Lee APP press - collection of videos and notes.

[Sedalia Dave]

The APP X-press shell holders use the same numbering scheme as their other shell holders The Lee part number is just different. There is an error in some Lee charts. They list 45 Colt as a #14 when it should be a #11

 

38-40, 44-40 and 45 Schofield use a #14.

 

Lee APP X-press shell holder chart

[Warden Callaway]

In the light of day, I got the feed problem fixed.  It wasn't the black base but the tube.  Confusing because the case would slide through the tube just fine and it would slide through the block just fine.  Turned out there was a very slight burr on the end cut of the tube. When pressed into the block the burr would constrict the tube enough to restrict the case head.  I took some fine steel wool and wore off the burr.  Works now.

 

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

They list 45 Colt as a #14 when it should be a #11

 

I can sometimes get by with a 45Colt shell holder for 44WCF - I do on the Dillon 550b.   I can sometimes use a 44WCF shell holder to load 45Colt.    With just decaping,  the 14 may work for 45Colt.   If not, not that big of an expense. 

[Warden Callaway]

 

Odd things going on about the Lee APP press.  Now both MidwayUSA and Graf's and Sons show the automated version stock out and no backorder.  I've looked at several other online stores and seen the same results. 

 

We've used it enough to be impressed with the seup but need to get to matches to make more work for it. 

[Tyrel Cody]

3 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

Odd things going on about the Lee APP press.  Now both MidwayUSA and Graf's and Sons show the automated version stock out and no backorder.  I've looked at several other online stores and seen the same results. 

 

We've used it enough to be impressed with the seup but need to get to matches to make more work for it. 

 

It's available on Lee's site, wonder if they want folks to order direct? That's how I get most of my Lee stuff anyway, yes it's a little higher usually.

[Yul Lose]

They have them in stock again. Just ordered mine.

[Warden Callaway]

47 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

They have them in stock again. Just ordered mine.

 

Grafs has the Deluxe back in stock also.

 

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/8271

 

I don't think they ran out of the standard model but for the few dollars more,  why not get the Deluxe? 

 

Grafs still don't list the shellholders for this press.  The ones that come with it won't work for our rimmed calibers.  MidwayUSA does have them.

[cajun bandit]

got one for depriming .38 brass and works like a charm.installed a small funnel on top of the loading tube,fast loading of tube. will later install a 4 tube loading system

[Warden Callaway]

7 minutes ago, cajun bandit said:

got one for depriming .38 brass and works like a charm.installed a small funnel on top of the loading tube,fast loading of tube. will later install a 4 tube loading system

 

I just skipped the tube all together.  Pull, drop, pull, drop.  Works right right along. But the 4 tube with collector would probably be faster yet.

[Warden Callaway]

I stopped posting videos on the Lee APP press but now that some have one or got one on order. 

 

This guy made an interesting work station.  

 

 

This guy hooked his up to a case feeder.

 

 

[Yul Lose]

3 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

Grafs has the Deluxe back in stock also.

 

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/8271

 

I don't think they ran out of the standard model but for the few dollars more,  why not get the Deluxe? 

 

Grafs still don't list the shellholders for this press.  The ones that come with it won't work for our rimmed calibers.  MidwayUSA does have them.

Thanks for starting this thread, looks like a great addition to any reloading operation. I did order the deluxe model. I could not find the shell holders at Midway that you mentioned above do they have a special part number for this press?

[Warden Callaway]

18 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

.I could not find the shell holders at Midway that you mentioned above do they have a special part number for this press?

 

See if this works.

 

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022386023

 

Select from pull-down list.

[Sedalia Dave]

I have noticed that some of the Lee shell holder tables incorrectly list a #11 shell holder for 44 WCF / 44-40. 

A #11 is for 45 Colt. 44 WCF / 44-40 requires a #14 shell holder.

