Thoughts on Lee Classic Turret Press?

[TruthTellers]

I'd like to know what some here think about this press and what experiences, good and bad, they've had with it.

In doing my research for a starting press, this one has jumped out at me because it loads both rifle and pistol ammo and, as long as it works correctly, it loads faster than a single stage, but can also be used as a single stage when not utilizing the auto index feature. Also, I've seen these selling for under $125 and the heads are $15 or less.

Some youtube videos I've seen have criticized the quality of the auto indexing feature. For those who have used this press, would the lack of the auto indexing be a dealbreaker?

I'm not a shooter who's looking to reload 400 rounds in an hour, so I don't see much need for a progressive press. I'd be happy getting 200+ rounds in an hour.

 

[johnc486]

I've owned one in the past and was very satisfied with it, very inexpensive for caliber changes. I do believe 200 rounds an hour will be pushing it, I went to progressives for volume. You can't go wrong purchasing one, be careful with the rotating plastic collar on the shaft, it will break easy, I suggest buying additional ones (I think one spare came with the press). For the price and quality you can't go wrong, as you said, it can be used as a single stage.

 

[tcoz]

As far as a starter I don't think there's a better press, especially for the money, than the Lee Classic Turret. It was my first press and years later it's still my only press. My ammo needs aren't all that great so I find that it still suits my needs perfectly. I've heard about auto indexing problems but I've never had any and I've never even had to adjust it. I use it single stage with the index rod removed for rifle and in auto index mode for pistol. Caliber changeovers are quick and simple and the learning curve isn't too steep. If you outgrow it at some point you'll be able to move to a progressive with a good understanding of the processes involved.

 

[brentzig]

This is one of my presses and I reload all my handgun ammo on it. I can hit around 300 an hour once I'm in a groove. I like it and the price is hard to beat

 

[ROAshooter]

???

TT...how are you going to use a press for a Pietta 58 ana marlin 22?

 

[Oldman1151]

I have a Lee Classic Turret and load four different pistol calibers with it. Change overs are very quick and simple. I use the auto index feature and have never had a problem with it and have never broke a ratchet. Watch for sales. You can get the press for less than $100 new with free shipping. I do not load rifle but my Son loads ammo for his M1 Garand on his as well as pistol. I have had no negative experience with the press so far.

 

[1KPerDay]

Love mine. Have loaded over 20k rounds on it. Changing calibers is easy and quick. 200/hr is doable. I have done 300/hr but it takes some doing.

 

[sellersm]

Excellent press! Can be used as a single stage as well. Easy for caliber changes, as mentioned, just get lots of the 4-hole turrets!

Inline Fabrication makes an "auto ejector" for the Cast Turret, so you can speed up your loading.

 

[jell-dog]

Here are some threads to help decide

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=704525&highlight=lee+classic+Turet+press

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=640265&highlight=lee+classic+Turet+press

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=332478&highlight=lee+classic+Turet+press

Hope these help!
JD

 

[TruthTellers]

I've owned one in the past and was very satisfied with it, very inexpensive for caliber changes. I do believe 200 rounds an hour will be pushing it, I went to progressives for volume. You can't go wrong purchasing one, be careful with the rotating plastic collar on the shaft, it will break easy, I suggest buying additional ones (I think one spare came with the press). For the price and quality you can't go wrong, as you said, it can be used as a single stage.

Are spare metal collars available or are they all just plastic?

 

[horsemen61]

Well truth tellers they designed that part to be plastic for a reason if something is going to fail it will be the little plastic ratchet piece because that's how it's designed

 

[TruthTellers]

Well truth tellers they designed that part to be plastic for a reason if something is going to fail it will be the little plastic ratchet piece because that's how it's designed

So if I went off and made a replacement piece out of aluminum it might damage to the indexing rod?

 

[Reefinmike]

200+ an hr is easy to do. I removed my auto index very early on. I prefer to size/reprime my brass as i shoot it and then load up a thousand at a time, simply flipping the turret between the powder through die and bullet seating die.

I honestly dont like the auto index. It takes away from the "feel" you get on the press and you cant downstroke too fast without over indexing the turret.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I was first exposed to reloading on a Lee Turret (non-Classic) and it almost turned me off to Lee products in general. I was recently able to try out the Classic Turret and have started to look very seriously at picking one up as a complement to my Hornady LNL AP for short runs on seldom used calibers.

The Classic Turret really owns the lower price range (I think the Redding T-7 owns the upper range) and is solidly engineered.

The everyday price I've seen for them is <$100. Just the way it handles spent primers makes it worth the $30 premium over the lessor Lee turret.

