Lee Classic Turret Press

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 11:24 AM

I just started a noob thread about getting a good value press and it looks like The Lee will be my choice. I'm looking for a kit and wondering where I can pick one up for the best price. Also what else would I need to get? I plan on reloading .380, .40, 9mm, and .223. I will be using brass for the 223 from Prvi 5.56 M193 and Lake City XM193. I hear I might need a tool to cut the case and remove primer crimp for this ammo...what tools would do this?

Sam06 · January 2, 2009, 11:49 AM

Here are 3 that will do the job, They are in order of worse to best or least expensive to most if you want to say that

:

Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer-This is a hand tool for low volume

RCBS Primer Pocket Swaging Combo-This fits into the press

Dillon Super Swage 600-this is a stand alone tool and what I have.

The good thing about Swaging the crimp out is you only have to do it once

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

I just started a noob thread about getting a good value press and it looks like The Lee will be my choice. I'm looking for a kit and wondering where I can pick one up for the best price. Also what else would I need to get? I plan on reloading .380, .40, 9mm, and .223. I will be using brass for the 223 from Prvi 5.56 M193 and Lake City XM193. I hear I might need a tool to cut the case and remove primer crimp for this ammo...what tools would do this?

I'll try to take this one thing at a time.

1. If you mean the Lee classic turret kit which includes the priming system, scale, and pro auto disk powder measure, check Kempf's and Cabela's.

2. You'll need dies for each caliber, a turret for each caliber for easy, fast caliber changes, the double disk kit for the powder measure for loading .223, and the rifle charging die for loading the .223.

3. The Dillon Super Swage 600 is BY FAR the best option for removing primer crimps. Hands, down. End of story.

A word of advice: If you're going to use the pro auto disk measure to load .223, stick to ball powders like H335 and BL(C)-2. It doesn't work all that well with stick powders like Varget. If you want to use stick powders, get a quality stand alone powder measure like an RCBS Uniflow.

Also, the scale that comes with the Lee kit is kind of horrible. Everything else in the kit is great, but the scale is just wretched. I'd highly recommend getting a good scale.

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 12:26 PM

Looked for the Dillon swage on ebay and couldn't find any. How much are they new? Also do I need a tool to cut the 223 brass after it's been fired?

Selfdfenz · January 2, 2009, 12:30 PM

ratdog

No comment of the primer pocket swaging situation as it's not required for the rounds I reload.

As much as I hate this when I see it [not responding to the question the OP asked] I'm going to suggest you look at the Lyman Orange Crusher set Natchez sells because it comes with a digital balance, a trimmer, 55 powder measure [OK for ball powder] and a decent reloading manual. You have to change dies between funtions but that's not as big a deal as many make it out to be.

And I say this even though I have and really like Lee products (ss presses, a progressive, dies, etc.) and will contuniue to use'em as I have for about 20-25 years. I just think the Lyman has a lot to recommend it for a beginner for the price.

Let us know what you end up with and HNY

S-

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Looked for the Dillon swage on ebay and couldn't find any. How much are they new? Also do I need a tool to cut the 223 brass after it's been fired?

The Super Swage is $90 but worth EVERY penny if you have a lot of cases to prep. You won't find them on eBay. Those of us who own them don't get rid of them, ever.

Yes, you'll need a case trimmer and calipers. You have to look in your manual to find the max case length and make sure your cases aren't over that length. If they are, you need to trim them. I recommend the Forster original case trimmer. Works great.

Note, I've only ever trimmed rifle cases. Pistol cases don't need it.

Don P · January 2, 2009, 12:41 PM

Try www.Midway.com for your press. They have some of the best prices around and you can also check this site out. Real friendly people and they take the time to listen and answer your questions. www.factorysales.com I use Lee's press and load 5 calibers and have a total of $319 invested. thats dies, press, scale, turret plates, tumbler/with media. I did purchase the anniversary kit. IMO its the way to go for just starting out.

