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Lee APP press - collection of videos and notes.


Warden Callaway

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  • 1 month later...

I installed the Lee 4 tube feeder and collator on the APP press.  I hit a snag.

 

1612085091_LeecasecollatorJuly2020.jpg.e586d6e2888a49b91963ef3cf226d64a.jpg

 

The 44WCF case would drop through the tube and through the base.  But hung up in the top of the collator.  The taper in the socket "squosed" the tube ends enough to make them too tight.

 

373491218_LeetubemodJuly2020.jpg.8a4b9e90ae6584d6735a9f518f17f660.jpg

 

I took my Army engineer knife and scraped the inside of both ends of all the tubes.  Then used fine steel wool to clean up any hangnails. 

 

Works fine now. 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I ran into a bit of a problem with this latest batch of 38WCF that I shot in our last match.  The cases I fired in the old Winchester 1873 came out with slightly raised and rough primers.  The mouths of the case being pushed next on the shuttle bug would catch on the rough primer of the case above it and get pulled down. Not every time but enough to have to run with caution and problem correction.

 

All of the 44WCF cases from Sawmill Mary's guns processed fine except for the need to bump the shuttle now and again to complete it's travel - like the kid in this video is doing.  

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just ran some more 44WCF through to deprime.   It gave me some trouble pushing the next case in place and kicking out the one just deprimed.   I'd have to nudge the shuttle about an 1/8" to go the distance.  I got tired of that and took the shell holder out and buffed it clean.  I found my graphite lube and put a little on the slide.  Works well again. 

 

The 4 tube feeder is working well. 

 

Anyone with new experiences with the APP press? 

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21 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

I just ran some more 44WCF through to deprime.   It gave me some trouble pushing the next case in place and kicking out the one just deprimed.   I'd have to nudge the shuttle about an 1/8" to go the distance.  I got tired of that and took the shell holder out and buffed it clean.  I found my graphite lube and put a little on the slide.  Works well again. 

 

The 4 tube feeder is working well. 

 

Anyone with new experiences with the APP press? 

Nothing new , it’s been working great . 
Since this experience with Lee went so well I ordered one of these and a couple dies from Graff’s , have you ever tried one ? 
 

https://leeprecision.com/deluxe-power-quick-trim.html

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31 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Nothing new , it’s been working great . 
Since this experience with Lee went so well I ordered one of these and a couple dies from Graff’s , have you ever tried one ? 
 

https://leeprecision.com/deluxe-power-quick-trim.html

 

I have the manual version and it works well.

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2 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

I have the manual version and it works well.

Seems like it would be nice not having to chamfer the case mouths , I have a old whipped out rock chucker that my dad gave me that I may turn into may brass trimming station if it works out 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I set up quick change decappers in .38, .44, .45 using the guided pins, I think the guided pins really help when the case is just a little off from the die, I also set up the four tube collator and like the Warden had to chamfer the ends of the tubes to get 44 WCF case's to feed, The slide still needs a little push once in a while to get it lined up but its just a small inconvenience considering how fast you can run cases through the press.

I ran three 3lb. coffee cans of 9mm through the press last week I don't have any idea of how many cases were there but it was a bunch I finished in about four hours if I was doing it one at a time like I used to I'd still be at it. One thing I learned the hard way was if you're doing a lot of cases wear a glove to prevent the webs between your fingers from getting rubbed raw.

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Thanks Warden C.

I saw that, I'm waiting til they have the primer pocket swager back in stock if I get both that and the handle I'll be over $50 and get free shipping.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just switched from depriming 44WCF csses to sizing 38WCF bullets. Taking out the depriming parts was a snap. 

 

Hunting up the combination of trinkets to feed bullets was a bit time consuming. Then getting it to feed was a bit of a head scratcher.  But it runs like a house-a-fire - once the tube is filled.  I'm using the old style Lee sizing die and it only likes the bullets going in nose first.  I take it the new version has an enlarged section so the bullet will drop in either way. 