The extra turrets are fast to change and the Auto Drum powder measure seems to be a large improvement over the Auto Disc.

If I get one, the first things I'd add would be the Inline Fabrication Ergo handle and their Auto Eject system

 

[sellersm]

+1 to the Inline Fabrication's Ergo Handle! I just added one, and I could kick myself for not getting one a long time ago!!

There's really no comparison between the Classic Cast and the older, aluminum turret. I own both, and never use the older one.

 

[fiftybmg]

Lee Classic Cast Turret is the best press to come out of Lee, and is equal in quality and durability to any other press out there.

I bought one to reload rifle calibers. I keep the dies setup and stored on the 4-hole for each caliber. I don't use the auto-index feature, so I can't say if it's an improvement or not over the older white nylon index ring.

Mr Richard Lee has provided generations of reloaders with good value products, and some outright brilliant innovations that are unique to Lee, like the rifle factory crimp die, the lock stud and case length gauge system for case trimming, and the newer Quick Trim.

The Lee factory also takes custom orders for dies and case length gauges, which may not be unique, but the level of service, turnaround time, and reasonable cost puts them at the top of my list.

 

[snuffy]

The LCT,Lee Classic Turret is unique in the reloading world. It's not like any other turret, in that it auto indexes.

Turrets change out with a twist, and return with another twist. Once the turret has the dies set in it, they stay set. You simply have to get additional turrets for each caliber.

I've owned one in the past and was very satisfied with it, very inexpensive for caliber changes. I do believe 200 rounds an hour will be pushing it, I went to progressives for volume. You can't go wrong purchasing one, be careful with the rotating plastic collar on the shaft, it will break easy, I suggest buying additional ones (I think one spare came with the press). For the price and quality you can't go wrong, as you said, it can be used as a single stage.

I've had mine for 5 years, I'm still using the original square auto index follower. You just have to be careful to NOT turn the turret by hand with the ram all the way down, or all-the-way-up!

With the Lee safety prime and the new auto drum measure, 300/hour is very doable for handgun. That is IF you have all the empties, bullets, and primers right at hand. You could do that for rifle ammo IF the cases do not need any case prep, and are pre-lubed.

 

[kcofohio]

So if I went off and made a replacement piece out of aluminum it might damage to the indexing rod?

Hardly! The square ratchet is plastic more likely to be in case there is too much resistance between the turret plate and turret ring. If dirt or debris gets into the indexing, and jams, the plastic will break before damage is done to the plate and ring.

I too, am on my 1st square ratchet. Somewhere over 7000 reloads.

 

[Woolecox]

I Would Go With Redding

I've owned one in the past and was very satisfied with it, very inexpensive for caliber changes. I do believe 200 rounds an hour will be pushing it, I went to progressives for volume. You can't go wrong purchasing one, be careful with the rotating plastic collar on the shaft, it will break easy, I suggest buying additional ones (I think one spare came with the press). For the price and quality you can't go wrong, as you said, it can be used as a single stage.

I was not that satisfied with mine. In addition to the insert breaking, they would also just wallow out with use making the indexing system inaccurate. I finally gave up and manually indexed mine.

- You also had to be careful with your stroke. The turret was jerky and would splash powder.
- Even with the Micro Adjust, I could never get mine to meter powder accurately enough.
- No matter how I adjusted and fiddled with it, I could not get the primer system to load primers without scattering them all over the floor.

With all those distractions and “do overs”, I found it very easy to load a squib round or let one get by without a primer, etc. I’ve been reloading since 1985, so I am pretty careful. I sold mine about 4 years ago so maybe some of these issues have been fixed, I don’t know. But then again, one of my buddies just got an LCT and he sites the same issues.

Then I bought a Dillon RL550B. Wow! Light years ahead of the LCT. Near flawless perfection in every stage of the reloading process. At a steady, safe, slow pace, I can crank out 350-400 pistol rounds per hour, and it is match quality ammo. Caliber changes take minutes but, it is a lot more money. After my experience, I would certainly go with the Redding over the Lee for a turret press or, better yet, upgrade to a Dillon or Hornady. And now, RCBS is getting into the progressive game.

Regards,
Woolly

 

[tcoz]

I've had mine for 5 years, I'm still using the original square auto index follower. You just have to be careful to NOT turn the turret by hand with the ram all the way down, or all-the-way-up.

