Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit

Product #: 121744
| Manufacturer #: 90030
Status: Available
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The popular "O" frame design and solid construction makes the Challenger Breech Lock press a perfect press for a novice or veteran reloader. featuring the Breech Lock quick change die system that holds dies in inserts that can be quickly removed from the press. Includes three quick change inserts. Popular "O" frame design with a 4-1/4" opening that is angled at 30 degrees for maximum hand clearance. The spent primer catcher is effective and easy to empty. Made with an ASTM 380 aluminum frame, steel ram and operating linkage.


Technical Information

Features:

  • Quick change or conventional die change system
  • Accepts all standard 7/8"-14 threaded dies
  • Can handle cartridge lengths from the 0.905" 25 ACP through the 3.750" 460 Weatherby

    Ram Stroke:
  • 3-1/2"

    Number of Mounting Holes:
  • 3-offset


    Kit Also Includes:
  • Lee Auto Prime.
  • Lee Auto Prime Shellholder Set of 11.
  • Lee Cutter and Lock Stud.
  • Lee Perfect Powder Measure.
  • Lee Chamfer Tool.
  • Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner
  • Lee Safety Powder Scale.
  • Lee Powder funnel.
  • 2 oz Tube Lee Resizing Case Lube.

    ATTENTION: This kit does not include reloading dies, case length gages or shellholders for the Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press.

