Thinking of a Lee Turret Press

[Empe]

If you're seriously thinking of getting started in reloading you might not want to wait too long .
When I got started just a couple of years ago my equipment had sat unused for a year or more because reloading components...primers and powder were pretty much non existent because of shortages.
According to some we could very well be heading into another powder/primer shortage this coming year.
Right now powder and primers are still readily available and at reasonable prices...at least compared to just a year or two ago.
I've spent the last two years purchasing components a little at a time so that I'll not run short if/when another shortage does hit.

 

[jsbethel]

I have reloaded many 9mm rounds over many years using a Lee classic turret press with great results. Eventually, I got a good deal on a used Dillon SDB and sent it back to them for a factory refresh and set-up. The thing is I was so used to my routine with the turret press, I never took the Dillon out of the box.

 

[6string]

There’s a lot of Lee “Kool-Aid drinkers” on here, so this might be a waste of time.
I loaded on a single stage RCBS for years before adding a multi-stage press. I went to the NRA Show in Charlotte, NC in 1999. All the name makers were there and they had their stuff set up so you could load dummy rounds and, thus, give them a test drive.

I have a lot of Lee gear and most of it is great: Lee Loaders, Auto-Prime, powder measures and dippers. But, the presses? No!
They all feel cheap and seem rough. Lots of play between parts that should be tight.
Also, Lee is terrible about parts, service, and warranties. If (when!) it breaks, somehow, it will be your fault. And, they will tell you how dumb you are in the process. The cost of servicing their gear is usually close to the price of just buying a replacement. Gee, what a deal!

Anyhow, back to the NRA show….The folks at Dillon invited me to have free reign with everything from the Square Deal up to the RL 1050. The Square Deal was not too good. You have to really lean on it to resize, and it felt like it would break. The 550 and 650 were perfect. Tough, refined, and smooth.
For the needs of the OP, a 550 would be perfect.

When you buy a Dillon, you get a product built by a company that stands behind it. If you go to sell it, you recoup your investment.
Lee? Well, just go visit the reloading forums and look at the classifieds. Lee stuff is the Pariah with Leprosy! Resale value is almost nil. Are you really “saving money” or getting a “great deal” when nobody will touch their used stuff?

Oh well, just my two cents.
Feel free to gulp down the “Red Kool-Aid” if you prefer!

 

[BC38]

I am not doing as much practice with my Model 60 38/357 revolvers because of the price of ammunition and just bought (today!!!) a Model 69 in 44 mag/44 Special. Talk about sticker shock for the ammo.

After watching a number of videos I am circling the drain on buying a Lee Classic turret press and configuring turrets for each caliber I will be loading. I think I will just manually place primers rather than using a feed tube and the kit I am looking at comes with the auto drum powder measure.

I will probably do 100 - 200 rounds a month and am retired so don't mind sitting a bit and putting some labor into the job. I definitely don't want an automatic press. I like the turret press so I can set up multiple turrets and reuse them without checking all the distances by changing out dies on a single stage press.

Has anyone used the Lee Classic Turret Press? I'd definitely appreciate any resounding pros or cons.

Any thoughts on the Lee auto drum powder measure?

Thanks in advance.

