This lee "Hand Press" has been out for decades! Lots of folks use them for working up loads while actually on the firing range. Many of Our Club members have them, with no complaints. For just a few rounds, while at the range, or in a small hunting cabin, this is just the ticket!
I started reloading a couple of years ago. I bought one of the kids the Lee breech lock single stage vise and me the hand press. Currently, I reload .303 british, 30-06, .223 and 7.62x39. I usually do 60-120 cartridges at a time. I prefer the hand press to the mounted press and don't really feel that it slows me down - what slows me down is I weigh each individual load. Anyway, I love the thing - I can sit at the kitchen table, load and watch tv all at the same time in the comfort of air conditioning. I use a different trim method than you - I use a lee case conditioning kit along with the appropriate caliber Lee case length gauge and shell holder chucked into my rechargeable drill. I also use lyman pocket reamers for military crimps and lyman pocket uniformers for keeping the pockets the same. I usually don't mix brass prep and reloading in the same session as it gets tedious, time consuming and boring.
Good video. I do 300BLK and 308 with my hand press, including a full size. I notice you weren't lubing the mouth of the case necks. It's slightly more tedious, but I have found a Q tip with lube lightly to the inside of the case mouth makes a big difference, especially on the re-opening the press action.
I may have just gotten a lemon (I usually like Lee stuff) but that quick trim did not work for me. It had a unacceptable amount of variation of length from case to case no matter how I did it, how much pressure I used, etc. I like the frankford arsenal case trim/prep machine but most of the time I use the Lee trimmers with the pilots and chuck it in a drill. Makes quick work of it and really repeatable results. One of these hand tools would be nice to sit and watch TV and prep brass. I have a spare cheap Lee press and a little table I can bring into the living room and will sit and size a ton of 9mm then prime it all so it's ready to go.
I'm looking to reload 8mm mauser with this. I already have a lee full length sizing die and a seating die ( both 8 mauser). In addition to the contents of this kit what else do I need?
No, It’s a totally different step. You only have to chamfer if you’ve trimmed the brass. When you trim the brass the edge is left sharp. Think of when you open a tin can with a can opener. When you try to seat a bullet, even with the case mouth flared, that sharp edge will catch on the bullet, and can shave the coating off of it. Chamfering that sharp edge will allow the bullet to slide in smoothly.
