Starting Out with a Single Stage Press

[Steve Koski]

As you've probalby guessed, I'm re-tooling the Newbie sticky thread posts. So those that help out here are destined to become NASCAR reloading legends like Ricky Bobby.

What are the advantages of starting out with a single stage press?

I can think of a couple:

Cost - SS presses typically cost less than most progressives and turret presses.
Simplicity - You're only doing ONE thing at a time, so it's harder to get out of sequence as with a progressive.Other ideas & comments?

[lethal tupperwa]

the Lee turret 3 hole is a good starting point if you load more than one caliber.

If you use it like a single stage press - all shells through one die at a time.

I feel you are much less likely to get confused.

[zdogk9]

When doing small runs for load development, it is more efficient then setting up the progressive.

[pastprime]

a "feel" for what is happening on each press stroke with different dies by starting with a single stage press..

I have finally moved up to a decent progessive and can still tell when something is not quite right or different its just 4 times harder to fingure out what...

[Shadowdog500]

The fact that you are doing it one step an a time forces you to focus on that one step, which in turn helps you to understand the intracies of that step as well as how to set up the die and more easily diagnose when things go wrong. I know people with progressive presses that load for several calibers that really dont know how to set up thier dies. This is because they set them up once a long time ago and never touched them again. When things go wrong on thier progressive they may be less likely to figure it out as quickly, Or will be afraid to touch the dies because they dont remember how to adjust them again. (Dont laugh, I know someone like this!)

Once you move up to a progressive you single stage press will still come in handy for load development, and other things like pulling bullets, or using a Lee harndess checker.

There is nothing wrong with a single stage press as your only press. If you only need to crank out a couple hunderd rounds you can have a relaxing evening at the reloading bench. I still load occationally on my single stage press and find it a relaxing way to spend an evening.

Chris

[ISUSteve]

What Chris said, you'll always need a single stage. Even if you have the best progressive out there, sometimes you just need a single stage. For instance, I seated some 45's too shallow and needed to seat them deeper. It would take more work to run them through my progressive than just set up the single stage.

[Tailgunner]

A good quality SS is more rugged than most turrets or progressives. Try making some 7.7x58, 7.9x57 or 7.62x51 cases from 30-06 brass to see what I mean.
SS-presses handle longer cartridges much easier.
SS presses are less expensive to convert to a new cartridge, than a progressive is.
While some distance shooting ammo is loaded on a progressive (due to rules stating that everyone must use "issued" ammo), most uber-accurate rifle ammo is loaded on either a SS or a "arbor" type press.

[918v]

I now have four single-stage presses in one, the CH4D model 444 Press. It is pretty fast, although does not have the leverage of a Rock Chucker and similar units.

http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/images/444.gif

[CaptToyota]

I started with a RCBS single stage starter kit. Wasn't toooo long that trying to keep up with a pistol and semi-auto rifle became a chore. So I bought a 550B to attempt to keep up. Still kept the RCBS for rifle prep, and misc "single" odd jobs that were faster done than setting up the DILLON.

Last summer, the old RCBS got moved to holding my DILON trimmer, soooo, I ended up buying a 2nd RCBS press to pick up where the old left off... the 550 was sold in Oct 2004 and replaced with a 650, set up 9mm and 40.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

I now have four single-stage presses in one, the CH4D model 444 Press. It is pretty fast, although does not have the leverage of a Rock Chucker and similar units.



Isn't that what discarded pieces of pipe are for?

[918v]

Right.

On another note, you could mount four Rockchuckers in line... now that would be a beautiful sight.

[anyplainjoe]

My first press was a single stage. But once I saw how slow it would be, I returned it and got the Lee 4 hole turret.

[SlammedDime]

I simply opted for the 550 out of the gate... I knew I'd be getting one sooner or later... and metal isn't getting any cheaper.

[Kastiron]

I started with a SS, learned about the basic process with rifle loads. Moved to pistol loading on the 3 hole turret. Then bought a progressive to mass produce .40S&W.

I use all three presses but prefer the SS for load development and precision rifle loads.

[Sixgun Symphony]

RCBS is for Rock Chucker Bullet Swage.

Many here should look into swaging bullets. The Rock Chucker will get the job done, so too will other heavy duty single stage presses like the Champion press from CH/4D.

[ron b]

If you are just reloading rifle, why have a progressive? Wait, I know the answer, the frickin idiot that was next to me when I was testing a new 1911 the othe day. He had an ar15 platform with some type of muzzle break that blasted the muffs of of my head every time he shot. The idiot went through over 200 rounds in a 20 minute period at 100 yards on the same target, asking his friends to spot if he was high, low, left, right. His barrel was glowing red. He had a group the size of a 18 inch pizza.

Back on topic, I use single stage for rifle rounds.

[Tailgunner]

If you are just reloading rifle, why have a progressive? Wait, I know the answer, the frickin idiot that was next to me when I was testing a new 1911 the othe day. He had an ar15 platform with some type of muzzle break that blasted the muffs of of my head every time he shot. The idiot went through over 200 rounds in a 20 minute period at 100 yards on the same target, asking his friends to spot if he was high, low, left, right. His barrel was glowing red. He had a group the size of a 18 inch pizza.

Back on topic, I use single stage for rifle rounds.

