Lee Classic Turret Press

[Marc2]

Anyone have any experience with this press. Looks like its built on the same linkage system, and has the same ram as the Classic cast and can reload rifle calibers up to 3" semi progressively. Their brochure says it will accept some sort of auto priming system.

Any info would be appreciated.

Marc

[grumble]

Marc, I have a Lee 4-hole turret press, and I really like it. It mounts right between my RCBS single stage and my Dillon 550b. I especially like the turret press for loading up 10-15 rounds of ammo with different powder charges while working up a new load. It's lots faster then either the single stage or the progressive for small changes like that. If you want to change calibers, it's also quicker and easier for that. If you're going to load a large batch of the same ammo, you can't beat the progressive, but for smaller lots, the turret is a real handy thing to have.

I also use the single stage a lot, but that's another story. I use all three quite a bit, and each has its own strengths.

Never used the primer system, since the Lee hand primer is so much faster and less prone to foul-up. Largest cases I've loaded on the Lee turret press are 7mm Mag. With heavy bullets, I have to feed the bullets at an angle into the die to get them in line with the case mouth.

For the price, you won't go too far wrong with the Lee turret. Be sure it's the 4-hole turret, not the 3-hole.

There. Now all the Lee-haters can come out of the woodwork and tell you that unless a press costs three times as much as the Lee, it ain't worth crap.

[Marc2]

Grumble,

Thanks for your reply. I too own a Lee 4 hole turret press and have many years of fine service from this machine. What I was refering to, though, was their New Turret press built on the same frame, ram and linkage as the beefy classic cast press. From the pix I saw it looked like the Classic Cast with three risers and a 4 hole turret mounted on top. It should give alot more room and leverage to load rifle calibers.

Marc

[grumble]

Oops! Sorry, Marc. I misunderstood your question. I have no knowledge about the press you describe.

[Marc2]

Grumble,

Just called Lee and got the scope. The machine has not yet been released. About a month away. It looks like a great machine, built on the same frame as the newer classic cast. The linkage and ram also look identical to the classic cast. According to Lee you can load up to 50 BMG on this Turret press and auto index any rifle case up to 3".

Marc

[grumble]

Sounds like quite a machine, Marc! You gonna get one? It's more capability than I need, but would like to hear about it if you do.

[Marc2]

Grumble,

I think I will, unless I read some negative reviews. I'll wait until Midway has it (usually about 60% of Lees Factory price). I want it to load 45-70s, 35 Remingtons and 270s. I'd like having a auto index turret for rifle calibers. I already have several 4 hole turrets and the dies. According to the lady at Lee this press would interchange with the original turrets.

Marc

[13Echo]

If you want to see the Classic Turret Press the official instructions are already posted on the Lee site. Check out this url. The instructions are there for downloading right at the top.

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/instruct/

Looks like Lee four hole turret press top grafted on the bottom and linkage of the Classic press.

Jerry Liles

[tomf52]

Marc2 - This press caught my eye also. Santa was giving me funds for new press for Christmas and I was all set to get either the Redding or Lyman turret but now will wait for Midway to get this one in stock. Like it much more than the others. Lee products have all been winners with me. If you stop and think about it, just the principle of offering goods at a fair price says much for the character of their company and anything I have purchased from them has performed well. Not well considering the price, but WELL. I like the idea of the auto indexing of the new Lee turret (which can be disengaged) and it is a cast iron press. I did an extensive search on the net and nobody has it yet. Acually, I hope Cabela's gets it soon as I have both gift certificates and hhuge discount coupons from them.

[Old Schmuck]

I agree with you 100%. A friend made me buy a LeeLoadAll 25 years ago and I couldn't believe all the bushings were included when you have to buy them individually with any other machine. I'm using a MEC Grabber now but I'm still using the old LLA for my slugs. It may be in plastic but it is quite strong in fact.When I started reloading for rifles and pistols, what brand do you think I went to ?
I bought the wrong model though (Challenger). I should have bought a turret.

OS

[omgb]

I have a Redding turret and I love it. The thing is built like a "you-know-what". I also have a Rockchucker that I bought back in the 70s, and a Hornady Lock-N-Load Progressive. All of these are quality machines that are over-engineered and beautifully crafted. I had a Lee progressive but got rid of it after having one headache after another with it. I use some Lee products, (their 20 lb furnace, some moulds, a priming tool and manual decapper as well as some Lee dies) but over all, the more substantial Lee products such as presses and powder measure, have all failed to impress me quality wise.
R J Talley

[KCSO]

I guess I can't complian about a Lee turret press. I bought the first 3 holer in N/E Nebraska and have used it to load over 100,00 rounds of ammo. That isn't bad for a press that cost me $48.00. I currently load for 35 calibers and have 26 of these pre set in lee 3 hole turrets. The only reason I didn't get a 4 holer was that I have such a large inventory of 3 hole stuff. I may have to change over when this press comes out.

[Marc2]

KCSO,

They do provide good service. The Lee 3 hole was my first press. Dad bought it for me for my 16th Birthday (along with a Browning Sweet 16 shotgun). Loaded 45 ACP and a couple of rifle calibers with it. Upgraded (if you can call it that) to progressives later but still have that old Turret and use it for rifle calibers. Lee must have done something right when they designed it. I'll bet theres a bunch out there loading ammo. You rarely see a used one for sale.

