Great observations Ranch Dog. Depending on the industry it is amazing how prices come down over time once initial R&D investments have been paid: computers, generic drugs, other electronics, etc. Of course, this is not true when it comes to housing, cars, boats etc. These items appear more directly impacted overtime by inflation, wage negotiations, innovation, safety regulations, and more.
I think one of the reasons we benefit as Lee consumers is the sheer volume of presses sold. This has come about directly from their business philosophy. When people think they want to get into reloading, most want to do it as economically as possible in case they discover they don’t like it. Lee’s model will usually give them the first shot at those customers. Many of those who stay with reloading discover what real bang they get for their Lee buck.
I think what annoys me about the reloading hobby is the amount of press snobbery I see in my friends and in the forums I attend. We all know here how many times we’ve heard Lee bashing by reloaders who’ve never owned the presses or equipment their bashing. The truth is I’ve scrutinized other brand specific forums and they all have some issues where owners complain. The other truth is none of the manufacturers at least in general make bad equipment.
I recently was on a forum where a brand new LoadMaster owner who (I’ll call him, Joe) was being told by a professed LoadMaster and Dillon 650 owner, that his LoadMaster would work (with constant adjusting), but just not as well as his Dillon 650. I’m not denying that the LoadMaster might need more tweaking than a Dillon progressive, but even if true, should that be the only consideration? I told Joe not to worry about it because his targets were press color blind and for the money he would save using Lee Precision products, he could pretty much equip his reloading room.
Again, I have no problem what color press anyone wants to own, I, too, am color blind. Everyone is motivated for their own reasons/needs in making their choice. While I could afford to buy a Dillon or a Redding and almost did due to peer pressure, I just couldn’t ignore the facts regarding my application. There is no doubt that Dillon, Redding, and Forster presses are considered premier equipment, but they don’t make my personal loads any more accurate than Lee. I literally have taken the savings and invested in other equipment for my reloading room. I’m not a prestige kind of guy. I’m a value kind of guy. For me that’s what Lee offers me: value and good equipment that will compete with any brand.
Finally getting back to my OP, I’m not sure how big an issue the plastic ramp will be for the ABLPro. It’s not been a problem for me. I like the press. I likely will someday buy another Lee progressive and while I am currently leaning towards another LoadMaster, I need more time with the ABLPro. While I personally think that everyone should have either a single stage or a Lee Classic Turret on their bench, I will say that anyone who is not a bull in a china shop and buys the ABLPro for their first press should be very happy. It will do it all and even 30-06 if you are willing to operate it manually like a Dillon 550. It won’t be near as robust, but it will gidder done and it won’t cost a fortune to do it.