jcwallace84

That’s a great idea too! This thread breathed new life into my vibraprime.

Well, I just loaded 800 primers in tubes. I put the tape over the plastic lip like the video, but still had tilted primers. I then noticed, for the first time, that the plastic lip angled up and resulted in a gap. I then used a lighter and softened the plastic and bent it a little. The way i've got it fit now it works like a dream! Also, thanks for the tip on not needing to use the plastic tube that came with the vibra prime.

Following. I own the vibra prime and the hornady 1911. I might try these on both, as both have shortcomings, that look like will be mitigated by this trick. Thanks!

So I've loaded my 3k of 223 and am done with that for now. I put on the 9mm conversion kit and that was a bit of a learning process. There was only one minor issue which I corrected, and might ask Mark 7 about when they get less busy. I cleaned everything out nicely, and made sure my timing was ideal. The new 9mm shellplate, while being very nice and shiny, required different timing than my very very early 223 plate. Also, I was having several problems with what I learned was the primer shuttle catching the edge of the primer ram/rod. So I had to adjust the little curved metal piece that sets the lower limit for the primer ram. So if any of your guy's shuttle seems to catch and then fling back, this is how to fix it! I didn't realize that was what was happening at first, but this caused some problems with indexing. So it should all be fixed. Also, I am using a hornady powder measure with 9mm. I measured 6 drops, with rounds in every station, and it ranged from 4.76 to 4.80 with TrueBlue. However, it did drift a little bit after 100+ rounds, but is easy to adjust. Also, am using the powder cop die which I check with a double charge on purpose. Thing works great! Am waiting for the manual version of Mark 7's powder sensor. Also, for 9mm, I was not having luck with both Mark 7's spring case flipper, as well as the very nicely designed 3D printed device. I ordered another one of these: https://www.sassybrass.com/sassybrass/product/casecage/ This has been 100% for me on my old LNL, which I sold.

FWIW my rifle measure from mark 7 is screwed almost all the way in to get 25.3gr of TAC. I think it bottomed out when I tried to do some below 25gr. I bought a Hornady measure for pistol, largely for the sake of cost. It works fine for as fast as I can load manually.

I just loaded 1k 223 from already sized (on my old hornady) once fired mil brass. I tweaked some of my dies a bit, and once I had a round in every station I measured the powder charge in 10 consecutive rounds. I am using what may be one of the first 223 powder measures from Mark 7, and using Ramshot TAC. Avg was 25.39, +/- 0.07, and SD was 0.039. This is a similar result as when I had reloaded a few hundred several months ago. I was using my A&D FX120i. When I finish my batch of 223 brass, I'll switch to loading 9mm on this press for the first time. I will just use the hornady powder measure. It has done great for me in the past. Since I have a manual press I don't think I need the Mark 7 specifically.

Come on UPS man! This is actually my 9mm conversion kit. Mark 7 delivers!

https://imgur.com/a/foRzQKv

Same. RT1500, Lyman m, and a taper crimp

Norm, I’m sorry to hear about that. If you want, message me any time. I would have posted here more recently but have been busy. I received the 2nd guide pin for my press. It’s very solid now. I can’t upload the pictures as this site essentially doesn’t allow except the lowest quality my phone will go.

RGA, I was having this trouble as well. Mainly when I had lube on the brass. The problem went away with very clean brass, which would preclude a one pass sizing loading for 223. I would imagine that redesigning that one metal part would be fairly simple for Mark 7 to do.

Norm, I appreciate it. I didn’t want miscommunication out there about this press on my behalf. This forum is in part for my own learning, and especially longer ago I was still learning and making adjustments to this press. RGA, you are the only 223 user that I know of! But, I have not sized yet, only swage. However, anyone can over stress the press by screwing in a die too far. I kind of think I may still do two pass loading anyway, and not have much stress at all when loading. So, at least for the 5k or so 9mm I’ve done in my life, with carbide dies, TiN and steel, not using lube required a bit more effort on my LNL. I know there are a lot of 9mm users out there. I am curious how it will work for me. I plan on using one pass and case lube on the 9mm when I get the conversion. With additional guide pin/rod or whatever it’s called, this thing would be rock solid! With 3 guides it’d be nuetronium solid!

