I was eager to get everything set up so out to the reloading bench I went packages in hand. I opened the box containing the press first. My first impression was that it would have been nice if the aluminum base and stand were polished. I'm sure that the shine wouldn't last long around my bench, but I really expected that pristine look associated with new tools. Next I opened the box with the Wilson dies and was very impressed with the fit and finish. These dies looked very new shiny. I pulled the seating stem out of the die body and was extremely pleased with the fit and feel. Someone spent some time getting this stem machined so well. There's no way this die could be mass produced on an assembly line, could it?
When I started to install the Mitutoyo gauge on top of the press I noticed that there was no set screw to hold it in place. I went back through the box and papers, but it just wasn't there. I started looking through my vast nut and bolt collection I have accumulated over the years. I couldn't find a machine screw with a knurled knob or wing for finger tightening. I looked through the drawers in my reloading bench and found a screw with knurled knob on my old comparator. It was brass, but it fit and worked like a charm. You can see it in the picture.
Setting the height of the ram requires loosening four hex head bolts on the back of the unit and moving the ram up and down until you get it to the right height. I found it easiest to run an empty case into the die with a bullet on top. This raises the seating stem to the pre-seating height. Then I adjusted the ram so that the ram arm was parallel with the base when the press head contacted the die. This left just enough room for the ram to operate with a full stroke and enough clearance for removing the die. My thought after adjusting this press was that I needed one for each caliber I intend to load. That way I wouldn't have to change the settings. Later I learned that once set up, you never have to move anything unless you change to a different bullet. Once set the press and dies don't need to be adjusted again. This fact would make this press the ultimate unit for taking along with you. The aluminum construction and overall size make it just right for traveling. I would remove the dial gauge first, though.
Now that everything is set, I can concentrate on actual performance. I set a charged case on the die base and covered it with the die. Next I pulled the seating stem out and dropped a bullet straight into the stem hole. I reinserted the seating stem and slid the die under the press head. I'm sure I should have balanced the bullet on top of the case before I lowered the die over it, but I just couldn't help taking the short cut. As I lowered the ram arm I could feel the Bellville washers compressing as the press head contacted the seating stem. The dial gauge started to move until the pressure got to about 30 pounds of seating force. At that point I could feel the bullet start into the case neck. There is a lot of feedback through the ram arm. The pressure increased to about fifty pounds as the seating stem bottomed onto the top of the die. I could actually feel the bullet break and then start the seating process around 30 pounds and then again when the seating stem bottomed out at 50. There is a lot of feedback both visually and physically. Measuring the loaded round on my concentricity gauge confirmed that the Wilson dies lived up to their reputation. The gauge needle barely moved at all. This press is certain to give a shooter all the information they need to produce percison ammo with very consistent neck tension and minimal run out. It is a snap to determine seating pressure and then sort your rounds accordingly.
I would highly recomend the K&M press to any shooter who wants to take accuracy to the next level. The K&M press isn't going to win a beauty contest, but when I comes to producing consistent ammo, this press delivers the goods. There is a learning curve to getting use to the operation because it is so different from conventional presses. Once I got the hang of the process, I felt that I was able to keep up the same speed I used to obtain from a single stage press.
Hold 'em & Squeeze 'em
.... I'm also a VERY happy camper with my Wilson seater dies. I have the Mic type for the .204 and the standard for my 6.5/284. I need to send my 6.5 back to have it fitted to my fire formed brass. The 204 die fits perfect. My runout is also .0000-.0002 all the way out to the bullet tip. Skipper, can you position your press head so it's at about a 20 degree angle to the base. It makes it easier to load the die. When centered, I was sliding my die too close to the edge of the base, on the floor it went 
. They should make the basses a little wider 
.
, but this time, like Hawkeye.....I actually read the instructions. They're clear that continued removing of the stem to drop the bullet in will have a negative impact on tolerances. It seems like a bit of a stretch to me, but for the time being it's working out ok holding the bullet on top of the case mouth and sliding the die over them.