Offered a deal on a NIB Lee Pro 1000 ... good deal or not?

[NicVerAZ]

A neighbor of mine is selling a NIB Lee Pro 1000 for $95. He never used it because he had a stroke, which is why I will not haggle on the price.

Only issue is that it is the 45 ACP kit and I am looking to reload 9mm due to my new hobby (shooting a lot of 9mm ammo out of my GP6).

For $95, is it a good deal, considering I will have to buy a whole set of dies for 9mm?

I may very well resell the 45 ACP dies to recoup some of the conversion cost (I am not interested in shooting 45 ACP right away, something too cartoonish about this caliber, and the fact that 1911s are pricey for a competitive setup).

So is this a good deal?

Thanks!

Edited March 3, 2012 by NicVerAZ

[h2osport]

Lee parts and dies are pretty cheap, so you should be able to get it running in 9 for a reasonable price. From what I hear from 2 friends who load on Lee progressive presses, the Loadmaster is a way better press.

Just an FYI, you can get shoot a Glock 21 in 45acp, and it is not very pricey. You can also pick up some pretty decent values in 1911 like the Taurus PT1911 for around $550

Randy

[NicVerAZ]

Will RCBS dies work?

Thanks!

[Linear Thinker]

Yes, RCBS and most other brand dies (except Lyman 310s - long obsolete) will work on a Lee.

$95 for Lee 1000 is a good price on a lousy press.

[hmp32]

I started on a Lee Classic Turret Press (and I still have it). Anyway, I am just weighing it comes with the AutoDisk powder drop.

Here is a video of it's operation:

The only thing you need to watch without fail is the powder drop. A squib nor double charge are fun. I have only had caught squibs.

[Graham Smith]

From what I hear from 2 friends who load on Lee progressive presses, the Loadmaster is a way better press.

Having owned both, I can't agree. The two are different in many ways and each has it's strengths and weaknesses but for a beginner the Loadmaster is way too fussy.

[twodownzero]

Run away fast.

[Nuke8401]

Having owned both, I can't agree. The two are different in many ways and each has it's strengths and weaknesses but for a beginner the Loadmaster is way too fussy.

+1

Priming is the issue, the 1000 has the advantage here as it primes on the upstroke so any high primer/less than full stroke issues don't affect any other step. On the Loadmaster, it primes on the down stroke with every other operation and if you don't get a full stroke the other rounds/statons are affected.

PRO 1000 or Loadmaster, OK for pistol as long as you lube the cases and the primer pockets are perfect.

Withourt lubing the cases the "effort" is high and really stresses the 1000.

With tight/marginal primer pockets neither is a good choice unless you want to decap/swage-ream "off press".

David E.

[MarkCO]

I would not load large primer anything on a Pro-1000. For small primers, the Pro-1000 is a decent press, and I actually think it is a better press than the Loadmaster! It is an economy press, but I loaded thousands of rounds on mine. Case lube does help.

[Griz]

If you can live with only 3 dies, the Pro-1000 is a fine press and far superior to a Loadmaster.

I loaded for years on a Pro-1000 but I wanted to do seating and crimping in separate stations and use a powder check die. I bought a Loadmaster and struggled with it for a couple of years... I must have replaced that self-destructing primer slider 20 times before I finally gave up and got a blue press.

To give you an idea of my opinion of the Pro-1000 vs Loadmaster, I gave my Pro-1000 to my brother and I gave the Loadmaster to someone I didn't like.

[Nuke8401]

I must have replaced that self-destructing primer slider 20 times before I finally gave up and got a blue press.

Lee redesigned the primer slider and sent me one for free. It works better than the original.

I would guess that they would send one to anyone who requests one.

David E.