$%$*£$! LEE PRESCISION - what a pile of $£%

spatan7510

Well-Known Member
Sorry for rant, but here is my experience. I have had a brand new LEE LOADMASTER lying in a box for over a year. Been reloading with single stage press, decided to try progressive for mass reloading of 223 plinking ammo. Setup my press following loads of online videos. Issues with the primer feed tray and the powder dispenser. I have brand new lee perfect powder measure (which LEE themselves were ranting about for rifle loads) and universal rifle charging die. Issue is the Perfect Powder Measure was getting stuck with N140. The problem is that the powder measure does not return to the start position. It seems to get jammed which results in misfeeds and partial powder dispensing. This too was purchased brand new. This is problematic and continued to occur even after I disassembled the powder measure and cleaned it down. Basically it is useless and does not work properly. The other problem I encountered was with the primer feed not working properly. Video is here:

https://www.mediafire.com/?y3kzvyx6s5j2my1

WHAT IS LEE PRESCISION'S solution are emailing them:
This is the big reason we quit using the Universal Charging Die and the Perfect Powder Measure on the Load Master and Pro 1000 for 223. The tension screw has to be set just right on the powder measure so that the powder does not leak and the charge re-set mechanism does not work too stiffly resulting in a bent connecting rod (that we no longer have) or a broken bead chain. This system does not work well with fine grain ball powders.
We think it would be better to offer you a 1/2 price replacement on an Auto Drum Powder Measure and Long charging die. You also have the old style small primer trough and should get the one we are currently using, which we can also offer at 1/2 price.


Go and buy more parts.... WTS? So I have a brand new press, brand new perfect powder measure, brand new rifle charging die, which apparently dont function properly and have been discontinued, and I must now go and buy more of their crap?

If anyone has some suggestions or experience with similar setup, please let me know before I pull my hair out with this lot...
 
Well, if you bought from a UK supplier, and you have it in writing from the maker that it's not fit for purpose :rolleyes:
 
On the flip side - well done to Lee for an honest answer. It doesn't come much straighter than that. I would haggle on the 50% they are offering
 
many years ago I reached a plateau with reloading my .22/250 using mostly Lee gear. I spoke to Mike who owned Bangor Firearms at the time, he said Lee gear was great to start out with, but if I was chasing tiny groups I'd have to get better gear. I bought some K+M stuff, an RCBS single press and some competition dies and basically halved the group sizes with the same load. Concentricity was by far the biggest change. In fact the only Lee item I own is a powder funnel.
I'd never buy Lee again.
 
I have had two sets of Lee dies both were total rubbish, some times you get lucky not me, so I buy better gear never had any trouble with Redding Lyman RCBS or Dillon
 
Lee served it's purpose for me. It got me started when I was skint and helped me learn from my mistakes pretty cheaply. I've now 'upgraded' to more expensive stuff, but I still enjoy knocking-out a few 'agricultural' 30.06 rounds with my 'Lee Classic Loader' kit and a nylon hammer.
 
Sorry for rant, but here is my experience. I have had a brand new LEE LOADMASTER lying in a box for over a year. Been reloading with single stage press, decided to try progressive for mass reloading of 223 plinking ammo. Setup my press following loads of online videos. Issues with the primer feed tray and the powder dispenser. I have brand new lee perfect powder measure (which LEE themselves were ranting about for rifle loads) and universal rifle charging die. Issue is the Perfect Powder Measure was getting stuck with N140. The problem is that the powder measure does not return to the start position. It seems to get jammed which results in misfeeds and partial powder dispensing. This too was purchased brand new. This is problematic and continued to occur even after I disassembled the powder measure and cleaned it down. Basically it is useless and does not work properly. The other problem I encountered was with the primer feed not working properly. Video is here:

https://www.mediafire.com/?y3kzvyx6s5j2my1

WHAT IS LEE PRESCISION'S solution are emailing them:
This is the big reason we quit using the Universal Charging Die and the Perfect Powder Measure on the Load Master and Pro 1000 for 223. The tension screw has to be set just right on the powder measure so that the powder does not leak and the charge re-set mechanism does not work too stiffly resulting in a bent connecting rod (that we no longer have) or a broken bead chain. This system does not work well with fine grain ball powders.
We think it would be better to offer you a 1/2 price replacement on an Auto Drum Powder Measure and Long charging die. You also have the old style small primer trough and should get the one we are currently using, which we can also offer at 1/2 price.


Go and buy more parts.... WTS? So I have a brand new press, brand new perfect powder measure, brand new rifle charging die, which apparently dont function properly and have been discontinued, and I must now go and buy more of their crap?

If anyone has some suggestions or experience with similar setup, please let me know before I pull my hair out with this lot...

Have you contacted Lee direct? If not why not?

Have always found them most helpful unlike some UK importers.
 
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