    • Application Charts & Information

    Overall Rating:
    4.6 out of 5
    Used this Product?Rate It
    5 stars
    Steven Kieffer of De pere, WI
    Date posted: 5/11/2008
    After receiving the kit, I realized that I made a mistake and ordered the one wrong one with the hand-primer. After using the "auto-prime" hand primer though, I like it better than priming on the press. Very fast and easy! Everything else in the kit was top-notch in quality, and accurate. My first batch of 38 special came out perfect. Looks just like factory ammo.
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    5 stars
    George Mitchell of Johnson city, TN
    Date posted: 3/28/2008
    Being new to reloading, I wanted a single press package that was economical and easy to use. I found that to be true with the Lee Challenger Breech Lock Single Stage Press Kit. I was up and running within an hour of opening the box. The quick change bushing allows for easy die change while retaining the setting. The power measure took a while to understand and adjust but once set, is very accurate Thus far I have loaded 60 rounds in 3 different WSM calibers without issue. I would recommend this kit to anyone who is interested in trying their hand at reloading. I have since added a digital scale, which sped up the process.
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    5 stars
    Patrick Gleason of Glen Burnie, MD
    Date posted: 7/8/2008
    I picked up this press kit to get started in reloading - you get virtually everything you need to get started. One suggestion though - if you want to prime on the press, get the standard Anniversary kit because it has the Safety Prime setup rather than the hand held priming setup. Had I realized that, I would have gotten the Anniversary kit rather than this one. Otherwise, the quality you get for price you pay simply can't be beat in my opinion. Do yourself a favor and get extra quick change bushings for every die you plan to use with this press. It makes switching from one die to the next very simple and it can be done in seconds. For no more than the bushings cost, they pay for themselves with time saved in the end. GREAT product Lee!
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    5 stars
    Jeremy Reed of Oceanside, CA
    Date posted: 8/10/2008
    I bought this kit to restock my reloading equipment. I have been reloading for years and am very impressed with the bang for the buck you get with this kit. I use it for everything from .45 Colt to .303 British and it handles it all.
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    5 stars
    Paul McLaughlin of Caddo, OK
    Date posted: 8/7/2008
    This is the kit I chose to get started reloading. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. I didn't have much to spend and went with this relatively inexpensive kit. I feel after using the kit for 100 magnum reloads that if I had spent more money on any other kit, it would have been a waste. I don't reload high volume, but the components in this kit allow one to reload fairly fast. The breechlock makes changing dies very handy; get them set up once and that's it, change them out at will. All I bought in addition to this kit to reload 7mm Rem mag was Lee deluxe die set, a factory crimp die, Lee reloading manual, and a set of dial calipers. I believe lee products to be innovative and well built. I was skeptical solely because of the low price, but in this case, you get an excellent entry level kit. The auto prime, powder measure, and powder scales all work great. Also came with a .22-.45cal powder funnel, 3 breach locks, small and large priming arm (if you wish to prime on the press's down stroke instead of the hand held primer), a Hodgdon load book, and good instructions for all the components. I believe if you spend more on a kit ALL you will be gaining is speed over this kit. Factory loads in my 700BDL never shot better than about 1-1/2" 3 shot groups at 100, and with this set, lee collet die and quality components, has yet to shoot larger than a 3/4" group with lots of .550" groups with a personal best of a .370" 3 shot group.
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    5 stars
    Thomas Rodden of Charlotte, NC
    Date posted: 3/24/2008
    Great product. Comes with everything you need to start reloading execpt the dies and a good reloading manual. Don't be fooled by the low price.
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    5 stars
    d mc of wheeling, wv
    Date posted: 1/19/2008
    I have this kit and for the cost it is easy to use and comes with everything you need to reload. If you are not reloading large quantities it works excellent.
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    5 stars
    John Zarro of Troy, MI
    Date posted: 12/7/2007
    This is my first attempt at reloading. I've helped a friend before, but this time it's all me. I found the literature most helpful and that coupled with Q&A from a buddy had me reloading .45 ACP in no time.
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    5 stars
    william bakker of nevada city, CA
    Date posted: 1/31/2008
    Why would you spend 2 to 3 times more for something that just doesn't match up to Lee quality? I have used Lee products for 4 years now and this was my first press kit. Everything worked slicker than goose poop on a linoleum floor. The powder measure was missing the drop tube; a 2 dollar part that was an honest mistake. I notified Midway of the missing part and they sent me a brand new perfect powder measure absolutely free! Thanks Midway!
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    5 stars
    B C of Denver, Co
    Date posted: 3/22/2008
    I bought this press because a friend got me into reloading and I wanted to do it for myself. Besides a way to clean your brass this kit has everything you need to start off. The press is great, I have used it for magnum rifle cases to 9mm and have made thousands of rounds so far. The primer catch is wonderful, you will never have to search for primers on the floor. The quick change system works very well too. My only problems with the press so far have been that the wood handle fell off but a little bit of glue and that was fixed. The rest of the kit is also great, the powder measurer is a little bit tricky to work with but not hard to get it working right. The funnel, auto-prime and chamfer tool do not work on WSM or WSSM cases but otherwise are an ease to use. The only other things I would recommend with this kit would be a tumbler and a powder trickler.
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    5 stars
    Michael Geldreich of Cody, WY
    Date posted: 3/16/2008
