The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Whats your views on the lee loadmaster ?
It will be churning out quite a few 9mm and 357 on a weekly basis
Thanks

Once set up properly (use YouTube) they run OK, both of mine (44mag and 300aac) work pretty much without problem. The only thing I don't like is the onboard priming system so I don't use it, I feed mine fully prepared cases.

The shell plates aren't the cheapest !

visit the loadmaster zone for all the info you need.
I run mine for 9mm & 44. the 19s shell plate for 9 mm is best replaced with a modified 6s. So the primer pocket is centred over priming pin, large priming is no issue for 44. If all set up and mounted solid they are fine just go slow at first. Check carrier bolt is tight before each use and do not force any thing as you will have a few mistakes at first.

If you have S&B 9mm cases the primer pockets on S&B are smaller. S&B primers are not standard size (depth) a quick go with a small rifle primer pocket uni-former cuts pockets to correct depth and a crimp remover tapers the mouth. I had no end of proud primers and jams on the loadmaster with S&B till I worked this out.

TW

Thanks
Where is this loadmaster zone you speak of ? Lol

http://loadmastervideos.com/
or just google Loadmaster Zone

Cheers

Mine worked great for a year but then started to have timing issues, scraping brass off the side of the case. Sent it back to where I bought it who said they couldn't find a problem, set it up again and it detonated a primer.

I now prime the cases by hand and it churns out ammo just fine. (9mm, .357, .44Mag & .45 Colt)

It's funny how occasionally these turn up cheap secondhand......

I ran a Lee 1000 for a year. Much the same issues as the guys above, I spent hours and hours fettling until it ran as well as one ever would. For 50 minutes in an hours reloading session it would chuck out .38 Special "like a boss" and then regular as clockwork it would screw up and the next 30 minutes would be spent resolving that issue. It drove me nuts!

Primer feed is indeed the weak point of the design. Too few primers and they feed badly, upside down or no primer at all. Any crud in the system -the same.

In the end I sold it and bought a Dillon 550. The rate of production isn't as high as a Lee 1000 on a good day but overall, lacking the failures, it keeps up. However with the Dillon if there is a problem it's predictably user error and quickly rectified.

One thing I'd also recommend (if it doesn't have it) is to get the Pro Auto-Disk Powder Measure. It does a much better job than the standard "square" version and is now fitted as standard on the Lee progressive kits.