I've kind of wanted on of the Lee Classic cast turrer Presses, Watched the
operations video on the lee sight. Seems to be a well made machine.. Does any one have any experance with them or any good or bad commets??
Thanks Jeff
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I've kind of wanted on of the Lee Classic cast turrer Presses, Watched the
operations video on the lee sight. Seems to be a well made machine.. Does any one have any experance with them or any good or bad commets??
Thanks Jeff
I've had mine for a couple years and love it. I also like the Safetyprime attachment and use it for almost all of my priming duties. One of the members gave a tip to use a flex shaft LED light ( the kind that will clip to your shirt pocket) rubberbanded to the front post to light the case so you can inspect the powder in the case as it's dropped. I copied this and really like it. You need the riser for the powder measure to clear the Safety prime. All the spent primers go into a bucket on the floor, beats the heck out of the little tray on my RCBS.
Have one, really like it. One of the best bangs for your buck in a reloading press. For 99% of shooters, the Classic Turret and the Lee Classic single stage is all the reloading presses you'll ever need.
Regards,
Dave
Yup, hard to beat it for the $$$ , I have had good luck with mine.[smilie=1:
If you do a search on the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press you will find more info than you can read in a week lol. GREAT PRESS
And this is how GREAT a PRESS it is. I used to use a RCBS Single Stage and a Lyman T-MAG II. I sold the T-Mag and put away the single stage as all I need now is the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press. :)
Again Thank You DaveInFloweryBranchGA for all the help you gave when I purchased the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press. Still trying to wear it out lol. :)
If you order one make sure it is the "Classic" and not the one just named turret press. I ended up with the wrong one because I missed that detail, and it needed work to function properly, and did not have the primer discharge thru the ram. You really want that as the other spits the primers on the floor. I worked out the bugs and it is a wonderful press now, but not as it came.
P.S. get the Challenger breach press too if you can afford it. It is fantastic for batch loading as the dies can be swapped out in less than ten seconds! Get plenty of extra breach plugs.
I load about 11 calibers on mine currently, and I don't think that I will ever get rid of it.
I've had one for about a year or so and use it weekly. Unlike Dale Clawson, however, my primers do NOT go straight into a bucket on the floor, as I don't have a bucket that large. Some go here, some go there.... you'll need a bucket the size of a child's wading pool to catch the little suckers. I just sweep the floor (concrete) when I'm done. Otherwise, it's a very nice press and I would recommend one to a friend.
I have one also, I dont use it too much for loading from start to finish though. I have plates setup with different calibers and such for certain tasks. I load my quantities on a Dillon. The Lee turret is great for all the other tasks. The turret plates are cheap enough to have a few of them on hand. That is when you can find them
Correct Jack the Lee Classic Cast Turret Press the primers go through the middle of the ram and the tube is connected at the bottom of the ram. It comes with a cap or you can run the hose into a can if you wish. Or what I have done is take an old 1 pound plastic powder can that is empty and cut a hole in the top of it just so the hose will fit through and put a Zip Tie on the hose as it goes through the bottom side of the lid and screw the can on. :)No Fuss No mess. :)
Yeah, I'm thinking that I, too, missed that "Classic" word. Classic or not, I do like the press. Anyone know of a mod to fix the non-classic primer-all-over-the-floor feature?
The "primers all over the floor" was a prime motive for me to upgrade (along with the longer throw for large rifle cases) to the Classic Turret press.
I have two Dillon 550B's that handle all of my bulk loading (and I do a lot). However, the Lee allows me to handle small runs in various calibers with their almost INSTANT caliber change. If the run is 200 rounds or less, the Lee gets the chore. If it is over 200, the the Dillon handles it. Everyone needs a small run press and the Lee is the absolute best for this - couple this with it's almost fantastic value, it's a "no brainer".
Dale53
Me and my Classic Turret Press are like two peas in a pod!!!!
Three years and no complaints!
Three 44s
This is exactly how I use my Lee Classic Turret and my Hornady LnL. Fantastic way to go. In my case, it's where I load milsurp calibers I don't shoot a lot and 200 rounds is plenty. I can have the Lee setup, load 200 rounds and be done by the time Fox news goes through the evening news.
Dave
I've had many different types of presses including a Dillon 550B. The Dillon is a good press but was not what I was looking for and I sold it. As someone has already said the Lee Classic Turret is all the press 99% of what most hand loaders need. I would rate it as almost perfect for my needs. What a great job of engineering Lee has done.
Skeet1
Wouldn't trade mine for nuttin! :-D
I agree. A great balance of cost, design and rugidness. I just wish Lee had brought their Classic line of cast iron presses to the market place years ago. I'd be curious to know if the design features of the Classics just came to be or if Lee was sitting on the idea for some time........Mike
Gadzooks Mike, you apparently have the same press I do, the LEE Turret Press with the aluminum base. Theoretically, the primer will go through the slot on the ram and fall into one of the two holes on the base of the press. If all works correctly, you will eventually fill up the base of your press with spent primers.
Now, to the problem at hand. Unfortunately, the primers often fly out of the slot in the ram and shoot across the room or leap out onto the floor. I solved the problem, and the solution has worked very well for me. At our house, we happen to drink a brand of orange juice called "Simply Orange." It's in a clear plastic container that is basically square in shape, except that the corners are rounded off. Those rounded corners have the same radius as the support columns of the press. I cut out two sides of the container and taped them to the right side and back side of the press.
