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Thread: Have you ever modified your turret/progress press?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master DaveInFloweryBranchGA's Avatar
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    Have you ever modified your turret/progress press?

    I got to thinking about how one might improve any of the various brands of turret or progressive presses by using equipment from a different company or modifying the press in some way on one's own.

    I'm thinking this is a good way to generate cross-pollination of ideas and perhaps a bit less razzing between brand owners. Personally, I see potentially useful stuff with all brands, if one could think of a way to adapt it or realize it's usefulness with other brands.

    So I'd like to ask you if you've ever modified your press to improve something, the following questions:

    1. The brand of press you modified.

    2. Why you modified it.

    3. How you modifed it, what you used.

    4. Were you satisfied with the results.


    For example,

    I modified my Hornady Lock N Load.

    I modified it to give me powder through expansion for pistol cartridges.

    I modified the case activated powder drop using a Lyman powder through die expander from the Lyman powder through expanding die set.

    The results were ok, but took quite a bit of fiddling to set up. If I were to do it again, I'd just buy a Lee expander die and use the Lee Pro Auto Disk to dispense powder for pistol.

    Since Hornady is coming out with a new expanding/powder through case activated powder dispense, I'm thinking about buying it. I'm also considering the Dillon measure, since the Dillon measure works well for pistol, has case expansion and may end up being less expensive than the new Hornady CAPD and I want an extra measure as I'm adding a Lee Classic Turret press and am also adding several milsurp rifle calibers I haven't previously been reloading.

    Anyone else?

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy rbstern's Avatar
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    Lee Turret Press.

    Spent primers fell into and got stuck in the primer tool slot because the "drain hole" in the bottom of the slot is too small.

    Drilled the existing hole in the bottom of the slot with a 1/4" drill bit to enlarge it.

    Primers fall through much more readily.

  3. #3
    Generous Donator

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    Lyman turret. Didn't like using a screw to hold in the shell holder. sed a RCBS ram with the spring clip. Also put a set screw into the side to hold the turret screw so I didn't have to worry about it coming loose after I changed out turrets. Mark

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    454PB's Avatar
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    I just posted this tonight, but will paste it in here because it applies to your question:



    I recently got the new Lee Classic Turret press. I have owned two of the three holer turret presses since they first came out. I liked the first one so much, I bought another as a spare. I bet I've loaded 40K rounds on the first one, the other was only used to verify that it worked.

    Yes, the classic can be converted to use the three hole turrets, but it requires changing out the top portion. Since I already owned two of the older turrets, it was no biggie. I just robbed the head off of the spare. I own 9 of the 3 hole turrets with different caliber dies installed, so it was worthwhile not only expense wise, but I didn't have to change all my dies. Changing it back to the original 4 hole top takes about 2 minutes.

    The handle is fully adjustable for length and angle, a neat feature allows the rod to slip into a friction grip at the bottom of the linkage.

    One disappointment was the fact that the classic doesn't have the same hole pattern to fit the bench. My presses are mounted on steel plates that are drilled and tapped, then the plate is lag bolted to the bench. I had to make a new mounting plate with the same lag bolt pattern to avoid drilling more holes in my bench. The good part is that I can swap back and forth between the older turrets and the new one by removing two 3/8" lag bolts.

    The main reason I wanted the new classic was to eliminate spent primers flying all over my loading room. I don't (and won't) use any press for priming, but found that the primer mechanism has to be in place on the classic or the spent primers still fly out the front every so often.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master omgb's Avatar
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    I put an RCBS Case-Kicker on to my Redding Turret. It really sped things up.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master DaveInFloweryBranchGA's Avatar
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    These are great posts gentlemen. I posted this on a couple of forums, but felt I'd get the better responses from the cast boolits group, because of the "Can do it ourselves" attitude here and I was right. Thank you for the reponses so far and please keep it going. I've already learned one piece of information I can use for my own press and I can see the other items will help owners of those respective presses.

