Great review!!! Bought one for myself, I would add a little "hack" I found for myself. I found that the set screw on some dies seamed to need to be tightened A LOT tighter than I felt comfortable with. What I found is the plastic disposable "epoxy" brushes I use for various things, if you clip about a 1/8" nib from the handle and remove the set screw and place that nib in in front of the screw you no longer need to over tighten the set screw and there is no threat of damaging the threads, and it holds the die from turning perfectly!!!
Yea his vids are great! In depth explanations and pluses and minuses about the products. I read reviews on other sites and Gavin clears them up. IE the die shoulder hit the top of press when adjusting die ? The 223 die is really short and has not problem. I just ordered one for a gunshop floor model that had one listed at cost for a dealer. Got a super deal, under 200 bucks shipped !
I know this is old, but just wanted to say for anyone searching for this kind of stuff you don't need a milling machine to make a plate for your reloader. Just get a punch, sit the press on the plate you want to mount it to, punch a dent in the center of each mounting hole, remove the press from the plate and carefully drill out the spots that have the punch marks.
A note on US Mil 7.62: Most of the brass you're buying is most likely fired through an M240. This means that you're going to have to do a bit more case prep to make it totally uniform again. The M240 has a more generous chamber to enable it to fire reliably whilst hot and also whilst dirty. Its still good brass, but just needs a bit more work.
The design of the forster also minimizes wear on the guide rods from abbrasives that presents after decapping. in the forster, the shell plate moves as one with the guide rods whereas in the frankford, the shell plate slides on static guide rods. That interaction between shell plate and guide rod looks like it has a definitive service life.
Glad I wasn’t the only one that noticed that. In the end, this looks like a double rammed “O” press that doesn’t require shell holders. Since every type “C” or “O” with have sloppy rams after years or decades of use, I don’t think this FA will have a long service life as the Forster.
I'm pretty sure this is not aimed to replace current co-ax machines, mainly meant to compete for those on the fence of a high productivity single stage machine. I, personally, will support us made products vs imported. I do not have a forester coax, because I bought the hornady iron press instead, it works better for me since all my dies are set up for my lnl-ap. But I seriously considered the co-ax.
You sorta have to kiss some ass to get the freebies from the companies. I totally agree with you though and this is not a unique design, to say the least.
Look at all the jealousness and hating on this awesome press in the comments, boy I dang sure want one of these now! Looking forward to more videos on this press. Great job Gavin!
I'd like to see a showdown of 3 presses, the Frankford you have in this video, a rcbs summit and the mec marksman, use a large caliber like a 338 Lapua and see what one does the best job, I know it would be a long video but it would be fun to see which one does the best.
Watching you shuffle left to right to operate the press makes me wonder about the ergonomics of a center position lever design. If you had a bend in the lever arm you could turn it say 15 degrees off center. You could likewise rotate the press say 15 degrees so it angled towards your weak hand/arm. The arm could be lengthened for any loss in leverage from the vector change.
Good Morning, Excellent video, as usual. Bought one from a friend. You addressed bullet-concentricity, but my question has to do with consistency in overall length/base-to-ogive. The small amount of up-down play of the die-block within the housing seems that it would be difficult to get a repetitious number. Thanks, Dan, Thousand Oaks, CA
Vs. Forster Co-ax (which I have) this seems to be better in a few ways, and worse in more. Better: (1) Press is all above bench; (2) Primer catch isn't dangling well below press; (3) LED light; (4) Cheaper (though you would need to also buy priming tool, and die blocks) Worse: (1) No priming tool built in; (2) Have to change the shell holder more often; (3) Need to buy and change the die block; (4) Not made in the USA; (5) Doesn't have a proven longevity record. Overall, I think the Forster still is tops.
I have one of these. It is a decent press (4/5 stars). My one complaint is the metric adjust die blocks. They use a simple threaded locking screw to lock the die inside the block. Unless you nearly strip the locking screw to apply maximum pressure to the die threads, your die will still spin inside the block. Not that big of a deal but I worry about missing my measurements over time. Other than that, my loads have been fairly consistent. I have not noticed any bullet concentricity issues. I am using Hornady dies reloading .260 full length resizing for AR-10.
That Lyman 8 hole turret almost made me cry. I was on the fence about buying the Redding turret press for so long, then I finally pulled the trigger and I swear the Lyman came out before my Redding was delivered. Oh well, I have a great press anyway. I just wish the turrets were half the price like the Lyman.
