Looking for a deal on a press
- Thread starter jaowens76
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jaowens76
Best bet is Ebay - but buyer beware . You need more than just a press .
1st is 2 or 3 reloading manuals - read before buying a press .
I would suggest a Lee hand loader to learn basics . [ I have at least one for every caliber I reload . ]
Dies , scale , I store my powder and primers in a little refrigerator [ I cut off cord ]
Best bet is Ebay - but buyer beware . You need more than just a press .
1st is 2 or 3 reloading manuals - read before buying a press .
I would suggest a Lee hand loader to learn basics . [ I have at least one for every caliber I reload . ]
Dies , scale , I store my powder and primers in a little refrigerator [ I cut off cord ]
Amazon will have a deal now and then. Sometimes the various reloading supply places like Midway, Midsouth, Kemps, Grafs, etc, etc, will have a sale. Just have to keep an eye out. So many places sell reloading equipment. Maybe someone will come across a good deal and pass it along.
This Midway deal is the cheapest I've seen for this kit: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/785993/lee-classic-4-hole-turret-press-deluxe-kit
Will you be reloading for handgun, rifle, or both?
drband, that is a good $. 4 years ago that same set had the best price at about $215 shipped.
jaguarxk120
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- Dec 30, 2011
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Shop the gun shows and sportsman swaps. If time is on your side there are some great buy's out there. Also look at estate sales in your area.
The last press I bought was at a sportsman's swap, and I paid $5 for a older Lyman Spartan single stage.
The last press I bought was at a sportsman's swap, and I paid $5 for a older Lyman Spartan single stage.
9mm 7mm08 and possibly.40. And that is the cheapest I have seen by far as well.
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Renton83
Member
I got a used RCBS Rock chucker and love it, those things are built to last.
thomas15
Member
I'm no fan of LEE stuff but the deal mentioned by drband is very good. If I were starting from scratch and wanted the least expensive kit to get started that would do it.
BTW, the reason I'm not a Lee fan is because for a little more money than what Lee charges, you can buy a lot more quality. But their stuff works, that I will admit.
BTW, the reason I'm not a Lee fan is because for a little more money than what Lee charges, you can buy a lot more quality. But their stuff works, that I will admit.
I wanted a press to keep at my retirement property so that I could adjust bullet seating depth and the like on rounds I had loaded at home. Nothing fancy. I've bought a lot of stuff off of eBay, so I lurked around to see if a used press came up at a decent price. I was astonished to see, for example, used Lee Breech Lock Reloader presses selling for more than you could buy them for new from Midway or Midsouth Shooters Supply. The same held pretty much true for RCBS, Hornady and Lyman presses as well. In time, I just gave up and decided that since a press will probably be a lifetime investment, I should just bite the bullet and buy one new.
It seems like everyone thinks because they paid X 4 years ago their used junk is worth X today. Ok with presses junk may be harsh, but I have seen bubba'd firearms go for more than new prices because the owner upgraded the gun with "accessories" that negatively affect function. Because of this I have been leery of E-bay or gunbroker.
snuffy
Member
Where does this reasoning come from? The LCT (Lee Classic Turret), has all steel compound leverage just like the rock chucker and the Lee classic cast single stage with a cast iron base. It can easily full length size any center fire shell made today EXCEPT the .50 BMG.
Ole Joe Clark
Member
I use my LCT for pistol, and my old Pacific cast iron for rifle and I will continue to do so. The LCT does a good job, and the Pacific does also. Reasoning? Because I want to.
TBJK
Member
Cabelas is supposedly having the father day promotion. That's how I got almost all my original single stage stuff for rifle. I paid like total of 450$ for about 6-700$ worth of stuff. It might be worth your while if your close enough to Cabelas.
Nothing factual, but I have loaded several hundred 8x57 and a couple hundred 7.62x54R on my LCT. Some were neck-sized and some FL. In those, I have had a few that took a lot of umph to FL size, mainly with 8mm. I would be concerned if I did that all the time. Would the LCT hold up to that full time, maybe. But for me, I would rather just use a SS for the more stressful sizings.
