Lee Classic Turret Press

[Smoke & Recoil]

@ bedbugbilly,
Hey, I'm in Michigan too...Muskegon.

[Merad]

Yeah I don't really see how working the press by hand could work out to be just as fast as the auto indexer. Maybe not that much slower once you get used to it, but you are having to make 4 extra movements that the auto mode saves you from.

I wonder how expensive it would be to replace the indexer piece and its housing with aluminum or something...?

[Reloader2]

Why not just pay the .50 for a replacement piece.

[DannyB1954]

Very happy with my LCT. I use it as a single stage for decapping sizing, and case length trimming. Then I clean the brass and put in the indexer rod and the second set of dies, (the 3 remaining dies from the lee 4 die set, and I put a charge checking die in after the flaring die).

[CHUEYBEANS]

Read a ton of these replys and pretty much confirmed my decision to go the Lee route. Found a brand new Lee classic turret press online for $107.00 to my door. This will be my first piece of equipment purchased to begin reloading and wanted some feedback on whether or not this is a good buy for a beginner. Looking at loading my .300 blk and 5.56. Any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[Lost Sheep]

Originally Posted by Merad

Yeah I don't really see how working the press by hand could work out to be just as fast as the auto indexer. Maybe not that much slower once you get used to it, but you are having to make 4 extra movements that the auto mode saves you from.

I wonder how expensive it would be to replace the indexer piece and its housing with aluminum or something...?

You are right about the speed difference. Manual indexing can be done easily enough. The hand operating the handle is up near the turret anyway, just reach a bit further and give a twist. But the auto-indexing is SO much more convenienct, accurate and quick.

The plastic indexing arm could be made of metal, but why? It is the indexing ratchet that breaks. But it is designed to break before the indexing arm breaks, sacrificing a 50 cent piece to protect a six dollar piece (or $16 piece if made of aluminum). And if something binds up in the indexing and the 50 cent piece DOESN'T break, what will? The indexing rod could take a twist, the position adjusting nut atop the indexing rod could get turned and loosen. Better the square ratchet should break. But it really doesn't need to. Operated properly the ratchet should last tens of thousands of strokes before wearing out, and should never actually break.

[mikejonestkd]

Operated properly the ratchet should last tens of thousands of strokes before wearing out, and should never actually break.

Agreed, I am still on my original square plastic piece - 50K (200K cycles ) rounds and its still going strong.

[5whiskey]

Another fan of the LCT... actually pretty much all of lee's stuff. It bucks the rule of "you get what you pay for." Honestly, I think it's a very good value.

[dssajj]

Just finished 1K .223 on mine. Love it.

[markr]

I don't get how people break the plastic thingy. The spare is in a medicine bottle somewhere on my bench.

[totalloser]

I didn't break mine, I just think it's kinda funky. I made a half attempt and left it off since I use mine almost exclusively for support operations.

[Hardcase]

I can't even count how many .30-06, .30-30 and other various and sundry handgun calibers I've loaded on my LCT. Lately I haven't had time to shoot much, so I've been doing my reloading on a single stage press, but short of a progressive press, that LCT is the fastest thing out there - and easy to use.