The only two potential improvements in this design appear to be the spent primer tray arrangement and the ease of changing shell plate jaws. The integral lights are nice, but my aftermarket kit is easily replaced if something goes wrong in the future. That floating top is asking for trouble. The Forster has a cast iron spine and doesn't use the guide rods for stiffness like this one. That is going to cause problems over time with either bent/galled rods or sloppy worn bushings. The chinese suck at understanding actual engineering and the purpose behind design features.
Thanks for video. Very excited about your single stage video coming up! Hopefully, a couple of things will happen. One, you will have some presses we haven’t seen from you before like the RockChucker and possibly the Redding UltraMag. Next, you will do a control analysis of case quality with each press. How did the press actually perform, not just a features video. Of course, that would be a lot work. But, you are appreciated!!
what that press needs is a foot pedal that closes the shellholder when you step on it so you don't have to lift the cartrige while putting the bullet in/on the case.
Any chance you can do a video, showing how to "seat" a universal deprimer, a case resize (aka deprimer with ball removed) and then a seating die (Hornady Custom Grade) with Hornady micrometer add on... aka see your process, and what you measure where/when.
While there is a de-prime capability, I don't see how one might prime cases using this press. As to the runout on the .308 pills, this press has an ideal feature ... when you seat the pill, rotate the case 90 degrees, and re-seat. Even with non-competition dies, you will find that the runout is reduced considerably.
@Motorhead: yes, but however neat the primer pickup is done, there will always be som glass dust from spent primers forming in that general area. The forster guide rods are more protected as their bearing surfaces are further away from the case holder.
I am very happy w my coax. The “on press priming” is kind of note useful if you don’t want to fumble with each primer. There is no primer feed capability.
Hi Gavin. I bought a M-press after seeing your review. I noticed how the M-press is very different from the Forester coax in that the shell plate assembly moves up and down "along" the twin rods not "with" them. This causes this assembly to have a "float" along another axis than the Forester..basically, it can tilt forward or backward until the cartridge makes its way into the seating die...In your opinion as an engineer, is this a "feature" than could improve runout issues or a design compromise? I don't see any huge runout issues with the M-press but there is some amount....seems to be more driven by the quality of the brass than the press (I think). Is the M-press in the same league as the Forester and Mec marksman?
Yeah... That Hornady is not so accurate... For cheap, go with RCBS case master. Expensive option (but probably the most accurate) 21st Century Reloading concentricity gauge...
I think if the press was mounted directly to the table you would have a easier time sizing the 308 cases. I realize this wasnt possible with your table design but I think this particular press is designed to be operate at a lower height. Just at observation after watching the video. Thank you for these wonderful reloading videos!
I’ll have to wait for the head to head with the coax. This style of press has interested me for a while, and if the FA can match the fit, finish, and overall quality of the Forster (skeptical) I’ll definitely consider it when I upgrade from my Classic Cast. I’m definitely buying those brass gauges, though. 🤣
Like cars and motorcycles, it would be interesting to know how this unit holds up over time vs the Forster. Opted to go with the MEC press and am content with it. Wanted the Forster but their price point was too crazy to justify. The MEC performs extremely well, especially with concentricity, so dropping almost $200 more for a Forster was impractical. Most folks do not want to spend that kind of coin on a Rolls Royce press, no matter how good it is. As to priming...do all that off the table anyway. Not knocking either system, just economics of ROI.
Seems a bit sloppier than the Forster based on sound alone. It's clacking around and the movement looks jerky. From personal experience, the Forster has damn near no slop, while being buttery smooth to operate. I own and use FA's products as well, but they made a mistake slapping a $300 price tag on it. I got my Forster for only $30 more.
The price difference on Midway for the presses being compared is $80 or roughly 25%. At which price point do you feel it should be at to compete? In my opinion $230 for the Frankford option would be more appealing.
@@joeyheyne3255 To be fair, MSRP on the Forster is $515 which is substantially more but they can be had for ~$300. If the FA dropped down to $200 over time it'd be a little more palatable. Even then, a $130 difference in the world of reloading isn't that much. Especially when the Forster is tried and tested with a reputation to back it. FA makes products for the budget-minded reloader so $250 misses their target audience imo.