So that is where my reasoning is.
snuffy
Member
A closer look
I thought about this some more so I grabbed my caliper, measured the ram diameter of both the LCT and my classic cast press. Both have 1.125 diameter rams. I don't have a rockchucker to measure, but I'd bet it's real close to that diameter. The difference is that both Lee presses are drilled to produce a hollow ram for the passage of the spent primers to be captured in the plastic hose.(Or diverted into the trash bucket) Yeah I know they're brass, so sell them for scrap.
The RCBS being a solid ram may be a bit stronger, but often a tube is as strong as a solid shaft.
The boss where the ram travels is 3.5 inches in length for both and the base on the LCT is .875 and the classic cast is 1.15 thick. The footprint on both is the same. So the classic cast has more meat in the base and more room for the really long cases like the ultra mag line or some others.
IMHO the LCT is tough and strong enough to be used for any rifle loading.
Somebody is going to say it, so I will head them off at the pass. The turret has upward play in it, therefore it can't be as precise! Yes, there is some play in the turret, there HAS to be, otherwise it wouldn't be able to turn. The thing is that the play or clearance is taken up as soon as there's upward pressure during the various operations be performed. And that travel is the same each time, consistent and repeatable. I wondered about that, so I checked it with a dial indicator. Same-same each time. I don't remember how much it moves on my press, but it doesn't matter anyway.
I thought about this some more so I grabbed my caliper, measured the ram diameter of both the LCT and my classic cast press. Both have 1.125 diameter rams. I don't have a rockchucker to measure, but I'd bet it's real close to that diameter. The difference is that both Lee presses are drilled to produce a hollow ram for the passage of the spent primers to be captured in the plastic hose.(Or diverted into the trash bucket) Yeah I know they're brass, so sell them for scrap.
The RCBS being a solid ram may be a bit stronger, but often a tube is as strong as a solid shaft.
The boss where the ram travels is 3.5 inches in length for both and the base on the LCT is .875 and the classic cast is 1.15 thick. The footprint on both is the same. So the classic cast has more meat in the base and more room for the really long cases like the ultra mag line or some others.
IMHO the LCT is tough and strong enough to be used for any rifle loading.
Somebody is going to say it, so I will head them off at the pass. The turret has upward play in it, therefore it can't be as precise! Yes, there is some play in the turret, there HAS to be, otherwise it wouldn't be able to turn. The thing is that the play or clearance is taken up as soon as there's upward pressure during the various operations be performed. And that travel is the same each time, consistent and repeatable. I wondered about that, so I checked it with a dial indicator. Same-same each time. I don't remember how much it moves on my press, but it doesn't matter anyway.
tcoz
Member
I still think the LCT is the best value for the money in presses. IMO it's also the best press for anybody starting out as the learning curve isn't very steep yet a lot of people who start out with it are still using it after 20-30 years. It can be used as a self indexing turret (great for pistol) or a single stage (for rifle) with a five second changeover. There isn't much not to like about it although the priming system comes the closest until you develop a feel for it.
BTW, I sold mine and went to a Redding T-7 because I was doing a lot of 7.5x55 and .30-06 but I wish I had kept it for pistol.
BTW, I sold mine and went to a Redding T-7 because I was doing a lot of 7.5x55 and .30-06 but I wish I had kept it for pistol.
oldreloader
Member
that is a deal!!
tcoz
Member
That LCT Kit from Midway really is a deal. I helped my son buy the same kit about four years ago and he paid $210 for it.
The only recommendation I would make would be to put the scale aside and not even open it. It's terrible. Frankford Arsenal makes a good electronic scale for about $30. I still have my original one and its very accurate and perfectly fine for someone starting out. Actually I still use mine now and then.
I would also look around at trimming tools if you're going to be loading rifle cartridges. If it's only pistol for now, you can wait and learn more about them before buying one.
The only recommendation I would make would be to put the scale aside and not even open it. It's terrible. Frankford Arsenal makes a good electronic scale for about $30. I still have my original one and its very accurate and perfectly fine for someone starting out. Actually I still use mine now and then.
I would also look around at trimming tools if you're going to be loading rifle cartridges. If it's only pistol for now, you can wait and learn more about them before buying one.
oldreloader
Member
Exactly !! Snuffy is right again.
