Is this worth messing with?

[cornfused]

So I'm thinking about getting in to reloading and someone I know had this never used just sitting in their attic.

It's a lyman with two sets of dies, both 9mm, one is lyman and one is lee.

It's alittle rusty but looks like a starter kit and he said I could have it for $100.

I'm not going to be trying to reload hundreds of rounds a week but should I even mess with something that's not a turret design for the sake of speed?

I have no idea about any of this so any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[zoglog]

You can load bulk loads for targets with a turret or a progressive.

Accuracy is going to come with your single stage. I have a progressive and two single stages. I like my single stages better. Sure my progressive is fun because I can load soo many more rounds with it but there is something about my single stage...
I feel more connected with the rounds. You might not understand now, but after you make that first round you will understand!

I would pick it up for 100! Dies, press, scale, and lube pad is a great start. Just pick up a powder dispensor and you are good to go.

 

[DHolder]

I'd say go for it too! Look around for a good "current" reloading book and read it. That .45 will probably like Tite group powder, CCI primers, and your choice of bullet.

 

[downzero]

Not worth $100 IMO.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I'll sort of agree with DZ, $100 is a bit high for that setup used. You wouldn't be getting ripped off, but you could buy that stuff brand new for not a lot more. Talk him down to $75 and I'd say go for it.

There is nothing wrong with loading on a single stage press for low volume shooters. I have a progressive, a turret, and two single stage presses and I use the single stage and the turret the most.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I'll sort of agree with DZ, $100 is a bit high for that setup used. You wouldn't be getting ripped off, but you could buy that stuff brand new for not a lot more. Talk him down to $75 and I'd say go for it.

There is nothing wrong with loading on a single stage press for low volume shooters. I have a progressive, a turret, and two single stage presses and I use the single stage and the turret the most.

I agree... not worth $100

Also, its hard to see in the picture but it appears that the balance and pan part of the scale are missing... if so that isn't worth anything (you can buy a new scale cheaper than the parts to fix that one up).

I would say $50 would be a good deal, $75 would be reasonable... not $100.

 

[samrothstein01]

In terms of a "starter" set, and getting into reloading, I would certainly opt for a single stage press. The only thing a turret or progressive press gives you over a single stage is speed, which increases the opportunity for mistakes and problems. Once a firm grasp of the process is accomplished, and comfort is established, a turret or progressive can be added later. Unless you want to crank out 1k+ rounds a week, a single stage will do just fine. I can crank out 1k on my single stage in a week, just takes a little more time in the evenings than I wish to spend.

In terms of price, I agree with the others, $100 is certainly not a steal, but not completely unreasonable. The entire lyman (and many other mfg's) starter kits run about $300 and new presses without any accessories run about $100. (Give or take for mfg and model).

 

[pjcalla]

Just for a price comparison, a month or so ago, I got a RCBS Rock Chucker (old/stronger model), 505 scale, and powder thrower for $100. The press had a little surface rust, but looks brand new after putting a little elbow grease into it. I don't know how that compares to the equipment you have listed, but thought I'd throw it out there as a comparison.

 

[Slow Hand]

I always reccomend getting started with a single stage. A turret is also good, because it is used like a single stage, it just holds all of your dies so you don't have to replace them for every step. It's not a bad deal for $100, but I bet you could find all that and more, like a powder dispenser and a hand priming tool for about the same money. Plus, it's just sitting in his attic doing him no good. Offer him $50 and see if he bites!

Doug K

 

[usmcdjb]

First, I loaded quite a few rounds on a single stage press over the last 2 1/2 years (6K 223). It's a chore! If you're going to do this, get a progressive relaoder. But like has already been said, I have also loaded a lot fewer 300 WM, and that is a much more enjoyable (and accurate) endeavor.

Second, I just decided to put my Lee Anniversary reloading kit - press, hand primer, powder dispenser and scale - into a rummage sale and think I marked it $40. It was regularly $100 new 15 or so years ago, and I got on sale for $75 (still had the price tag on it). Of course, that was missing any dies.

 

[Wabatuckian]

A Lee progressive goes for about $130, new, if that's any indication.

That said, that's a very good press you're looking at. I'm with the others: Talk him down and go for it.

If you don't, PM me the phone number and address

Josh

 

[shibumiseeker]

A Lee progressive goes for about $130, new, if that's any indication.

That said, that's a very good press you're looking at. I'm with the others: Talk him down and go for it.

If you don't, PM me the phone number and address

Josh

Presses are cheap, it's all the stuff that goes with them that costs a lot of money!

 

[downzero]

$50-75 is a good deal just for the dies and press. The rest I'd throw out.

