Lee Classic Turret question

T

Targa

New member
I am about to buy a turret press and it is between the Lee and Redding T7. I am leaning towards the Lee for the price mainly and will be loading for .44mag, .480 Ruger, .475 Linebaugh and .454. In reference to the Lee, how is the priming system? It looks a bit awkward, is it better to just a buy a separate bench or hand primer? Also, does the Lee catch the spent primers well or do they end up all over the place? I have been seeing mixed opinions on that as well. The Redding seems to have an effective spent primer collector and a reliable priming system. Thank you, Darrin.
 
I don't care for priming on any press for match ammo and like the RCBS bench setup becasue of some arthritis in my hand. The spent primer system on the Lee press line is excellent, just remember to put the little priming rocker on the ram to direct old primers down the chute
 
You would need the Lee "classic cast" turret to get better primer catching. The Lee gives auto indexing, which is a big plus, not just price.I am not a fan of the newer version of the primer dispenser, but it works okay, certainly well enough to avoid a separate operation for priming off the press.
 
If you get the triangle shaped Lee Auto Prime it works ok but any priming system has its own little quirks. You can do handgun ammo fairly quickly with priming included on the Lee.


Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / CRPA / FPC / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member
 
If your budget allows, just get the Redding. It is a much better press. I like the priming on it enough to use sometimes. I have the spent primer tube through a hole in the bench and into a container. Better than the Lee or RCBS for me.
 
I started reloading on an LCT press. The priming gizmo didn’t appeal to me, so I primed off press, first with an RCBS hand primer and then an RCBS bench primer. The LCT catches primers well IF you use it with one of the primer arms installed, even if you don’t prime on the press. Without the primer arm installed, it spits a lot of primers out on the floor.
 
I like the Classic Turret quite well. I have 2 mounted on my benches and a 3rd on the way, will be here tomorrow. I place my primers in the primer arm by the finger method. One LCT is set up for 44 mag, the 2nd is for 327 and the 3rd will be for misc. I use my Lee Classic O press to size rifle cases. I have a reloading setup that is 'unique' for me and my needs that is why I have the presses that I have, besides Lee stuff is very affordable.
 
Targa said:
I am about to buy a turret press and it is between the Lee and Redding T7. I am leaning towards the Lee for the price mainly and will be loading for .44mag, .480 Ruger, .475 Linebaugh and .454. In reference to the Lee, how is the priming system? It looks a bit awkward, is it better to just a buy a separate bench or hand primer? Also, does the Lee catch the spent primers well or do they end up all over the place? I have been seeing mixed opinions on that as well. The Redding seems to have an effective spent primer collector and a reliable priming system. Thank you, Darrin.
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Safety Prime works just fine, in my experience. You might need to tweak the angle it sits at.

Spent primers are run through a rubber tube pressed onto a connection on the bottom of the ram. Run tube into trash can. Done. (The tube is press fit to the connection. I used a zip tie to make it not fall off.)
 
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The Lee Classic Turret Press was the first press that I started loading on and it treated me well. You're right the priming system looks awkward but I never had any issues with it. I did the same thing as lee n. field and would put a bucket or a trash can under the spent primer tube. You wont have any issues with spent primers all over the place unless the tube gets knocked off.
 
I have had great luck with my Lee Classic Turret. I purchased the newer Safety Prime and find it to be a lot less finicky than the second gen.

I have the little C press that is actually very capable of resizing 3006 brass without an issue.

Zero experience with the Redding. Looks like a dang rigid unit,
 
I've used a Lee Turret and a rock chucker and prefer the Lee for catching 90%+ of the ejected primers in it's tube. The rock chucker puts expended primers ALL over and it's catch cup is a POS - you can find a 3D file online to print out a cover/catch tube adapter for a rock chucker - but I didn't much like that either.

Note on the lee turret, make sure you clean out the plunger hole with a pipe cleaner or a coat hanger from time to time as residue buildup in the plunger tube will cause expended primers to stick in there from time to time.

for priming, I've done both - hand prime with a lyman hand primer if I didn't want to sit at the bench, or during reloading if I was doing a short batch.

For me, in my Lee press, I never put in a primer backwards - I don't use a primer feeder - I do each by hand.

Wasn't til I started using a hand primer while distracted in the living room that I reversed a primer or three......
 
Thanks again for the helpful information. I ordered the Lee from Amazon, they had it for $99 with free shipping.
 
Re the primer feeding. I had the old one with the round reservoir and it was always balky. The new triangular one works fine.
 
I started out with the Lee 4 hole Classic Turret Kit.
It is still my go to press.
Mine doesn't have the primer feeder. Install each individually with the press.
I load 380, 9mm, 38Spcl, 357 Mag, 45 ACP.
But i also like taking the auto indexer out for my rifle cartridges.
223 Rem, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 7mm-08, 7mm-08AI, 280 Rem, 284 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, 308, 270, 30-06, 338 Fed..

I'm loading/shooting about 1,100-1,500 rounds a year. Hasn't let me down so far.

I've even formed some 6.5mm Rem Mag from 7mm Rem Mag with it.
 
Thanks again for the helpful information. I ordered the Lee from Amazon, they had it for $99 with free shipping.
Click to expand...

You'll be happy.

I have a Lee Turret Press I bought used many years ago. Still works and works well. I did struggle with it for a long time because the auto-index wouldn't work. Finally figured it out, had to buff down the little round nylon thing the index shaft goes through.

All the Best,
D. White
 
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