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 12:45 PM

$90 might be a little steep. I don't shoot alot and currently have 2,000 brass rounds. I figure I will shoot 200-300 per range visit and go to the range 3 times a month. Don't you think I could get by with a less expensive more manual method considering the lower volume I shoot

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 12:49 PM

I wouldn't consider 2000-3000 cases a small amount. You'll be stuck using a primer pocket reamer, since the RCBS swaging tool (about $40) only works on single stage presses.

The difference between reaming and swaging is that reaming "cuts" the crimp out, while swaging kind of "pushes" it out of the way. Swaging does a much cleaner, more consistent job.

If you don't get the Dillon unit, you have a lot of wasted time, and a pair of sore hands to looks forward to. :barf:

Don P · January 2, 2009, 12:54 PM

I still say Lee is the way to go. Shooting almost a case of ammo a month at least here in FLA would be spending $189+ tx per month for factory ammo. I am currently loading 9mm for .10 per round. $100 per case.

benzuncle · January 2, 2009, 03:27 PM

+1 on what DaveInPa said about the Lee 4-Hole Classic Turret Press Kit and Kempf Gun Shop. I bought my Classic Turret Press in kit form from them almost a year ago. A number of vendors have the Lee stuff; Kempf had it all when I wanted it with no backorder this or that. Once you order your equipment, you are gonna want it in about 20 minutes, no?

Mine came before I expected it! WOOT! And it has worked just great! I bought another 45 with the money I saved by purchasing a Lee setup. Easy learning curve, very decent quality and low cost. That's me all over the place.

The Deluxe Carbide Pistol dies are $33 each. The rifle dies are $28. The 4-hole turrets needed for each caliber are $10. As for the Lee Beam Scale: I just bought a digital scale which showed me that the Lee scale is indeed accurate to within a tenth of a grain as advertised. The Charge Bar is a handy unit ($8) and I upgraded to the Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure and the Safety Prime System when I purchased my kit from Kempf, and am way happy with my setup.

I don't load any rifle rounds; watch for posts by CrustyFN. He has the Classic Turret Press and loads 223 rounds along with pistol ammo. You will know his setup by the "3" ball he uses for the handle. That is NOT a Factory item!

Good luck.

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 04:06 PM

I don't mind putting a little sweat into using something like a Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer and save some money. The only concern would be safety. Using the tool, could you screw up and somehow be more prone to a primer not being seated right and causing a slamfire? Also would the rcbs below be good for both trimming cases and reaming the crimp?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...=cat20849&rid=

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

I don't mind putting a little sweat into using something like a Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer and save some money. The only concern would be safety. Using the tool, could you screw up and somehow be more prone to a primer not being seated right and causing a slamfire? Also would the rcbs below be good for both trimming cases and reaming the crimp?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...=cat20849&rid=

*sigh*

You're willing to spend 100 bucks on the prep center but not 90 on the super swage?

Anyway . . .

I find that the super swage does a much better job than the Hornady reamer, allowing for easy and complete seating of primers. It's the better product, hands down.

That prep center:

1. Does not trim cases.
2. The crimp remover attachment for it sucks, bad.

I have the RCBS prep center. I use it to chamfer, deburr, and uniform the primer pockets. It's great for that stuff. But it does not trim and the crimp remover is horrible.

I would really urge you, if you're going to spend 100 beans on a case prep tool to buy the super swage before you buy that case prep center. I have both, but I would give up the prep center before the super swage any day of the week.

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 05:15 PM

I didn't realize it didn't trim cases. Is there an affordable case trimmer...probably manual...out there. Also is it necessary to get a case tumbler to clean brass? and once again is there an affordable option. sorry for all the noob questions.

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 05:50 PM

No problem. It's good to be informed. First, do you have a reloading manual yet? You need to have one and read it cover to cover. Lots of essential info.

Anyway . . .

1. I would recommend the Forster trimmer. Does a fantastic job and the collets do a better job of holding the small .223 cases than the chucks on some other trimmers:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=614276

2. It is very important to clean cases before resizing. Any dirt on the cases, even a tiny little piece, can damage the inside of the resizing die, causing it to blemish every case run through it after that point.

rwilson452 · January 2, 2009, 06:03 PM

The most affordable case trimmer is Lee. I would spend the extra bucks to get the ball handle for it.

