Lee Classic Turret Press

[RugerSP101]

yes yes....I know some hate Lee, but its all Ive owned so far and Im having a great time with what I have. :)

I was waiting until I found the Lee Classic Turret Press on sale;
https://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/classic.html
(scroll down about half way on the page)
$85 plus $15 shipping wasnt bad, so I ordered it last night.

I did a lot of research beforehand just to be sure and overall the tone seems to be that this is a good low to mid range press.

 

[mike7mm08]

Excellent press. Only issue is some of them like to wonder out of index adjustment. Mine has thousands of rounds and indexes just fine. My buddies has a few hundred rounds and has gone out of adjustment several times and has needed the index ratchet replaced.

 

[rugerbh73]

Mine is still making good ammo. I have not yet tried the auto index feature. I use it like a regular single stage. I just set up all my dies in different turrets. That way I don't have to readjust everything when I change calibers. I normally resize a bunch of brass and then prime it all with the Lee hand priming tool. I put the brass in a block and add powder to each piece of brass in the block. Lastly, I seat the bullets and crimp by manually rotating back and forth between the bullet seater and crimp dies.

I would like to produce more ammo at a sitting, so I'm looking into a sure enough progressive press. I have been getting educated in another post on this forum. I will try another brand for the progressive, but I'm still a believer in the Lee stuff. I will keep using my Lee stuff for single stage operations.

I said earlier that mine is still making good ammo, because both of my Lee presses spent some time soaking in about three feet of sea water due to hurricane Rita. I was not able to give them any attention for nearly a year, and they were rusty and frozen up when I did. I bead blasted them and pushed the rams out with a shop press. I put a coat of spray paint on all the parts that could handle paint and a coat of oil on the parts that couldn't. That Lee equipment, including the dies, are still going strong. I know that Lee equipment could be considered a little on the cheesy side when it comes to fit and finish, but I get a good bit of satisfaction when I turn out some good ammo on that inexpensive equipment.

Good luck with your press. I hope it works out as good for you as mine has for me.

 

[RugerSP101]

Definitely a deal I wasnt going to turn down. I have seen a few comments around where someone got a lemon part on their press, but that happens regardless.
Ive bought computer motherboards and other components over the years that didnt work at all, but the bulk of what Ive purchased have. I think its just part of the game in producing any product that some are going to malfunction. Lee seems to have a great rep for replacing anything thats not working right, so for the price I cant see a down side.

Ive been using the little hand press for over a year now and while I do like it, is a pain in the rear to keep changing dies. I dont need a fast set up or anything, but Ive nearly damaged the threads in the aluminum hand press trying to change the dies. I'd prefer just putting them in and leaving them alone.
And the RamPrime kit is good, but when its combined with the balancing act of a handpress its uglier than my ex wife trying to get it done in any reasonable amount of time.

I hope I have the luck you guys have had and that Ive had so far with Lee :)

 

[mraywi]

The Lee Classic Cast Turret is a BARGAIN!!!
I have three progressives but really enjoy loading on the Lee turret,very relaxing to load on!!!

 

[RugerSP101]

Im finally going to use the 4th factory crimp die.
Ive avoided it because screwing three dies in and out in a session, adding in the RamPrime as well, is enough of a royal pain in the arse.
It'll be nice to set em and forget em :D

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I think it's the best value in a press going.

Some of the accessories can be a bit fiddly. The Auto-Disk powder measure works well with many powders, not so well with others. The Auto-Prime system (whatever they call the press-mounted one) is cheaply made, and can be frustrating, but can work OK once you get how it works.

I have three presses at this point: An LNL, the Lee Classic Turret, and a Rockchucker. I had been thinking of selling one, but they all have their places. Now I just need more reloading space.

-- Sam

 

[RugerSP101]

I think it's the best value in a press going.

Some of the accessories can be a bit fiddly. The Auto-Disk powder measure works well with many powders, not so well with others. The Auto-Prime system (whatever they call the press-mounted one) is cheaply made, and can be frustrating, but can work OK once you get how it works.

I have three presses at this point: An LNL, the Lee Classic Turret, and a Rockchucker. I had been thinking of selling one, but they all have their places. Now I just need more reloading space.

-- Sam

I just ordered the basic press without the powder measure or the auto prime.
I figure having a couple things I still do by hand is fine, and I sort of prefer using the little measure 'cups' from Lee that I bought last year anyway. Makes things slower than the press is probably able to be, but I trust my eyes over an automated measure :D
Ive read just enough bad about the autoprime that I think Im just going to put them into the ram by hand, still ends up being a hell of a lot faster than the way Ive been doing it, and not changing dies so many times per sitting means less chance I'll rip the threads out of that aluminum handpress.