I see where you're coming from and won't argue with you regarding FA's target market might not be interested in a $250 press, period. I will disagree though in the logic that $130 isn't much in the world of reloading. That money can get the budget reloader a case trimmer, neck turner, quality die set or a jumpstart in purchasing bullets, powder and brass. IMO, FA has the right idea and with the right sale it can be a good alternative to the Forster, especially for someone newer to reloading or on a stricter budget. Good conversation though! Thanks.
I fabricate a lot of stuff- from the doors in my shop (check out my video on that) to racks, a bit of everything! Lincoln Power Mig 200 is older but works great.
Great video as always. Two things I don’t like about the FA press are first, that it’s imported and although you didn’t say from where, I would assume it’s made in China. Secondly, you mentioned the possibility of crushing the shellplate but no further explanation was given. That seems somewhat odd seeing as how the presses that I’ve used are all built like a tank. For me, the jury is out on the FA.
quick note on handle opperation it seems to me a T handle like on a hovel would work great this cross grip could even be made to rotate easing blisters on the hand.and less stress on the sholder
Gavin good comparison. One main difference between the two presses the coax is supported by an I-beam structure that the supports the guide rods. The support structure of the FA ,is the guide rods, so your putting lots of stress on the the rods. Any idea if the FA guide rods are solid or tubular pipes? I see that as a potential wear point maybe down the road but if they are solid maybe that’s not an issue. My other gripe is the set screw putting pressure on the threads of dies. I know I know reading lock rings have been do that for years that’s why it’s only a nick picky gripe. I also think the primer catch tray is small so for large batches of depriming your gonna be emptying it more once this is a nick picky gripe. Last question are the metal parts cast on the FA I couldnt tell from the video?
"Need to be careful about crushing the universal shellholder" I sure hope not, if the shellholder plates are not capable of taking the full force of the press, they will fail at an alarming rate.
Those stupid collars negate tons of hidden benefits of the Forster design. Like clamping the threads instead of the set screw, being able to orient your dies without affecting depth, being able to fit in a normal die box, and having to buy proprietary parts for every die you own.
I think more reloading product choices and price points are good for the reloading community. This press adds some options that may be important to some reloaders . The fact that nothing protrudes past the bottom of the press will be an advantage to people that make their press removable from their bench tops. Mounted to a plate this press could be mounted with 2 large C-clamps to most flat surfaces.
Thanks Gavin.. good to see them side by side.. I can see the Frankford ideal for the traveling match press maybe.. How does the 2 approaches to the universal shell holders compare.. slightly different design approach is there one advantage of one over the other.. other than having to flip the plates on the Forster? Also.. what cartridge can you do on the Frankford compared to the Forster since its taller opening? I bet it sells like hotcakes.. but I got my Forster to run for now.
Is the universal shell holder thinner than a conventional shell holder? It would be nice to get closer to the rum when resizing .41 and .44 Magnum cases that have a little bulge close to the rim.
Hi Gavin, I am almost sold on the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme would you choose this new Frankford over the tried and true RCBS and if so why? The made in China is a tough pill to swallow. Thanks, Ray
After watching the review, I purchased the RCBS Summit. I wanted something different from the standard type of press, and since I have never owned an RCBS press, I asked, why not?! It is all because of the 14 press reviews.
Please do a video on Swagers. There it only 1 video of the Frankford Arsenal Platinum series swager that I could find. Compare it with Dillon 600 and the RCBS bench mounted units. Could also include press mounted Swagers as well. I've never seen a scientific comparison between them.
shouldn't have to push down that hard with enough lube, unless the ram handle isn't long enough. Also the standard seater die bullet stem is really bad, and the bullet does sit off center, yes. Using wrenches is a bad idea, eventually the splines on the knobs will strip on shell holders. Last night I had one strip and had to tap them out of the shell holder and red lock tite them in, hopefully they will stay put. I'm thinking they will. I won't use a wrench anymore due to they are partially striped and I didn't orient the knobs into the remaining splines and had to turn them orient them. Turning them by hand, they will be fine.
I've always felt that Frankford Arsenal is a second-rate manufacturer and this confirms it. Intentional, gaudy, styling and a direct rip-off of a Forster Co-Ax with "improvements" directly from marketing wankers. It may work fine for you but, but you know this thing is cheesy. At least the Forster can use standard lock rings if I must, this one purposefully can't, and the Forster doesn't use parts that are sure to break. Also, using a Redding Competition die to validate this press is a bit rich, no? Does the die lock ring bear against a painted/powder coated surface?