Quote:

I didn't realize it didn't trim cases. Is there an affordable case trimmer...probably manual...out there. Also is it necessary to get a case tumbler to clean brass? and once again is there an affordable option. sorry for all the noob questions.

I chuck mine up in my cordless and trim away. The down side of the Lee trimmer is it is not adjustable. You buy a different gauge for each caliber. The shell holder and gauge are about $5 each.

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 07:35 PM

How's this for a tumbler?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...853&hasJS=true

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 07:48 PM

That's the kit I've been using. I've tumbled thousands of pieces of brass and haven't had a single problem. Just don't use the polish, it's not very good. The media is fine though.

CrustyFN · January 2, 2009, 08:01 PM

Quote:

You have to change dies between funtions but that's not as big a deal as many make it out to be.

Not a big deal but a lot slower than the classic turret. Your looking at going from 200 per hour on the classic down to around 50 per hour on a single stage.
As far as case trimmers go I use the Lee. You can get one for 223 for $10 to $15 and if you chuck the lockstud in a cordless drill you won't believe how fast it is. The classic turret is a great press. I have been using one for two years and have been very happy.
Rusty

ratdog · January 2, 2009, 08:22 PM

Nice setup...What kind of digital scale? I'll probably need one of those too. I'm thinking of going with the Lee manual trimmer and the Hornady ream tool. If I really get into this hobby I'm sure I'll end up buying all the expensive stuff but want to keep it simple at first.

Is there a carbide die set for 223 or am I stuck using lube?

Dave, Do I need the double disc kit for the powder measure? It looked like it was included with the Classic turret kit I just ordered from Cabela's.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

mrayw · January 2, 2009, 08:34 PM

Rat, do yourself a favor and buy a lee zip trimmer,$15-$18 bucks. I really like RCBS, have a pro 2000 progressive press that is great. Also have a $200 RCBS trim pro powered trimmer.Take my word and buy lee trimmer with $5 per caliber cutter. Or I know where you can by a cheap RBCS trim pro!! For the money can't beat LEE classic cast press and lee zip trimmer.

DaveInPA · January 2, 2009, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Nice setup...What kind of digital scale? I'll probably need one of those too. I'm thinking of going with the Lee manual trimmer and the Hornady ream tool. If I really get into this hobby I'm sure I'll end up buying all the expensive stuff but want to keep it simple at first.

Is there a carbide die set for 223 or am I stuck using lube?

Dave, Do I need the double disc kit for the powder measure? It looked like it was included with the Classic turret kit I just ordered from Cabela's.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

1. You have to lube all bottleneck cases. I recommend Dillon spray lube.

2. It does not come with the double disk kit. You'll need it to load rifle rounds, as the use of one disk at a time will not allow you to throw a big enough charge.

mrayw · January 2, 2009, 08:40 PM

You will need double disk kit for .223. You can save money with the lee equipment I have described but if you have to ream very much 223 military brass you will really appreciate the dillon swage tool. I use RCBS which is about $25 but if I had it to do over would have tried the dillon. And I am not a dillon fan! You realize you only have to swage 223 once fired military brass.

Selfdfenz · January 2, 2009, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Not a big deal but a lot slower than the classic turret. Your looking at going from 200 per hour on the classic down to around 50 per hour on a single stage.

He's not loading that volume if I understand matters correctly.

Years ago before, I got my progressive, I found if you reloaded in stages you could reload 400 rounds or more with all cases going though any given step as a batch and it wasn't unduly tedious. Actually I spread the process out over a few nights and that worked well for me. That was handgun ammo. Rifle ammo was a different story but he would have to decide if he'll be loading enough 223 cases at a time to make a difference.

I still sometimes/often load 50 rounds of pistol ammo in the singe station press if I'm tying out a new component/different charges etc. Always go ss press for the rifle cals but then again that's almost all variable/small batch stuff.