Get yourself a digital caliper and a decent, cheap electronic scale and you'll be ready to rock. I wouldn't suggest making pistol rounds with anything except a progressive, though, because it's just too slow for that.

 

[Wabatuckian]

decent, cheap electronic scale

Those don't exist.

My Lyman electronic scale was $125. The one I had bought prior for about $40 was a Hornady, but it would not read correctly. The gun store verified that it was crap with a number of calibration weights, not just the one it came with.

If you have to go cheap(er), find a good beam scale. Lee makes acceptable beam scales but they are cheap; an RCBS would be better.

I do recommend starting with a beam scale as the have the ability to be more accurate.

Josh

 

[Slow Hand]

Yeah, I"d trust a beam scale over a digital one dollar for dollar. Lee's is perfectly fine and cost what, $25?

As to not loading pistol rounds on a single stage, I"ve loaded thousands upon thousands of rounds from .32 SWL to .454 Casull on a single stage, including lots and lots of autoloader rounds. I've always reccomended starting out on a single stage. It give you an appreciation for all that's going on. I newbie, no matter how intelligent he is, doesn't need to worry about watching four or five operations at once. I've had a gun come apart in my hands and it's not an experience I want to repeat and not one I'd reccomend to others!

Doug K

 

[Fixer]

Graf & Sons has a LEE BREECH LOCK CHALLENGR KIT w/BREECH LOCK PRESS for $102.99 i believe that is including shipping.

Kit specs:
This kit replaces the popular 35th Anniversary Kit features the same components as the 50th kit but we have replaced the Safety Prime with the Auto-Prime and a set of Auto-Prime shell holders. This kit is for those who prefer to prime off of the press.
Includes the new Breech Lock Challenger Press and three Breech Lock quick-change bushings. You get a complete powder handling system, with the most convenient and repeatable Perfect Powder Measure. Plus the Lee Safety Scale, the most sensitive and safest of all powder scales and fill your case with the included Powder Funnel.
Case Preparation Tools include a cutter and lock stud to trim your cases. Order the correct case length gauge for the calibers you will be loading, it’s only $5.50 extra. An included Lee chamfer tool chamfers the inside and outside of the case mouth and a tube of premium sizing lube is included. A small and large primer pocket-cleaning tool completes the case preparation package. $13.92 value.

 

[downzero]

Those don't exist.

Nonsense. I have a Digiweigh (made in Asia) somewhere. I have loaded dozens of thousands of rounds with it, and it works great.

I also have a Lyman 1200 DPS and a chrono that both seem to agree with my $40 digital scale.

So long as it can be calibrated, a cheap scale will work just fine. It's just a load cell. It's not that complicated.

When I worked at the Post Office, I tested, installed, and calibrated scales just like this that weighed things weighing thousands of pounds. It is nonsense to suggest that you can't get a decent scale for $50 or less. They're out there.

A beam scale is a complete waste of time as far as I'm concerned, unless it's just to verify what you've weighed on your electronic scale. I don't even own one. I check my loads against 1. another electronic scale and 2. the chronograph and loading manual and I've never had any problems.

DigiWeigh DW-AS: 100 x 0.01 G DIGITAL POCKET LAB SCALE - eBay (item 120585141281 end time Jun-25-10 03:37:27 PDT)

That isn't the scale I have, but something like that will do just fine for our purposes.

 

[Slow Hand]

When you are talking about something where 1/1000th of a pound can blow up a several hundred dollar gun, not mention what may happen to your hands, eyes, etc. I think I'll stick with my Dillon digital and a 'waste of time' balance beam.

Doug K

 

[cornfused]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

It does come with the Lyman reloading manual and complete working scale, priming arm and case lube. My father works for a scale company so I could get a pretty good scale when needed. And I've been watching videos on reloading, and after watching a Hornady Lock n Load in action with that powder checking die (which seems awesome) ...well the single stage just seems slooowww! But I'll keep looking into it and maybe he'll come down some too!

Thanks again!

 

[downzero]

When you are talking about something where 1/1000th of a pound can blow up a several hundred dollar gun, not mention what may happen to your hands, eyes, etc. I think I'll stick with my Dillon digital and a 'waste of time' balance beam.

Doug K

That's fine. Personally, I'll verify my load with the chrono and another electronic scale and I'll be at the range shooting while you're at home reloading.

Talking about a thousandth of a pound or whatever might sound scary to someone who has not loaded much, but to someone who loads thousands of rounds a year, I realized long ago that I'm not reinventing the wheel here. I nearly always load only from published data. I have a log of everything I load.

Not to mention that most of my loading is for a gun that costs thousands, not a few hundred.

I recognized in my post that others have different loading procedures. But for me personally, so long as the scale has a 5% tolerance or so, it's perfectly safe.