    Regards,

    Dave

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    I am mounting a Lee bullet feeder on my Dillon 550 press .
    A freind did it and it increased his out put a lot

    Johnch
    Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
    And I carry a LOADED Hell Cat

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    This isn't on the turret press but on the Lee Challenger press allot of the spent primmers would miss the tray an end up all over my garage. I fashoned a piece of sheet metal about 4 " high and bent it around the edge and fasteded it using the exhisting hardware and it works like a champ! It catches 99% of them now.
    I have the same problem with my Lee turret press only it is designed different so it won't be as simple. I invision something like a funnel or something to catch the spent primers plus there is nothing to stop the primers from falling through so I need something to catch them also!

  9. #9
    Boolit Master DaveInFloweryBranchGA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnch
    I am mounting a Lee bullet feeder on my Dillon 550 press .
    A freind did it and it increased his out put a lot

    Johnch
    Can you get pictures of that? I'd love to see how it's done. Maybe it can be done with a Hornady.

    Regards,

    Dave

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    I put an RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure with an RCBS case activated linkage kit so I could use IMR stick Powder better in my Dillon 550B. I only use this for rifle cartidges. Also, you don't need to buy seperate funnels for each caliber like with the Dillon. I use one toolheads, and adjust the dies, and tighten the set screws.

    I have loaded:

    7x57
    8x57
    7.5x55
    308

    Granted, I was using IMR 4320, which is pretty short. But nevertheless, it's fine provided you aren't approaching max loads (which I almost never do).

    With great success and not weighing charges, plenty accurate for me.

    Jason

  11. #11
    Boolit Master


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    I use an RCBS Ammomaster, five station progressive primarily. Here are some mods I've done.

    There is a small OD but longish spring that returns the primer feeder arm to home that was just clipped over a stud on each end, nothing to keep it from flying across the room, which it had done. I drilled & tapped one stud for a 4x40 screw and now the dang thing is captive. The spring looks like this: O/////////////////O.

    The case ejector is held in place with a 6x32 set screw, tiny, wants to bend the case ejector. I D & T for a 10x32 which holds the ejector without wanting to bend it so much.

    The rod that causes the shell plate to rotate was held to the shell plate by two 8x32 thumb screws, I replaced them with 8x32 button head allan headed cap screws and they use the same wrench that the 10x32 set screw for the case ejector does.

    I put the micrometer adjustable head on the RCBS powder measure on a whim. Man that thing is worth it's weight in Universal Clays!


    Cat

  12. #12
    Boolit Master


    Ranch Dog's Avatar
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    Greetings guys...

    I've got a bunch of rounds through my Lee turret press and decided to do something about the spent primers. My reloading bench has a lip on it, so I simply placed a brass hook under the lip and hang a pail from it. It is out of the way and catches 100% of the spent primers. I actually work with it there as it makes a very convinent "catch-all".

    I did lap the exit hole these spent primers follow so that they would not hang up where as they exit the press base for there slide down the connecting links.
    Michael

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy rbstern's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ranch Dog
    I've got a bunch of rounds through my Lee turret press and decided to do something about the spent primers. My reloading bench has a lip on it, so I simply placed a brass hook under the lip and hang a pail from it. It is out of the way and catches 100% of the spent primers. I actually work with it there as it makes a very convinent "catch-all".
    I have exactly the same setup. The primer pail is a great addition to the loading bench.

  14. #14
    Banned Bucks Owin's Avatar
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    For sentimental reasons, I still use my Dad's ancient Pacific C-press quite often. You used to have to buy a new ram when changing calibers rather than just changing shell holders. I had a ram cut by a machinist so that it now accepts standard shell holders. I also built a primer catcher for it from a sardine can....

    High tech now!

    Dennis

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I modified my rockchucker by throwing away the priming arm, as I decap with punch and base. This may sound funny but for me it works out better. As a matter of fact all my one armed one at a time presses do not have the priming gizmo installed. My reloading setup is located in one of the bedrooms that was made into my hobby room. Since it has carpeting I don't have to worry about "She Who Must Be Obeyed" complaining about getting spent primers in the vacuum cleaner.
    All in the interest of domestic tranquility. Besides I can watch the boob tube while decapping. Frank