Yessir, I am a BIG fan of the Lee Classic 4-Hole Turret press - for a few reasons.
1) As a new reloader, you can take the auto-advance rod out and use it like a single-stage press until you get a little more comfortable with the process.
2) Once you get more comfortable with reloading, you can drop the auto-advance rod back in, and set up the Auto-Prime system to prime on the press between the resize/deprime and the powder drop stages, and that allows you to use it as a semi-progressive press.
3) Inexpensive and easy swaps of the die holder plates make switching from one caliber to another a breeze. It's basically a "set it and forget it" when you adjust each set of dies. From that point on, switching calibers is as easy as swapping one die-holder plate for another and adjusting your powder measure.
4) For a new reloader, PRICE is a big factor. What if you try it and decide reloading isn't for you? The Lee press is a LOT more affordable than a RCBS or Dillon - because they don't offer anything in between a single-stage press and a full progressive press - and a full progressive setup can get EXPENSIVE.
5) The 4-hole Classic Turret allows you to seat and crimp in separate stages - and even use a Lee Factory Crimp die for crimping. That is viewed as sacrilege and a "crutch" by some of the Dillon/RCBS/Lyman fans, but IMO it is a great way for new reloaders to produce very consistent ammo right out of the gate with much less of a "learing curve".
With the 4-hole Classic Turret you'll never crank out the rounds as fast as you would with a full-on progressive press, but unless you are needing to mass produce a few thousand rounds at a time that isn't a big deal, and a few extra pulls of the handle aren't a big detriment for the new to mid-level experience reloader. Also it is much easier to adjust and set up than a full progressive - especially when changing calibers.
Guess I qualify as one of the Lee Kool-aid drinkers - but it works for me.

 

[gmiller0737]

I own 2 Lee Turret Presses One Classic that is maybe 3 years Old & a Older one that's 20 plus years old the old one was converted to the 4 hole Turrets with the bow discontinued update kit,Zero Problems from either one The Classic is much heavier duty compared to the older one,I have all My dies in Turrets so Caliber Changes are quick & easy,I have Dies for .380,9mm,38/357,.44 Magnum,45 ACP,.223,.270,30/06,7mm Rem Mag,45/70,for someone (Like Me) that does not want a full progressive press but wants more speed than a single stage press the Lee Turret Press in a great choice both of mine have a aftermarket LED Light Kit that is a good addition,As Far as the Auto Drum Powder measure I have 3 I use them for Rifle Caliber Loading & just leave the already set measure in each die set ready to go,For Pistol Calibers I use the Deluxe Auto Disk Measure both Measures have been problem free.

 

[Borderboss]

I don't have the turret press but I have five Lee progressive presses that I've owned for probably 35 years. I've cranked out tens of thousands of rounds with them and they've given me little trouble. Occasionally a primer won't feed, which leads to me needing to pull the bullet and dumping the powder back. Otherwise, no issues.

Why five of them? I don't like to mess with a press to change calibers once it's nicely set up.

 

[Model19man]

I own many presses including two Lee 4 hole Turret presses. I started out with the 3 hole Lee 1000 press when it first came on the market.

I think you will be happy with the Lee Turret press. The plastic parts that make it index are something you will want to have spares on hand because they wear out and fail every 2 - 3 thousand rounds. Otherwise a well designed tool for the price.

 

[mtgianni]

I bought a Lee Turret press in 1988. It is still running. I upgraded to a 4 hole kit. Priming is not smooth but I find it isn't on anything Lee. I don't use it as often as I used to but it still runs okay. I go through the plastic gizmos that have it advance as they are a wear item. For me it was a good press as an in-between a progressive and a single stage.

 

[henry1089]

Lee 4 hole Turret

The Lee 4 hole turret is a really great press to start reloading on if your new to the process, or don't want to spend two mortgage payments on a reloading press
I don't drink kool-aid...I make my choices on fact and performance.
I have had two of these presses for well over 10 years and have loaded 10's of thousands of rounds on them with little to no issues.
I could load 50 rounds in about 18-20 minutes give or take, taking my time and not being in a hurry (about 150-175 p/hr). I did this every morning before going to work for close to 10 years.....lots of bullets thought this press, I still use them regularly in retirement.

They are well made, fairly simple to set up and use, and are reasonably priced. Yes you can buy something much more expensive but why.... If it works, and serves your needs

I would buy a turret for each Caliber. I have .380. 9mil, 38/357, 45 colt, 45acp 38 super, and .223. I have never had problems with any of them.

