LEE, turret tipping slightly?

[randyrat]

I picked up a 3 hole Turret press real cheap for a spare and tried it out with some 45 acps. The turret tips up ever so slightly when i put pressure on it.
Is this a sign that it is wore out?
I can't imagine it would effect 45s but what about a longer round?

[44man]

All the Lee turret presses do that. I have not had it cause a problem with revolver rounds but I only use it when I load .38's or .357's for someone else. They just want blasting rounds anyway.

[DLCTEX]

It hasn't caused any problems for me, but you can use a spring (like a recoil spring from a 1911, shortened) to slip over the shaft and lift the turret against the stops. It has to be timed to lift after the locking lugs are engaged.

[wallenba]

Nope, thats normal. I read a while back someone put a spring on the turret shaft to exert upward pressure, but I don't think thats necessary on most. Just tighten your die nut with a shell in it at the top of the stroke to compensate for the slop. Keep an eye on your shellplate as the case enters the die. My disks were not centered with the ram and tipped the cases sideways, sizing them off center. I had to drill out the turret ring holes and replace the bolts with automotive studs. With a case in the shell plate and run up into the die I could now tighten the turret ring in the correct position.

[DLCTEX]

Nope, thats normal. I read a while back someone put a spring on the turret shaft to exert upward pressure, but I don't think thats necessary on most. Just tighten your die nut with a shell in it at the top of the stroke to compensate for the slop. Keep an eye on your shellplate as the case enters the die. My disks were not centered with the ram and tipped the cases sideways, sizing them off center. I had to drill out the turret ring holes and replace the bolts with automotive studs. With a case in the shell plate and run up into the die I could now tighten the turret ring in the correct position.

If you are talking about right or left off center, hold the shaft and turn the nut on top of the shaft to align the turret. In or out misalignment would be the fault of the casting or boring the casting and Lee would probably replace it. However it sounds as if you made it work and that's what counts.
I do recall a similar problem once with my old turret press not aligning, but found debris in the shell holder groove where it attaches to the ram that was preventing the shell holder from entering the ram far enough.

[DLCTEX]

Nope, thats normal. I read a while back someone put a spring on the turret shaft to exert upward pressure, but I don't think thats necessary on most. Just tighten your die nut with a shell in it at the top of the stroke to compensate for the slop. Keep an eye on your shellplate as the case enters the die. My disks were not centered with the ram and tipped the cases sideways, sizing them off center. I had to drill out the turret ring holes and replace the bolts with automotive studs. With a case in the shell plate and run up into the die I could now tighten the turret ring in the correct position.

If you are talking about right or left off center, hold the shaft and turn the nut on top of the shaft to align the turret. In or out misalignment would be the fault of the casting or boring the casting and Lee would probably replace it. However it sounds as if you made it work and that's what counts.

[snuffy]

Nope, thats normal. I read a while back someone put a spring on the turret shaft to exert upward pressure, but I don't think thats necessary on most. Just tighten your die nut with a shell in it at the top of the stroke to compensate for the slop. Keep an eye on your shellplate as the case enters the die. My disks were not centered with the ram and tipped the cases sideways, sizing them off center. I had to drill out the turret ring holes and replace the bolts with automotive studs. With a case in the shell plate and run up into the die I could now tighten the turret ring in the correct position.

Dutch, it sounds like you're talking about a completely different press. The lee turret that Randy asks about is this press;

http://www.midwayusa.com/mediasvr.dll/image?saleitemid=405548

Randy, the tipping you're seeing is entirely normal. The turret has to have some clearance to be able to turn. That creates a little slop in the turret/ring. I could measure it with a dial indicator, but I don't worry about it. The amount of tip would result in a tiny degree of off center alignment. I doubt it could even be measured!

[randyrat]

Snuffy that is my press!
How do you get in my basement and get a picture. I'm not going down there any more in my shorts.

[lead-1]

I had cut a spacer out of some bronze shim stock to take up the slop in my LEE
press like snuffy shows and it gave me no better results. It was actually more of
a pain in the butt so I just adjust the dies to account for the turret lifting.

[DLCTEX]

My double post came about because I was trying to edit while our IP was having problems. I wanted to add that I recall having an alignment problem caused by debris in the shell holder groove preventing it from being properly seated on the ram.The spring around the shaft has to release the turret on the down stroke just before the turret begins to turn, but lift the turret against the lugs before bullet seating or case sizing occurs.

[JSnover]

I have the same press and it does the same thing, but.... I watched closely during the stroke and found as the load increeased, the plate would straighten before the case got very far into the die. Put a finger on the far side as you stroke the handle, you'll feel it lift. It's never caused a problem.

[Spector]

I have observed the same thing in my old Lee 3 hole, old 4 hole and new Classic turret press. Since the turrets are fully supported around the circumference they are level under a load. Unlike turrets that are supported in the center, but not at the circumference.

My old Lyman T-Mag had no adjustible support on the back of the press and I wound up snapping off the turret pivot bolt twice. On the newer T-Mag presses if you do not keep it adjusted perfectly there will be tip in the turret too, under load, but at least Lyman eventually added that feature to make their presses stronger.