  16. #16
    Boolit Master




    Cherokee's Avatar
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    I removed/do not use any of the priming attachements on any of my three presses. All priming done by hand with Lee tool. On my RCBS, I added a plate in front of the front support to catch more of the primmers that usta hit the floor. I do a lot of modifications on nose punches on my lathe to better fit the bullet being seated and nose/base punches for Lyman and Star sizers.
    God Bless America
    US Army, NRA Patron, TSRA Life
    SASS, Ruger & Marlin accumulator

  17. #17
    Banned Bucks Owin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cherokee
    I removed/do not use any of the priming attachements on any of my three presses. All priming done by hand with Lee tool. On my RCBS, I added a plate in front of the front support to catch more of the primmers that usta hit the floor. I do a lot of modifications on nose punches on my lathe to better fit the bullet being seated and nose/base punches for Lyman and Star sizers.
    Those Lee hand priming tools are THE KIND huh?

    Love mine too,

    Dennis

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Two modifications to Lee Turret Press...both involving priming.

    1. Press would not fully index in priming mode. After resizing and priming...press was about 1/2 indexed to next stage...had to carefully raise ram to just clear primer arm (to avoid a full index and miss next stage), then manually move priming arm back and lower ram to complete the 1/2 index to a full one. Problem solved by cutting off bottom of priming am so bottom of the "t" on the t-shaped priming arm just cleared the press. This allowed full indexing while priming by allowing the ram to move further downward and complete the index.

    2. Seemed like about 20% of the primers would go pinging off the press onto the floor. I figured that if the priming arm wasn't quite so far back during the depriming operation...it would block most primers coming out of the ram slot. So, I thought I'd tap the back of the priming arm slot to hold an adjustable screw so as to adjust the priming arm to barely clear the ram. To check out the theory, I used a piece of electricians tap to tape a small washer on the inside rear of the priming arm slot. It held the priming arm forward enough to just clear the ram slot. Worked like a charm...most primers now hit the priming arm and bounce forward to fall into the primer catcher...a few get caught between the arm and the ram and a light touch drops them into the catcher too. The rigged tape setup worked so well, I never bothered to tap in the screw...been using it for three years that way now. A few still make it to the floor, but I would say it eliminates at least 90% of those that formerly made it.

    With the number 2 fix, it's success to no small extent requires the number 1 fix. Since the priming arm barely clears the base of the press, there's no room for a primer to slip under it.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    You boys already beat me to the punch with the LEE TURRET PRESS, and the LEE CHALLENGER PRESS. Drill a bigger hole, fit a short piece of hard nylon tubing, and watch those spent primers slide down into a small catch pot. Also made a taller aluminum shield, use the existing holes, to deflect spent primers down to the "chute" on the Challenger Press.
    I do all my depriming on a Lee single (read "cheap" press. ALL depriming goes thru there, nothing else. Like some of the other members, I use a LEE hand primer. I have 2, one for large and one for small primers. Can't beat 'em.
    All 3 of my presses are bolted to "risers" that lifts and extends(sounds like an ad for a bra, huh? ) the press out from the bench. Also did the same for the LEE powder measure. That way I have the press/measure out and away from the bench a bit. Easier to get a block of cases under to charge with powder. Easier to "scrunch" up to when doing some higher volume reloading. I might try to send a pic. Iffn I can get the dang 'puter to cooperate(Lightning 2 days ago knocked things digital fer a loop)
    I've got a thought for the depriming station that I want to try B4 I say anything. It might be a bust, might be a big convenience.
    Recommendation: If any of ya own a turret press, buy a couple dozen extra of the "ratchets" as spares. Maybe also the "ratchet holder" or whatever the heck they call it. Over time, the ratchet especially wears, and your alignment and registration starts to degrade(read "goes to hell). I didn't realize just how much difference a new one makes until I replaced it. The ratchets are only $0.50 each, ya can't go wrong. Trust me on this. Also grease the crap outta 'em when you do the replacement. My opinion is that will help make them last. (My 1st one lasted 10,000 rounds B4 giving up, best guess)
    Sorry, not to be long-winded........................
    Hey, when yer names LEE, what other kindsa press is there?? ..........

  20. #20
    Boolit Master At Heavens Range 2008 Swagerman's Avatar
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    Herter's Big-O-Maximum press with my swaging automatic bullet ejector from swaging die set-up.

    Jim
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check