Harrells Combo Press

[flims]

Guys has anyone used one of these presses?( loading on range premises)

What is your take on them? I like the fact that they can be simply clamped on. Will they offer enough leverage to FL size 308win brass (Redding FL die S type) and Wilson inline seater?

 

[427Cobra]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

I wanted one is all I can say, I use a arbor press and a RCBS Partner Press they get the job done just as well.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

I had one... but my honest opinion is that even with a well lubed case and only bumping the shoulders 0.001-0.002" on Lapua .308 Win cases... no they don't work that well. Never seemed like I could tighten the clamp down enough to have the press not wiggling around. It also spits primers right out the front of the ram at you... maybe not a big deal if you are loading somewhere with a dirt floor, but annoying otherwise.

To pile on further annoyance, I feel that the opening in the press for the seater die is not really big enough for dies with micrometer tops on them. The micrometer top eats up too much of the available stroke, so if your loads use any neck tension or are at all compressed (mine frequently have both) you're kind of SOL. Like a lot of BR stuff, they are built around a more sensitive 'feel'... which usually means lousy mechanical advantage.

I'd sold my old RW Hart arbor press after getting the Harrell's combo press, and regretted that. I took the Harrell's up to the Hunter BR Nat'ls held this year at a local range and sold it in about 10 minutes (shoulda asked for more $$$!), and turned those funds around towards an order for a new K&M arbor press (lighter than the Hart and fits in my range reloading box better). I typically just take sized-n-primed cases to the range anyway, but if I need to size 'em, I can just take my RCBS Partner press and clamp it to the bench in the loading area with some 6" C-clamps and *know* that it ain't gonna move until I loosen those clamps...

 

[flims]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

which other portable press do you recommend for FL sizing cases?

Hood press seen below
http://www.benchrest.com/hoodpress/hood_press.html
or this.
http://www.rfdoddknives.com/images/press.jpg

Im seating with Wilson stainless seater.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

RCBS Partner, mounted to a hunk of board with threaded inserts or through-bolts set in counter-bores, and some 6" C-clamps from the hardware store.

A surprising number of the BR crowd use pretty much exactly that. Absolutely nothing wrong with the Dodd or Harrell's or Sinclairs small dedicated threaded presses... they are perfect in most every way. The 'Partner' takes kind of the opposite tack - its not perfect, so let everything 'float' and self-align... and it still seems to work pretty good, and costs less.

The Hood, if you can find one, is about the same as the Harrell's combo press with the exception of the handle being less comfortable (thin bar of metal) to use.

 

[fx77]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

Have both
The Harrells has a better mech advantage and mounts more securely in the field.
The edge is small and both do their jobs.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

Just for clarification... both of which?

 

[AMOK!]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

I use the HP Combo Press for Neck sizing 270WSM cases with RCBS dies. Works perfect. Solid. Lash-free stroke. Smooth and consistent. Have recently FL-sized 270WSM cases. Although the leverage is there, my belief is it's a bit on the "light" side. It would NOT be my go-to press for FL sizing cases. For reference, SAAMI specs for 270WSM cases and .308 cases are 2.100" and 1.920", respectively.

Have NOT yet used the arbor side of the press. The channel (arbor side) clear-height is 5in. Was exploring use of the arbor side for seating bullets on 300WM cases via a Wilson Chamber-Style Bullet Seater. The Wilson Bullet Seater requires approx. 5.5in of vertical height (with a tolerance of 0.25in) to seat a bullet. If the channel were 0.5in greater (in height), the arbor press would do the trick. No such luck. Goin old-school using a wooden mallet.

Talked with a mechanical engineer at HP and inquired about a "heavier-duty" version of the Combo Press. Again, motivation for use w/ 300WM cases. No dice. I estimate a 10-15% increase in the size of the press's sub-assemblies (e.g. channel, caming mechanism, main shaft, handle), along with a change in the material properties for the channel (i.e. from Al to mild steel) would yield one bad-a$$ press. IMHO, the market is just not there for HP to re-tool to produce a "heavier-duty" Combo Press.

Differ in opinion to what "memilanuk" states re the clamp. I find the clamp retains positive x-y-z alignment to my B&D Workmate-based reloading bench. Clamp works perfect when interfaced to the bench top (1in. thick) with a 1in. block of woood (spacer).

In the near future, I plan to design/build a modified version of the Combo Press that can Neck/FL-sizes 300WM cases using threaded dies and Wilson-type dies. Need to convince my buddy for after-hours access to his machine shop......

 

[memilanuk]

Re: Harrells Combo Press

amok,

Glad that you like yours. I sure thought that it should be the cat's meow when I bought mine. I kept it around a couple years so my opinions weren't exactly developed overnight, but thats all they are - opinions. Obviously others like the presses as is, as they keep selling.

If you do end up making something a bit bigger, do keep in mind the added height of the micrometer tops out there - its not much but when you can't change the height like on a regular reloading arbor press to accommodate, it can get frustrating in a hurry. I'd also suggest having it discharge out the bottom, or at least out a piece of clear tubing for neatness.

Good luck,

Monte