Where are the old timers - Lee 3 hole turret mystery

[LoopSoosStroop]

Who knows these presses?

I picked up this one the other day, looks like it used to be a old 3 hole auto index turret press.

It is missing some parts on the auto index, most importantly the rod.

What else? What are these parts?

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s635/vdventpieter/20140422_211242_zpsbd45e8f2.jpg

These are only the normal parts, nothing auto index related.

http://i1309.photobucket.com/albums/s635/vdventpieter/20140422_211256_zpseebfa05b.jpg

Who can shed some light?

[Char-Gar]

I don't know where the rest are, but mine is being used as a trot line weight somewhere in Central Texas.

[jakharath]

This part may be from an old style (round) Lee AutoPrime Hand tool:
102938

The second picture looks like parts for a Lee 90496 3 hole turret press.

[Hogdaddy]

This part may be from an old style (round) Lee AutoPrime Hand tool:
102938

The second picture looks like parts for a Lee 90496 3 hole turret press.

Looks like one ; )
H/D

[brstevns]

This part may be from an old style (round) Lee AutoPrime Hand tool:
102938

The second picture looks like parts for a Lee 90496 3 hole turret press.

Yes that is a tumb piece from a Old type Lee priming tool. How do I know, I have that tool and it has been lying here every since I snapped that piece off. Never did get a replacement tumb piece for it.

[LoopSoosStroop]

Yes that is a tumb piece from a Old type Lee priming tool. How do I know, I have that tool and it has been lying here every since I snapped that piece off. Never did get a replacement tumb piece for it.

You want it?

Can mail it to you, I have no need for it.

[44Vaquero]

Yes, those are the parts for the 3-hole auto index minus the operating rod and a linkage/toggle for an old hand prime. Parts for the 3-hole auto-index are hard to come by as is the T-Priming bar in the second picture. The only piece Lee still sells is the nylon ratchet since it is used in the Pro-1000 too.

Lee no longer catalogs the operating rod, but one can be made by tapping the end of a Pro-1000 operating rod and attaching a shoulder nut! The shoulder nut fits in a recess on the 3 hole turret and drives the rotation.

Clean it up and put it back together, They work just fine with or with out auto-index!

[dbosman]

Since no one else beat me to it...
It's not worth your efforts and further expense. Send it to me for proper recycling. My recycling (ummmm , facility. Yeah, that's the ticket.) will mail you the prepaid shipping label. ;)

[brstevns]

PM Sent Thank you so much for your kindness.

You want it?

Can mail it to you, I have no need for it.

[mdi]

Put it back together without the auto index stuff. I have a 4 hole Lee turret that I disabled the auto index some 10 years ago and like it much better that way (I batch reload so I don't need/want my press to index), and it's no big deal to process 200 pieces of brass or assemble some complete ammo (I process most of my brass one or two steps at a time, then prime a bunch, then at a later date I'll charge and seat a bullet. Seems to go faster that way). BTW, you can get an update kit to make your's a 4 hole turret from Lee.

[Walter Laich]

don't know this press but shouldn't there be a shell plate of some kind in all those parts?

[454PB]

Walter, you don't need a shell plate, with the Lee design, the dies move, rather than the case.

I have two of the older Lee turret presses, and one of the newer Classic Turrets. I already owned 10 of the three hole turrets with dies installed when I bought the Classic, so I robbed the three hole head off of one of the older machines and installed it on the Classic.

The other "as original" three hole press is still used for 9mm and .40 S&W ammo.

[44Vaquero]

454pb

Have you seen one of our member's put a top half of a Pro-1000 on a classic turret? I guess it should be called a Pro-2000?

75% of my reloading needs are still being satisfied by 3-hole turret! The only upgrade is I switched over to the new priming system. I still miss the old T-Bar priming arm sometimes.

[Fyodor]

I would call it a classic 1000. Very interesting, and I don't understand why they refuse to produce it that way.

You can still upgrade this bits and pieces to a four hole auto index press with the four hole upgrade kit. Or just use it without index, still better than a single station press.

[mikeym1a]

I still have my 3-hole turret, and will be using it tonight. I bought the auto-index as an option, and found it a bother. I have the complete thing here somewhere, but, am not interested in using it. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but not for very long. mikey

[454PB]

I'm not a progressive loader guy, so I never fooled with that capability. I bought all mine strictly so I could quick change dies without resetting. I know a lot of people hate the aluminum turret presses, but mine have loaded somewhere around 50K rounds. The only thing I don't like is the primer ejection/storage system. The press will put 90% of the removed primers on the floor until you fashion a deflection device.

[r1kk1]

454pb

Have you seen one of our member's put a top half of a Pro-1000 on a classic turret? I guess it should be called a Pro-2000?


Vaquero already name taken.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/?id=26

Take care

r1kk1

[44Vaquero]

LOL, r1kki! Thanks for the reminder, Green is never really at the top of my list so I apparently forgot about that one. I guess Fyodor's suggestion of Classic 1000 is the winner!

[r1kk1]

I would go with Classic 1000 - very good name. I think Lee needs to do this and a CC version of load-all.

Had to yank your chain on the Pro 2000 Vaquero! Lol!

Take care

r1kk1

[Fyodor]

I already asked them about this, because the only modification needed is to turn down the top of the ram. That's it, then replace the top half with the pro 1000 bits and your done. I talked to a guy who did exactly that, mainly because of the problem with the spent primers. It really is that easy, but Lee isn't interested.

[LoopSoosStroop]

Yes, those are the parts for the 3-hole auto index minus the operating rod and a linkage/toggle for an old hand prime. Parts for the 3-hole auto-index are hard to come by as is the T-Priming bar in the second picture. The only piece Lee still sells is the nylon ratchet since it is used in the Pro-1000 too.

Lee no longer catalogs the operating rod, but one can be made by tapping the end of a Pro-1000 operating rod and attaching a shoulder nut! The shoulder nut fits in a recess on the 3 hole turret and drives the rotation.

Clean it up and put it back together, They work just fine with or with out auto-index!

This is exactly the info I was looking for, much obliged!

Going to return it to it's former auto-indexing glory, I've already ordered the index rod and other parts from Titan.

Will post the results here.

[LoopSoosStroop]

Put it back together without the auto index stuff. I have a 4 hole Lee turret that I disabled the auto index some 10 years ago and like it much better that way (I batch reload so I don't need/want my press to index), and it's no big deal to process 200 pieces of brass or assemble some complete ammo (I process most of my brass one or two steps at a time, then prime a bunch, then at a later date I'll charge and seat a bullet. Seems to go faster that way). BTW, you can get an update kit to make your's a 4 hole turret from Lee.

This is bad advice, what's the point of that? It's designed as a semi-progressive, lets use it like that!

I already have a 50th anniversary breech lock press, so changing out dies in a jiffy for batch reloading is not a problem.

It seems like a lot of people under-utilize the great design of the Lee Turret Press.

[44Vaquero]

Fyodor;

For as much as I like Lee and their products, there are several things that you have to remember about Lee Precision. They are currently selling everything that they can produce! Their products are like Tinker Toys, you can do it yourself. They are very resistant to any product idea that is not their own, for what ever reason? Lastly and most importantly sometimes as a privately owned company they can be just plain weird at times.:confused:

[chuck...]

You can always return it to Lee and buy the most current iteration for 1/2 list price...

[jmorris]

The original poster has not been here since June of 2016...