Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Do presses wear out?

Presses are like any other piece of equipment, parts wear and some things requirement replacement over time. Linkages typically are the weak part. Generally speaking, they are thinner and mechanically, feel the most flex (stress). They should be watched - especially if you shoot matches. Regardless of what discipline(s) you shoot, everything should be tight.

Every reloader should make sure that their dies are properly set up. Rifle reloaders, or anyone that is NOT using carbide dies, should ensure cases are properly lubed. But not too much! Carbide die users should make sure that their brass is clean. This will reduce wear and keep the press working longer.

Keep the press clean and lightly lubed. Keep the cases clean. Keep the dies clean. After you're finished, wipe things down and remove excess lube that will trap dust and dirt.

Too much hand pressure on the press handle when resizing usually means there's something out of alignment or improperly adjusted. Stressing the handle, and subsequently, the linkage, is the leading cause for premature press failure and out of tolerance cartridge assembly.

It doesn't matter who makes your press or your dies, a little maintenance and attention to detail goes a long way. I've got a Lee 2001 press that has never broken. It now does duty with a universal deprimer die because the linkage is old and is getting sloppy after 30 some years.

What ingwe does is very smart. Even handgunners would be better off using several dedicated single stage presses rather than one progressive. Briefly, the linkage isn't constantly being stressed. Individual operations are tighter with a dedicated press. If one press fails, you're not stuck.

For non-critical steps like depriming, an inexpensive press is a great addition to your bench.

It's not about the name or the amount of money you spend on reloading equipment that matters. Take care of your toys!!