Marc

[quasi]

Lee= entry level crap

[omgb]

"Lee=entry level crap" I'm afraid I can't agree with that assessment. The stuff works..mostly and works well. I would take exception to the Pro 1000 which I think sucks more than a Kansas twister. That being said, they produce good, solid, functiong machines albeit on the budget side. If pride of ownership is not an issue and pure funtionality is, the Lee "O" press is spot on as is the trimmer, smaller hand tools and the dies.

R J Talley

[Bret4207]

I once read that you can hand a rank amatuer the finest tools in the world and will get amatuer results. On the other hand you can hand a master craftsman beginers tools and he'll turn out fine work even though handi-capped by the lesser quality tools. I'll never be above journeyman class I don't imagine, but the Lee stuff works pretty good for me. Not all of it, but most of it. I think it's as much a matter of attitude and work habits as quality. Take your time, lube as needed and remember the mould or die cost 1/4 of a higher quality brand and may take a little more care to use properly.

[Vegas Vince]

I started reloading again about three years ago. My oldest son has all my old equipment and would not part with it. I bought all Lee equipment. I have the cheap Reloader press, the Classic and the Pro-master. All work very well. I shoot five or six days a week, mostly hand gun. I burn up 400 to 600 rounds a week. With the Lee Pro-master I can load two to three hundred rounds per hour. The caliber change over takes about 15 min. I reload four hand gun, two rifle calibers and cast all my boolites. Several of my friends have much more expensive equipment, but don't produce any better quality. I save over $2000.00 a year reloading and my equipment investment was recovered the first year. You can buy the Cadillac or a Jeep, but all equipment is good if you like it.

By the way, I found this company in Ohio that has good every day prices on Lee porducts.

http://www.fmreloading.com/

[Marc2]

I was looking at and Lee Pro 1000 in 45 Colt and posted here requesting other board members experience with this press. Most of the reviews were pretty negative so I passed on the machine. Well, a couple of weeks later, a relative gave me a Pro 1000 as a gift but it was in 44 Special. I didnt expect it to work but spent a couple hours setting it up and studying the design. The machine has produced about 3000 rounds of ammo without any problems. The primer system even works on mine. Don't misunderstand, I'm sure there are folks here that had serious problems with them and maybe I got the only good one in the country. I keep expecting to go into my reloading room and finding a pile of dust where the press was but so far so good.

Marc

[waksupi]

I once read that you can hand a rank amatuer the finest tools in the world and will get amatuer results. On the other hand you can hand a master craftsman beginers tools and he'll turn out fine work even though handi-capped by the lesser quality tools. I'll never be above journeyman class I don't imagine, but the Lee stuff works pretty good for me. Not all of it, but most of it. I think it's as much a matter of attitude and work habits as quality. Take your time, lube as needed and remember the mould or die cost 1/4 of a higher quality brand and may take a little more care to use properly.

Brett, you said a mouthful. It has been my pleasure and honor, to know many master craftsmen over the years. And very few have the newest and latest tools. In fact, many are homemade, for a particular purpose, that serve quite well. They may not be fancy, or of any recognizable design, but they perform the job they were intended for, and a master craftsman will do a very credible job with them. One engraver in particular comes to mind, that has made his own engraving block, and tools. and he is an aknowledged Austrian Master. He does presentation pieces for collectors, and SFI all would drool over.
One of the other gunsmiths working with m,e, is also a backwoods rifle builder as i am, and we are able to turn out rifles , as well as anyone with the newest equipment. Grant you, gun building tools haven't changed a lot in the last hundred years, but the fact still stands.
And I know a goodly amount of hacks, with top grade equipment, that turn out pure crap, that would not be acceptable by any serious students.

[omgb]

I would agree with all that has been said. My gripe was specifically with the Lee Pro 1000 which gave me fits back in the late 80s when I bought one. The primer feed was iffy and the case feed was difficult to get to work consistantly. The powder drop was very good and case activated! The tool gave me the impression that it was built strong enough and no more.

Fast foreward to the present. My Redding turret press is built like a tank. It has clearance enough to load 45-110s without a hitch and it can resize and case form the most difficult cases.

My Hornady Progressive is a wonderful piece of machinery. It feels like butter when cycled and it is built at least 300% over what it needs to be. I love the feeling off substantial machinery.

My Hornady 366 Progressive Shotshell press turns out flawless ammo with every pull of the handle. Unfortunately, my Lee press does not. Granted, the Lee came with all of the bushings and it has worked for me in the past but never as flawlessly and nevre as quickly as the Hornady. However, the Lee was what, $29.00 25 years ago and it's still $29.00 today. It works. Not perfectly and not with a wide variety of hulls but it does work and I shot a lot of game with hulls loaded on it. In fact, I even used it for loading BP more than a few times with very good results.

My lead pots are all Lee and I would hesitate to invest any more money in anything else except maybe a Waage. These do leak but hey, for the price, I can live with a drip or two.

Lee moulds are cheap and often undersized. That I can't forgive. I use them for ML but nothing else (I did just buy a 6 cavity 32-20 mould so I'm a bit of a hypocrite) the Lee lead dipper is a ***. Dang man, a bent spoon would work better and be cheaper. Who ever designed that *** never cast a bullet over 70 grains. The primer pocket tool is adequate. The case neck tool is cheap but it works. The primer tool is a work of art. Copied by RCBS but not nearly so well. The dies are very very good especially for the money. The hand decapper is excellent. I break them on that 70s made gook '06 ammo but they keep replacing them so who cares. Liquid alox....Pluuuease. Crap, pure crap. However, the push through sizing system is very very cool. Nose first and into a hopper. Very well thought out indeed. Lee shell holders are perfect and cheap. Double perfect in my book!

Reece