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Old October 15, 2012, 04:43 PM   #1
mjc3022
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Complete Newb needs help setting up Lee Turret

Hi all,

I'm brand new to reloading and have a few questions regarding the set-up of my Lee Deluxe 4 Hole Turret Press Kit With Auto Index. I'm having a hard time following the included instructions. Does anyone know if there is a more detailed setup guide or video anywhere?

I feel like a lot of these answers will be pretty simple, so if anyone can throw me a bone here -- I'd really appreciate it. Some questions I have:

1. Where does the little black plastic square ratchet go?
2. The turret does not currently index all the way -- just turns slightly.
3. Placement of the shell holder -- why do I have two of them?
4. The indented groove on the large ram tube does not align properly with the insert on the base casting -- I'm not sure how to adjust that.
5. There is this silver washer thing in a weird shape -- have no idea where that goes.

Again, any help would be greatly appreciate -- seems like this should be fairly simple and straight forward -- just can't seem to figure it all out.

Thanks,
Matt
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Old October 15, 2012, 05:33 PM   #2
Scoutmom
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Lee Classic

You might want to check youtube. Sometimes there are some very good videos.
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Old October 15, 2012, 06:30 PM   #3
dacaur
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Quote:
1. Where does the little black plastic square ratchet go?
Its already installed, the one you have is an extra provided in case you strip it out. (read on)

Quote:
2. The turret does not currently index all the way -- just turns slightly.
You might have already stripped out the ratchet. It goes in the black thing attached at the top of the ram, take out the screw and check to see if its stripped, if it is, put in the spare and order some more. If you move the handle down part way (ram up part way) , then try to turn the turret by hand, you will strip the ratchet, Its only safe turn the turret by hand with the auto index installed if the ram is all the way up or all the way down. (its also safe on the upstroke AFTER you hear the "ping" of the index bar falling back down, or on the downstroke BEFORE the turret starts turning, but to be safe, I only do it when its all the way up or all the way down.)

Quote:
3. Placement of the shell holder -- why do I have two of them?
It goes into the slot in the top of the ram, One came with your die set, if you have two the other might have come from a lee trimmer.

Quote:
4. The indented groove on the large ram tube does not align properly with the insert on the base casting -- I'm not sure how to adjust that.
Its not supposed to align, you are good. If you prime on the press with the included little primer arms, you will see why, otherwise, dont worry about it.

Quote:
5. There is this silver washer thing in a weird shape -- have no idea where that goes.
Me either! apparently, its not too important, as I have never missed it.... its in my spare parts drawer though.....
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Old October 15, 2012, 06:43 PM   #4
jimkim
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I'm guessing the washer is for the primer feed. If you don't have the primer feed, you don't need it.
http://leeprecision.com/primer-feed-washer.html

http://leeprecision.com/turret-press-help-videos.html
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Old October 16, 2012, 09:40 AM   #5
snuffy
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Well, the first thing to do is box it back up, send it back where you bought it. Then order the classic turret, you'll be glad you did! Night and day difference between the deluxe turret and the new, better, upgraded classic turret.

I HAD a deluxe turret before the classic came out. I sold it because I had just bought a dillon 650. While the 650 is a great machine, it is NOT good at doing load development on. So I bought a classic turret, it woks so much better than the old deluxe. No more spent primers all over the bench, floor, everywhere but where they're supposed to go, in the base. Then, when the base DOES fill up, you have to dismount the press to get them out.
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Old October 16, 2012, 12:48 PM   #6
mikld
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One idea, and IMO good for a beginner, is to disable the auto-index and turn the turret manually. I believe the plastic ratchet is a "sacrifical" part which will break before any major damage is done to the press (short stroking messes up the ratchet every time). Once you learn to reload/use the press you might not need to "automatic" anything...
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Old October 16, 2012, 03:13 PM   #7
p loader
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I agree on disabling the auto indexer. I have done this and still go very slowly in manual mode.
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Old October 16, 2012, 04:13 PM   #8
tkglazie
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I definitely agree that the unit should go back and be replaced with the classic. The two units are not even in the same class
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Old October 16, 2012, 08:10 PM   #9
dacaur
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Nah, the deluxe is fine. The only real downsides are of course the primers on the floor, which is a minor inconvenience at most, and its a little shorter, so you cant do as long of cartridges.... with my deluxe, 30-06 is a minor pain as I have to take the bullet out to move from bullet seating to crimping, but its not really a big deal and adds perhaps 3-5 seconds per cartrige.... Certainly neither of those is worth taking it back to the store.

As for the base filling with primers, a shop vac will suck most of them out.... I wait till I have a few hundred to deprime and do them all in one go, then break out the shop vac and vacuum up the ones on the floor and in the base.....

As for sending it back and getting a classic, why? With the deluxe you get all you need to reload for around $100, then if it really bugs you, for another $100, you can buy a classic.... SO basicaly for the price of a "classic kit", you get two turret presses and everything else you need to reload

Eventually, I will probably get a classic turret, but until I have a one hundred dollar bill I dont need, the deluxe turret will pump out just as good of ammo as the classic would, with only minor inconvenience.....
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Old October 17, 2012, 07:05 AM   #10
Qtiphky
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Lee's website

If you go to Lee's website, they used to have videos there showing you all of that stuff. That's the same kit that I have and I have well over 10,000 rounds loaded on it with only the auto indexer plastic washer malfunctioning. Bought more and found I really don't need them. The metal washer, yep, still haven't figured out what that is for and I've been using it for 3-4 years now so obviously I don't need it for what I do.

I load for pistols (380 ACP, 38 Spcl, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 10mm, 9mm, and 45 ACP) and rifles (30 M1 Carbine, 204 Ruger, 223 Rem, 22/250, 308 Win, 300 WSM, 270 Win, 303 Brit, and 8mm Mauser) using this same old press. Yes, the spent primers sometimes miss going in the base, but nothing a vacuum won't suck up.

I use a Lee zip trim to trim all of my rifles cases. Can get a little labor intensive, but I don't do huge batches at one sitting either (too much ADD) in my blood to focus for much longer than a couple hours anyway. My wife got me a sonic cleaner for Christmas last year and I love it. I didn't buy one because I never saw the need. Still don't probably need it, but the cases look real good now and seem to cycle better and reload easier.
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Old October 17, 2012, 09:24 AM   #11
hulley
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I have a deluxe turret and honestly I havent even replaced the plastic spacer yet. Its a fine press and when I upgrade to the Dillon XL650 I will still keep the Lee turret up for the small batches or precise loads. I load 9mm, 38spl, 357mag and starting 45acp this weekend and have dies for 30-30.
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Old October 17, 2012, 12:17 PM   #12
mikld
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FWIW, my Lee 4-station Classic (old style) press has been reloading for over 15 years. I have 5 turrets set up for my handgun ammo, and one extra turret I switch dies on for rifle cartridges. I also have three other single stage presses and two hand presses, and the Lee turret is as good as any press I have operated in 30 years (I also ran a friend's Dillon super-duper, everything automatic reloading machine a couple times). I also have a turret stuffed with Lee sizing dies. No reason to trade your's in...

Used primers; I have the priming tool installed on the ram and 99% of the primers punched out hit this tool and bounces out the hole in the side of the ram. My press is mounted on an alum plate which slides in and out of a fixture mounted to my bench. I have a 2" hole in the bottom of the plate and to remove used primers, I shake the press over my brass bucket.
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Last edited by mikld; October 17, 2012 at 12:22 PM.
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