Midway has the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme on sale for $126.99 with a $10 rebate from RCBS. Shipping to Virginia for the press is $15.49. If I add the Lyman "Reloading Handbook: 49th Edition" Reloading Manual (Softcover) that is on sale for $12.99 and ships free with a $25.00 order, my shipping costs for the press and the book drop to $9.00. If I didn't already have 4 presses I would be very tempted by this deal. To get the drop in shipping prices you don't have to order the book, just check out their other items that offer free shipping to get a reduction in shipping costs. A few weeks ago they were offering free shipping and I took them up on it for one of the Redding T-7's that was on sale for $260+- (can't recall the exact price). Hope this helps.
Lost Sheep
Member
Thanks for asking our advice.
Kempf's Gun Shop has a pretty good kit. Just the basic core materials, no extras you will not use (except a few ammo boxes - I don't know why those are in there). It does not include manual or scale (many people want to choose their own, not have it be determined by some marketing "genius")
But it does include dies, which most kits do not.
I have had communication with Sue Kempf (who took over the business a couple years ago) and am impressed with her humanity and reloading knowledge.
The LCT kit includes
Lee Classic Turret press
Set of dies for your caliber
Primer Feeder
Automatic Powder Feeder
and
a few plastic ammo boxes.
Add a scale, manual, calipers and anything else you decide you want (YOU get to decide) and you are in business.
Lost Sheep
p.s. Used presses can be a good bargain, especially since single-stage presses rarely go bad. But you have to be wary. I have seen some outrageous prices at gun shows. Know your values.
On the other hand, I have seen some great bargains at garage sales. I still have not found a $50 Dillon Square Deal, but I did find a $5 RCBS Pardner. I also bought a perfectly functional RCBS 10-10 for $35 at a pawn shop. A quarter of new retail.
Newspaper classified and other similar venues are in-between.
I figure, (pure opinion here) that a good used press in good shape will go in a gun show for between 75% to 125% of new retail value (and I am not kidding about an over-retail asking price). Seldom will a knowledgeable seller take less than 50% of retail new price unless they are just dumping the gear (estate sale, giving up the activity, replacing, or forced sale). Occasionally, a "gear-head" who collected LOTS of equipment will reassess his storage space and decide to liquidate all the stuff he (or she) no longer uses.
But caveat emptor when buying used for your first press (and other gear). You face two complications. 1) Do you really know what you need for right now and the near future? It is easier to select from a catalog or store than a single seller. 2) Bargaining for price on any purchase is a skilled art.
Kempf's Gun Shop has a pretty good kit. Just the basic core materials, no extras you will not use (except a few ammo boxes - I don't know why those are in there). It does not include manual or scale (many people want to choose their own, not have it be determined by some marketing "genius")
But it does include dies, which most kits do not.
I have had communication with Sue Kempf (who took over the business a couple years ago) and am impressed with her humanity and reloading knowledge.
The LCT kit includes
Lee Classic Turret press
Set of dies for your caliber
Primer Feeder
Automatic Powder Feeder
and
a few plastic ammo boxes.
Add a scale, manual, calipers and anything else you decide you want (YOU get to decide) and you are in business.
Lost Sheep
p.s. Used presses can be a good bargain, especially since single-stage presses rarely go bad. But you have to be wary. I have seen some outrageous prices at gun shows. Know your values.
On the other hand, I have seen some great bargains at garage sales. I still have not found a $50 Dillon Square Deal, but I did find a $5 RCBS Pardner. I also bought a perfectly functional RCBS 10-10 for $35 at a pawn shop. A quarter of new retail.
Newspaper classified and other similar venues are in-between.
I figure, (pure opinion here) that a good used press in good shape will go in a gun show for between 75% to 125% of new retail value (and I am not kidding about an over-retail asking price). Seldom will a knowledgeable seller take less than 50% of retail new price unless they are just dumping the gear (estate sale, giving up the activity, replacing, or forced sale). Occasionally, a "gear-head" who collected LOTS of equipment will reassess his storage space and decide to liquidate all the stuff he (or she) no longer uses.
But caveat emptor when buying used for your first press (and other gear). You face two complications. 1) Do you really know what you need for right now and the near future? It is easier to select from a catalog or store than a single seller. 2) Bargaining for price on any purchase is a skilled art.
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