Im not sure if I'll even bother trying to sell the handpress and the ramprime kit that I bought for it. Not really worth the effort given the price of new stuff.

I hear banjos. Paddle faster!

The wife got me that t-shirt from Walmart. :D

 

[Bucks Owin]

yes yes....I know some hate Lee, but its all Ive owned so far and Im having a great time with what I have. :)

I was waiting until I found the Lee Classic Turret Press on sale;
https://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/classic.html
(scroll down about half way on the page)
$85 plus $15 shipping wasnt bad, so I ordered it last night.

I did a lot of research beforehand just to be sure and overall the tone seems to be that this is a good low to mid range press.

I like Lee, a lot of "bang for the buck" and I use a lot of their stuff. Matter of fact I plan to buy the same press this summer!
That's a good price IMO....Be better with free shipping
:lol:

 

[Yosemite Sam]

As it is, including shipping that price is $10 less than Midway's price without shipping, and Midway is usually pretty good!

-- Sam

 

[M'BOGO]

IMO, the Auto Disk can be a great thing, if you use powders that it likes. I prefer reloading, to fumbling, and handling brass. Give it a try. :D

 

[Bucks Owin]

BTW, sometimes you can buy a reconditioned press (and other stuff) on the cheap at the Lee websight.... :wink:

 

[jpdavis423]

I was waiting until I found the Lee Classic Turret Press on sale;
https://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/classic.html
(scroll down about half way on the page)
$85 plus $15 shipping wasnt bad, so I ordered it last night.

That looks like a good price. Let us know if it arrives in a timely manner. Last year several folks (including me) on a different forum had problems with delivery from that vendor. It seemed like they had no stock of their own and ordered from Lee as their orders came in. This was also when lots of reloading equipment was hard to get. As I recall no one lost any money and people (including me) didn't have any problems canceling orders. We would have been happier if items not in stock had been identified as being back ordered.

Jeff

 

[RugerSP101]

Just got the "shipped" email today.
UPS has it in their system and arrival date is wednesday at this point.
Thats pretty good regardless. :)

 

[jpdavis423]

Thats good,

It sounds like they resolved their inventory problems.

 

[RugerSP101]

Oddly both sites are in the same city....

"LOCATED 200 YARDS FROM
LEE PRECISION FACTORY
IN HARTFORD WISCONSIN USA"

https://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/classic.html


I certainly hope this company isnt just a front for Lee.
I mean, if I were stocking Lee products and selling the press for $120 Id be a bit ticked off to find out that Lee was undercutting my prices.

 

[RugerSP101]

looks like its running on time so far :)

Maumee, OH, United States 02/01/2011 5:36 P.M. Arrival Scan
Hodgkins, IN, United States 02/01/2011 12:24 P.M. Departure Scan
02/01/2011 11:52 A.M. Arrival Scan
Oak Creek, WI, United States 02/01/2011 9:43 A.M. Departure Scan
Oak Creek, WI, United States 01/31/2011 11:07 P.M. Arrival Scan
Watertown, WI, United States 01/31/2011 9:31 P.M. Departure Scan
01/31/2011 7:18 P.M. Origin Scan
United States 01/31/2011 2:12

P.M. Order Processed: Ready for UPS

 

[RugerSP101]

Update.

"Adverse Weather May Cause Delay
Maumee, OH, United States 02/01/2011 11:33 P.M. Adverse weather conditions. "

We are really getting hit hard here with freezing rain and high winds.

 

[RugerSP101]

Finally.
Man, this weather here has had UPS backlogged so two days late I finally have to go pick the press up at the local UPS center.
Couldnt find whether they had the gunbuster signs up online, so I took my gun, but sure enough, had to disarm before going in :roll:
Cant tell UPS that while guys like us will obey their signs because we aint there to do anything wrong, someone who IS there to do something wrong doesnt give a rats rear about their signs.
>>Gun Free Zone...get yours today!<<

Got the press together but still have to find a place to mount it.

 

[RugerSP101]

Got it set up temporarily clamped down to the table Im going to use.
Put the dies in, adjusted them for 38 special cases and did a few without powder (need to get a bullet puller now ;) ) so they look like the ones Ive been doing on the other press now.

I did notice that the auto indexer is overshooting the position by maybe 2 degrees so I'll have to adjust that (having to judge it back to position with my hand, not a huge deal at all).

The difference in time from start to finish with a round is WAY shorter than having to keep changing dies, and having to use that ramprime thing in a handpress. Well worth the $100 ;)

 

[RugerSP101]

Wow.
Loving this press.
Easy 5 stars.
:)