A little off topic, but I'm new to reloading. Aren't you suppose to use an expander die before seating the bullet? Also, could the runout of the bullet change after crimping the case? Neither of these steps were done. Thanks!
It would seem the Forster would be cheaper in the long run. How expensive are the blocks for your dies. I wouldn’t want to be changing them out all the time.
Glad to see this video. I am not a big fan of a cloned item like this. I think the Forster would be my choice. I think I like the MEC better than this. I’ll look forward o more videos with these presses.
Gavin, this video was made a year ago. Any updates on this press? Mine just came in today, and today I found some negative reviews I didn’t see before ordering it. I hope nothing major is going on!!
For people who have owned this for a while....Any issues with the shell holder or the set screw holding the die? Those seem to be the 2 weak points of this press. I will be loading 6.5 creedmoor and 5.56.
@Ultimatereloader hey mate , from Australia here love the vids Was wondering how's the clearance for maybe the 6.5 creedmoor with the redding competition dies
Yes it seems all the pressure is concentrated in the shellholder area. Thats no nearly as robust as an o frame single stage press imho. A no go for me. As well the 300 $ pricetag is prohibitive. The new Lyman yellow series is a good alternative. I have the T mag 2 turret press. As well you dont mention priming. Priming is usually with an coaxial the weak point.
Great review!!! Bought one for myself, I would add a little "hack" I found for myself. I found that the set screw on some dies seamed to need to be tightened A LOT tighter than I felt comfortable with. What I found is the plastic disposable "epoxy" brushes I use for various things, if you clip about a 1/8" nib from the handle and remove the set screw and place that nib in in front of the screw you no longer need to over tighten the set screw and there is no threat of damaging the threads, and it holds the die from turning perfectly!!!
Or you can use a small lead shot like my grandpa taught me in the 80s
Every time you review a new press I want one! Your reviews are great and your channel is great! Good job yet again!
Thank you!!!!!
Yea his vids are great! In depth explanations and pluses and minuses about the products. I read reviews on other sites and Gavin clears them up. IE the die shoulder hit the top of press when adjusting die ? The 223 die is really short and has not problem. I just ordered one for a gunshop floor model that had one listed at cost for a dealer. Got a super deal, under 200 bucks shipped !
I know this is old, but just wanted to say for anyone searching for this kind of stuff you don't need a milling machine to make a plate for your reloader.
Just get a punch, sit the press on the plate you want to mount it to, punch a dent in the center of each mounting hole, remove the press from the plate and carefully drill out the spots that have the punch marks.
Excited for the press comparison video!
I've got to figure out how to line up 14 presses, I think I know what I'll do (two rows of 7 presses, stadium style, rear presses higher). :)
I owned my Forster for three years now - very well made - also use my press for priming - best press period in my opinion
A note on US Mil 7.62: Most of the brass you're buying is most likely fired through an M240. This means that you're going to have to do a bit more case prep to make it totally uniform again. The M240 has a more generous chamber to enable it to fire reliably whilst hot and also whilst dirty. Its still good brass, but just needs a bit more work.
The design of the forster also minimizes wear on the guide rods from abbrasives that presents after decapping. in the forster, the shell plate moves as one with the guide rods whereas in the frankford, the shell plate slides on static guide rods. That interaction between shell plate and guide rod looks like it has a definitive service life.
Glad I wasn’t the only one that noticed that. In the end, this looks like a double rammed “O” press that doesn’t require shell holders. Since every type “C” or “O” with have sloppy rams after years or decades of use, I don’t think this FA will have a long service life as the Forster.
I really like this Press! It has multi functions! I especially like the universal shell holder and changing dies is a snap
Will keep my Forster co-ax
I'm pretty sure this is not aimed to replace current co-ax machines, mainly meant to compete for those on the fence of a high productivity single stage machine. I, personally, will support us made products vs imported. I do not have a forester coax, because I bought the hornady iron press instead, it works better for me since all my dies are set up for my lnl-ap. But I seriously considered the co-ax.
You sorta have to kiss some ass to get the freebies from the companies. I totally agree with you though and this is not a unique design, to say the least.
Good!
