LEE IS CRAP

**snuffy19608** · November 8th, 2017, 12:46 AM

I keep telling myself get RCBS, or go Blue, but my penny-pinching upbringing keeps coming back to haunt me. Bought a Auto-Prime, tried to recap some brass just now. What a piece of crap, even compared to the old style priming tools. Took a whole 10-12 cases before stuff started going wrong. Primers going sideways, lever fell off, whole thing jammed several times. I swear, never again! I'll eat Ramen before I get anything Lee again!! Now, off to buy something that WORKS!!

**SIGFAN86** · November 8th, 2017, 01:12 AM

SOME of lee reloading items are crap.
I have used the older version of the hand primer and I can agree, they are sub par. Try a frankford Arsenal.
Their pistol dies are perfectly fine.

**NathanB** · November 8th, 2017, 09:43 AM

I’ve got a buddy who swears by his lee presses and it seems to make reliable ammo in many calibers

**Nate7667** · November 8th, 2017, 10:25 AM

I have an old Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm that has probably close to 10k round through it with out any major issue.
It was a "thats good deal, lets buy it and take over the world" kind of purchase at 20 years old and still in school, and it was great for my needs then. Other than being a 3 station press and needing a separate operation to crimp.
Now, go blue in the 1050 flavor and call it a day.

The only thing will buy and swear to from Lee, factory crimp die.

**Sgt.K** · November 8th, 2017, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Nate7667

I have an old Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm that has probably close to 10k round through it with out any major issue.
It was a "thats good deal, lets buy it and take over the world" kind of purchase at 20 years old and still in school, and it was great for my needs then. Other than being a 3 station press and needing a separate operation to crimp.
Now, go blue in the 1050 flavor and call it a day.

The only thing will buy and swear to from Lee, factory crimp die.

I have a Lee Pro 1000 I bought new about 3½ years ago. I also have nearly 10k rounds (of .45) thru mine. No other presses or dies, just 3 stations that got set up and adjusted once. I've torn it down 3 times for a good clean and lube, but otherwise it just does what it's supposed to.

YMMV

**Daycrawler** · November 8th, 2017, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by snuffy19608

I keep telling myself get RCBS, or go Blue, but my penny-pinching upbringing keeps coming back to haunt me.

Buy once cry once! you get what you pay for.................or do you?

**Bang** · November 8th, 2017, 01:23 PM

Sounds like a warranty claim to me.

**OldSchoolRanger** · April 19th, 2019, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by Nate7667

I have an old Lee Pro 1000 in 9mm that has probably close to 10k round through it with out any major issue.
It was a "thats good deal, lets buy it and take over the world" kind of purchase at 20 years old and still in school, and it was great for my needs then. Other than being a 3 station press and needing a separate operation to crimp.
Now, go blue in the 1050 flavor and call it a day.

The only thing will buy and swear to from Lee, factory crimp die.

Regarding the Lee factory crimp die. I agree totally. The Lee Universal depriming die is also quality. So much so, I prefer it over my RCBS universal depriming die. Most of my current dies are not Lee, except for the 7.62 x 54R set. I purchased it when I was unable to get that caliber in RCBS. I have to admit that I started loading with a Lee product. I used the Lee Classic reloader to make my first complete 308 Win. bullet. I still have my first two Classic loaders (calibers .38 Spec. and .308 Win.)