I was at a garage sale today and picked this up with some other stuff in a box non-related and wondered what model it is. I already mounted it and it had a .45 ACP die already in it so I ran a few cases through it and it worked like a charm. The only thing that I can't figure out is that there is a side plate that attaches with two screws and I believe that they may not be the right screws because they seem to be a self tapping screw. Anyone know what size screw that should be in there? I think I made out on this one because I only paid $3 for the whole box. ;D
What Model is this Press?
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That's a Lee "Challanger", not the newer "breech lock". Notice the difference between the top area of both frames, where the 7/8 x 14 threaded die is screwed-in. They are different. I had one when I needed a "traveling", lightweight press to load large amounts of 45 ACP's. Then I got smart & bought a Dillon 450.
The screw-on plate is intended to keep the spent primers in the primer catcher tray, and it is attached with 2 self-tapping screws, into the aluminum frame. Most primers bounced out anyway.
The ram linkage is die cast pot metal & the holes for the steel crosspins quickly became egg shaped with normal wear. Not one of my favorites and it went into the scrap bin.
The newer Lee cast iron press ( costs about $105) seems like a longer lasting choice. Price quoted from Midway's newest catalog.
Even with it's shortcomings you did get a deal for $3. It will be usable for light duty loading like pistol cartridges.
The screw-on plate is intended to keep the spent primers in the primer catcher tray, and it is attached with 2 self-tapping screws, into the aluminum frame. Most primers bounced out anyway.
The ram linkage is die cast pot metal & the holes for the steel crosspins quickly became egg shaped with normal wear. Not one of my favorites and it went into the scrap bin.
The newer Lee cast iron press ( costs about $105) seems like a longer lasting choice. Price quoted from Midway's newest catalog.
Even with it's shortcomings you did get a deal for $3. It will be usable for light duty loading like pistol cartridges.
I have one of those, got it back in the 1980's except mine has all cast parts for the ram linkage. They came with a priming tool that took the place of the shellholder and a shellholder adapter that went into where the die would usually be
I bought one of the first to reach the UK sometime in the mid '80s, and it lasted many years before being sold on for £25. As Jeremy(WI) says, the original model had better materials in the linkage. This was Lee Precision's first bench-press single stage model (it already had the Hand Press single-stage and bench mounted turret models) and was originally named the 'Challenger 2000' with a guarantee that if it wore out or broke before the year 2000, the company would replace it for free.
The original was pretty tough - I once used mine to pull the bullets on around 1,000 7.62X51mm ball rounds that a UK dealer had got from some source in the aftermath of Gulf War 1 - they had Farsi headstamps, came in 5-round disintegrating link MG strips obviously having had tracer rounds removed, was well contaminated with a mix of oil and sand, some brass that had such obvious flaws it was unsafe to reuse, three different powders and charge weights, and best of all nearly square bullets. The bullets were pulled using an old RCBS collet model and the press handle had to be thumped anything up to six times with the ball of the hand to unstick the bullets they were in so tight - heavy crimp plus asphalt sealant. Any press that took that had to be reasonably well made!
2000 and the 21st century seemed a long way off when I bought this press - I'm not sure how I find myself almost in 2014 in what seems no time at all!
It was MUCH, MUCH cheaper than contemporary competitors like the RCBS models and let a lot of people start handloading rifle cartridges on a budget, likewise the earlier Lee Hand Press which with then new Collet dies was my entry into rifle cartridge loading. I'm not sure the move to Breech-Lock is a great innovation with the Hand Press.
The original was pretty tough - I once used mine to pull the bullets on around 1,000 7.62X51mm ball rounds that a UK dealer had got from some source in the aftermath of Gulf War 1 - they had Farsi headstamps, came in 5-round disintegrating link MG strips obviously having had tracer rounds removed, was well contaminated with a mix of oil and sand, some brass that had such obvious flaws it was unsafe to reuse, three different powders and charge weights, and best of all nearly square bullets. The bullets were pulled using an old RCBS collet model and the press handle had to be thumped anything up to six times with the ball of the hand to unstick the bullets they were in so tight - heavy crimp plus asphalt sealant. Any press that took that had to be reasonably well made!
2000 and the 21st century seemed a long way off when I bought this press - I'm not sure how I find myself almost in 2014 in what seems no time at all!
It was MUCH, MUCH cheaper than contemporary competitors like the RCBS models and let a lot of people start handloading rifle cartridges on a budget, likewise the earlier Lee Hand Press which with then new Collet dies was my entry into rifle cartridge loading. I'm not sure the move to Breech-Lock is a great innovation with the Hand Press.
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