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The Lee Loadall is a good machine and turns out decent carts, i have loaded new and old 3" cases in 12 bore  wildfowling loads on mine. Only thing i wasn't happy with was the amount of taper for running them through my semi auto, so a quick spin on a drill sorts that out. 

 

Have a watch of some you tube videos on them being used, they turn out some good results.

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Guest cookoff013

they are great machines, no seriously they are. 

they have started many a reloader. now, its not as versatile, because the powder bushings have a short range (but there is alot), with the mec the bushing range is from #7 or so to a #60 meaning number not grains of powder. the mecs can be converted to any shotgun gauge, thats why the huge range of bushings. 

get one, have a blast, reload some. if you dont like it, you can move it on. if you like reloading then you can be emotionally invested in a better machine

 

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I do have very expensive set ups back home, but here I always used the Lee to great effect. If you're not bothered about aesthetic and your load has sufficient pressure then go for it and ***** if you need more expensive tools later on. For a factory like closure you only need a spinner and a drill so well worth

Edited by Continental Shooter
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It must be 30 plus years ago now but an an old chap  I knew had one of the first Lee loadals he araldited a small washer to the inside of the final crimp station, this little modification had it turning out nice crimps  straight off the press with no need for any further faffing around with roll turnovers and such. 

Edited by Fen tiger
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I dont doubt the look of the crimp but it could achieve the same results with a static crimp. The spinner creates an edge by spinning over the crimp. This results in an harder to unfold  closure and an increases in pressure compared to unspun closures. The model of the spinner itself can increase or decrease the toughness of the closure.

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16 minutes ago, Continental Shooter said:

I dont doubt the look of the crimp but it could achieve the same results with a static crimp. The spinner creates an edge by spinning over the crimp. This results in an harder to unfold  closure and an increases in pressure compared to unspun closures. The model of the spinner itself can increase or decrease the toughness of the closure.

I appreciate what you are saying and i would never use an roll turn  over on a existing crimp myself, as you say its got the potential to create problems with some loads.

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On 5/6/2018 at 11:29, Fen tiger said:

It must be 30 plus years ago now but an an old chap  I knew had one of the first Lee loadals he araldited a small washer to the inside of the final crimp station, this little modification had it turning out nice crimps  straight off the press with no need for any further faffing around with roll turnovers and such. 

Im sure i read i on here about a one cent euro coin or nickle/ dime doing the same thing.

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On 06/05/2018 at 22:03, Fen tiger said:

I appreciate what you are saying and i would never use an roll turn  over on a existing crimp myself, as you say its got the potential to create problems with some loads.

The problem is not so much spinning over crimps, but each load should have its closure depth. I do spin on mine to an height of 60mm but mostly coz my loads are tested at a closure's height of 60mm so I know how they'll behave. Adding or removing even just 1mm gives you 100 bar (on average) either ways and affects the pattern. So, if you want to spin over, just make sure you check and adjust the load to suit the changes

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6 minutes ago, Continental Shooter said:

The problem is not so much spinning over crimps, but each load should have its closure depth. I do spin on mine to an height of 60mm but mostly coz my loads are tested at a closure's height of 60mm so I know how they'll behave. Adding or removing even just 1mm gives you 100 bar (on average) either ways and affects the pattern. So, if you want to spin over, just make sure you check and adjust the load to suit the changes

I never bother i know it can bump pressures up i have seen it first hand, but if people want to or feel the need that is up to them. To me it is just one more job to do and i simply dont see any reason the machines i have turn out nice crimps straight off the pres without any additional input.

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On 5/8/2018 at 20:23, Fen tiger said:

I never bother i know it can bump pressures up i have seen it first hand, but if people want to or feel the need that is up to them. To me it is just one more job to do and i simply dont see any reason the machines i have turn out nice crimps straight off the pres without any additional input.

yup! Lee Load All does decent enough crimps.  For me was a choice between spinning over or modify and test the loads again (to suit the extra height)

Besides all american manuals are gauged to a non spin closure and height so, make sense not to spin over unless you adjust the load.  In the other hand; if you load thousands it might save your some dosh in powder 

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On 10/05/2018 at 07:55, snow white said:

I glued a small washer in the crimp finnish way back early 70 ts made a lovely crimp i have got two 20g press but no gauges can i get some one of the presses is on a aluminum base if i rember right that is a hold one.

IThe older Lee Loadalls did have a metal base its the  lee loadall 2 that had a Plastic base, i had one years ago base was red plastic but noticed one for sale used the other day it looked to have a black plastic base these days, not sure if still lee load all 2s or what number they are up to now but the first ones were metal base. They did a lee junior pres saw a picture or two of them, but never seen one in the flesh so to speak.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I load 20 and 12 with a lee load all ..had a wee prob with the 12 crimp.so I used a viccy silver sixpence glued to the end of the crimp finisher .for new cases I finish with 8 point crimp in both calibres ..digital scales but I intend to get a beam scale much more accurate..many years ago I used to reload 243 and 308 norma mag..and like the total pillock I am sold all my gear and weapons when my 2nd family started " guns and kids recipe for disaster" the lee load all is a piece of p--- to use just check and check again to avoid simple mistakes ie dispensing shot before powder .great little tool

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The spinner is applied to put a taper on the finished shell, only really neccesary for self loading semi autos!........But they do make the finished shell look better too!

I used a Lee loadall over forty years ago, in the early seventies, it will do most things you need a reloader to do! ?

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