Another lee classic turret press question....depriming

[TennJed]

First off thanks to everybody here.... I have been asking a lot of questions and getting some great answers

I think I might get a lee classic turret press and batch load using it as a single stage press

My question is with the lee 4 die set on the turret press do you deprime when you resize? I already have a rcbs hand primer and I would probably use it to prime but I Am a little confused on how I would deprime

Thanks for helping a starter out

[BigPapa4147]

The sizing die also deprimes the case.

[NVBigEd]

With the Lee 4 die set, yes the re-sizing die de-primes as wells resizes.

[TennJed]

Does it come with a tray or tube to catch the old primers? Or what is the next way to do this without the lee safety primer attachment?

[NWPilgrim]

The Classic Turret has a hole through the ram so when a spent primer is punched out of a case it falls into a plastic tube attached to the bottom of the ram.

When you run the case up into the sizing die it will punch out the spent primer and size the case.

If you have the Safety Prime attached to the press, then you lower the ram just a tad and swing the plastic primer arm over to it, press the plastic slider on the arm and a primer is placed in the little primer post/cup (that is kind of tilting out of the ram). Then as you lower the ram to the bottom the primer post swings back underneath the shell holder and the case is forced down onto the post to seat the primer into the case primer pocket.

I actually like the Safety Prime mechanism and seating consistency so much that I rarely use my hand priming tool anymore.

[10Ringmagic]

I started loading on a Lee Classic Turret.

Bought it as a kit with the Pro Powder set up, w/safety primer system, that was three years ago, and I have never loaded using anything else.

Works very well for me.

[twins]

My question is with the lee 4 die set on the turret press do you deprime when you resize? I already have a rcbs hand primer and I would probably use it to prime but I Am a little confused on how I would deprime

I deprime with the Lee Universal decapping/depriming die (just screw it on an any caliber setup I already have on the press) as the first step in cleaning fired brass. The replacement pin is cheap just in case something is amiss and I break a pin (haven't broken one yet). Since I deprime prior to hand or tumble clean, I don't want to chance getting "grime" in my sizer die.

As for the safety prime that comes with the classic turret press kit, it's a great way to seat a primer quickly and consistently. Haven't touched a hand prime unit since. It takes a little bit of time to get comfortable with it, but once you do, your hand primer will be a paper weight.

[Sevens]

I deprime with the Lee Universal decapping/depriming die (just screw it on an any caliber setup I already have on the press) as the first step in cleaning fired brass. The replacement pin is cheap just in case something is amiss and I break a pin (haven't broken one yet). Since I deprime prior to hand or tumble clean, I don't want to chance getting "grime" in my sizer die.

If this process works for you then I don't have any problem with it whatsoever, but given that we have a brand new guy that started this thread, I'm going to say that your method here isn't at all what I would suggest.

Depriming before cleaning brass will not make the primer pockets available to clean... unless you are using a sonic cleaner with liquid, the primer pockets will be just as dirty (or just as clean) as they were before you ran them through the tumbler. A tumbler running for 24 straight hours still won't clean a primer pocket.

Only now, you've got the chance of having media stuck in your flash holes that MUST be removed. Media in the flash hole could obstruct the flash from the primer and create a squib load. Media stuck in the flash hole could bend or displace the decap rod on the sizing die. And not to forget -- using the universal decapper is yet a whole added step to the process, one that is, IMO, entirely unnecessary. That's one more lever throw and one more piece of brass in to and out of the shell holder. For no gain.

Furthermore, many (most?) of us quit cleaning primer pockets on handgun brass YEARS ago and can't see even the slightest bit of difference. It's probably been 50,000 rounds since the last piece of handgun brass primer pocket that I've cleaned and it'll be NEVER when I do it again.

Having a universal decapper could be a helpful tool in the right instance, but as a regular part of the process? It's superfluous and a real time waster.

[azphx55]

Lee Classic Turret with Factory Crimp Die (handgun loads)
My procedure:

Lever down: case is decapped and resized, off-hand thumb feeds a primer.

Lever up: primer is seated
[optionally remove case to tare on electronic scale]
[optionally check primer seating (until you learn the feel)]

Lever down: powder drops, mouth is slightly flared

Lever up: inspect powder level in case
[optionally remove case to weigh powder]
place bullet in case mouth

Lever down: seat bullet

Lever up: nothing

Lever down: crimp

Lever up: remove finished cartridge

[Sport45]

My question is with the lee 4 die set on the turret press do you deprime when you resize? I already have a rcbs hand primer and I would probably use it to prime but I Am a little confused on how I would deprime

As NWPilgrim said, the classic turret has a hollow ram and the primers drop out through the bottom. You mentioned priming on a RCBS hand primer so I thought I'd warn you; if there isn't a primer arm in place on the ram the Lee Classic Turret can spit primers out the front slot on the ram.

To ensure all the primers go where you want them to, just install one of the primer arms when you're depriming.

[twins]

Sevens,
Different strokes for different folks. As others who clean primer pocket also, I like getting the crud out.....which is quite thick with certain primer.

[Sevens]

No argument there, just wanted to give him both sides.