Question about press portability

[Kaiser7 33]

This will sound rather stupid to most, however, not being too familiar with presses, I was wondering how readily they can be moved, how firmly they must be attached to something, etc. I want to start reloading to save money on 5.56 ammo, and I don't mind getting a single stage press. Now the reason I ask about portability is that I'd like to do it in my living room, which is downstairs and adjacent to my basement, since there is more room there, it's less damp, and I could reload while having a TV on, or while my friend is sitting around. Not to mention I don't have a huge work bench anyway.

 

Now, if you want to know why I would prefer a set up like this, it's because I am capable of an immense amount of productivity in such a setting. I have absolutely no idea why, but I cannot sit there and simply watch TV, I have to do something with my hands. As such, I repeatedly shine my dress shoes, sharpen my knife, or sit on here with my laptop. I could probably knock a few hundred rounds out in a night if I could set up down there, but I know that I couldn't let it sit there all the time, and would have to move the gear to the basement when I was finished. I just wasn't sure if anyone knew of any kits that were conducive to this.

[jruch87 6]

harbor freight has a stand meant for a grinder that would be perfect to mount a press on. You'd probably be able to pick it up and move it around pretty easily. Think it was <$50

[Old School 611]

I have a portable stand you can have made out of 2" square tubing. It disassembles and has a 24" X 24" work top.

[Shocker 151]

I have my press bolted to a bench but I could have just as easily bolted it to a block that gets clamped to the nearest stable surface.

 

But it sounds like a portable stand is what you want.

[Cemeterys Gun Blob 165]

I have a LEE Turrent Press bolted onto a 2x4 which I attach to a table with a C-Clamp when it's time to roll my own.

 

LEE also has a reloading stand available.

 

I could reload while having a TV on, or while my friend is sitting around

 

Ummm.....current school of thinking and teaching is that you need, and should be, paying attention to what you're doing when reloading, and not getting involved with distractions. But hey, if you're rollin' real black, then just make sure there's no open flames, and party like a rock star.

[GRIZ 3,369]

I made a 4 sided box from plywood and 2x4 as a temporary measure nearly 40 years ago. I'm still using it. I can take the press from garage, outside, inside, anywhere.

[Kaiser7 33]

How to they clamp down to the table/stand?

[JackDaWack 2,895]

How to they clamp down to the table/stand?

You would need to bolt the press to a piece of wood, a short 2x6 would be good, and the bolts would need to be flush with the bottom(recessed) in order to sit flat on the mounting surface, and you just use c clamps to clamp the piece of wood(with press mounted) to the table your using.

 

There are so many ways to go about it. My press is in my basement, i just hit it with hornady one shot when i'm done with it, and clean it every time i use it. I just clean the powder measure and under the plate(progressive). I don't like having any distractions when i'm reloading, i wouldn't give yourself the opportunity to get distracted when you start to drop powder.

 

For case prep, and especially rifle rounds, you could sit in front of a TV for hours and not have a worry. But once you start the loading process you will be focused on loading and nothing else or you should be at least.

[Kaiser7 33]

You would need to bolt the press to a piece of wood, a short 2x6 would be good, and the bolts would need to be flush with the bottom(recessed) in order to sit flat on the mounting surface, and you just use c clamps to clamp the piece of wood(with press mounted) to the table your using.

 

There are so many ways to go about it. My press is in my basement, i just hit it with hornady one shot when i'm done with it, and clean it every time i use it. I just clean the powder measure and under the plate(progressive). I don't like having any distractions when i'm reloading, i wouldn't give yourself the opportunity to get distracted when you start to drop powder.

 

For case prep, and especially rifle rounds, you could sit in front of a TV for hours and not have a worry. But once you start the loading process you will be focused on loading and nothing else or you should be at least.

 

That's the funny thing about me. I never "Watch" Tv. I just like having background noise. Worst case I could just set something up in my basement, and run a radio or something.

[noylj 5]

For bottleneck (mostly rifle cartridges), you can get by quite well, or even best, with a single-stage press. I have loaded .30-06 on a Lee Reloading Press (about $30-35 at MidwayUSA. It is perfectly adequate.

Get a reloading manual: "ABCs of Reloading," Lyman #49, Lee #2 Reloading manual, or the manual by the manufacturer of bullets you plan to load.

You can bolt most any press to a board and then C-clamp the press to a table/desk.

Any single-stage press is adequate, but this one is great for a beginner who might not like reloading, so initial investment is small enough to not matter.

You can even load your very first batch of rounds with just the following:

1) Lee Reloading Press (~$30)

2) Lee die set (comes with shell holder and dipper, and loads for use of dipper with specific bullet weights and powders)--see the Lee Pacesetter 3-Die Set in 223 Remington for ~$28. It has a full-lenght sizing die (perfect if you a firing something other than a bolt action), seating die, and a collet crimp die (perfect for semi-autos). This will be an excellent die set even if/when you move to a larger/heavier/more expensive press.