Same here although they say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
Look at all the jealousness and hating on this awesome press in the comments, boy I dang sure want one of these now! Looking forward to more videos on this press. Great job Gavin!
Love how it sits flat on the table
I'd like to see a showdown of 3 presses, the Frankford you have in this video, a rcbs summit and the mec marksman, use a large caliber like a 338 Lapua and see what one does the best job, I know it would be a long video but it would be fun to see which one does the best.
Watching you shuffle left to right to operate the press makes me wonder about the ergonomics of a center position lever design. If you had a bend in the lever arm you could turn it say 15 degrees off center. You could likewise rotate the press say 15 degrees so it angled towards your weak hand/arm. The arm could be lengthened for any loss in leverage from the vector change.
Good Morning, Excellent video, as usual. Bought one from a friend. You addressed bullet-concentricity, but my question has to do with consistency in overall length/base-to-ogive. The small amount of up-down play of the die-block within the housing seems that it would be difficult to get a repetitious number. Thanks, Dan, Thousand Oaks, CA
Vs. Forster Co-ax (which I have) this seems to be better in a few ways, and worse in more.
Better: (1) Press is all above bench; (2) Primer catch isn't dangling well below press; (3) LED light; (4) Cheaper (though you would need to also buy priming tool, and die blocks)
Worse: (1) No priming tool built in; (2) Have to change the shell holder more often; (3) Need to buy and change the die block; (4) Not made in the USA; (5) Doesn't have a proven longevity record.
Overall, I think the Forster still is tops.
Thanks for the video. Tempting for the price buy went USA. Ordered a Forster.
Thanks for bringing this review, along with all the others.
It’s basically a Forster Press with a light!
I have one of these. It is a decent press (4/5 stars). My one complaint is the metric adjust die blocks. They use a simple threaded locking screw to lock the die inside the block. Unless you nearly strip the locking screw to apply maximum pressure to the die threads, your die will still spin inside the block. Not that big of a deal but I worry about missing my measurements over time. Other than that, my loads have been fairly consistent. I have not noticed any bullet concentricity issues. I am using Hornady dies reloading .260 full length resizing for AR-10.
First Lyman adds the 8-hole turret now Frankford Arsenal comes out with a
Coaxial. Reloading isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Well said!
Right after I picked up my MEC! Oh well, I still like my MEC and it has option to use Hornady bushings which I absolutely love it!
Dima Prok the MEC and the CO-ax are STILL king in my opinion.
@@halfdollar86 Yeah, but there are some quirks I didn't like about Co-ax, I tried it and returned it, but I love my MEC!
That Lyman 8 hole turret almost made me cry. I was on the fence about buying the Redding turret press for so long, then I finally pulled the trigger and I swear the Lyman came out before my Redding was delivered. Oh well, I have a great press anyway. I just wish the turrets were half the price like the Lyman.
The only two potential improvements in this design appear to be the spent primer tray arrangement and the ease of changing shell plate jaws. The integral lights are nice, but my aftermarket kit is easily replaced if something goes wrong in the future. That floating top is asking for trouble. The Forster has a cast iron spine and doesn't use the guide rods for stiffness like this one. That is going to cause problems over time with either bent/galled rods or sloppy worn bushings. The chinese suck at understanding actual engineering and the purpose behind design features.
I wish they would have made the shell holder black..... it's blinding with chrome !
Looks cool. Now I'm waiting for a full 5 or 6 station progressive press from Frankford
Wouldn't that be cool...
Great video. Gotta say though that "imported" is pretty much a non starter for me. I'll stick with my Lee single and turret and my Dillon 650.
Thanks for video. Very excited about your single stage video coming up! Hopefully, a couple of things will happen. One, you will have some presses we haven’t seen from you before like the RockChucker and possibly the Redding UltraMag. Next, you will do a control analysis of case quality with each press. How did the press actually perform, not just a features video. Of course, that would be a lot work. But, you are appreciated!!
I have one.. love the die blocks!
what that press needs is a foot pedal that closes the shellholder when you step on it so you don't have to lift the cartrige while putting the bullet in/on the case.
Any chance you can do a video, showing how to "seat" a universal deprimer, a case resize (aka deprimer with ball removed) and then a seating die (Hornady Custom Grade) with Hornady micrometer add on... aka see your process, and what you measure where/when.
Nice job with the studio paint. Looking good.
Great video! Is there any reason not to de-prime before cleaning/tumbling brass? Thanks.
