Should Lee make a 4 station progressive?

[LiveLife]

I recently bought a Lee Classic Turret to reload rifle cartridges. While resizing heavier walled military .308 cases rather "effortlessly" and marveling at the hefty construction of the press, I wondered, "Why can't Lee make a 4 station progressive based on the Classic Turret frame?" It certainly can give Lee an opportunity to "improve" on the Pro 1000 and come up with a very popular model based on the success of the Classic Turret.

I looked at the turret press and it seems to be doable:
- 4 hole turret / frame can be used as is
- Ram and lever can stay the same
- Keep the spent primer collection system
- Include the case collator with the press kit

These new items need to be engineered/improved:
- 4 station shell plate (this should be fairly easy)
- Primer seat depth adjustment (could be done with threaded insert on the primer seating rod housing)
- Shell plate carrier using a different/more heftier auto index system (maybe an index system based on an adjustable toggle on one of the frame tubes - this will prevent a partial cycling of the press)
- New primer feeding attachment using square trays (I would simply make the feed tubes longer with better tolerance/materials for improved feeding of primers as large pistol primers work 100% for me.)
- New case feeder with set template/notch adjustment for different case size/lengths (this way the case feeder simply "clicks" into slots)
- Better case ejection and collection system (should be able to attach a bin to catch ejecting rounds)

So, what do you think? Would you be interested in a 4 station progressive based on the Classic Turret frame?

 

[Walkalong]

Nope, but came close to trying a Loadmaster years ago. The turret press is a great little press just like it is. The next jump up, in my mind, is a 5 station progressive, and for Lee, that would be the Loadmaster.

 

[LiveLife]

Walkalong, but won't that be a nice reloading option to have? I really like the Classic Turret and it will stay on the dedicated rifling reloading bench. Mind you, I like the Pro 1000 even with all the "quirks" but what if they could do it ...

This is the email I got back from Lee Precision ... if they won't/can't make a 4 station progressive, I probably will have to buy a Hornady LNL AP ... at least it's the same color red.

On Fri, 4/29/11, Pat <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Pat <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Should Lee make a 4 station progressive?
To: "XXXX XXXX" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, April 29, 2011, 4:48 PM

Sir,

Thank you for choosing Lee Precision, and for your letter. We did build a prototype four station press based on the Classic Turret press frame, but it never got past the prototype stage. While it may look easy to convert the Turret press to a progressive, in practice it didn't work out that way. I will pass a copy of your letter along to the marketing department and Mr. Lee.

Patrick
Tech Service
Lee Precision, Inc.
4275 Hwy. U
Hartford, WI 53027
262-673-3075

 

[jfh]

bds, I'm glad you inquired, too.

As you may recall, I started noting in Dec. 2008 that Lee had told me they had done a Classic Progressive prototype, so to speak, but weren't planning to produce it as they were too backordered as it was.

Heh. I still have my older turret, running the upgrades on it.

Jim H.