[Dr Matt Lurse]

Wowzers, cool to see this thread.  I stopped casting a while back because how much of a PITA sizing was.  May have to order up and dust off the molds and pot! At least for a few calibers

[Buckshot Bob]

Warden your an enabler, it’s funny how you suddenly need something you never knew existed, Graff’s had the press and Midway had everything else , even got the bulge buster, don’t shoot much 40 anymore but still allot of 9mm , 45 . This will be my first go around with Lee products. People seem to like them 

[Sedalia Dave]

Well I finally got around to ordering the Inline Precision quick change plate for mine. Had to order another wall storage bracket as well.

 

 

 

[Willy B.SASS#26902]

I've had my APP press for about a month now I've used it for decapping  38's, 357's, 45 Colt's, 44 Russians and 44/40's, I've also used it for sizing 44/40's.

  I've set it up with the 4 tube case feeder with collander and just picked up another case feeder so I  don't have to change things around too much when I go from small to large cases, I've also picked up guided decapper pins for the universal decapper which help a lot in getting the cases centered in the shell holder.

Overall  I really like it, It's the fastest depriming \ Sizing system I've ever used, It can be a little fussy on 44/40's I need to help a few of the cases into the shell holder but on straight wall cases its really fast.  Other than it being a little Fiddley(Is that a word?) It's a keeper.

And yes Warden Callaway is an enabler( But I'm glad he got this post started )

Willy B'

[Warden Callaway]

I just seen it pop up on YouTube as a recommended video. WOW! Something truly new and different!  

 

I'm thinking of using it to load some caliber I don't load in volume and don't already have a setup for 550b.  Can't prime on it but we hand prime but we hand prime using RCBS priming tool anyway.  Won't be able to feed powder filled cases into it to seat but should be able to use it like any other single stage press.  

[Sedalia Dave]

I am waiting on a factory crimp die for 44-40. Because my rifles need .430 bullets the crimp station on my SDB doesn't crimp like I think it should. Plan on using the APP with the case feeder and a funnel to put a factory crimp on them.  

[cajun bandit]

On 1/28/2020 at 2:43 PM, Warden Callaway said:

 

I thought I seen a video of one with a 4 tube feeder attached but I've not found it back.  Couldn't you use the collector on one tube and just plug the other 3 holes?

a small funnel works just fine

[Warden Callaway]

Handle mods

 

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

 

 

 

[Warden Callaway]

Cold day with wind gusting out of the north. So this afternoon I cranked up the lead pot and cast a good pile of Lee 200 RF 44 bullets.  I didn't have an urgent need for the bullets but it was the lowest inventory in my stash. 

 

The secondary purpose was to put the APP press to use. I used an old style Lee push through sizing die.  The bottle wouldn't work for this die but I wouldn't have used it anyway.   It would fill too soon.  So I used the section of clear plastic tube and dropped bullets into a 3lb coffee can. 

 

Setting up the feeder was a bit of a learning curve,  getting the right combination of parts to make up the feeder slide, etc. The 50BMG case funnel worked ok but was too big for the 44 bullets and would sometimes turn sideways enough to lodge. I resorted to using the tube.  Nose down worked just fine but base down would feed but drop crooked in the sizing die. So using the tube and loading the bullets nose down just worked better. 

 

I had problems with the feed shuttle sled not wanting to return and spring twisting.  I remembered one of the videos working through this problem.  It took him a while to get to the fix but it was to lube the sled botton and raceway that it sled.  He didn't specify a lube so I had Thompson's Bore Butter within reach.  A BB size gob covered the surfaces between and this seems to have fixed the peoblem.

[Warden Callaway]

This APP video shows some of the aftermarket products that are applied to the APP press.

 

 

[Warden Callaway]

I finished sizing bullets this morning.  Worked well except for filling that darn tube.  I could just not use the tube and drop the bullets directly into the bracket on the feeder but picking the bullets out of the tray and getting them turned nose down was awkward and slow. Far more awkward than 44WCF cases.  

 

This guy built a bullet feeder that feeds the bullets nose first for a Star lube-sizer.   Lots of gadgetry but it looks like it works well.  About midway in the video he starts to demonstrate how the feeder works.   Pretty clever how it passes a bullet nose down but flips a bullet base down. I don't think I need one that bad for the volume I do.  But I'm thinking maybe a simple version with just a hand crank or powered by cordless drill. 

 

 

[Warden Callaway]

 

My cheap and dirty version of a roller handle conversion. 

 

Just junk around the farm.  The 1" square tube with a 1/2" hole drilled all the way through.  A 5/16 hole through one side to use existing screw and nut.   1/2"x13 bolt and two nuts. Section of pipe. Blue paint.  

 

No mods to the original press. 

 

It's got Sawmill Mary's stamp of approval. 

 

I may get wild and crazy and spend $5 at the farm and home supply store and rebuild one with better parts. Maybe make a video?

[Yul Lose]

On 4/13/2020 at 4:14 PM, Warden Callaway said:

Cold day with wind gusting out of the north. So this afternoon I cranked up the lead pot and cast a good pile of Lee 200 RF 44 bullets.  I didn't have an urgent need for the bullets but it was the lowest inventory in my stash. 

 

The secondary purpose was to put the APP press to use. I used an old style Lee push through sizing die.  The bottle wouldn't work for this die but I wouldn't have used it anyway.   It would fill too soon.  So I used the section of clear plastic tube and dropped bullets into a 3lb coffee can. 

 

Setting up the feeder was a bit of a learning curve,  getting the right combination of parts to make up the feeder slide, etc. The 50BMG case funnel worked ok but was too big for the 44 bullets and would sometimes turn sideways enough to lodge. I resorted to using the tube.  Nose down worked just fine but base down would feed but drop crooked in the sizing die. So using the tube and loading the bullets nose down just worked better. 

 

I had problems with the feed shuttle sled not wanting to return and spring twisting.  I remembered one of the videos working through this problem.  It took him a while to get to the fix but it was to lube the sled botton and raceway that it sled.  He didn't specify a lube so I had Thompson's Bore Butter within reach.  A BB size gob covered the surfaces between and this seems to have fixed the peoblem.

I gotta tell you Warden that that APP press is impressive. I got mine set up this evening and man does it make depriming much more bearable. There was very little adjustment involved and once it was set up it worked like a champ. Thanks for initial heads up and all of the videos. 

[Warden Callaway]

I've been shooting my Colt SAA 38WCF and accumulated brass to deprime and clean.  I set up the APP press and went at it.   I ran into an issue with a few cases that had the primers slightly high.  They would hang up on trying to enter the shell holder.  I remembered a video explaining this problem and the fix. So I ground out a ditch to accommodate a high primer. Also broke the forward edge.

 

 

I understand the latest shell holders already have this relief cut. 

 

I've also came to the conclusion my roller handle mod is too heavy.  I'll rebuild something lighter.

 

[Tyrel Cody]

8 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

I've been shooting my Colt SAA 38WCF and accumulated brass to deprime and clean.  I set up the APP press and went at it.   I ran into an issue with a few cases that had the primers slightly high.  They would hang up on trying to enter the shell holder.  I remembered a video explaining this problem and the fix. So I ground out a ditch to accommodate a high primer. Also broke the forward edge.

 

 

I understand the latest shell holders already have this relief cut. 

 

I've also came to the conclusion my roller handle mod is too heavy.  I'll rebuild something lighter.

 

 

 

Never mind, I misread that; you're in the depriming stage.

[Sedalia Dave]

One thing to make adjusting the case/bullet feeder easier is to replace the bottom nut with a 1/4-20 coupling nut. The longer body makes it much easier to turn with your fingers and get a wrench on to tighten.

Picked one up at the local hardware store.

