Lee Loader

I do all my decapping, Bulge Busting, and bullet sizing on the Challenger press. I've always thought a ram extension would be nice to shorten the stroke, something like RCBS sells but not cartridge specific. It would have the male fitting on the south end, the current ram's female fitting on the north end, and be hollow so the primers would fall through. I took this to Lee via email and did get a reply that they were not interested in the idea.

I know that you do have to operate the press the full stroke, but in the heat of running several hundred cases through the press as quickly as possible, you have a lot of wasted motion. I will start looking to see if I can find a small "pistol only" single stage press with a positive feed for spent primers. Might be none out there.

If I can find such a critter, I will replace the Challenger. The RCBS Summit with a short handle has already caught my eye.

Sometimes, everything is right there in front of you and verbalizing "short handle" struck home! From the Breech Lock Challenger Press instructions. You will probably need to click on the picture to read the last sentence of the instructions.
Now I can sit at the press on my stool and crank the various stuff through it. Saved myself $200!

Retitled topic to reflect the fix.

Your logic was exactly why I got the Summit. (Well there were a few other reasons as well.) But the short handle and repetative processing of batches of brass was the main one. Then I realized I already had that capability in my CO-AX. Unlike the simplicity of the Challenger press it did require me adding the short handle and another specialized shellplate which allowed the use of regular shellholders. Thus I gave my Summit to a ugly ornery old man named Larry. You might have heard of him.
( Larry are we still friends?)

daboone wrote:Thus I gave my Summit to a ugly ornery old man named Larry. You might have heard of him.
( Larry are we still friends?)

You know we are you old coot... Heck, we have traded, loaned, given so much stuff back & forth
So many times over they years, it's sometimes hard to remember what belongs to who ??

Ranch Dog wrote:Retitled topic to reflect the fix.

DOH!! .........................................................

Ranch Dog wrote: The RCBS Summit with a short handle has already caught my eye

RCBS_Summit.jpg

Michael, that Summit is a great press. Built like a tank, very small foot print, long &. short handle, more than enough muscle to handle the toughest jobs (forming etc,etc) & pretty dog gone smooth.


Lee's Breech Lock Challenger is a press I flat fell in love with, loaded many many thousands
of rounds with it. The only change I would make if I ever get another one is. I would go for
the Classic Cast Breeck Lock. Don't get me wrong, I NEVER had a single problem with the
Challenger, there is just something about steel rubbing aluminum that for me is like
finger nails on the chalk board.

Yep you're correct we seem to have, loaned, traded, borrowed and swapped so much stuff it's hard to remember who has what. I know it has benefited me. The best part is we both win by exchanging stuff and ideas. That's what also makes this site so invaluable. But when it come to who's ugliest or more ornery my dog is the hands down winner. Lisa's opinion doesn't count.

Honestly, it is Andy Lee who told me to read the manual. My thinking doest not extend that far ahead of things!