So, 4 years later...what are your thoughts?
While there is a de-prime capability, I don't see how one might prime cases using this press. As to the runout on the .308 pills, this press has an ideal feature ... when you seat the pill, rotate the case 90 degrees, and re-seat. Even with non-competition dies, you will find that the runout is reduced considerably.
Frankford wants to sell their hand primer?
Do you have to prime and powder outside of the press then?
@Motorhead: yes, but however neat the primer pickup is done, there will always be som glass dust from spent primers forming in that general area. The forster guide rods are more protected as their bearing surfaces are further away from the case holder.
Single stage is the way to go for precision cartridges in my opinion.
I am very happy w my coax. The “on press priming” is kind of note useful if you don’t want to fumble with each primer. There is no primer feed capability.
Lee press for me, thank you very much.
Hi Gavin. I bought a M-press after seeing your review. I noticed how the M-press is very different from the Forester coax in that the shell plate assembly moves up and down "along" the twin rods not "with" them. This causes this assembly to have a "float" along another axis than the Forester..basically, it can tilt forward or backward until the cartridge makes its way into the seating die...In your opinion as an engineer, is this a "feature" than could improve runout issues or a design compromise? I don't see any huge runout issues with the M-press but there is some amount....seems to be more driven by the quality of the brass than the press (I think). Is the M-press in the same league as the Forester and Mec marksman?
concentricity gauge shootout
Nice, good call!
Yup like to see that.
Add that to my wish list as well.
Yeah... That Hornady is not so accurate...
For cheap, go with RCBS case master.
Expensive option (but probably the most accurate) 21st Century Reloading concentricity gauge...
Don't forget sinclair
I think if the press was mounted directly to the table you would have a easier time sizing the 308 cases. I realize this wasnt possible with your table design but I think this particular press is designed to be operate at a lower height. Just at observation after watching the video. Thank you for these wonderful reloading videos!
You do good videos. To me, the question is, "Which came first, the M-Press or the Forster Co-Ax?" I appreciate your enthusiasm. :)
I’ll have to wait for the head to head with the coax. This style of press has interested me for a while, and if the FA can match the fit, finish, and overall quality of the Forster (skeptical) I’ll definitely consider it when I upgrade from my Classic Cast. I’m definitely buying those brass gauges, though. 🤣
Thanks for the review, how much difference is there in these concentricity numbers compared to a standard lever press?
Pretty comparable with the other presses that float... (Marksman, Hornady Lock-n-Load iron, Co-Ax)
Like cars and motorcycles, it would be interesting to know how this unit holds up over time vs the Forster. Opted to go with the MEC press and am content with it. Wanted the Forster but their price point was too crazy to justify. The MEC performs extremely well, especially with concentricity, so dropping almost $200 more for a Forster was impractical. Most folks do not want to spend that kind of coin on a Rolls Royce press, no matter how good it is. As to priming...do all that off the table anyway. Not knocking either system, just economics of ROI.
Have you done a comparison video between this and the Forster??
Will belted brass like the 7mm rem mag work with these universal shell holders
Sharp looking press .
Seems a bit sloppier than the Forster based on sound alone. It's clacking around and the movement looks jerky. From personal experience, the Forster has damn near no slop, while being buttery smooth to operate. I own and use FA's products as well, but they made a mistake slapping a $300 price tag on it. I got my Forster for only $30 more.
The Frankford press is $249 on MIdway.
I think it looks really neat, but to compete with Forster they are going to have to drop their price.
The price difference on Midway for the presses being compared is $80 or roughly 25%. At which price point do you feel it should be at to compete? In my opinion $230 for the Frankford option would be more appealing.
@@joeyheyne3255 To be fair, MSRP on the Forster is $515 which is substantially more but they can be had for ~$300. If the FA dropped down to $200 over time it'd be a little more palatable. Even then, a $130 difference in the world of reloading isn't that much. Especially when the Forster is tried and tested with a reputation to back it. FA makes products for the budget-minded reloader so $250 misses their target audience imo.
I see where you're coming from and won't argue with you regarding FA's target market might not be interested in a $250 press, period. I will disagree though in the logic that $130 isn't much in the world of reloading. That money can get the budget reloader a case trimmer, neck turner, quality die set or a jumpstart in purchasing bullets, powder and brass. IMO, FA has the right idea and with the right sale it can be a good alternative to the Forster, especially for someone newer to reloading or on a stricter budget. Good conversation though! Thanks.
