Questions about Lee turret press

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longrifleman

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I bought a used older Lee three hole turret press at a gun show recently, and have used it a little for pistol calibers. So far, I like most of the results. One thing that I don't like is the de-priming. It works, but the spent primers are hard to corral.

The best way I've figured out so far is to just put a box on the floor and hope they drop in the right spot. I didn't get any manuals with the press so I may just be missing something obvious. I hope.

My original intent was to just use the turret for pistol stuff and continue with the Rock Chucker for rifle calibers. How reliable is the turret for accuracy with rifle size dies. I don't feel much play with the movable turret, but even a few thousands seating a bullet could be a problem.

Any other qurks or tips I should be aware of would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have had nothing but excellent loading results from mine, However, Keeping all of the spent primers going to one place is a project I'd like to see LEE address. For the most part, most of them make it down and thru the 2 holes they are supposed to, but some just fly off and into the floor. This reeks havock with a vac with a beater bar, unless you use a shop vac.
 
Lee turret Press

How do you prime cases on this press? One by one on the little arm? I'm getting one for Christmas. JDGray
 
Yes.

Once you get a rhythm going, you can load quite a few though. I was pushing close to 200/hour this weekend. However, I've been using mine for nearly 6 years.

Chris
 
Mine was missing the primer arm, but I didn't care because I like priming on the RockChucker. I'm also thinking about a hand primer, especially for handgun loads. I like the idea of watching a ballgame while actually doing something productive. (not that my wife thinks reloading is productive-or watching ESPN is productive)
 
How do you prime cases on this press? One by one on the little arm? I'm getting one for Christmas. JDGray
Click to expand...

One by one, yes. Or use a hand primer. Though Lee is coming out with a "Safety Prime" system for 2006, which involves a new "Lever Prime" arm which works with turret and Classic Cast presses, and a little feeder that you push forward and down to dispense a primer onto the lever primer. One place had the entire kit, including feeders for both size primers, for old-style turret presses for $30 plus shipping.

You'll be able to tell if you need the entire kit, or just the Safety Prime, by looking at the arm. If it's got little cups for both size of primers on the same arm, it's the old style and you'll need the $30 kit. If it's got two seperate interchangable arms, one for each size primer, it's the new style and all you'll need is the Safety Prime.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1133975287.2143=/html/catalog/classic.html
http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products/reloading/leeprecision/primingdepri/safetyprime.html
http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products/reloading/leeprecision/primingdepri/lps.html

If you wait a couple months, cheaper retailers like Midway should start selling the Safety Prime systems eventually.
 
I have a 4 hole turret and was about ready to jump ship and get the Dillon. If that primer feed works I may stay. The priming has been my biggest issue (I can ignore the spent primers) I just hate loading that little arm with primers one by one. I think it is one of the slowest steps.

I know a lot of people who prime separately.
 
The LEE Turret is a great little press, IMO. For future reference, it is possible to do .308-length rounds on it with the index rod removed. Actually, you might be able to do it with the rod in place, not sure, it's been a while since I tried.

At any rate, those little primers will go where they go when they come out. My solution is a paper grocery bag, but a box or bucket would seem to be sufficient as well.

As for the variance on OAL for rifle rounds, I've loaded a few .223s for AR-15s without issue. Of course, when you're loading mag-length rounds for a chamber cut for 80s, a few-thousandths difference in the OAL isn't a big deal! :evil:
 
Lee is addressing the problem with the primer spill. In a few weeks, you'll be able to buy a new style Turret Press that has the base, lever and ram of the Classic Cast. All primers will do down the middle of the large ram through a tube that you can direct anywhere. It also has a higher clearance - looks good and I'm looking forward to putting one on my bench. I have the safety prime system - works great. The lever prime system has replaced the "T" arm and it rocks in and out of a slot in the ram - you don't have to touch it but is easily removed if you want it gone for batch loading.
 
I just hate loading that little arm with primers one by one. I think it is one of the slowest steps.
Click to expand...
It can be but it doesn't have to be the bottleneck.

Here's what I do:

After I seat the bullet and while operating the handle to move the round to the FCD I reach over and grab a primer. While operating the handle at the FCD stage I load the primer onto the arm.

When you get to the deprime stage the primer is already in the arm and ready to go. I increased my round/hour output by 25% doing it this way instead of my old way of waiting to load the primer into the arm when I was at the deprime/prime stage and that being a seperate step. Basicaly you're doing two things at the same time. Combining steps uses less time. Takes a bit of practice to get right but it was worth it to me because I'm not one that actually enjoys the act of reloading. I do it because I don't want to pay factory ammo prices.
 
Right now I'm using a single stage press (anniversary kit) and dont mind hand priming. I like cleaning primer pockets, so I thought I would keep the single stage on the bench to size & deprime only. I usually have 500 cases primed and ready to load, on hand. The old batch system will be hard to break! But if I can get over not cleaning pockets, and get used to the new primer arm, maybe someday i'll get away from batch loading. We'll see after Christmas. JDGray
 
Because I have great difficulty placing photos to this web site. I will e-mail anyone who wants to know how to control spent primers on a Lee Turret during resizing/decapping...I have three photos showing how I solved the problem with a plastic banding corner protector...Let me know and I will send the photos to you...:cool:
 
JDGray...Throw that little "T":barf: shapped thing away and get an Auto Prime II and add it to one of the unused holes of your die adapter...:)
 
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Here are the pics. I'll let The Bushmaster describe them...

t1.JPG


t2.jpg


t3.jpg


t4.jpg


t5.jpg


Chris
 
I think what I need to do is get one of the "edge protectors" from work an photograph it. The photos seem to be self explanitory. Will be glad to help if anyone can't figure it out...

Thanks mtnbkr
 
Uncle Don said:
Lee is addressing the problem with the primer spill. In a few weeks, you'll be able to buy a new style Turret Press that has the base, lever and ram of the Classic Cast.
Click to expand...

I've had a 3 hole turret for years, just bought my 4 hole turret 2 months ago... and now they come out with a better one? Crap... reloaders are like computers, just when you think you've got the latest .... :banghead:
 
cuda told me

BushMaster...Nice Job, Ya cuda told me earlier:D . I drilled the hole, got an old ice tray, slowed down to 150 rds per hr and now they go where the belong. With your little toys I could get my speed back up and make more Boomers;)
 
ATAShooter said:
I've had a 3 hole turret for years, just bought my 4 hole turret 2 months ago... and now they come out with a better one? Crap... reloaders are like computers, just when you think you've got the latest .... :banghead:
Click to expand...
You do know there's an kit to upgrade the 3 hole to a 4 hole press, right? If you still have the old press, you could always update it and have two good presses. :)

Chris
 
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