Guys guys This talk of “flex” is getting overboard. I mentioned it when I noticed some during swaging. Once I got things adjusted a little more, I was putting much less stress on the system and not getting much at all. The only people that should type “flex” or anything similar, on this forum, should be from someone that owns a press. Not speculation. The “flex” should be present in any reloading press that is not a single stage (or maybe camdex), and it has to do, at least partially, with tolerances being “unstacked”. This originally stems more from a question of what would one pass rifle sizing and loading look like on affecting seating depth. When I did a big batch of swaging 223, I was using a body die in far enough to keep the case from being pushed upwards by the swage rod. I checked, and it was not far enough to start bumping the shoulder. Brass had plenty of case lube. I was also changing the way I did case lube a little bit and once I got the right amount there was minimal stress and “flex” perceivable to the eye. This manifests as maybe more accurately “tilt” of the tool head. It seems people are having a hard time understanding the use of the word here, and maybe think I am trying to say metal parts are “bending” (also a bad word to use, as the word “strain” is more appropriate, and important to understand the difference between elastic and yield levels of strain). All metals change under load, first in elastic. Also, mechanisms with positive tolerance will have its own way of “appearing” to deflect. This should be common sense. And it’s not like this press is the only one that does it. It’s simply how machines are designed and built. Also, if sizing only, you’ll have 7-8 empty die stations. I put another body die, mostly backed out, on the other side of the press and this balanced what minimal deflection there was, and was flawless. I’m interested to see other people’s experience. My press is #25 of the manual version. I think maybe only one other person has posted pics. Back in July not very many people had one, and not many pics or vids of it in the wild. I don’t and won’t post here or anywhere very much. But I don’t want rumors spread about on my behalf. There is no downside to this press, in my opinion, big enough to encourage someone to chose the alternative, made with near century old methods. The proliferation and availability of CNC machining and CAD (mostly in the past decade really), have allowed this modern press to exist and is something the reloading world desperately needs. Compare this press all you want, but until it’s in front of you, you won’t understand the difference. It’s in a different universe than the Hornady lock n load. I can’t compare it with any Dillon however. Remember, the Hornady equivalent “ammo plant” is over $1,000. The equivalent Dillon 1050 with bullet feeder added would be around $2,300. That price difference still makes the Evolution press worth it, again, in my opinion. And if that is too much of a price difference, then reloading at these volumes may not be for you anyway. To the people who own, or want to buy this press, I really don’t have to explain this. If you have no job and want to reload, you can use a Lee for $50. If you work 70-80hr a week like I do, still hate buying factory ammo, and like nice things, then there is currently no better option than the Evolution. So, now I’ve explained my issues with this overblown “flex” thing, and clearly explained my stance on the press overall.

They did on mine.

Lol, true enough, unlike several of my former classmates, I actually did practice in industry, aerospace, stress, for 6yr. Spoiled me with Ti and fancy aluminum alloys, 7050-T7451 I used quite a bit. Nothing makes me laugh like seeing companies brag about using “aerospace grade” aluminum and then find out its 6061. But it’ll get the job done if thick enough I guess. As to the powder measure, mine has been working fine. I have it stop about 1/4in from the most travel it will do, I’ve never had it bind or get stuck. After reading other people say the nut would get loose I just made an indexing mark with a sharpie and tightened it gently with an adjustable wrench. I have loaded about 400rnd 223 so far. It has stayed very true. Range report: Mixed once fired mil brass - Ramshot TAC 25.3gr - Hornady 55gr FMJ bulk - CCI 400 primers BCM ELW 14.5in AR - temporarily fitted with 9x scope for load development - bipod and rear bag rest 3 shot groups were 1.1, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0 moa at 100yds. Very good for that light weight barrel and 14.5in.