Six Pack Pro observations

The Pro 1000, 4000, and the Six-Pack Pro presses. We also include the "Legacy" progressive presses; the Load-Master, Auto Breech Lock Pro
Bill Moore
Posts: 59
Joined: 18 Nov 2023 15:11
My Press Choice: Progressive
Location: SW New Mexico
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Six Pack Pro observations

Post by Bill Moore »

I was constantly adjusting the LoadMaster primer depth, I load by headstamp, and if I didn't change primer type, it would be consistent.
Changing caliber, brass, or primer required another adjustment!
BrianT
Supporter
Supporter
Posts: 78
Joined: 19 Feb 2020 01:47
My Press Choice: Progressive
Location: McMillan, MI
Has thanked: 19 times
Been thanked: 10 times

Re: Six Pack Pro observations

Post by BrianT »

My issue with my Loadmasters is, I can get them set up and they are running smooth and flawless, then they change, and I have to start all over again, checking everything to see why, and a lot of times I don't see why, but they just start running smooth again, eventually.
The Six Pack Pro however.
As I said before, I will not use it to prime large primers anymore. Small primers run pretty well, but when you, or the press, makes a mistake, it takes a lot more to recover from, than the Loadmaster.
I check every piece of brass with a Primer pocket GO/NOGO gauge, and swage any that need it. I still run into some on the Six Pack, that don't seat correctly, or at all, sometimes with no indication of an issue, other than powder running all over, and under, the shell plate.
This press is seemingly engineered for left handed people, and having 6 stations, is harder to recover from any mistake, just plain harder to even set the powder charge, bullet depth, than Lee's previous progressive presses, in my opinion.
First off, there is what Lee calls the 'small case retainer' , as opposed to the long/short plastic case retainers we've come to know and love, think Pro 4000... In order to remove cases from some of the stations, you have to raise the ram slightly, back it up, just a hair, for the case to come out of the shell plate. I'm going to try widening the slot in this 'small case retainer', to see if it helps this issue.
And when you have powder all over, the primer station, and under the shell plate, to remove the shell plate to clean, you have to remove whatever die you have in station 4, which in my case is the Inline Bullet feeder, which works OK, but when you have to take it off the press, full of bullets, the tubes and end plates come apart VERY easily, and you will need to reload a lot of bullets, at least with the .22 cal tubes, the .35 cal tubes seemed tighter.
Now that you've got station 4 clear, you can manipulate the ram and shell plate and remove the brass from all six stations, each in a different state of loading, then remove the shell plate, and start cleaning up the powder, from under the shell plate, under the bottom of the carrier, the ram, Indexing rod, and indexing pin.
I've only loaded a couple thousand rounds on this press, 9mm, .357 Mag, .44 Mag, .45 ACP, and .223, so hopefully it will get better, going forward, with whatever calibers I decide to load on this press.
Post Reply

Return to “Progressive”