Lee Progressive Pro 1000 Autodisk Upgrade

[lapetrarca53]

Just installed it last night. Took about two minutes. Ran several dummy rounds through it and looks like it should work out just fine.

Stumbled across it on ebay. Just a shade over $4.00 with shipping.

[Ranch Dog]

What does the upgrade do?

[lapetrarca53]

What does the upgrade do?

The return mechanism from the factory is basically a spring loaded lamp chain. They tend to wear out and snap after repeated use. It doesn't take too much tension to break one. No more broken chains now!

[Fyodor]

Actually that's not an upgrade, it's the return mechanism that's used on the turret presses. It is less prone to failure (I had a chain snapped only once, when I loaded over a thousand rounds in a row and got "fast"), but it will allow double charges! The chain mechanism will not double charge, even when the press is short stroked.

When you buy an auto disk separately, both types are included, so you can choose which to install. I prefer the chain.

[GasGuzzler]

Actually that's not an upgrade, it's the return mechanism that's used on the turret presses.

I stared at the pics for ten minutes looking for some sort of modification before I read the rest of the text in the topic. The only AD I have is an a Classic Turret and it looks like the one pictured.

[daboone]

It's different strokes for different folks. Some of us hate the chain reset for both the Auto Disk and the Autodrum and other love it. I guess I'm lucky that I like the chain method. That said the Auto Disk work just fine with the spring reset too. I keep one Auto Disk with a spring reset for Lee's CCT. On my non Lee progressive I like the chain resets. It's just another level of safety. So lapetrarca53 is correct the spring reset is the only way to go on the CCT.

I admit initially it took a little time to figure out the tension but that chain is worth it for a progressive. I'm certain there are folks who have figured out modifications/replacement for the chain. I bet we'll see someone here who done it.

[horseman]

I like and use the chain reset on the disk measures on the Loadmaster press. Can't remember the last time I had a chain break. I didn't have very good luck using the chain with the Auto Drum, just kept "popping" out of the little "slot" on them if I set it tight enough to "reset", so the spring it is. I seem to be in the minority on the Auto drum anyway as I'm not particularly fond of it. I mostly just use it on a Dillon 450 for 223 and the chain don't work there anyhoo...

[daboone]

After I posted my earlier comment above I decided to go tinker with the Auto Disk chain setup. Now I know it's a heresy to post pictures of non Lee stuff but here goes. But the Auto Drum is 100% Lee.



Changing the chain to a rod was a very simple task. The hardest part was threading a piece of rod and finding nuts and a spring to complete it. This mod wasn't necessary but I'm old and like to putz around.

[Fyodor]

I admit initially it took a little time to figure out the tension but that chain is worth it for a progressive.

I learned that the spring is not there for tension, but for tension relief in case of a hang so the chain won't snap instantly.

That's why I set up the correct tension by lowering the ram, pulling the chain through the return arm of the measure without applying any pull, and then raise the ram a little bit and pull the chain further by one bead. Only one bead more than completely loose is plenty enough.

[horseman]

I'm with Fyodor, that is exactly the way I have always set it as well...