3) A Lee Ram Prime so you can prime on the press (~$10) or hand prime using the Lee Auto Prime--Lee Auto Prime XR Hand Priming Tool for !$19 or the Lee Auto Prime Ergo Prime for ~$26.

4) The Lee case trimmer--Lee Case Trimmer Cutter and Lock Stud for $6 and Lee Case Length Gage and Shellholder 223 Remington for $5.

5) Start with commercial and not military brass. The military brass requires removal of the primer crimp. Not something you need when you just start off.

6) Purchase bullets and powder based on loads that use the dipper included with the die set.

7) At least 100 small rifle primers (not small rifle magnum primers).

You can not load an unsafe load using the dipper and the Lee specified loads and you'll be surprised how accurate these light starting/target loads can be. After a few weeks or so, after you know that you like handloading and want to load up some different powders and bullets and really find out what your rifle can do, you will want to get a powder scale/balance and a powder measure or powder trickler. Then you'll want to get a 6" caliper and possibly a small lathe-type case trimmer so you can ream case neck ID or uniform case neck OD. All of this will require reading several of the referenced manuals.

[Sivl32 27]

I have a 20 in square workstation that I got at Harbor freight for $25 and i just slide it around, I load by my computer desk and when i'm done i push it to the corner of my living room.

[NJKen 23]

Just a word of advice... Reloading in a distracting environment can be disastrous. I personally like the solitude of going to my basement and reloading. I know everyone works differently in different environments but one little slip up could, at the least, cost you a good gun. At the worst, not good at all.

Im not trying to come off like some kind of jerk but I do like to throw my $.02 in once and a while.

Ken

[Kaiser7 33]

Just a word of advice... Reloading in a distracting environment can be disastrous. I personally like the solitude of going to my basement and reloading. I know everyone works differently in different environments but one little slip up could, at the least, cost you a good gun. At the worst, not good at all.

Im not trying to come off like some kind of jerk but I do like to throw my $.02 in once and a while.

Ken

 

I managed to make some space for it today. I'm actually going to get a press from a member here, and since it doesn't knock primers out well, I could just sit there in my living room and just knock primers out and stuff, and all the serious work could be done at the press. Looking forward to trying my hand at this, since .223/5.56 brass is probably easy enough to get, since most people probably don't reload it, and if I started loading 8mm, I could save a bit of cash, so I think this will be both fun, and good for saving money.

[NJKen 23]

I managed to make some space for it today. I'm actually going to get a press from a member here, and since it doesn't knock primers out well, I could just sit there in my living room and just knock primers out and stuff, and all the serious work could be done at the press. Looking forward to trying my hand at this, since .223/5.56 brass is probably easy enough to get, since most people probably don't reload it, and if I started loading 8mm, I could save a bit of cash, so I think this will be both fun, and good for saving money.

It is a very absorbing hobby. It will absorb some of your time and money. If you shoot a lot like I do you will realize that you should have started years ago. Starting out with good used stuff is the best way to make sure you like it without having a ton of money into it. If you want to know anything about reloading on a budget, im the king! The only things I bought new are dies, and lots of em do to having problems loading .223. I finally found that Lee dies do the best job.

Ken

[Kaiser7 33]

It is a very absorbing hobby. It will absorb some of your time and money. If you shoot a lot like I do you will realize that you should have started years ago. Starting out with good used stuff is the best way to make sure you like it without having a ton of money into it. If you want to know anything about reloading on a budget, im the king! The only things I bought new are dies, and lots of em do to having problems loading .223. I finally found that Lee dies do the best job.

Ken

 

Yeah, well I'm waiting for this new job to start up, and my current job, the hours have been slashed, so I find myself with very little money, and too much free time. Not to mention my side-jobs have pretty much dried up, so I'm going a bit stir-crazy. One can only sit around playing Xbox for so long before they want to do something different. Not having time, or money, I need something to keep me occupied during the day, and reloading seems like something cool, I could listen to the radio and crank out some ammo. I don't shoot a bunch, but when I do, I like to go for these long, marathon sessions (though this may change when I get my R14 membership). As a result, my ammo sort of just sits around, but when I do shoot, I deplete my supply quite a bit, so it'll be nice to have a reserve.

[GRIZ 3,369]

How to they clamp down to the table/stand?

 

You can bolt down as has been said or you can use big c clamps.

[Kaiser7 33]

Ironically, I ended up just screwing my press down, it's pretty nice, mad props to Raz-0. Just need dies, and a set of calipers. Oh, and brass and such.

[Socom 19]

Imho I load in a non distractive quiet spot where I get no interruptions and I keep my mind on what I'm doing. Reloading is rewarding but its not something to take lightly, but to each their own!

[Socom 19]

ps rifle loading is a lot more careful work then pistol! Tedious also.

[Kaiser7 33]

I ended up putting my press in my basement where there are no distractions, apart from a radio. I actually originally asked about the portability because I had no clue how I'd move all my mother's crap off the work bench, but I ended up making quite a bit of extra room, and have essentially commandeered the work bench, which is good since it's really used for little more than holding old non-working electronics.