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Well finally got around to using the press today. Used a Lee FCD to crimp my loaded 44 WCF smokeless ammo. The lee die did an excellent job on the cases loaded with .430 bullets. The feeder had the occasional hickup properly feeding loaded ammo but overall I am very happy.

 

Next I put in a decapping die and set it up to deprime a batch of 30-06 brass I had bought so I can swage the primer pockets. First issue I ran into is the bolt that holds the feed tube is almost too short for 30-06 cases. I'll pick up a longer on next time I have to go to the hardware store.

 

Next issue was the as the cases drop down they lean slightly as the case feeder cycles. First picture shows the lean as the ram moves a case into position. It leans the same amount as the ram retracts preventing the case from dropping down.

 

 

 

To stop this I put the unused tube holder on the bolt upside down. This stopped the case from leaning too far to the left as the ram retracted and allowed the cases to properly drop into place. 

 

While it works, a piece with a "U" shaped cutout and a slight bevel on the top would work better. I have some scrap HDPE sheet about 1/4" thick that I can fabricate one out of.

 

On average I could deprime a case every 2.5 seconds. Going much faster caused feeding issues.

 

Sitting here typing this I occurred to me that the same "U" shaped stabilizer would most likely have prevented the majority of the feeding issues I had with the 44 WCF feeding correctly.

 

Thanks Warden Callaway for introducing the rest of us to this neat little press.

[Buckshot Bob]

I wanna thank the Warden for being an “enabler” and posting this . I’ve got the 4 tube case feeder and collator and have been using it to size/deprime 9mm, 38/357 and this thing is great for the task . Haven’t tried bulge busting yet but I think it’s going to work great 

[Yul Lose]

46 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

I wanna thank the Warden for being an “enabler” and posting this . I’ve got the 4 tube case feeder and collator and have been using it to size/deprime 9mm, 38/357 and this thing is great for the task . Haven’t tried bulge busting yet but I think it’s going to work great 

Yeah because of him another pard that I showed the APP to is going to order one and start depriming too. He was very impressed.

[Bingo Montana]

After going through this thread a while back I went ahead and ordered one to deprime my 38 SPL brass.  As soon as I get home from a match I run the the brass through it, then into a bucket until I have enough to run a batch through the wet tumbler.  Little gizmo is a real time saver, I can process 120 rounds of match ammo in a few minutes.  I ended up mounting it on an inexpensive, yet very sturdy Harbor Freight bench grinder stand and made a little chute out of PVC to drain the brass into a bucket. Tucks away nicely into an out of the way place in my garage.  I also added the 4 tube case feeder and collator, works pretty good.

[Warden Callaway]

Yet another video.  This one sizing bullets with using the 4 tube feeder and and tray.

 

 

Here is another where a guy redesigned the feeder shuttle and tube holder and used 3D printer to make parts. He includes links to 3D printer files to make the parts.

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

Earlier I posted about how cases that are significantly taller than the case feeder tend to become cocked as the press is operated.  Well today I tried my had a a videoing the problem and how I went about fixing it. The guide is made from a piece if High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) plastic. It was scrap lying around so it could have been nylon, delrin or another HDPE plastic.

 

It is mounted on the same bolt as the feed tube holder. I opted to drill and tap the mounting hole (1/4-20) so that I would only need 1 nut to hold it in place. Once I had the mounting hole done, I covered it with a piece of masking tape so I could lay out the rest of the piece. For the U shaped slot that guides the case, I removed most of the material with a stepped drill bit and then cleaned it up with a coarse sanding drum in my dremil.

Cut the basic shape with a hacksaw and then smoothed up the cuts with the sanding drum.

 

 

I made the funnel to make feeding cases easier from a short section of the tube that came with the press and part of the neck from a long funnel I picked up at Oreillys for less than $2.

 

Here is my first attempts are posting an instructional video. I'll probably make one continuous video to replace them later. 

 

 

 

Repositioned the camera for the third video. With it out of the way I could operate the press like it should.