Looks like Frankford Arsenal wants to be a player...

[JLT]

Just ordered the hand priming tool to give it a whirl. Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't aware they made one. Looks pretty nice.

I was actually looking to get the 21st century tool, but the FA comes with all the shell holders and it also has an adjustable depth. Might as well give it a try first. Can always return it if I dont like it.

It's substantial - downright heavy - and it fits the hand well. Near as I can tell, the depth adjustment works just fine and it provides good feedback. I've been using mine exclusively for five or six months now and I haven't once felt I needed to go back to the Forster for any reason, including precision.

 

[jpx2rk]

I replaced the factory cutter with a Redding cutter (if memory serves . . .) after a few hundred cases and I'm very happy with its performance a couple of thousand cases later. Ditch the OEM cutter in favor of a higher-quality one and you're back in business.

PS. I think their hand priming tool is excellent!

I did replace the cutter head, and still would not trim very well, so I just moved on to another trimmer (Giraud).

 

[MVRK28]

They did a pretty good job of copying a Forester Co-Ax Press.

Or did Forster do a good job of copying a Frankford Arsenal press?

 

[Ledd Slinger]

They did a pretty good job of copying a Forester Co-Ax Press.

They are not the same. Similar, but different in many ways. The fact that the FA does not need to be mounted on the edge of a bench is probably one of the best feaures. And the shell holder, although very similar, is much easier to change around than the Forster S-Jaws. Primer tray is a lot better design than Forster as well. Plus it comes with an integral LED light for Christ sakes! Lol.

 

[tmwinds]

I agree, quality tools. They will probably wind up being bought out by some mega company, hornady or RCBS?? and the tools driven to a lower quality, for profit. “corporate raiders “ I call them.

Battenfield Technologies was founded by Larry Potterfield, owner of Midway USA. It was sold to The Smith & Wesson Group in 2014 for $130 million. Battenfield is the parent company of many shooting items will may be familiar with. Caldwell, Wheeler Engineering, Frankfort Arsenal among many others. All made in China as far as I can determine.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

I have the platinum tumbler with the timer and the stainless steel media and the magnet to separate it and I use their brass cleaner solution with lemishine. Brass looks brand new. I also have used their digital caliper for 3-4 years which was pretty cheap but I have never had any trouble with it.

 

[Davidb187]

I have a FA prep center, the trim function quit working after about 1k cases, still spins and all, just takes forever to trim a case. Saw a new/different FA prep center at Midway that had done away with the trim function. I still use my FA prep center for deburr/chamfer but went different directions for trimming.

You can upgrade the cutter for a carbide one from Redding. I think there's 2 so check carefully before ordering. It's day and night
Sorry. Already said by someone else

 

[Medic505]

Christ sakes

Yeah that's what I say. I'll keep my Bonaza. ERRR, Forester.

 

[K22]

Their simple and inexpensive tool for determining max COL is great.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Yeah that's what I say. I'll keep my Bonaza. ERRR, Forester.

I've had the Forster Coax for many years. It is a good press. However, I feel FA M-Press identified many of the shortcomings on the Forster and made the appropriate amendments to their design. The only thing I would say I dont like on the M-Press is that you have to buy special lock rings for your dies. But at $15.99 for a set of 3 that includes a special case, they are very affordable. I only use my Forster for bullet seating with my threaded dies anyhow. All the FL sizing gets done on my Redding T7 or RCBS RockChucker. I never sized on the Forster because I hate changing the S-jaws around. I have the standard shell holder adapter for the Coax too, but never installed it. With the quick change ability of the universal jaws on the M-Press, I could see myself using it for sizing AND seating.

 

[Medic505]

I seat with an arbor press and Wilson dies.
I've yet to find a short coming with my Bonaza.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I seat with custom chamber reamed Wilson dies for some cartridges as well, but they are too slow for large volume ammo on varmint rifles. By drilling and bedding the seater stem on a threaded die, I can achieve runout levels that are every bit as good, and sometimes even better, than my Wilson dies. Nothing wrong with threaded seating dies if they are set up properly and floated in a Coax style press.

 

[Murray Brook]

I'm sure the press is a well made unit and works great. Having said that I've never been a fan of companys that put a product out then hold you to ransom by designing the unit so as it can only be used with their components. In this case the die blocks. If I were to equipt all my dies with these die blocks the cost would easily be $300+ and I will most certainly not adjust my die every time I use it so as to limit the # of blocks I have to buy.JMO

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I'm sure the press is a well made unit and works great. Having said that I've never been a fan of companys that put a product out then hold you to ransom by designing the unit so as it can only be used with their components. In this case the die blocks. If I were to equipt all my dies with these die blocks the cost would easily be $300+ and I will most certainly not adjust my die every time I use it so as to limit the # of blocks I have to buy.JMO

True. But it's the same with the Forster Coax press. The Forster die lock rings work best with their press. Redding and RCBS rings dont work well with it at all. So a person ends up having to buy Forster lock rings for any dies used in the Forster press. The Forster lock rings cost more per piece than the FA lock rings. If a person wants a Coax style press, you have to pick your poison I guess. Forster lock rings are about $7 each so you will end up spending more on the Forster press to set up your dies unless of course you happen to be using Forster dies that come with them.

 

[Murray Brook]

You are very right, and that is the reason I don't have a co-ax. I just use my standard shell holder single stage press that loads me ammo between 0.001 and 0.0015 concerity most of the time.

 

[Jefferson]

I have had a forester coax for 6 years and dislike Chinese stuff compared to good old USA
stuff if made right I am going to buy the new unit and if I like it then buy a few die holders to last me and I am done

wish the coax had a few features that might be missing but they will not change there press so I must move on

Jeff

 

[Zero333]

If the FA electronic powder dispenser is as good as the Chargemaster, I think they'll sell very good at $200 a pop.

 

[Milo 2.0]

They are not the same. Similar, but different in many ways. The fact that the FA does not need to be mounted on the edge of a bench is probably one of the best feaures. And the shell holder, although very similar, is much easier to change around than the Forster S-Jaws. Primer tray is a lot better design than Forster as well. Plus it comes with an integral LED light for Christ sakes! Lol.

The LED light is snappy, if they'd ship it with some fuzzy dice I'd be a playa.

 

[Milo 2.0]

There are Bonanza coax's decades old that are still tight as heck. By design, I can't see the FA press lasting nearly as long. The shellholder plate slides on the rams, moving parts wear.

 

[topclass2017]

+1 on the FA hand priming tool. Comes in a nice case with a variety of shell holders to fit various calibers. I replaced my RCBS hand primer with the FA unit and have not looked back.