Lee Classic Turret - Does anyone make an option?

[dragon813gt]

deleted

[gefiltephish]

I can't answer your question.

I bought my LCT about a year ago and still on the original ratchet. I figured if I also bought a whole bunch of spares I'd never need 'em - guess I was right!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I keep a bunch of the plastic ones stocked and if that's the solution so be it.

Yep, that ^^^ is the solution.
I've never worn one out. I bought my CCTP in 2006 and last year (at about 10K reloads), I short stroked it accidently during die setup. I replaced the part...it's been a year and maybe 2K reloads, stillgoing strong.
Jon

[A pause for the COZ]

I have found.. if no spare available, you will for sure wear one out. Once you have a baggy of spares, your sure never to need another one.
At least until enough time has passed for you to forget where you put them, then pow!!
Same rule applies to 1/2 inch wrenches. there is a reason I have 15 of them.:???:

[jondavis0904]

Not sure if this is an actual solution/myth, due to not having to try it yet, but I read on a forum somewhere that if you put in a new ratchet and also leave the worn/partially worn one in place also it reduces the wear on it. Like I said, not sure if it's true or not as everything you read on the internet isn't always true.

[44Vaquero]

The ratchet is intended to be sacrificial, I always keep a 1/2 doz around. Sometimes they last days, sometimes months or even years. YMMV

My one fear at this point is that Lee will discontinue the ratchet for the 3 hole auto index!

[dbosman]

My one fear at this point is that Lee will discontinue the ratchet for the 3 hole auto index!

Wouldn't the cure for that be a 4 hole turret upgrade?

[MT Chambers]

Plastic gears on a reloading press?

[dbosman]

Plastic gears on a reloading press?

It's for the shell plate (shell holder) indexing. As the press ram goes up, and down, the shell plate moves into the next station. You can see it in action in this video. The video was chosen off the first page of results. Not for quality.

[44Vaquero]

Wouldn't the cure for that be a 4 hole turret upgrade?

Interestingly enough I have managed to survive 25 years reloading on the 3 hole auto-index and never found the ammo it produces to be deficient in any way. I might upgrade some time in the future but for now if I need a 4th station I have 2 single stages and a Lyman turret press close at hand!

[FLHTC]

Dillon has answers to that problem.

[garym1a2]

They make a 3-hole auto index? I have not seen one, I would love to have one. While my Classic cast is a great press, when I load a round like the 45acp that I only use 3 dies the fourth station is just a wasted stroke. When loading a thousand rounds that is a thousand wasted strokes.

Interestingly enough I have managed to survive 25 years reloading on the 3 hole auto-index and never found the ammo it produces to be deficient in any way. I might upgrade some time in the future but for now if I need a 4th station I have 2 single stages and a Lyman turret press close at hand!

[zuke]

That cheap little piece of plastic is made to do that.There's a reason their so cheap.
Consider them the first fuze/circuit breaker to blow when trouble start's.Their easier/cheaper to replace then a turret or index rod.

[jmort]

I don't use one, but I use mine as a glorified single stage in non-index mode. Sure do like the press like a whole lot of others.

[zuke]

I don't use one, but I use mine as a glorified single stage in non-index mode. Sure do like the press like a whole lot of others.

I've alway's used mine the same way.

[DLCTEX]

I have spare bushings and haven't replaced one in all the years since they first came out. I do oil the indexing rod occasionally. This press has loaded thousands of rounds. If it is just a matter of the indexing being off some, adjust the square nut that drives the turret. I used blue locktite on mine to make it harder to move.

[Artful]

Plastic gears on a reloading press?

And all your new garage door openers also, as they said in "The Graduate" the future is plastic's.

Plastic AR-15 Lower printed on 3D printer
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/andygreenberg/files/2012/12/gunfile.jpg

I can be good to design a weak link in an expensive chain!

[jules]

I am over 15,000 rounds and it's still going on the 3 hole. The 4 hole cast isn't even broke in yet. I think it came with 1 spare.

[Montana Slim]

Been using my 3-hole turret press since 1989. Somewhere near 1/4 million rounds later, it still works great. I wore out the initial index early on and ordered 5 spares....ooops, each "spare" was a 3-pack... I had to replace the part (maybe) twice since then. Shared a 3-pack of my spares with my Pa years ago.
I'm set for life as long as I can remember where I put the durn things.

[LUBEDUDE]

Plastic gears on a reloading press?

Well believe it or not so does Dillon.

On the 650 and 900 ShotShell press, under the shell plate is a plastic cam collar which deals with the indexing.

This is the reason the 650 and 900 do not appeal to me and my blood runs BLUE.

[geargnasher]

Oil it once in a while, use a smooth stroke motion, and it will last just about forever.

No worries about Lee discontinuing the three-hole ratchets, the Pro-1000 uses them too. I have an auto-index update kit that was sold WAY back in the day when it wasn't included with the early turret presses (came with a new ram with milled relief for index housing cross-bolt), and it had an aluminum ratchet in it. I wish I had more of THOSE, although it isn't really needed.

When I got my first 4-hole turret (not the beefy Classic version) I promptly made a copper index ratchet. Still working on the original plastic one, and have since bought plenty of spares due to now having a variety of 4-hole presses.

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