I tried using the Hornady and LEE systems on my LEE Classic Cast, and after a while I got rid of both. They work as you describe, but. These will not withstand heavy use. The Hornady (all steel) bushings all developed chips on the die bushing lugs and would no longer maintain vertical position. Then I tried the LEE system. The press bushing was aluminum and after some use the interior threads would wear to the point where just using the supplied plastic wrench to take out any vertical movement, the die bushing could turn through the press bushing and be useless. LEE used to make SS die bushings with a built clamp and they did not suffer this problem of turn through, but accelerated the wear on the press bushing so that the aluminum die bushings would no longer stay put. If LEE would make an optional steel press bushing and still offer the SS die bushings I would most likely still be using the LEE system. Sold all the Hornady stuff on Reddit and recovered enough money to buy a Forster Coax and never looked back. I must say every time I had a Hornady die bushing crack they replaced it, but they never got the heat treating correct. So for light to moderate use these two systems are OK, but for any heavy use you are better off with the 7/8x14 thread original press bushing. Your experience may differ.
I got the Lee Bushings x4 for exactly this reason. Fast interchangeability to FLS cases and seat projectiles for my 223 & 6.5 without faffing about. Great video John!
Hornady Lock-N-Load quick die change bushings are far easier to swap in and out, and are not made of cheap aluminum which will wear out easier. And the only time I had a die come lose was because I for got to tighten the die lock ring. Other than that one slip-up they have never come loose. The Hornady system will rust and Lee's will not is the only advantage the Lee ones have over the Hornady ones. Yet again the Lee ones will wear out faster being they are made of softer material. To each there own.
I have a one and a quarter inch threaded die insert. I would like to make that a 7/8 inch die insert. Is there anyway to take a male one and 1/4 inch thread and make it a 7/8 female so that I can use 7/8 inch dies on my one and a quarter inch press.
If your referring to the expander. K&M makes a insert riser for the 7/8 expander die. I'm expanding black out. With a summit. I ts a mess. With that short case. To find the right ram down, but don't hit. I haven't purchased yet. But it's in my future.
Excellent demonstration. 1 question: how easy is it to switch out the conversion insert piece and return the press to its original state? (so that I don't have to buy bushings for my lesser used dies)?
It's not hard at all but they're cheap enough for a 4 pack I'd probably just stick with them or set up your dies with rings on top of the Lee bushing and just swap the bushing across the lesser used dies.
@@FClassJohn That makes sense. I have 4 cartridges that I mainly reload for- and then those that come out every year or 2. I'm dealing with creeping oversizing issues and thinking this should work to ewgulate that. Thanks!
Great review John,I was hoping Lee would have that conversion kit.I have a bunch of the spline drive breech lock bushings since getting the APP deluxe press and am going to get my RCBS setup for that system.I hope you had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
My problem with the summit look at the 4min mark in the video do you see how much movement the ram has grab the ram from the top and rock it back and forth the amount of play can't be wright.
@@Iscariot18 Well the one I have did it and I shimmed the bottom base and top .Couldn't get my brass to size consistently at all it would have 5 to 10 thousand shoulder bum i did shim and it's butter but not perfect
After using an RCBS Rockchucker for years all this insert and die bushing stuff seems ridiculous and unneeded. It takes about 3 seconds to change the old screw in dies. Needless complication with a million extra steps makes no sense to me.
I tried using the Hornady and LEE systems on my LEE Classic Cast, and after a while I got rid of both. They work as you describe, but. These will not withstand heavy use. The Hornady (all steel) bushings all developed chips on the die bushing lugs and would no longer maintain vertical position. Then I tried the LEE system. The press bushing was aluminum and after some use the interior threads would wear to the point where just using the supplied plastic wrench to take out any vertical movement, the die bushing could turn through the press bushing and be useless. LEE used to make SS die bushings with a built clamp and they did not suffer this problem of turn through, but accelerated the wear on the press bushing so that the aluminum die bushings would no longer stay put. If LEE would make an optional steel press bushing and still offer the SS die bushings I would most likely still be using the LEE system. Sold all the Hornady stuff on Reddit and recovered enough money to buy a Forster Coax and never looked back. I must say every time I had a Hornady die bushing crack they replaced it, but they never got the heat treating correct. So for light to moderate use these two systems are OK, but for any heavy use you are better off with the 7/8x14 thread original press bushing. Your experience may differ.
How much use did you have on them? Considering using this for less shot calibers like 45-70 and 303 Brit.
I got the Lee Bushings x4 for exactly this reason. Fast interchangeability to FLS cases and seat projectiles for my 223 & 6.5 without faffing about. Great video John!
Hornady Lock-N-Load quick die change bushings are far easier to swap in and out, and are not made of cheap aluminum which will wear out easier. And the only time I had a die come lose was because I for got to tighten the die lock ring. Other than that one slip-up they have never come loose.
The Hornady system will rust and Lee's will not is the only advantage the Lee ones have over the Hornady ones. Yet again the Lee ones will wear out faster being they are made of softer material.
To each there own.
John try sizing 20 pieces of brass and see how consistent your shoulder bump is
Having used both Lee and Hornady ones now which one is better do you think?
For my use I prefer the Lee.
I have a one and a quarter inch threaded die insert. I would like to make that a 7/8 inch die insert. Is there anyway to take a male one and 1/4 inch thread and make it a 7/8 female so that I can use 7/8 inch dies on my one and a quarter inch press.
That's exactly what both the Hornady and Lee systems do. They make them for both popular thread size on 1-1/4 inserts.
If your referring to the expander. K&M makes a insert riser for the 7/8 expander die. I'm expanding black out. With a summit. I ts a mess. With that short case. To find the right ram down, but don't hit.
I haven't purchased yet.
But it's in my future.
Excellent demonstration. 1 question: how easy is it to switch out the conversion insert piece and return the press to its original state? (so that I don't have to buy bushings for my lesser used dies)?
It's not hard at all but they're cheap enough for a 4 pack I'd probably just stick with them or set up your dies with rings on top of the Lee bushing and just swap the bushing across the lesser used dies.
@@FClassJohn That makes sense. I have 4 cartridges that I mainly reload for- and then those that come out every year or 2. I'm dealing with creeping oversizing issues and thinking this should work to ewgulate that. Thanks!
Great review John,I was hoping Lee would have that conversion kit.I have a bunch of the spline drive breech lock bushings since getting the APP deluxe press and am going to get my RCBS setup for that system.I hope you had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
Where do you get the Lee insert that accepts the Lee bushings?
The links are in the description.
My problem with the summit look at the 4min mark in the video do you see how much movement the ram has grab the ram from the top and rock it back and forth the amount of play can't be wright.
That looks odd, mine doesn't do that.
@@Iscariot18 Well the one I have did it and I shimmed the bottom base and top .Couldn't get my brass to size consistently at all it would have 5 to 10 thousand shoulder bum i did shim and it's butter but not perfect
what is the name of the priming system? I want to look into that
RCBS positive ram prime kit.
After using an RCBS Rockchucker for years all this insert and die bushing stuff seems ridiculous and unneeded. It takes about 3 seconds to change the old screw in dies. Needless complication with a million extra steps makes no sense to me.