Ahh yes, the old "spray and pray" crowd.
Single stage presses are for people that know how to operate the sighting system:yesnod:
Progressives are for people that don't have a clue about what those funny looking things on the barrel are for :confused:

[Gary Newport]

What are the advantages of a single-stage press? I can't think of any...unless one just loves to readjust dies!

Even a beginner would be better off with a turret press. It's a pity that Dillon no longer catalogs the AT-500.

[jtrade]

I use my LCT as a single stage press all the time to bust though resizing, depriming, & priming X number of cases. Then I go Back & do the same thing to all those primed cases but expand the case mouth & drop X grains of powder. I then switch Turrets & use the auto-indexing feature of the press. Since I have 2 sets of 9mm dies I setup a 4 hole Turret with a seating die then crimping die, seating die then crimping die. Makes quick work out of a batch of 100 9mm cases that are already sized primed, expanded, & have powder in them.

Just my $.02.

J

[Tailgunner]

What are the advantages of a single-stage press? I can't think of any...unless one just loves to readjust dies!



Care to 'splain dat? I've been using a SS only, since (probably) before you were born, and once I set up a die the first time, I don't have to make any changes (as long as I don't switch components) to the die adjustments ever again.
Now, changing just the bullet only requires a single change (seating depth) and switching everything (say from 38spl to 357mag) requires a simple reset of the flaring and seating dies (and the same thing is true with a full on progressive).
BTW, it takes me less than 5 minutes to completly set up a new set of pistol dies, and just a couple minutes to set up a new rifle die. How long does that take you?
It dosen't take a lot of mechanical skills to swap dies and keep the adjustments, but I suppose it might be beyond some people?

[colorado4wheel]

Lee Classic Turret is hands down the best Single Stage Press ever made. The fact that it's also a Turret doesn't cloud my judgement at all ;). Seriously. Why start with a single stage when you can get a Lee Classic Turret and have both? Only exception to that would be the 1/2 MOA rifle crowd. But for pistol I can't see a single reason to get a Single Stage over the Lee Classic Turret.

[Sixgun Symphony]

I have owned a Lee turrent press for close to a decade, I also had three LEE single stage presses on my bench too.

One single stage press was dedicated to resizing bullets. The other two were for reloading rifle cartridges. The Lee turrent press was for reloading .45 Colt and .38 Special. I used the auto index feature, so it was semi-progressive which made it perfect for handgun bullets.

I sold it all last year and am going to Lyman and CH/4D equipment. I may buy the new classic turrent press from LEE though.

[Gary Newport]

Care to 'splain dat? I've been using a SS only, since (probably) before you were born, and once I set up a die the first time, I don't have to make any changes (as long as I don't switch components) to the die adjustments ever again.
Now, changing just the bullet only requires a single change (seating depth) and switching everything (say from 38spl to 357mag) requires a simple reset of the flaring and seating dies (and the same thing is true with a full on progressive).
BTW, it takes me less than 5 minutes to completly set up a new set of pistol dies, and just a couple minutes to set up a new rifle die. How long does that take you?
It dosen't take a lot of mechanical skills to swap dies and keep the adjustments, but I suppose it might be beyond some people?

My first press was a Pacific single-stage. I loaded .38 Special on it. The expander and especially the seating/crimping die required adjustment each time they were used.

It now takes me NO time to adjust dies for a given cartridge unless a different bullet is used. Switching to a different cartridge takes a few minutes as I have to switch tool heads (and possibly shell plates) on my Dillon. :)

[CZ93X62]

Sixgun--

Take a look at the Ponsness-Warren metallic cartridge tooling for "turret"-type semi-progressive reloading. I have the pistol model, and it is one fine machine.

www.reloaders.com (http://www.reloaders.com)

[Sixgun Symphony]

My first press was a Pacific single-stage. I loaded .38 Special on it. The expander and especially the seating/crimping die required adjustment each time they were used.


It seems like you did not have locking rings on your dies. Did you have 'em?

[Sixgun Symphony]

Sixgun--

Take a look at the Ponsness-Warren metallic cartridge tooling for "turret"-type semi-progressive reloading. I have the pistol model, and it is one fine machine.

www.reloaders.com (http://www.reloaders.com)


Thanks! I will take a look it.

[Tailgunner]

My first press was a Pacific single-stage. I loaded .38 Special on it. The expander and especially the seating/crimping die required adjustment each time they were used.

It now takes me NO time to adjust dies for a given cartridge unless a different bullet is used. Switching to a different cartridge takes a few minutes as I have to switch tool heads (and possibly shell plates) on my Dillon. :)

Your having to always make adjustments sounds more like a operator problem than a press problem. Don't blame the tools, because you don't know how to operate them.So you think having to purchase multaple die sets and tool heads is cheaper than learning how to operate a simple screw (or inserting shims)? Having to buy 2 die sets w/ tool heads for 38 & 357Mag, another 2 for 44spl and Mag, etc sound like a good reason to avoid your methiod (and a good way to get your CRB card revoked).

[Rollis]

Right.

On another note, you could mount four Rockchuckers in line... now that would be a beautiful sight.
A RCBS JR, a Lyman Crusher, a RCBS R.C. and a Pacific C Press is a pretty cute sight too.:):):):)