When my Lyman broke the second time, and Lyman stocked no part for it, I bought a cheap Lee 3 hole press just to get me by until I figured out how to fix my Lyman cast iron press. Well it didn't take me long to realize the Lee was a much better design. With the advent of the Lee Classic Turret press it is all I want in a press, and the turret is still fully supported under a load.......Mike

[MT Gianni]

Randy, don't forget to run a q-tip of STP around the turrets before you set them in. Lube does wonders to prevent wear and that is one of the spots that can wear out.

[wallenba]

Dutch, it sounds like you're talking about a completely different press. The lee turret that Randy asks about is this press;

http://www.midwayusa.com/mediasvr.dll/image?saleitemid=405548

Randy, the tipping you're seeing is entirely normal. The turret has to have some clearance to be able to turn. That creates a little slop in the turret/ring. I could measure it with a dial indicator, but I don't worry about it. The amount of tip would result in a tiny degree of off center alignment. I doubt it could even be measured! Yep same press, the die plate was indexing in the turret ring properly,(clicking in position) but not lining up with the die. There would be no way to use the press without correcting the alignment except to remove the shaft and holding the plate in position. Die was to the right as well as forward of the ram. Lee tech Pat, concurred that my remedy was the correct one. See photo, you can visibly see how much mine was off.

[wallenba]

Regarding my above post, at the time I was dealing with this problem I went back to Midway's website to read the reviews on this press. Several people experienced the same problem, most had no problems at all. Quality control problem.

[Jeff H]

Just pitching in with another vote of confidence - I have been using the LEE three-holer since 1982. It has always had that "slop" and has always loaded some very high quality ammo. One day in the '90s, I decided I shoud "upgrade" from my budget press and I bought a bigger, beefier and much more expensive press - which I turned around and sold in less than a year for what another LEE would cost. The guy who bought it couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then, he had never used a LEE. He has since sold that expensive press he got for about $50 and replaced it with several LEEs.

I have been loading rifle cartridges that shoot three shots (not three out of five, but THREE shots) under 1/2" at 100 yards, such as the 7x57, 7x57AI, .257 Roberts, .25 Souper (.257 on a .308 case), .223, 65x55, .308 Win. Sometimes I use LEE collet dies, sometimes just plain old RGB dies. Granted, fussy reloading and fussing with the rifles (and ditching ones that just won't shoot well) is a big part of that and a LEE press won't make a poor-shooting rifle shoot well, but the LEE turret press is not going to impart any disadvantage to all your other efforts. I grew up using all the best-known reloading tools - all of which were excellent tools, but I have settled on the LEE turret with absolutely no loss in capability - no compromise. Even if it were not one of the cheapest presses available, I would still be using it. I am just glad it WAS cheap when I got my first one or I might have missed out.

Jeff H

[wallenba]

To clarify, I was not raggin' on Lee, I really like their products, and most of my stuff is Lee. But in this one instance I had a problem. I also have a Lee Challenger breech press and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread. I have two calibers that I batch load only for and it's the greatest for that!!

[MT Gianni]

Just pitching in with another vote of confidence - I have been using the LEE three-holer since 1982. It has always had that "slop" and has always loaded some very high quality ammo. One day in the '90s, I decided I shoud "upgrade" from my budget press and I bought a bigger, beefier and much more expensive press - which I turned around and sold in less than a year for what another LEE would cost. The guy who bought it couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then, he had never used a LEE. He has since sold that expensive press he got for about $50 and replaced it with several LEEs.

I have been loading rifle cartridges that shoot three shots (not three out of five, but THREE shots) under 1/2" at 100 yards, such as the 7x57, 7x57AI, .257 Roberts, .25 Souper (.257 on a .308 case), .223, 65x55, .308 Win. Sometimes I use LEE collet dies, sometimes just plain old RGB dies. Granted, fussy reloading and fussing with the rifles (and ditching ones that just won't shoot well) is a big part of that and a LEE press won't make a poor-shooting rifle shoot well, but the LEE turret press is not going to impart any disadvantage to all your other efforts. I grew up using all the best-known reloading tools - all of which were excellent tools, but I have settled on the LEE turret with absolutely no loss in capability - no compromise. Even if it were not one of the cheapest presses available, I would still be using it. I am just glad it WAS cheap when I got my first one or I might have missed out.

Jeff H

I agree Jeff. Slop or give exist in most tools. As long as it is repeatable in each instance I am OK with it.

[Dale53]

People, people, people!! It is NOT slop. It is clearance. The design of the press allows the entire turret to rise up against the inside top of the press UNIFORMLY and FLAT. There is NO tipping in a properly made Lee Turret press. That is one of the beauties of this design. Every other turret press I have used has a central bolt and the turret DOES tip (NOT the Lee). That is the beauty of the design. It is loose until put under load then it is completely stable.

I used the old Lee Turret for many years and upgraded to the Classic Turret because it handles long rifle cartridges. The older press was actually slightly faster than the new one because it uses a shorter stroke (the very thing that makes it less than desirable for the long rifle cartridges). They both actually have their own strengths. However, a tilting turret is not a part of either of the press's program.

I have two Dillon 550B's for my volume loading but use the Lee for load development and short runs (less than 200 rounds).

Now go back and look at your presses and see what I mean. This is actually a brilliant design.

Dale53