    Great product! Don't let the price fool you into thinking it's a cheap product. A friend at work helped me get acquainted with reloading and encouraged me to buy RCBS kit, but I didn't want to get that invested that quickly so I opted for the Lee kit. The scale is easy to set up and use, the powder measurer is accurate to a tenth of a grain, the breech lock system is great (it eliminates ALOT of set up time), and the hand primer works easy and effectively ( I haven't even used the priming arms). Plus the other small case preparation components are a great value. I'm very happy with this great buy and have no regrets about it, and after using my friends RCBS equipment am even happier with the price and quality in comparison. This is a great starter kit!
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    5 stars
    chad c of colorado springs, co
    Date posted: 12/20/2008
    Nice press. The down fall is the breech lock system because the dies do thread in to the press so you have to have the breech lock. The good thing is that once it is set, not many changes have to be made. The breech lock makes changing dies faster. The primer catch does work unlike what some reviews say, the key to making it work is you have to have the primer arm in. The scale is very cheep. I think 110 grains is the max. works, just very cheep compared to some. Auto prime is very very nice. I just primed last night about 80 44 mag shells in 5 minutes. It comes with seats for the more popular sizes, but if you have something odd like a 500 magnum, you have to buy the seat separate. The powder dispenser is a pain to figure out, so far all I have done is back out the micrometer adjustment until it is giving the powder weight I need. The press is built well, works great, the breech lock is the only downfall because I intend to reload multiple size rounds, I am going to buy more of the locks just to keep it simple. But compared to other kits in the $200 to $300 dollar range, buying the extra breech lock still keeps the press cheaper than those. It comes with 3 so if you have a 4 die set, plan to buy extras. If you order right, the cost of this kit, extra locks, and dies it is still cheaper then the other kits and it works great. everybody says I should have gotten a rock chucker, but that press alone is $130 and you still have to get a scale and dies. I think I spent $300 and I got this kit, 44 mag dies, 500 mag dies, zip trim, length gauge for 44 mag and 500 mag, the ball grip cutter. You cant beat that deal. The reamer works, it is very cheap, but your hand wont cramp as bad with the zip trim. Great starter kit.
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    5 stars
    Roland Velasco of Milpitas, CA
    Date posted: 5/22/2009
    Wow is all I can say. I use this to load all my pistol calibers and it is so simple but accurate. I would definitely choose accuracy VS. quantity. I really like the quick change capability. I must say that there is nothing to dislike about this product.
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    5 stars
    James Perry of Otis, CO
    Date posted: 1/26/2009
    Great press accurate within .001 of an inch and comes with everything to get started. The quick lock system makes this press very easy to use.
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    5 stars
    R.E. Treis of Pensacola, FL
    Date posted: 12/19/2009
    Reloading for 40 years, gave old gear to son and needed new. Bought this as a cheapie but it's better than my old one. I load 14 calibers, pistol and rifle and the breech lock lets me switch without messing with die adjustment, snap 'em in and I'm ready to go. It was missing the shell holder spring and an email got one post haste. I even use it for forming new cases. May be low cost but it is not cheap.
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    5 stars
    Anson Ling of Fremont, CA
    Date posted: 8/29/2009
    This is the BEST kit for beginners out there bar none. It's priced low for those that are curious about reloading, you are not risking much. This kit comes with everything that you need besides the dies and case gauge length for the trimmer. These two things are the essentials that the kit does not offer...and for good reason. Anything else besides these are not NECESSARY but VERY nice to have. The press is a quality piece. The Autoprime works as advertise and amazingly well. The powder scale feels flimsy BUT it works as it should. The safety powder measure is kind of confusing because it measures in CC's and not grains so you will have to do some calculations(elementary at best) to convert it into CC's. The directions have the conversion rates for most of the popular powders out there. When used to measure Hodgdon Varget, I would get a charge that was off 0.1-0.2 once in a while. It's probably due to the fact that it's a stick powder and not ball. But from what I hear, it measures ball powder perfectly. My only gripe is that the primers do not fall into the primer catch tube like it's suppose to. It keeps falling out the other side. Also the knob came off after about 1000 or so round. Not a big deal since it goes back on fine. For the price you can not expect this to be perfect, but it's pretty darn close! With hand loads, I shrunk my groupings from a 3"-4"@100 yards in an 16" AR15 to 1"-1.5"@100 yards WITH IRON SIGHTS. I can touch sub MOA once I throw on my Leupold scope.
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    5 stars
    Kevin Grissom of Queen Creek, AZ
    Date posted: 2/5/2010
    I am new to reloading. Did my research on presses. I bought the Lee kit and happy with it.
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    5 stars
    Ron Lusson of Crystal Lake, IA
    Date posted: 1/30/2010
    I order this kit becouse it has every thing you need but dies. Every thing works great in the kit. The only problem I have is with the powder measure. It will not give me the same powder load all the time. So I weigh all my loads. Adhere then that it works great!
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    5 stars
    Matt s of johnstown, PA
    Date posted: 12/26/2009
    This press is one of the greatest things I have ever used. Sizing is smooth as butter. The only problem I have with it is that the primer catching system is rather useless out of 5 primers popped out only half of one ended up in the tube. Setup was very easy you will need 3 1/4 inch bolts or screws to attach it to your bench.
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    4 stars
    Ken Kemp of Key Largo, Fl
    Date posted: 12/7/2007
    Great press. The Breech Lock bushings sure save time. I bought 8 additional and keep them on the dies. Change dies in seconds, literally. The small and large primer arms that came with the unit are fine if you use them. I use the Lee safety prime, hand primer, but unless you install a primer arm the spent primer is ejected out the side instead of through the spent primer chute and into the tube. Lee sent me a primer arm with no primer plunger to remedy the problem free of charge.
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    4 stars
    Tom Baker of Lubbock, TX
    Date posted: 7/23/2008