^^^^^+5
So many people complain about the little nylon auto index nut. If you follow the above advice, you may never have to change it. I'll agree however that Lee should do a better job of letting people know about it. I bought three or four extras when I bought my press years ago and I have yet to change it one time. It isn't made out of a metallic material because the key to its smooth accurate auto indexing is the virtually "frictionless" movement of the nut along the indexing rod as it turns and aluminum or another metallic would bind.

 

[Pete D.]

Lct

I have a LCT. I like it. I took the auto index feature out an just rotate the die turret by hand. It is basically a single stage press with the dies already mounted, a step away from a true semi-progressive like the Dillon 550B.
I wonder about those claims of high production rates. I suspect that folk leave out the prep work....setting up the cases and heads, getting the primers ready and handy for use. For rifle cases, there is lubing and de-lubing. Those little things all add to the time needed to produce usable ammo.
I, too, went to the semi-progressive Dillon 550B when the opportunity arose. One pull of the handle = one finished cartridge. The LCT takes three pulls (or four) to make a finished round.

 

[stubbicatt]

I like mine and use it for pistol calibers. Works like it should. Here recently it doesn't *quite* index far enough to line up the next station. I suspect a worn part, and will call Lee to see if they have a fix for it.

I have never had an issue with the Safety Prime system scattering primers. I do have to make absolutely sure that the primers transfer to the punch, as occasionally one won't, and occasionally it will spit one out that doesn't quite fall into that little cup on the primer punch.

The spent primer disposal method is very good. It provides more than enough leverage. I had an issue in 308 which I later determined to be due to an improperly machined shell holder not allowing the shoulder to set back enough. I turned the die in too far chasing shoulder setback and the press broke a turret. So there is enough leverage to destroy a turret, but it did nothing to the press itself. -Replaced the shell holder with RCBS and haven't had an issue since.

 

[ATLDave]

I have used a Lee Classic Turret over the ~5 years that I have been reloading, and really like it. 200 rounds an hour would be about the fastest I could go. Since I stop every 20-30 rounds to check charges, weigh and case gauge all finished rounds, etc., my realistic output is a bit lower than that, but that's moving at a comfortable pace, listening to music or having a game on in the background, etc.

The auto-index is great. Works fine. There is a way to break it, but it requires forcing things backwards (IIRC). Once you learn not to do it, you won't. And replacement parts are cheap.

Even if I upgrade to a Dillon progressive at some point (and I'm sure I will), the LCT will stay around as my small-batch press.

You want my advice? I think you should buy this press.

 

[drband]

Buy it! Get the Inline Fabrication upgrades (auto eject for sure), Get the new auto-drum powder measure (a huge upgrade). Once you get into a rhythm, you should produce 150-200 pistol rds. Per hour if all your adjustments are good.
Word of advice-- don't worry about production speed--focus on quality. This press will be a keeper for you!
BTW: I've loaded 9-10k on my LCT. 3 pistol calibers.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

I've had a few different presses since I first started reloading back in 1976, to include RCBS, Dillon (RL-550), the Lee 1000 progressive and now the 4 stage Lee Turret press.

I've scaled back to loading only .44 Special, .44 Magnum and .223 Rifle. At age 73, I no longer feel the "need for speed" and load for accuracy so the Turret press is ideal. I can run it in "auto index" mode for my .44 Special carry gun practice loads, but for the .44 Magnum loads I use in my TC Encore rifle and the .223 loads I use in my Savage 110 heavy barrel and TC Encore rifles, I use it like a single stage press but it's really faster than a single stage because you only need to turn the die holder head to change dies and swap heads and shell holders to change calibers.

I do all my de-priming on an old Lee single stage press with their universal de-priming die pretty much permanently mounted. I re-prime with either the RCBS or Lee hand priming tools that hold a whole box of primers. One set up for Large Pistol and the other for Small Rifle primers to accomodate the two I load for.

Of course, I clean all the brass first, then de-prime it. .223, I resize and trim before re-priming and I use a Little Crow Gunworks drill mounted trimmer to speed that task up a bit.

The Turret press saves me all that initial setup and die adjusting whenever I switch calibers and for the handgun stuff, I can leave the automatic index rod installed and load 150 to 200 rounds an hour. Manually indexing on the rifle cartridges and on the pistol cartridges I use in the .44 Special for CC allows me to precisely weigh every charge to make sure it's equal in all cartridges. Using it this way, my speed drops way back to around 75-100 rounds per hour (not including the prep time in either case).

It's extremely difficult to manage a fully progressive press to achieve the same results but if you aren't loading for absolute accuracy, then the progressive is super, at least for handgun rounds and .223 (or similar) plinking rounds.

Jim