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October 14th, 2012

Lee Classic Cast Breech-Lock Press & Quick-Change Bushings

The Lee Classic Cast “O”-style press has always been an excellent value — it works as well as some other presses costing twice as much. And now Lee has improved on its Classic Cast Press design by adding a breech-lock fitting in the top. This allows you to swap dies in and out in seconds, once your dies are equipped with breech-lock quick-change bushings. The Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock press is available for under $120.00. That makes it a bargain compared to other heavy-duty single-stage presses. Midsouth Shooters Supply offers this press (item #006-90999) for $112.95, while Natchez Shooters Supplies sells the press (item #LEE90999) for $112.99.

Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock Press

Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock PressBreech-Lock System Allows Fast Die Exchanges
With the Lee Breech-Lock Press system, the die drops straight in from the top. Then, with a quick 1/6th (60°) turn, the die locks firmly in place (like the breech on an artillery canon). The interrupted three-start thread assures dies return and lock into the exact same position each time. Bushings cost $7.43 each at Midsouth. If you prefer, you can leave a bushing in the press, and screw your dies in normally. But consider that it normally takes a dozen or more turns to screw in a normally threaded die. The Breech-lock system is way faster.

The Lee Classic Cast press features a strong, cast-iron frame and all-steel linkage. The large 1 1/8″-diameter ram is guided by over twelve square inches of ram bearing surface. We like the fact that you can mount the handle on either side, and adjust handle angle and length. As Lee explains: “The start and stop position is adjustable with a 48-tooth, ratchet-type handle clamp. In addition, the handle length is completely adjustable. Shorten [it] when you’re loading handgun and short rifle cases.”

Lock-Ring Eliminator Quick-Change Bushings
With Lee’s basic quick-lock bushings, you control vertical die position with the normal locking ring that seats against the top of the bushing. That works fine, but Lee also offers a handy Lock-Ring Eliminator Bushing (Lee SKU 90063). This clever design combines bushing and lock-ring into a single part. The Eliminator is turned from a solid piece of steel and the lock ring is integrated into the design of the part. With the Eliminator you’ll get the most repeatable and precise die positioning because lock ring and bushing are all one piece. Moreover, some guys say the Eliminator Bushings are easier to grab and remove than the standard Lee Breech-Lock Bushings.

Lee Classic Cast Breech Lock Press

Press owners have praised their Lee Classic Cast Breech-Lock units. Here are reports from two MidwayUSA customers:

Five Stars: Perfect single stage press. Loads accurately 6mm BR and 308 Win for competition. Large clearance is also great for my 460 Wby and 30-378 Wby. Pistol rounds in 44 mag and 45 ACP also load easy. The press has a lot of leverage for full-length rifle case sizing. Nice primer disposal system. Lowest price for its class. This unit beats my Lyman press by several miles…. ” — J. Davidson, California

Five Stars: I waited until Lee would bring out their breech-lock system in classic cast design. This thing is outstanding and better than my old RCBS partner press. Once you get the sweet setting of the die, lock it in place and next time you load, you need not fumble to find the best setting. Breech lock is the key. I choose this press over Hornady, due to all-steel construction. I load a lot of .308 Win and .223 Rem for my ARs and this requires full-length sizing. Lee meets the challenge with no flex and excellent ram/die fit and alignment. Another nice feature is that the breech-lock inserts have a lock preventing [them] from unlocking. [T]he spent primer disposal is perfect vs. RCBS where primers can miss the primer catcher. The handle can also be placed left or right as needed and shortened for small cases or pistol to reduce the handle travel. I don’t see how you can get a better press for the price.” — E. Stanley, Rockford, IL

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July 19th, 2008

Reloder 17 Delivers Stunning Velocities in First Tests

Alliant’s new Reloder 17 powder is the new “Speed King” in its burn-rate category. It promises to raise the velocity bar in many cartridges which work best with slow-burning propellants. Based on initial test results, if you’re using H4350, IMR4350, Reloader 19, Norma URP, or H4831 currently, you may find that RL17 can deliver dramatically higher velocities than other powders. CLICK HERE for FULL REPORT.

RL17 Boosts Speeds by 200 fps
The day after two pounds of RL17 arrived in Phoenix, German Salazar and Bob Jensen tried the new propellant in 6XC and .308 rifles, using an Oehler 43 chronograph equipped with pressure-testing equipment. The results were eye-opening. German was able to get 3311 fps using 107gr Sierra MKs in the 6XC. That’s roughly 200 fps faster than other popular extruded powders can deliver. With the 115 Berger, the 6XC topped 3200 fps, again a very impressive speed gain. Most 6XC shooters find that 3000-3050 fps is the most they can get with a 115gr bullet.

Speed by Design
What’s the secret to this new powder? First it’s made differently than most other propellants. Most extruded powders have an external coating on the kernels that governs burn rate. With RL17, the burn regulating compound saturates the entire kernel — it’s not just on the outside. The practical effect is that RL17 is able to maintain a higher energy level for a longer time — the energy output does not fall off as steeply as other powders. The other factor is density. Reloder 17 has fairly small kernels so it packs very tightly compared to H4831sc. As a result you can fit more powder (by weight) into the case.

Accuracy Testing Comes Next
German will continue his testing with other calibers — as soon as we can get more RL17 from Alliant. German also plans to start accuracy testing next week. If RL17 can deliver accuracy to match its high velocities, it looks like it would be a very good choice for the 6-6.5×47 Lapua, 6XC, 243 Win, 6mm Remington, .284 Winchester, and 30-caliber cartridges with the big (185+ grain) bullets.

Limited reloading data is available currently, but Alliant has distributed a preliminary load data sheet with loads for a dozen popular calibers. CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD RELODER 17 DATA.

reloder 17 Alliant Powder

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