 

1890244468_LeeAPPpressbulletsizingOct2020.thumb.jpg.469f00b0e03f1ee6ba2db12ea40c7945.jpg

 

Another thing I decided was to get some shorter 25-20 bolts to mount the feeder tube bracket.   I'll probably never use it for anything longer than pistol length cases.  No use in all that thread to have to run 3 nuts up and down.

 

Someone still needs to design an "Amish" case feeder.  One that is simple and hand cranked.  

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  • 2 months later...

I got a email this morning roller handles were in stock at mid south . But I decided to procrastinate and plow the driveway before I ordered it . 
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0000691629/lee-roller-handle-upgrade-kit

looks like it will be a nice addition when I can lay my hands on one 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
On 1/27/2020 at 4:28 PM, Warden Callaway said:

 

 

That'll give ya popeye arms in a hurry !

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  • 3 weeks later...

If he would actually inspect those tubes he will find at least two more pieces of brass that are upside down. The Lee case collator is known to do this and if you search you will find several modifications designed to prevent this.

 

Granted I doubt any of them would have caught the loaded round.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The sliding case feeder on my Lee APP would often bind causing the spring link which moves it to bow.  This seemed to happen more often when things got a bit dirty or when using the press for "bulge busting"..  Very aggravating and slowed things way down.

 

I cut a piece of 3/32" rod to about 3.5 " long and inserted that inside the spring link.  Problem solved.  The case slider moves much more positively with some of the spring link flexibility removed by the internal rod.

 

Hope that "fix" might help other APP users as well.

 

TR

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  • 4 weeks later...

Browsing around,  I came up with another Lee APP press video.   The thing that makes this one worth watching is he has a blue dish correlator.  I don't see that he mentioned where he got it.  Looks like it works well.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/12/2021 at 4:56 PM, Warden Callaway said:

I don't see that he mentioned where he got it.  Looks like it works well.

 

He said in the comments that he made it.

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  • 1 month later...

I updated my Lee APP press with the new roller handle.  At the volume I use it, the upgrade wasn't really a necessity.  Just that we go by Grafs at least once a week and before each trip I check the Grafs website for items I'd be interested in or on sale.  With super low inventory,  there has been nothing for me.   Tuesday I decided to stop in and buy the handle aa they had them in stock.  Also some RCBS decapping pins that I only need because I can't find the ones I have.  

 

Amway,  Grafs has them in stock.

 

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/87673

 

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Is anyone processing 32 S&W or 32 HMR on their APP press?  Are you using the 4 tube "universal" case feeder setup?

 

I've got time to play with the APP press so I'm running 32 S&W brass through it to size.   Next I'll bell.

 

The little cases tend to fall bad out of the tube and onto the shuttle. Often needing some attention or correction.  Once in the jaws it feeds onto the shell holder nicely and pushes the sized case off. 

 

I changed the tube feeder block around to the smaller hole but it still seems too big.  

 

Any tricks or twinks?

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You need to reduce the diameter of the hole in the case feeder block so that it is just big enough for the case to pass through. The current hole is too large and it allows the case in tube to shift as the case in the feeder moves out from under it. This causes both cases to tip and makes the case in the feeder fall over as it tries to right its self once the case above slides off the rim. 

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Here is a common occurrence. 

 

947283917_LeeAPP32SWfeed1June162021.jpg.eacb8f9a3045a1fbe08deb07698b95b5.jpg

 

I found one of the small tubes just slip fit in the hole.  As the tube was only to be used on the single tube system,  3/4" was a small loss.  

 

738255920_LeeAPP32SWfeed2June162021.jpg.9023dac1234f6b4ffc8fb032ddd15633.jpg

 

The "doors" on both sides just added to the problem.  The modified block works much better.  I still may need to change or adjust the jaws.

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The tube insert improved the feeding from 50% to 90% or more.  Occasionally one case will fall forward and the next will drop down behind it causing a log jam. 

 

The 4 tube case feeder correlator drops a couple upside down with each load of about 100.  They are easily spotted and plucked off shuttle. 

 

It works but not a lights out operation.  Go at a pace that the feeding can be watched. 

 

The feed system is the cheesiest part of the press. All the parts are made of flimsy plastic. I don't mind the plastic but the flimsy part is disappointing.  

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