Lyman Case Prep Xpress

Sometimes a tool comes along that just puts a smile on my face with a great combination of function and simplicity. Case preparation for reloading is not one of my favourite tasks and bottom of that particular list is cleaning primer pockets, de-burring the inside/outside of the case necks and ensuring the internal surfaces of the neck are cleaned of any residual tumbling media or brass trimming swarf.

NOW WE ARE TORQUEING

The Lyman Case Prep Xpress is a 240 volt electrical base station that when switched on, simultaneously powers 5 revolving centres which are threaded with the industry standard 8-32” format to accept tools for multiple tasks.

Resting on rubberised feet, at 7.5 lbs. it isn’t moving anywhere and the internal motor provides plenty of torque to drive both lightweight tasks such as cleaning primer pockets to more arduous ones such as reaming the pockets to uniform sizes. Supplied along with the machine are both internal and external case mouth de-burring tools, a series of brushes for cleaning necks of .17 up to .40 cal cases, primer pocket cleaners in both small and large sizes along with matching reamers for depth uniforming chores. The internal de-burring tool is of the newer shallower ‘VLD’ tapered profile suited to popular boat tailed as well as flat base bullets. If you use cases with crimped primer pockets, reamers to open these up are included too in both sizes.

DUSTY BIN?

Having five rotors and several circumferential storage compartments of varying sizes means what you don’t leave permanently set up for regular tasks is close at hand. The dished top to the machine means all carbon soot and brass deposits are safely collected and easily cleaned away into a folding pot at the front with a brush. Quiet in use with a supplied 240 volt three pin UK plug, I loved this unit and bought one for myself without hesitation! It has simplified my reloading tasks, speeded them up and tidied my bench at little more than the cost of the individual tools alone.

QUICK HANDS

One other included item is a container full of mica which is a very fine dry powder lubricant that some users might use for tasks such as lubricating the internals of the neck with a brush before neck only sizing tasks rather than a liquid product. One feature of the tool that piqued a tiny level of paranoia in me was that each rotor emerging from the body has a gap around its base and I can imagine in long term use how debris might find its way down to the gears and motor but I used a newly available accessory that covers it over and should alleviate the problem.

One final, quite subtle point is that as you never need to touch or hold the tool so both hands can be used simultaneously if your coordination is up to it, either to complete two tasks or at least feed cases from the left to the right hand to speed things up