I won't be putting my hands on one until January but figured I would put it up now just to get feedback and any additional equipment I may need to go along with it. Thanks for the info Frank and Beener. Figured you guys would have some good feedback on this.
Going to add a brass tumbler as well.
You guys have any suggestions on case trimmers? I don't remember using one when I helped reload those 9mm and 45 rounds. I know the kit comes with one but I don't know that it gets used a lot?
Also thinking about adding an additional replacement turret and use it to setup the other caliber I plan to reload so all I have to do is swap out turrets and adjust the powder measure.
Yes you want a $10 turret and powder measure for each die set. Set the dies up one time and always set and you can change calibers faster than I can type it here.
I got by without a cleaning tumbler for the 1st 25 yrs. I just used a clean rag with a cleaner (kerosene). Brass don't need to be picture perfect just clean so don't scratch your reloading die of gun chamber. If you do get a tumbler any small ones do the job OK. We sold 1000's of Lyman and Vibershine models and both are the same. Any media works fine but I prefer and sold corn cob media with a corn cob cleaning additive. NEVER use the red rouge cleaner as the stuff never comes off and will wear a set of carbide reloading dies out over size in about 10.000 rounds.
No real need to trim pistol cases only rifle cases. The Lee kit comes with a hand held deburr tool and the cutter for the Lee trim case trimming. But like I said no need to trim pistol cases unless you have many different brands of cases then trim for somewhat better crimping. But both of those auto gun rounds are tapper crimped. But both headspace off the case mouth. But most all experience auto loader reloaders set the bullet using the gun barrel so the bullet just touches the riflings . As long as the loaded round fits OK in the magazine that's the best way.
On all pistol rounds I reload I use the Lee Factory Crimp die as the 4th dies. That was the reason Lee went to the 4 hole turret over the 3 hole turret press. The Lee factory crimp die has a carbide sizer in it that brings the loaded round back to SAMI loaded round specs. I get better accuracy and function is 100% on autos. If you reloaded lead bullets it will swell the case and may not chamber. The factory crimp sizing brings it back to factory specs.
One thing to remember that different brands of cases of the same caliber the cases will be different body thickness. The factory crimp die corrects this.
We use to tell our customers that 'if you can read and have common sense you can reload safely'. My son's
customer hear this in KY and told my son 'I can't read or write a word and I can reload safely'.
