Lyman 310 vrs Lee clasic loader

[Lewie Girardeau]

    HIYA Everyone;

     I was just wondering and maybe a poll would be better for this but..

     A.   Who loads with a Lyman  310?

     B.   Who loads with a Lee classic?

      C.   I should have added the Lee Hand press also


         C.  The reasons and likes and dislikes for each loader?


                                                Rob Wright
                                           "Lewie Girardeau"

[Johnny McCrae]

I've been using a Lee Classic Turret Press since November of 2007.

I like it because:
1) The ease of changing calibers just by switching turrets.
2) Can be used in a "single stage mode" or "automatic indexing of the turret mode".
3) Easy to upgrade to priming and charging on press. The second picture shows the Lee Perfect Powder Measure mounted in the   turret along with the Lee Safety Prime Feed. I have since upgraded to the Lee Pro Auto Disc Powder Measure and mounted it in the turret.
4) Great press for learning the basics of Reloading.

Down the road, I probably will buy a progressive press and it will be a Dillon 550 or a Hornady "Lock & Load".

[Lewie Girardeau]

    HIYA...


       The reason I was thinking about one of the little presses is because I don't know how much room I will have in about 2 1/2 months when I get out of the army.
   
     Yep resume/job market anxiety is pretty high right now...

     I realize that the amount of time it takes with the little presses, and would love a bigger one ( who Don't??) but I would rather have one in a shoe box and use it more than a progressive in the shipping crate..

                                                                                    Lewie

[StrawHat]

I use a Lyman 310 tool (tong tool) fro reloading my rifle cartridges.  I do not shoot competition so I rarely need many at a time.  When I need to reload rifle stuff, I am only loading 40 or 50 at a sitting and the tong tool is perfect for that task.  It is also somewhat historical as the concept goes back to some of the first cartridge reloading equipment.

When I shot in handgun competition, I started with a simple single stage press but quickly went to a Dillon 450 and never looked back.  I still have that press and it is still my go to for loading handgun rounds.  I just do not load as many as I did then.

Not sure if I have helped you or not but if you are only loading a few at a time (less then 100) the tong tool is a good tool for the purpose.  Or if room is a problem.  I know more than a few fellows who still use the 310 for all of their loading.

[Stu Kettle]

I like my Lee Hand Press a lot - it takes standard dies, & the shoe box will hold everything you need, including a box of bullets & a pound of powder.  I load all of my rifle ammo on one these days, can do it in an easy chair or sitting on the ground by the campfire(but not too close).

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Lewie, I have no experience with either.  The Lee is certainly a good deal.  I like the looks of the 310 MUCH better, but ...

What I DO have experience with is this:  when I was stationed in Fulda (formerly West Germany) as one of the few Master Gunners who were range-safety qualified, I was allowed to open and operate the small-arms range that we used near Fulda in conjunction with the German BGS (Bundesgrenzeschutz - W. German Border Patrol) and Zoll (Customs) on weekends so our gun-club members could shoot our privately-owned weapons.

(Rod'n'Gun club; also known affectionately as the Rod'n'Bottle Club, because the beer served at the club was ICE cold for us Americans - about 32.1 degrees F, unlike the way Herman-the-German liked it, or about 42-44 degrees F.)


ANYway, one of my Helpers - a PFC in one of our Scout Troops, would load ALL his 9mm ammo in his barracks room with a Lee hand press.  His ammo was just fine, and I've shot plenty of it.  (I didn't load 9mm then, and he didn't load .357, so I loaded extra .357 for him to shoot and he'd trade 9mm ammo for me to shoot.)  I had my Bonanza COAX press in my apartment.  (Bonanza COAX is now the Forster "Bonanza" COAX due to new ownership.  

(link to COAX from Cabela's)

http://www.cabelas.com/presses-dies-forster-ax-press.shtml?WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=nextag&WT.z_mc_id1=741213&rid=40&mr:referralID=5ce46e1c-1d11-11e1-9aae-001b2166c62d

[cpt dan blodgett]

I like my Lee Hand Press a lot - it takes standard dies, & the shoe box will hold everything you need, including a box of bullets & a pound of powder.  I load all of my rifle ammo on one these days, can do it in an easy chair or sitting on the ground by the campfire(but not too close).

Would not want to drop that shoe box on my toe

[Curley Cole]

I never used the Lyman 310 (heavy on style points) but I loaded a bunch of 38/357 and 9mm in the early days with the little Lee hand loaders (I called em "poundem in and poundem out loaders)...and Dr. Richard Lee which created them says he still uses them and can load a round in less than a minute.

I like a fool sold/gave away all of them, I now have a Lee Hand Load for times when I may go out in the field. (at home I use a Lee Turret)

I am thinkin about gettin a Lee "poundem in" loader  in 45/70.

curley
PS you can get them at Midway for about $26

[pony express]

ANYway, one of my Helpers - a PFC in one of our Scout Troops, would load ALL his 9mm ammo in his barracks room with a Lee hand press. 

I think I'd STILL be on some kind of extra duty if I had been caught with reloading components in my barracks room, CO wanted to give an article 15 once, because they found a misplaced .38 round in an inspection. Fortunately, the official company policy for such things only specified that it would be confiscated, but no punishment was mentioned. I only shot factory loads tnen. Fortunately, the guy in charge of the arms room lived in the housing area on post, and didn't mind coming down on saturdays to sign in or out my guns.

Nellingen Barracks, Stuttgart, 1976-80.

[Lewie Girardeau]

    HIYA..


        That is just one of the reasons life sucks for a single soldier!!!
       AND.... The drunk e-7's checking the barricks after last call at hoochie momas bar....

                                                          Lewie

[Steel Horse Bailey]

    HIYA..


        That is just one of the reasons life sucks for a single soldier!!!
       AND.... The drunk e-7's checking the barricks after last call at hoochie momas bar....

                                                          Lewie

THAT shouldn't have happened!  NEVER saw any high-ranking NCOs drunk on duty.  ('Tho I'm not so stoopid to say that it never happened, it's just that I never saw any.)  VERY non-professional.  I'm sorry you had to put up with that.)

Actually, it was during one of my walk-thru's that I met this fellow.  He had gotten permission from the CO to do his loading either in the Arms Room (if the Armorer was around weekdays after Retreat/close of business) or in the barracks on weekends.  It was noted in our Special Instructions, so none of us E-6s or 7s had problems with it.  When I saw what he was doing, I told him about me running the range on the weekends (that I could) and invited him to participate.  He had a little Sauer & Sohns SAA [lookin'] 22 revolver and between the 2 of us, we taught my son Gareth, who was 7 at the time, how to shoot.

It was good times back then in the 11th Cavalry.

He loaded all of his 9mm ammo (replicating 124 gr. FMJ factory ammo) with his Lee hammer press.

[Lewie Girardeau]

     "It was good times back then in the 11th Cavalry"

        I wanted to get my spurs but the back and knee's would not let me, when we went over we were under the 101's then the cav took over.
   It was 2 days of hell for a lot of guys from the 1

Lewie

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I still wear my spurs: every time I go to an NCOWS match (or SASS, 'tho I haven't shot SASS in a couple years) I wear my spurs.

[Dakota Widowmaker]

The 310 tool is more "classic" in how it works, but, the little claw that pulls the cartridge rims out is fragile on the newer models.

I strongly suggest folks do NOT use a full length sizing die in the 310 handles, as its prone to breaking that claw.

The Lee Classic Loader kits are nice and inexpensive but work like a charm. There are some really good online articles about how to "spruce one up" with just a couple of extra bits to make it a fine pack loading tool.

I keep a set of the Lee Classic Loader kits up at the cabin along with a few odds and ends for reloading.
Depending on the kit, it might full length resize your brass. I believe 9mm and 45acp kits do full length size. Maybe the 44/45 kits as well.

No matter which method you choose, either a little bit of Lee case lube or Reddings/Imperial sizing wax is a must. Sizing wax in the little 1/2 oz tin will fit nicely in the red plastic box. 

Here is a nice tutorial for the Lee kit.
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51