So what is the difference between full stop and the cam-over function as it relates to resizing the brass?
So what do you do with all the welding equipment? What do you make? Repair?
I fabricate a lot of stuff- from the doors in my shop (check out my video on that) to racks, a bit of everything! Lincoln Power Mig 200 is older but works great.
Gavin, I always enjoy your videos man but just how many reloading presses do you have! I guess there's no such thing as too many.
Very helpful thanks
Great video as always. Two things I don’t like about the FA press are first, that it’s imported and although you didn’t say from where, I would assume it’s made in China. Secondly, you mentioned the possibility of crushing the shellplate but no further explanation was given. That seems somewhat odd seeing as how the presses that I’ve used are all built like a tank. For me, the jury is out on the FA.
quick note on handle opperation it seems to me a T handle like on a hovel would work great this cross grip could even be made to rotate easing blisters on the hand.and less stress on the sholder
Thank you very much for the video. Good luck and accurate shots.👍👍👍👍👍
Gavin good comparison. One main difference between the two presses the coax is supported by an I-beam structure that the supports the guide rods. The support structure of the FA ,is the guide rods, so your putting lots of stress on the the rods. Any idea if the FA guide rods are solid or tubular pipes? I see that as a potential wear point maybe down the road but if they are solid maybe that’s not an issue. My other gripe is the set screw putting pressure on the threads of dies. I know I know reading lock rings have been do that for years that’s why it’s only a nick picky gripe. I also think the primer catch tray is small so for large batches of depriming your gonna be emptying it more once this is a nick picky gripe. Last question are the metal parts cast on the FA I couldnt tell from the video?
Good point about the guide rod vs. I-Beam support. I imagine over 1000s of cartridges, it would effect it.
For this press press would you get the inline fabrication is lynnfabrication tall or shorter stand?
... any chance you know, is there a primer feeder system for the M-Press, making priming easier... vs a hand press or the Lee Auto primer.
G
"Need to be careful about crushing the universal shellholder"
I sure hope not, if the shellholder plates are not capable of taking the full force of the press, they will fail at an alarming rate.
nailed it
Wouldn’t that set screw mar the threading on the dies?
C_Squared I wondered that as well.
Set screw is probably made of a softer material, like with most set screws on lock rings.
Those stupid collars negate tons of hidden benefits of the Forster design. Like clamping the threads instead of the set screw, being able to orient your dies without affecting depth, being able to fit in a normal die box, and having to buy proprietary parts for every die you own.
Oooh! I like it!
Lookin forward to this vid. Thanks!
Ooooooh yeah!
Does the 30/06 die fit in the mpress? I see that it didn’t clear the handle on the forester.
lol I see LE Wilson finally learnt their lesson about their steel case gauges. I had all mine Cerakoted to deal with it as it was sooooooooooooo bad.
Love the reloading press etc but that brass is pretty ordinary does it come like that?
So, Frankford's new press is a rip off of Forster's press?
Looks like a direct clone haha
@@paulvenn4447with improvements
Without the the ability to prime
better! IMO
@d' Bongocero you can probably bet your socks that Inline Fab will have a better handle... with a roller grip and more leverage.
Have you tried it with rimmed cases such as .303 British or 7.62x54r ?
I’m not liking the shell holder set up. Not a positive lock up before the press starts moving. That’s a powder spill waiting to happen.
yup, it really needs a pedal or something to close the shellholder on demand
You can see the seating die bounce up and down at the end of the stroke.
1970351C2V it’s a floating die setup. Supposed to do that. Helps with bullet runout.
I have the MPress.. Kinda weird to see the floating of the blocks.. Love the shell holder... Show me your priming methods #gavintoob
What does the bullet centricity have to do with the press? I'm not making the connection.
I think more reloading product choices and price points are good for the reloading community. This press adds some options that may be important to some reloaders . The fact that nothing protrudes past the bottom of the press will be an advantage to people that make their press removable from their bench tops. Mounted to a plate this press could be mounted with 2 large C-clamps to most flat surfaces.