    The press, dies, quick change inserts and primer collecting tube work like a charm! Directions were easy to understand and follow. The gage on the scale where you have to read the white lines through the slats is NOT a good way to adjust a scale for those of us with vision problems. The directions on the perfect powder measure were confusing and the measure itself is not easy to use. There is much spillage of powder. The mounting bracket has to be modified in order to pass a tray containing 50 cases for charging. The manual did not explain clearly to insert the piece that deflects the spent primer into the holding tube.
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    4 stars
    Cliff Garland of Kingsport, TN
    Date posted: 1/17/2009
    I must say that I didn't have really high hopes for this kit when I first ordered it. In spite of the excellent reviews here and elsewhere, it just seemed too inexpensive to be really good. I am happy to say that my fears were completely unfounded. This is an excellent kit. 1) The fit and finish of the press is exceptional, especially given the very reasonable price. I also love the breech lock bushing system. It makes die changes so quick and easy that I can't believe everyone doesn't use a similar system yet. I have a feeling they all will before long though. 2) The powder measure is outstanding for the price. I load small batches and weigh every charge, so I set the measure to throw a charge .2gr.-.3gr. below what I want and trickle the rest. In the short time that I've been using this measure it has consistently thrown charges within +/-.1 grains of what I had it set to throw. 3) The scale is quite adequate for weighing powder charges, but unfortunately it only has a 100gr. capacity. I use a Pact BBK2 electronic scale (750gr. capacity) instead of the included beam scale, simply because it is a bit faster and easier to use and allows me to weigh heavier bullets and cases as well. I still use the Lee scale (along with check weights) periodically to confirm that my digital scale is weighing charges accurately. 4) As for the Lee Auto Prime hand primer. Unfortunately I haven't been able to use it since I use Federal primers and Lee does not recommend the Auto prime for use with Federal primers due to the possibility of sympathetic detonation (If a primer should accidentally be discharged while priming a case, there is a chance that the primers in the priming tray of the hand primer could also ignite creating a potentially very dangerous chain reaction- This is all according to Lee. I have not tested it and have no intention of ever trying to. I know many people use the Auto Prime with Federal primers without issue, but I chose not to roll the dice on this one). Fortunately though, this kit does come with both large and small priming arms which allow priming on the press (down stroke). This works fine for me. But I may get the safety prime primer feed at some point so that I don't have to individually insert each primer into the priming arm by hand. 5) Odds and ends. The other included accessories- case length trimmer and lock stud (you need to purchase the individual case length gages separately for the calibers you will be loading), auto prime shellholders (only work with auto prime hand priming tool), primer pocket cleaner, powder funnel, and chamfer tool are all of reasonably good quality and are perfectly adequate for the beginning reloader, such as myself. The only complaint is that due to the design of the chamfer tool it can be difficult to chamfer the outside of shorter cartridges such as .45ACP and particularly 9mm Luger. Overall, I am extremely pleased with this kit. And would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning to reload. I only gave it four stars instead of five because of the low weight capacity of the included scale. And the fact that the Auto Prime (unlike the RCBS hand priming tool) has no divider to separate the primer being inserted into the case from the primers in the tray (this is why there is the risk of a chain reaction as mentioned above). All you need in addition to what comes in the kit is: a good reloading manual, dies and shellholders for the calibers you will be loading (Lee die sets come with a shellholder, others do not), calipers (I'm using the very reasonably priced Frankford Arsenal electronic calipers sold here at Midway with good results), extra breech lock bushings if needed, and of course, powder and primers and your ready to start reloading. At some point you may also want a higher capacity scale, but it is not absolutely necessary. As always MidwayUSA is first rate and the first place I look when I need something shooting related. And thanks to MidwayUSA for their NRA Round Up program. MidwayUSA supports the shooting sports and the Second Amendment, so I will continue to support MidwayUSA. Thank you.
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    4 stars
    Joseph Coleman of Poplar bluff, MO
    Date posted: 7/15/2008
    This is a great kit for the beginner. The press itself is much stronger than I expected and the bushings make changes faster. I wasn't that happy with the powder scale so I ordered an electronic one. But for the beginner, this kit is certainly worth the price sold here.
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    4 stars
    JASON BELL of Mandan, ND
    Date posted: 12/7/2009
    This is the PERFECT single stage reloader for a beginner which I am. It is simple to use, easy to set-up, great instructions. Highly recommend! All I had to purchase in addition was a caliper, a shell sizer, dies, a reloading book. Would recommend a bullet puller and the attachment for the auto die to put it on the press also. GREAT BUY, no worries.
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    3 stars
    Jim Goddard of Decatur, TN
    Date posted: 1/2/2009
    Likes: The press seems pretty well made and thought out esp. the spent primer catcher. The kit comes w/ everything needed to create a wide range of ammo. While the powder measure has the feel of flimsy/cheesy its quite precise. I was pleasantly surprised!! Dislikes: The scale is VERY poor quality. I replaced mine w/ a Dillon.
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    2 stars
    JIM GODDARD of DECATUR, TN
    Date posted: 12/31/2009
    It's been right at a year since I received this kit and have made about 4000 rds with it. In that time I've concluded Lee equipment in general is very good/cost efficient if you plan to load a smallish amount of ammo. It doesn't hold up well to heavy use. The press itself is quite good and the breech lock feature saves some time and fiddling. The scale is terrible and I replaced that immediately. The priming tool worked well initially but has since worn out and now consistently double feeds primers. The powder measure is very good for flake or ball powders but doesn't work well w/ rod powders. In the end the only 'big' parts of the kit I'm retaining are the press and powder measure.
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