#90933 App Press |
The Lee Automatic Processing Press (APP) is the fastest and easiest way to prepare cases and size cast bullets. It is also a very convenient single station reloading press.
I received the patent in 2019, it is the first press of its kind with the ability to mount the die to the top or bottom of the press. This die mounting flexibility allows previously unheard-of automation on a single station press. Now you can deprime, primer pocket swage, bulge bust or size cast bullets as fast as you can operate the lever.
The press is actually heavy for its compact size. It is manufactured from a variety of materials best suited for the application. The lever or handles are made of steel and are topped with a molded grip we call the power grip. We went through a lot of iterations to come up with a really comfortable design. The grip is completely symmetrical making either hand operation a delight. The upper and lower die carriers are aluminum and the low stress items are nylon or acetal copolymer. The upper carrier rides on two centerless ground and roller burnished columns. The upper die carrier is counter balanced by a centrally mounted coil spring. The counter balance prevents the handle from falling and pinching a finger.
The APP is a “frameless” design with nearly all the forces going directly to the dies through the steel linkages rather than through the frame. As a single stage reloading press, it has almost unlimited visibility and hand clearance. Mounting is easy on any bench or table with no under swing.
Dirty, gritty, lead contaminated spent primers are 100% captured in a screw top bottle.
The top carrier and base are machined to accept Lee Breech Lock bushings,so they will accept standard 7/8-14 dies of any manufacture. The App also uses standard press shell holders from most manufacturers. Includes one Spline drive breech lock bushing and universal type shell holder quick-change adapter.
A little over three inches of stroke allows sizing of the larger belted magnum cartridges. Priced less than nearly all single station presses makes it a perfect starter press or a perfect companion press to an expensive progressive.
The APP includes a revolutionary new kind of case and bullet feeder. Jaws automatically open and grasp the bullet or case. They then rapidly position the case or bullet into the operating position. Once in position, the jaws instantly open and return for the next case or bullet. It is fascinating just cycling the press empty watching the jaws open and close as it cycles back and forth.
The APP gets its speedy operation in part by the use of a new shell holder. We call it the X-press shell holder. The new shell holder allows the case to pass through the shell holder after the operations are performed.
The APP is complete with all the feed tubes, tube supports, risers and case slider. It even includes the 22-caliber bullet feed jaws.
The App press works with some exclusive products, like our new primer pocket swager.
The new swager removes military primer pocket crimps automatically and as fast as you can operate the lever.
Includes shell holder adapter allowing you to utilize your universal press shell holder or X-PRESS shell holder.
The Breech lock bullet sizer kit allows nose first bullet sizing, change size with an inexpensive punch and die.
Nose first bullet sizing is the most accurate, distortion free and because you are pushing on the base of the bullet, no special nose punches are required. On the APP press, bullets are sized as rapidly as you can operate the press lever.
The sized bullets drop into an attached wide mouth container. This is the perfect tool for the now popular powder coated bullets.
The new APP press, product includes the case and bullet inserter, risers, 4 feed tubes that work with most bullet and case diameters, and tube supports.
John Lee, President
March 10, 2020
January 27, 2020 update: | |||
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Saw many Youtube videos this weekend featuring the App. You don’t have to call it the A-P-P it’s just the App. It is very gratifying for me to see how much fun you all are having. One videographer ran a speed test sizing 45 ACP bullets and it is amazing to see how fast and flawlessly it can feed and size bullets. The videos exposed a couple of hiccups and we have addressed them with a minor design change on the X-press shell holders. Thanks for sharing your App videos with the reloading community. 1) A Youtuber encountered a problem depriming 308 cases that had protruding primers from light loads. His solution was to grind a groove in the shell holder to allow the high primer to pass. We have made this change and future production will incorporate this change. 2) Several users had trouble with cases reliably entering and passing through the X-press shell holder. The cause of problem is the shell holder does not freely rotate. When a case with the slightest nick on the rim or extractor groove or any sort of distortion tries to enter the shell holder it binds. The harder it binds the harder the fingers grip the case. We have a solution that completely solves the problem. We have increased the chamfer on the bottom of the X-Press shell holder. This prevents the detent from applying any pressure on the shell holder and allows free rotation in the shell holder adaptor. Until we can fill the pipeline with these new shell holders you can simply remove the detent from the shell holder adaptor (see left). Replace the detent if you are using standard press shell holders or bullet sizer punch. When the shell holder is free to rotate cases will flow like water through the X-press shell holder. 3) One video producer was unsuccessful sizing 308 brass. His only problem was the type of case lubrication he used and how he used it. Hornaday one shot must be dry before sizing or it will not work. See my video left. I am sizing Lake City brass with a coating of Lee case sizing lube. I am actually using the X-press shell holder to demonstrate it will work with proper case lube. I am an old man 165 pounds soaking wet and had no trouble sizing military crimped machine gun fired brass.
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Product videos: | |||
The Automatic Processing Press is your first choice for primer pocket swaging, bullet sizing and single stage reloading.
The APP gets its speedy operation in part by the use of the X-press shell holder. The shell holder allows the case to pass through the shell holder after the operations are performed. The X-press shell holders are sold separately.
Includes: