Fixed Lee Classic Cast to keep spent primers in the tube

[Ed in North Texas]

I batch process my brass and have a Classic Cast dedicated to either depriming or deprime and size. I have a big bucket on the floor to catch the brass as I push the finished case out of the shellholder with the next case and I have a smaller bucket in the big one for the primer hose to dump spent primers to. Problem is the priming arm cutout often causes primers to spit out the side of the ram. I used separate priming, so I don't need to use the priming arm. First I tried driving the pin the priming arm hooks to out of the ram, and that helped, but I still had primers spitting out randomly. The top of the Classic Cast ram is screwed in to the main body of the ram, so I unscrewed the top and cleaned it thoroughly. Then I found a .22 WMR spent case, slicked it up with Imperial Sizing Wax and stuck it into the ram top from the shellholder side. Mixed up some steel reinforced epoxy putty and filled the priming arm cutout. Works perfectly and now I don't have to chase spent primers or separate them from my processed brass.

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[Walter Laich]

nicely done

I find steel epoxy to be a great way to make changes to my reloading gear.

[onelight]

It looks like you found a way to make it work without the priming arm , good job .
I de-prime and or resize on my classic cast to before I clean my brass , I just leave the priming arm on to guide the spent primers into the tube .

[Bookworm]

...
I de-prime and or resize on my classic cast to before I clean my brass , I just leave the priming arm on to guide the spent primers into the tube .

Exactly the way I do it.

[44magLeo]

I read somewhere about using a section of drinking straw to guide the spent primers down the ram.
This one sounds like an even better idea.
I have Lee's Challenger press. It works the same way. I just leave the primer arm in place as others mention. Only problem I have is stopping ram travel before the priming punch enters the case. I have thought about removing the primer cup from the arm.
The straw or this method seems like a better option.
Leo

[abunaitoo]

That's the same thing I did.
Don't use the press anymore.
Broke the handle mount to many times.

[44magLeo]

I read about a lot of people breaking a press. Never could understand how they do it.
Mostly it sounds like they are doing something wrong.
I have screwed up plenty of things I my life but never broke a press.
Leo

[Walter Laich]

I read about a lot of people breaking a press. Never could understand how they do it.
Mostly it sounds like they are doing something wrong.
I have screwed up plenty of things I my life but never broke a press.
Leo

I broke a toe when I dropped a press on it--that count? :smile:

[mdi]

I read about a lot of people breaking a press. Never could understand how they do it.
Mostly it sounds like they are doing something wrong.
I have screwed up plenty of things I my life but never broke a press.
Leo

Me too (and not criticizing the member that did). I'm a lifelong machinist/mechanic (started working on cars when I was 13) and have made my living with tools for most of my working life (50+ years.). I have owned 3 Lee presses, starting with a cast aluminum Challenger in '71 and lastly a Lee turret up until I got a Forster Co-Ax. I also use a lot of Lee tools and I have not seen the breakage nor most of the failures when I operated the equipment as it was designed, or even when I tried to duplicate a complaint.

Not condemning anyone, not selling Lee stuff, just sharing my thoughts about many Lee failures are from misuse, not reading instructions, or trying to use the equipment for other than designed tasks...

[Land Owner]

I purchased a Shooter/Reloader's estate and his RCBS 357 Mag sizing die was found split from the bottom (facing the ram) through the threads to its middle and a smallish "chunk" had been gauged out of the side below the threads. How in the world could that have happened? What in the world could have made that happen? Chucking steel ball bearings maybe (IDK)? RCBS replaced the die - no questions. First time I had seen a broken die.

[mdi]

Maybe a round went off in the die? I've heard of some F/L sizing finished rounds to "iron out" any bulges...

[Froogal]

I read about a lot of people breaking a press. Never could understand how they do it.
Mostly it sounds like they are doing something wrong.
I have screwed up plenty of things I my life but never broke a press.
Leo

I have heard some stories also. Reloading is not a show of strength, nor is it a race to see how fast you can get done. There are folks out there who should not be allowed to own, or use tools.

[abunaitoo]

Part that broke is the Lever Sleeve #BP2780.
One that came with the press would bind the handle.
Lee sent a new designed one.
Worked fine until it split.
It looks like it's not machined. it's a powdered metal formed part.
Cheaper to make.
I've split two of them. both in the same place.
I've heard from other that have broken them to.
I was using the press to form cases.
Not as strong as it looks.
I like the press. Works great for reloading.

[Geezer in NH]

I just dump the tube when it gets about 3/4 full and have no problems. I de-prime everything but 9mm. Just me.

[abunaitoo]

Just to clear it up a little more........
If you don't have the primer seating ram in the press, sometimes the primers will pop out of the open slot.
Plugging the slot makes it so you cannot seat primers on the press.
With the slot plugged, you can still de-prime.

[Land Owner]

I stuck an electric pencil eraser down there in mine. Messy and troublesome is the result. I kind of like the epoxy suggestion...provided it can be eliminated at some point in the future if necessary, which I suppose would be doable.

Now that I see yours clearly, we've got us a round primer in a square hole situation.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I wonder if the Sleazyject Ejection Case Kicker will block "flying" primers?

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[Omega]

There is a 3d printed piece that I use to block that in mine.
Lee Reloading Press Deprimer Ram Arm (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1972400)
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[mdi]

I like the press. Works great for reloading. A reloading press that works great as a reloading press? Wow! Ain't that something...:bigsmyl2:

[Land Owner]

JonB - whattheheckisat? Never seen one. Assume it kicks out the case the lower the ram gets to bottoming out. Made of AL? Who makes those? Not certain I want one, just Food For Thought.

A $12.99 stainless steel item on fleaBay with a $13.99 shipping fee. No Thank You.

[trixter]

Me too (and not criticizing the member that did). I'm a lifelong machinist/mechanic (started working on cars when I was 13) and have made my living with tools for most of my working life (50+ years.). I have owned 3 Lee presses, starting with a cast aluminum Challenger in '71 and lastly a Lee turret up until I got a Forster Co-Ax. I also use a lot of Lee tools and I have not seen the breakage nor most of the failures when I operated the equipment as it was designed, or even when I tried to duplicate a complaint.

Not condemning anyone, not selling Lee stuff, just sharing my thoughts about many Lee failures are from misuse, not reading instructions, or trying to use the equipment for other than designed tasks...

I have a Lee Classic Cast Turret press, I love it and use it a lot. I have however purchased the 'Reverse Rotation' kit from Inline Fabrication and use an RCBS Bullet feeder. I have tried several different color presses in the "Progressive" format and have always come back to my turret press because of priming problems on the progressives. I am very near retirement, I do not watch TV and so I have a lot of time to reload. The LCCT press allows me to inspect any round at any time in the process and I really like that. I shoot just enough to keep me happy, so "BULK" reloading is not my goal, quality is.

[Ed in North Texas]

I wonder if the Sleazyject Ejection Case Kicker will block "flying" primers?

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That probably would work. But since I have to put the next case in the shell holder, it is just as easy to push the finished case out with the next case. Been doing that since my brand new Lyman Spartan press bought uhhh a few years ago or so. And frankly that Spartan shell holder lock worked better for this than the spring clip. The shell holder tends to wander a bit while the set screw kept it in one place dumping cases exactly where I wanted them. My next little job might be to drill and tap for a set screw on this press.

I don't ever expect to return the press to original condition, I have more than one press so this one is dedicated to deprime or deprime and resize. And I use either the Lee hand primer or the Forster bench priming tool, so not being able to prime on this press is a non-issue for me.

[Drew P]

I wonder if the Sleazyject Ejection Case Kicker will block "flying" primers?

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Yes it does! And it makes batch processing way faster!

[Drew P]

JonB - whattheheckisat? Never seen one. Assume it kicks out the case the lower the ram gets to bottoming out. Made of AL? Who makes those? Not certain I want one, just Food For Thought.

A $12.99 stainless steel item on fleaBay with a $13.99 shipping fee. No Thank You.
eBay changed my shipping cost for some unknown reason and who knows how many sales I missed as a result! Bummer, but no, it’s 4.99$ shipping.

[gwrench]

I found that a section of relatively thick wall vinyl tubing bent into a U shape works fine for me.

[Ed in North Texas]

I found that a section of relatively thick wall vinyl tubing bent into a U shape works fine for me.

For preventing spent primers randomly spitting out the slot in the ram head by blocking the slot, or for automatically ejecting finished cases from the Lee Classic Cast single stage press? I'm a little slow this morning and can't visualize either one, sorry - were I more awake it might be really obvious.