Anyone else break a handle on the hand press?

[Zippidydoodah]

I like using my hand press and can sit and watch tv and load 38 special ammo or take it to my hunt club and load there. I was resizing some 30-30 rounds to 7 x 30 waters when the handle broke off in my hand. Can't use it anymore until I get a new handle. It looks a little thin in the area it broke, but should be strong enough for that simple resize operation. I have never sent anything back to Lee Precision but had to send some dies to RCBS to get a stuck shell out. They were prompt and didn't charge anyghing either.just wondering how Lee does it or if anyone else had a handle break?

[akuser47]

I think they will take care of you I broke my single stage and they took care of me It was my fault to I dropped it on concrete.

[Ranch Dog]

I like using my hand press and can sit and watch tv and load 38 special ammo or take it to my hunt club and load there. I was resizing some 30-30 rounds to 7 x 30 waters when the handle broke off in my hand. Can't use it anymore until I get a new handle. It looks a little thin in the area it broke, but should be strong enough for that simple resize operation. I have never sent anything back to Lee Precision but had to send some dies to RCBS to get a stuck shell out. They were prompt and didn't charge anyghing either.just wondering how Lee does it or if anyone else had a handle break?

They would probably replace it but reforming brass takes a lot more pressure than sizing.

I broke a toggle link on a Classic Cast this winter deeply sizing a bullet. I was taking a .457 down to .452 through .454. I was interested to see if I could do it. Well I ended up having several stuck in the die but was able to hammer them out and then, boom... I broke one link. I just ordered the part online as I figured I should not be doing what I was doing.

[pricedo]

I have 4 of the hand presses and have loaded everything up to and including .375 H&H Magnum cartridges with them.
If you're a 1 or 2 gunner and just load a few boxes of hunting ammo a year they're really all you need.
You'd have to be pretty strong to break a handle on one of the hand presses.

[Model 52]

I was resizing some 30-30 rounds to 7 x 30 waters when the handle broke off in my hand.

Technically you are not re-sizing, but rather "case forming", and case forming requires an awful lot of pressure.

As much as I like the Lee Hand Press, it just isn't made for case forming operations, even with a fairly thin walled case like the .30-30.

----

As an aside, when you are necking down a case, stop short and leave a small section of unsized neck for a "shoulder" just in front of the actual shoulder. Place it so the round will just chamber in the rifle, and that will ensure no excess headspace to minimize case stretch. Then after fire forming, only size enough for reliable functioning in your lever gun to extend case life.

[Zippidydoodah]

Thanks, I try to do that on my contender 7 x 30 brass that I was "reforming to 7 x 30. It is a pretty easy step as you are only necking down the thin neck and not pushing back the shoulder. It takes more force to reform 7.7 jap from 30-06 and I use my bench mount rcbs for that. Haven't broken that one yet.

[10x]

Broke a handle while in the process of resizing 30/06 brass. Sent the handle and $10 to lee, got a new one back in two weeks.
The first one lasted about 2 years, the second is still working after ten.

These are great tools for resizing brass, or taking the crimp out of primer pockets.

[moonie]

I had a 7x30 Waters contender, was my first center fire firearm. While I don't think simply necking down 30-30 to 7-30 waters should be an issue on this press I wouldn't want to do many of them on it. I resize cast boolits with mine most of the time and it can be a chore.

[trashysquid]

Just picked one of these up today so I can re-size and prime brass when I'm lazing on the couch watching the tube...Lee makes some great stuff!