Thanks Gavin.. good to see them side by side.. I can see the Frankford ideal for the traveling match press maybe.. How does the 2 approaches to the universal shell holders compare.. slightly different design approach is there one advantage of one over the other.. other than having to flip the plates on the Forster? Also.. what cartridge can you do on the Frankford compared to the Forster since its taller opening? I bet it sells like hotcakes.. but I got my Forster to run for now.
Can you prime cases on this press
That dual end wire wheel/buffer reminds me of my ship days
When are these going to be available? Looks really good.
About Feb 2019...
Is the universal shell holder thinner than a conventional shell holder? It would be nice to get closer to the rum when resizing .41 and .44 Magnum cases that have a little bulge close to the rim.
Hi Gavin, I am almost sold on the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme would you choose this new Frankford over the tried and true RCBS and if so why? The made in China is a tough pill to swallow. Thanks, Ray
Pretty sweet
Gavin, when are you going to get a decent concentricity gauge. Like a 21st century.
Awesome vid as alwayas Gavin!!
After watching the review, I purchased the RCBS Summit. I wanted something different from the standard type of press, and since I have never owned an RCBS press, I asked, why not?! It is all because of the 14 press reviews.
Please do a video on Swagers. There it only 1 video of the Frankford Arsenal Platinum series swager that I could find. Compare it with Dillon 600 and the RCBS bench mounted units. Could also include press mounted Swagers as well. I've never seen a scientific comparison between them.
Can you.load 45-70 with that shell holder
shouldn't have to push down that hard with enough lube, unless the ram handle isn't long enough. Also the standard seater die bullet stem is really bad, and the bullet does sit off center, yes. Using wrenches is a bad idea, eventually the splines on the knobs will strip on shell holders. Last night I had one strip and had to tap them out of the shell holder and red lock tite them in, hopefully they will stay put. I'm thinking they will. I won't use a wrench anymore due to they are partially striped and I didn't orient the knobs into the remaining splines and had to turn them orient them. Turning them by hand, they will be fine.
Can this press use any standard reloading dies like lee or RCBS?
I've always felt that Frankford Arsenal is a second-rate manufacturer and this confirms it. Intentional, gaudy, styling and a direct rip-off of a Forster Co-Ax with "improvements" directly from marketing wankers. It may work fine for you but, but you know this thing is cheesy. At least the Forster can use standard lock rings if I must, this one purposefully can't, and the Forster doesn't use parts that are sure to break. Also, using a Redding Competition die to validate this press is a bit rich, no? Does the die lock ring bear against a painted/powder coated surface?
Guess you could say I'm not M-pressed, lol. I can smell that press from here.
How much is it? An where can I buy it?
Did you hear in the video? It won't be available until Feb. 2019! :) I'll post more info when I have it...
Awesome video, can please tell me the name of the case lube you are using?
?????
A little off topic, but I'm new to reloading. Aren't you suppose to use an expander die before seating the bullet? Also, could the runout of the bullet change after crimping the case? Neither of these steps were done. Thanks!
It would seem the Forster would be cheaper in the long run. How expensive are the blocks for your dies. I wouldn’t want to be changing them out all the time.
Glad to see this video. I am not a big fan of a cloned item like this. I think the Forster would be my choice. I think I like the MEC better than this. I’ll look forward o more videos with these presses.
What else do i need on order to reload ammo from range brass to complete cartridge?
Hey,where I can buy that mounting plate with stand ,thank you
Dawid Dudzik in-line fabrication.com
Gavin, this video was made a year ago. Any updates on this press? Mine just came in today, and today I found some negative reviews I didn’t see before ordering it. I hope nothing major is going on!!
Does anyone using this have a hornady micrometer seating die? Does the handle clear the top of the die?
For people who have owned this for a while....Any issues with the shell holder or the set screw holding the die? Those seem to be the 2 weak points of this press. I will be loading 6.5 creedmoor and 5.56.
@Ultimatereloader hey mate , from Australia here love the vids
Was wondering how's the clearance for maybe the 6.5 creedmoor with the redding competition dies
Have ordered Frankford m press just due to hard to find forster in Australia or everything is out of stock or don't know when they are getting it in
Yes it seems all the pressure is concentrated in the shellholder area. Thats no nearly as robust as an o frame single stage press imho. A no go for me. As well the 300 $ pricetag is prohibitive. The new Lyman yellow series is a good alternative. I have the T mag 2 turret press. As well you dont mention priming. Priming is usually with an coaxial the weak point.
Can this handle 338 Lapua?