticed that I had the wrong idea. I said:
I stopped reading the instructions when they said that the handle would not go to the stops. If I'd had half a brain I would have found out that the next sentence told me to raise the swage rod until you can go to the stops with 25 pounds of pressure. Duh......
So tonight I actually followed the directions....completely....and voila! Putting pressure that direction is still a bit hard on my 70 year-old shoulder, but it works as good as other swagers, if not as painless for an old man.
So I apologize for coming unhinged over my own stoopidity. 
That said, I think I know why Lee pulled back the original offering on the swager and created a more expensive kit with more parts in it. Now they include parts for both primer sizes (well enough) but they also include a special deprimer that puts a slight bevel in the mouth of .223 cases. I wondered about that until I got to the swaging operation of .223. You see there is a lot of play in the X-press shell holders and the feeder shuttle doesn't always put the case in exactly the right spot. The beveled mouth increases the chance of a "near enough put" to ram that swage rod into the mouth without hitting an edge.
Anyway, I don't guess I'll throw away the swager just yet..... 
Bob: I wish I could talk you into moving to NW New Mexico......I'd love to be your clean up crew at the range......I'm a sucker for range brass. Be careful over there....you are awful close to Washington and their bigger virus pandemic. |
|
|
|
Post by hacker54 on Mar 21, 2020 23:37:19 GMT -5
Sometime stepping away and looking at a different angle makes things a little more clearer. I also get frustrated with things and I get POed real quick with things and myself. So a little chill time and then see what I need to do.
|
|
bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
|
Post by bob on Mar 22, 2020 11:05:49 GMT -5
Greg, You'd starve your loading equipment trying to feed it with my semi auto brass. I only shoot them enough to remain confident and "accurate" M.O.body and I don't leave a mess, If no one wants it I'll pick it up, I do have all the dies and hand primer reamer if necessary. Gary, I don't get mad or frustrated I get my cutting torch or bulldozer and remediate the problem  . You're quite right about stepping back,it works! |
|
poohzilla
Member
Give me a place to stand and a long-enough lever, and I will invariably break the lever.
Posts: 1,050
Location: New Hamster
|
Post by poohzilla on Mar 22, 2020 19:55:31 GMT -5
Sometimes, we end up sending out the signal: "We have met the enemy, and it is us !" Bob, it's a good thing we all don't live closer-sounds like Greg and I would knock our heads together trying to grab your brass !!
Not wishing anybody any hard luck, but I'm hoping I can parlay a day of home confinement into a day of casting !
s
|
|
gws
Member
Posts: 969
Location: NW New Mexico
|
Post by gws on Mar 22, 2020 21:05:58 GMT -5
And here all this time I thought the enemy was father time and gravity......now it's the Corona Virus....me, I'm innocent....stupid maybe, but innocent.
Wish we did all live closer together....We could tell our lies in person over a root beer. But I doubt I would compete over range pickups....you want them you can have them.....gots lots of brass.
A day of casting....that sounds fun! Only casting I've ever done is with a fly rod over a trout stream....or for Stripers at Lake Powell.
|
|
bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
|
Post by bob on Mar 22, 2020 23:17:14 GMT -5
And I thought I was the only smart a$$, That is the only casting I do. Trout in the Sierras, Marble Mountain Wilderness or Hat Creek. Stripers in the Pacific Ocean.
|
|
poohzilla
Member
Give me a place to stand and a long-enough lever, and I will invariably break the lever.
Posts: 1,050
Location: New Hamster
|
Post by poohzilla on Mar 23, 2020 6:14:03 GMT -5
Gents, I, too, occasionally flog the water, but you can fish anytime-good bullet casting weather is priceless !  |
|
. You're quite right about stepping back,it works!
My daughter came from Missouri, my son and grand son, my wife and I had a nice dinner of grilled "porter house" pork chops, corn on the cobb, my son, G'son and I share 10/5. G'son is 4 minutes early though @ 10/4.
Pooh I hope you find to right house . 