Best

S-

CrustyFN · January 4, 2009, 02:09 PM

This is the scale I have. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1 It works fine but after using a friends Dillon digital scale I would spend the extra and get the Dillon. You don't have to have a digital, there are a lot of balance beam scales that are very good and easy to use.
Rusty

January 2, 2009, 11:24 AM	#1
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	Lee Classic Turret Press I just started a noob thread about getting a good value press and it looks like The Lee will be my choice. I'm looking for a kit and wondering where I can pick one up for the best price. Also what else would I need to get? I plan on reloading .380, .40, 9mm, and .223. I will be using brass for the 223 from Prvi 5.56 M193 and Lake City XM193. I hear I might need a tool to cut the case and remove primer crimp for this ammo...what tools would do this?

January 2, 2009, 11:49 AM	#2
Sam06 Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: Fayettenam Posts: 1,086	Here are 3 that will do the job, They are in order of worse to best or least expensive to most if you want to say that: Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer-This is a hand tool for low volume RCBS Primer Pocket Swaging Combo-This fits into the press Dillon Super Swage 600-this is a stand alone tool and what I have. The good thing about Swaging the crimp out is you only have to do it once __________________ The two most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.

January 2, 2009, 12:30 PM	#5
Selfdfenz Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2001 Location: The Gas Tax State Posts: 949	ratdog No comment of the primer pocket swaging situation as it's not required for the rounds I reload. As much as I hate this when I see it [not responding to the question the OP asked] I'm going to suggest you look at the Lyman Orange Crusher set Natchez sells because it comes with a digital balance, a trimmer, 55 powder measure [OK for ball powder] and a decent reloading manual. You have to change dies between funtions but that's not as big a deal as many make it out to be. And I say this even though I have and really like Lee products (ss presses, a progressive, dies, etc.) and will contuniue to use'em as I have for about 20-25 years. I just think the Lyman has a lot to recommend it for a beginner for the price. Let us know what you end up with and HNY S- __________________ Selfdfenz

January 2, 2009, 12:41 PM	#7
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Try www.Midway.com for your press. They have some of the best prices around and you can also check this site out. Real friendly people and they take the time to listen and answer your questions. www.factorysales.com I use Lee's press and load 5 calibers and have a total of $319 invested. thats dies, press, scale, turret plates, tumbler/with media. I did purchase the anniversary kit. IMO its the way to go for just starting out. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

January 2, 2009, 12:54 PM	#10
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	I still say Lee is the way to go. Shooting almost a case of ammo a month at least here in FLA would be spending $189+ tx per month for factory ammo. I am currently loading 9mm for .10 per round. $100 per case. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

January 2, 2009, 12:26 PM	#4
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	Looked for the Dillon swage on ebay and couldn't find any. How much are they new? Also do I need a tool to cut the 223 brass after it's been fired?

January 2, 2009, 12:45 PM	#8
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	$90 might be a little steep. I don't shoot alot and currently have 2,000 brass rounds. I figure I will shoot 200-300 per range visit and go to the range 3 times a month. Don't you think I could get by with a less expensive more manual method considering the lower volume I shoot

January 2, 2009, 12:49 PM	#9
DaveInPA Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2008 Location: Berks County, PA Posts: 1,106	I wouldn't consider 2000-3000 cases a small amount. You'll be stuck using a primer pocket reamer, since the RCBS swaging tool (about $40) only works on single stage presses. The difference between reaming and swaging is that reaming "cuts" the crimp out, while swaging kind of "pushes" it out of the way. Swaging does a much cleaner, more consistent job. If you don't get the Dillon unit, you have a lot of wasted time, and a pair of sore hands to looks forward to. :barf:

January 2, 2009, 03:27 PM	#11
benzuncle Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2008 Location: Central Florida Posts: 357	+1 on what DaveInPa said about the Lee 4-Hole Classic Turret Press Kit and Kempf Gun Shop. I bought my Classic Turret Press in kit form from them almost a year ago. A number of vendors have the Lee stuff; Kempf had it all when I wanted it with no backorder this or that. Once you order your equipment, you are gonna want it in about 20 minutes, no? Mine came before I expected it! WOOT! And it has worked just great! I bought another 45 with the money I saved by purchasing a Lee setup. Easy learning curve, very decent quality and low cost. That's me all over the place. The Deluxe Carbide Pistol dies are $33 each. The rifle dies are $28. The 4-hole turrets needed for each caliber are $10. As for the Lee Beam Scale: I just bought a digital scale which showed me that the Lee scale is indeed accurate to within a tenth of a grain as advertised. The Charge Bar is a handy unit ($8) and I upgraded to the Pro Auto Disk Powder Measure and the Safety Prime System when I purchased my kit from Kempf, and am way happy with my setup. I don't load any rifle rounds; watch for posts by CrustyFN. He has the Classic Turret Press and loads 223 rounds along with pistol ammo. You will know his setup by the "3" ball he uses for the handle. That is NOT a Factory item! Good luck.

January 2, 2009, 04:06 PM	#12
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	I don't mind putting a little sweat into using something like a Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer and save some money. The only concern would be safety. Using the tool, could you screw up and somehow be more prone to a primer not being seated right and causing a slamfire? Also would the rcbs below be good for both trimming cases and reaming the crimp? http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...=cat20849&rid=

January 2, 2009, 05:15 PM	#14
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	I didn't realize it didn't trim cases. Is there an affordable case trimmer...probably manual...out there. Also is it necessary to get a case tumbler to clean brass? and once again is there an affordable option. sorry for all the noob questions.

January 2, 2009, 05:50 PM	#15
DaveInPA Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2008 Location: Berks County, PA Posts: 1,106	No problem. It's good to be informed. First, do you have a reloading manual yet? You need to have one and read it cover to cover. Lots of essential info. Anyway . . . 1. I would recommend the Forster trimmer. Does a fantastic job and the collets do a better job of holding the small .223 cases than the chucks on some other trimmers: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=614276 2. It is very important to clean cases before resizing. Any dirt on the cases, even a tiny little piece, can damage the inside of the resizing die, causing it to blemish every case run through it after that point.

January 2, 2009, 07:35 PM	#17
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	How's this for a tumbler? http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...853&hasJS=true

January 2, 2009, 07:48 PM	#18
DaveInPA Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2008 Location: Berks County, PA Posts: 1,106	That's the kit I've been using. I've tumbled thousands of pieces of brass and haven't had a single problem. Just don't use the polish, it's not very good. The media is fine though.

January 2, 2009, 08:22 PM	#20
ratdog Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 58	Nice setup...What kind of digital scale? I'll probably need one of those too. I'm thinking of going with the Lee manual trimmer and the Hornady ream tool. If I really get into this hobby I'm sure I'll end up buying all the expensive stuff but want to keep it simple at first. Is there a carbide die set for 223 or am I stuck using lube? Dave, Do I need the double disc kit for the powder measure? It looked like it was included with the Classic turret kit I just ordered from Cabela's. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

January 2, 2009, 08:34 PM	#21
mrayw Member Join Date: May 15, 2007 Posts: 62	lee zip tr immer Rat, do yourself a favor and buy a lee zip trimmer,$15-$18 bucks. I really like RCBS, have a pro 2000 progressive press that is great. Also have a $200 RCBS trim pro powered trimmer.Take my word and buy lee trimmer with $5 per caliber cutter. Or I know where you can by a cheap RBCS trim pro!! For the money can't beat LEE classic cast press and lee zip trimmer.

January 2, 2009, 08:40 PM	#23
mrayw Member Join Date: May 15, 2007 Posts: 62	double disk kit You will need double disk kit for .223. You can save money with the lee equipment I have described but if you have to ream very much 223 military brass you will really appreciate the dillon swage tool. I use RCBS which is about $25 but if I had it to do over would have tried the dillon. And I am not a dillon fan! You realize you only have to swage 223 once fired military brass.

January 4, 2009, 02:09 PM	#25
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	This is the scale I have. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1 It works fine but after using a friends Dillon digital scale I would spend the extra and get the Dillon. You don't have to have a digital, there are a lot of balance beam scales that are very good and easy to use. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.