That simple act has eliminated the problem of the flying primers. Probably one primer out of every 200 or so flies out. All the rest bounce off the plastic walls and drop into the slots in the base of the press. Problem solved!
Originally, I tried taping index cards, but the loss in light that comes in from two sides made that an unworkable solution.
Here's the problem I deal with now: the press always functions so well, and I'm so cheap, that I can't justify buying the Classic Cast press that I've been wanting to buy for the past two years. Besides, my parents bought me this press for Christmas 20 years ago when I was a high school senior. I didn't begin using it, though, until 2007, when I finally started reloading. I've since upgraded it to the four-hole turret and added the Safety Prime system and Pro Auto Disk measure.
Hope this helps!
I've had 2 or more single stage presses for years and decided I could afford the Lee CLASSIC Turret after reading all the posts on this forum by satisfied owners. At the time I had thought about getting a Dillon, but I had trouble justifying the initial cast of the Dillon for my shooting/reloading needs. As mentioned above, it handles all my needs and it will handles at least 90% of the reloaders I know needs. I can only say to myself, "What took so long dummy?". I have been totally happy with mine and as funds allow, I plan on adding more turrets and the auto prime.
Edd:drinks:
I've been using my cast turret as of late to form 22 jackets and to extrude small amounts of pure lead wire. I know it's being kinda rough on it, but until I can find a cheap single stage, one makes due with what one has.
I WILL say, that at extreme throw, it does have some spring to it when you get a slug of lead that's not exactly dead soft..;)
UnderdawgAl;
A picture of your plastic bottle "fix" would be quite helpful to fellers and gals that have the original Lee Turret press. I upgraded to the Classic for it's "primer control" and longer stroke for rifle cartridges, so it is no longer a problem for me - however, others could sure profit from the fix.
FWIW
Dale53
Dale53,
I would be glad to oblige. I'll do it later this weekend and post the pics here.
UnderDawgAl
Here's my solution to the flying primers of the old-style aluminum-base Lee Turret Press.
First, find a cheap source of clear, rigid plastic.
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/OJBottle.jpg
Second, cut out a piece roughly the size of the openings of the right side and the rear of the press. Notice that I included the rounded part of the bottle. This will attach to one of the columns of the press.
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/q...n/SideDoor.jpg
Third, attach the rounded edge to the column, using Scotch® tape. Since I cut mine a little oversized, I tucked the opposite edges in under the turret frame, providing more rigidity. Here's a shot with the right door and rear door open. Notice that I taped the bottom of the rear door shut, since that's where most primers hit. Taping it shut at the bottom adds rigidity and prevents a few more primers from going in the wrong places.
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/q...rDoorsOPEN.jpg
Here's a shot with both doors closed. Notice I have no need for tape on the bottom of the right-side door.
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/q...oorsClosed.jpg
Here's an inside view.
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/q...InsideView.jpg
Do these pictures help at all?
Listen, I am the least handy of all men. If I can come up with a solution that works at least 99.5% of the time, I know that you can, too.
Stay cheap! Find a solution! Save those pennies!
Seriously, this press works so smoothly and so well that I just cannot, for the life of me, justify buying the Classic Turret Press, as much as I have been tempted. However, if I ever start reloading rifle rounds, that might push me over the edge.
here is the best deal for a classic cast turret. make sure you get the up-grade kit well worth it. HTH
Rick
https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?...mart&Itemid=41
UnderDawgAl - OUTSTANDING! Thank you!
UnderDawgAl;
I have sent this thread to my nephew (the recipient of my older Lee Turret press). I am sure he will find this MOST useful.
Thank you!
Dale53
Glad I could be of assistance. I've received so much good advice on this site for the past year or so that I'm glad to finally help some others out here!
agree with skeet 1 . had a dillon 550 b sent it back and purchased the lee classic cast press. nice machine.
Another wahoo for the Lee Classic Cast Turret. Best (IMHO) bar none!
" I'd be curious to know if the design features of the Classics just came to be or if Lee was sitting on the idea for some time........Mike "
I have no personal knowledge but i suspect we are seeing the effect of Lee magement being transfered to the son's control. That's usually bad for a business but in this instance it appears to be good!
I expect Lee to remain a force in reloading for a long time, at least as long as our benevelolent "liberal" masters allow, and they will remain a thorn in the wallets of the other makers..
I turned my ram around so the primers go out the back. They drop into a homemade tray.
Gadzooks Mike, I solved mine this way see pic.
Gadzooks Mike, the picture above is kinda small, what it is, is a piece of sheet aluminum arced from the left rear, around the ram and to the front right posts. It is held on with two pieces of clear tubing split lengthwise. The turret plate held the dies a little off center to the dies also, so I removed the bolts, replaced them with automotive style studs, drilled the holes oversize so I could have room for adjustment...perfect now. The primer shield works 100% of the time. P.S., plug the cavity where the primers end up or you will have to remove the press to clean out eventually.
OOps, just click the pic for a bigger size photo!
One thing I learned was if you want to use the lee auto powder dispenser and are not using lee dies you will have to purchase the lee expader die.