Lee Pro 1000

[Coachg]

I've found that the only way I can coexist with my Lee Pro 1000 is to separate the sizing and priming operations from the powder and bullet seating. It seems that every time I try the full operation, I end up getting totally frustrated because the primers always seem to hang up on even the most smallest powder flake.

What I've been doing lately is cleaning the primer chute really well and lubing with some graphite. Then I load up the shell collator and deprime, size, and prime several hundred cases at a time. The operation is just about flawless and pretty easy with the case feeder. I've primed 100 cases in just over 5 minutes when things go well.

Then when I'm ready to load, I back out the sizing die and dump the primed cases in the collator and run them through the powder and bullet seater. Again, on a good day, I've processed 100 rounds in about 10 minutes.

Combining the two operations still gives me about 400 rounds / hour and it's so much less frustrating.

Anyone else have trouble with the primer operation on the 1000 to the point they are ready to throw in the towel? If so, maybe try this route.

CG

[Grumpa72]

I ran into identical problems when I was helping a friend set up his Lee Pro 1000. I have a Lee Classic Cast Turret so I offered to help him and what a disaster. After about three hours I finally gave up. I did some online reading and there are lots of others who have primer issues. They seem to fall into the same general category and many of the online reading showed that a lot of folks give up with the indexed priming and prime with a hand unit. The other comment was that those folks who successfully use the indexed priming have to keep the priming area almost surgically clean otherwise there is primer tipping and jams.

In the end, he decided to hand prime and then use the 1000 for the other operations. No wonder his father gave it to him with very little use!

[notenoughguns]

I also had the same issue some 15 years ago , and have sizing and priming on a single stage press since .I now use my 1000 to charge / seat / and factory crimp , which works out well for my needs .

[Bib]

I remember doing that...subsequently, I've learned all the little quirks my 2 presses have. A little tap here, a little shake there...don't try to crank them out too fast, etc. I can usually load a hundred without any hangups. Take a break...fill everything back up and do it again later.

[woody]

They can be frustrating at times ,but when everything is adjusted just right
they will work. I have 3 of them, 2 with a high round count.
When you initially set them up you have to adjust each station one at a time. The timing of the shell plate is also very important as primers can be
tipped if the timing is off.
When you think it is right loading one case at a time will show when all is correctly set.

[Nate7667]

What primers are you guys using?
Lee states not to use Federal primers.
A buddy of mine had problmes with Winchester primers not feeding down the chaute smoothly.

What caliber are you loading for?

Woody hit it on the head, make sure your shell plate is set right.

I first got my Pro1000 with the 223 kit. It came with the rifle powder charging die. The hole in the charge die was .015" BIGGER than the ID of a resized 223 case. This cause powder to go everywhere but in the case.
The pistol charging dies are different, that why i asked what caliber.
I called Lee and told them the problem and to make the hole smaller and i would even pay for the change in operations. they said they would fix it. they sent me the exact same thing, so i called an old friend and had one made.

Loading 223 is the only time i sepperate the step, due to case length when re-sizing rifle cases.

I have just loaded 1K rounds of 9mm this past weekend with 3 problem cases. I was not paying attention and let the primers almost run out which caused them not to "gravity" feed to the button. I missed it and charged the case spilling powder out the flash hole and makeing a mess for the next few cases. Took it apart, cleaned it and started to run again.
It seems once your primer tray is empty and you can see the last one at the top of the chaute, STOP and refill your primer tray or manual assist the primers down the chaute.

[soup]

I was given a pro 1000 as my first press a few months ago. I've reloaded 2,000+ rounds of various calibers. I find that having a spare primer cup holder thing (that annoying disk) full helps when the primers run out of the one in use.

Just take a break and pop the new one in. Not allowing the primers to get to low in the feeder seems to have stopped almost all of the primer feeding issues I have had.

Every so often I'll have a primer miss feed but usually because something happened at another station along the line. I can easily get 200+ done w/o any real issues. I just don't try to crank them out as fast as I can.

[Coachg]

What primers are you guys using?
Lee states not to use Federal primers.
A buddy of mine had problmes with Winchester primers not feeding down the chaute smoothly.

What caliber are you loading for?

Woody hit it on the head, make sure your shell plate is set right.

I first got my Pro1000 with the 223 kit. It came with the rifle powder charging die. The hole in the charge die was .015" BIGGER than the ID of a resized 223 case. This cause powder to go everywhere but in the case.
The pistol charging dies are different, that why i asked what caliber.
I called Lee and told them the problem and to make the hole smaller and i would even pay for the change in operations. they said they would fix it. they sent me the exact same thing, so i called an old friend and had one made.

Loading 223 is the only time i sepperate the step, due to case length when re-sizing rifle cases.

I have just loaded 1K rounds of 9mm this past weekend with 3 problem cases. I was not paying attention and let the primers almost run out which caused them not to "gravity" feed to the button. I missed it and charged the case spilling powder out the flash hole and makeing a mess for the next few cases. Took it apart, cleaned it and started to run again.
It seems once your primer tray is empty and you can see the last one at the top of the chaute, STOP and refill your primer tray or manual assist the primers down the chaute.

I've been loading 9, 40 and 45, and 357 Sig. The best success I've had has been with 9. I have run a few hundred through the entire operation without problems, but with the others, I have a few problems. 40's tend to tip over as they come out of the case feeder. The large pistol primers tend to get hung up in the chute, so you have to watch that.

I only use CCI primers because they appear to be plated and slide easier. I think the biggest problem is when a couple of flakes of powder come over the side of the case and then block the primer feed. Overall it's a great press for the money and changing out the shell plate assembly is very easy.

[woody]

I only use Win. or CCI primers like they say. Powder should not fall over the edge of the case, when the expander is adjusted to contact and expand
the case mouth just enough to give the mouth a slight funnel shape
it will direct the powder into the case.
The Win. primers don't go down the chute as well as CCIs do for me either.

[V65Magnafan]

Now this may sound incredibly obvious to you, or it may solve someone's primer feed problems.

Don't put more than 100 primers in the tray.

Keep a can of aerosol air nearby and be sure that the primer feed mechanism is absolutely pristine clean.