I like the disc system for powder drops better than the auto drum and have used the micro adjustable auto drum as well. Depending on powder your using the discs deliver very consistent powder drops. I have had no real problems with the priming on this press
The little "UFO" light for this press is a game changer for old eyes

I have nothing but good things to say about Lee Customer Service
when calling with questions or buying turrets or the little plastic replacement indexing part for the 4 hole turret. They are made to be replaced at some interval and they are usually around 1$
apiece

I also have a Lee Load Master. I would not recommend this press
It is complicated and has major issues with the priming system
I have loaded many many thousands of rounds on this press as well, but it is not user friendly alot of the time. If your really mechanically inclined, you can get it to work, but it is problematic

It has been discontinued and has been replaced by the 6 pack.
I just bought a six pack from Lee, on a upgrade deal.... and they gave me a sweat heart deal on it, due to the ongoing issues with the Load master.
They did not give me any **** about it.... they were in fact, quite helpful and friendly about the whole thing . I have not set up the 6 pack yet.

you can't go wrong with the 4 hole turret
Primers and Powder are not going to get cheaper or more available
get it while you can

 

[pasound]

I've had two Lee turrets over the past 30 years. The original, a three die, was sold to a coworker so he could get his cowboy action ammo for a good cost. It was replaced by a four die press. I removed the rotator stem and use it a a four-position single stage for half a dozen different pistol and revolver calibers. Each has it's own turret, using RCBS carbide dies and Lee taper crimps. I have an Auto Load power measure on a separate single Lee press. All I have to change is the powder micrometer, and move the cases back and forth to a couple of loading trays. Not terribly fast, but accurate and fast enough for my needs.

 

[Dave_n]

I looked at the Lee turret, but went with the Classic Cast single-stage instead. I mark my dies with a Sharpie and hardly ever have to futz beyond just screwing them in. I’d have no problem doing 500 a month with this setup.

Note that the Lee turret can be set to auto-advance or not. Might be unique in that aspect.

BTW, I mounted my press on the wall so I can use it while standing - really like that. And this winter I’ve been doing some small test batches with a Lee Hand Press - like that too!

I used to use Lee Turrets but years ago, I set up three Lee single-stage presses as I can alter them for any of the calibres that I use (pistol/Rifle) in a couple of minutes and they are ready to run. Dave_n

 

[rickflst]

I have been using the Lee Classic turret press for 8 years to reload 38 45 40. It is a 4 hole turret. If you use it correctly you wont mess up the plastic indexing square. However if you mess the square up and it stops not indexing Lee will send you one free. Get the auto prime. It doesn't cost much and makes the job easier if you have arthritis. As for the the Auto drum powder it works well. Meters W231 great. Keep your eye on the drops though as a safety measure. I check every 15 to 20 rounds and have not had an issue. Usually it is still right on the money.

 

[dogdoc]

For somebody like you who loads a few hundred rounds a year , a Lee press or any turret press is fine. I have a couple of turret presses but for my volume I use Dillon progressives. They would be a waste of money for your volume.

 

[Rodan]

I have been using a 3-die Lee turret press for over 30 years to load handgun ammo. It's not as fast or fancy as a progressive press, but it works just fine.

I prefer to clean my brass and hand prime, so I size/decap on a single stage (RCBS), then tumble the brass. I hand prime with a Lee hand prime tool, which gives an opportunity to inspect the brass. Once it's primed, it's ready for the turret press.

On the press, 1st station is an Auto disc powder measure. Inexpensive and accurate enough for most pistol loads. 2nd station is the seating die, and 3rd station crimping, if I am crimping separately (eg, taper crimp). Easy to hand rotate the turret for each step.

Certainly, there are more complex, faster and/or expensive ways to load your handgun ammo, but the Lee Turret works just fine. Mine has produced many thousands of rounds over the decades.

One really nice thing is that I can leave a caliber set up on it's own turret, and all I have to move is the powder measure, so switching calibers on the press takes only a minute or two.

 

[slickracer]

I’ve been running a Lee Classic Turret press for about 12 years now and have been very pleased with it. You won’t be disappointed. I load .38 Special, .357, 9mm, .45 ACP, .44 Special and .223. Probably have loaded around 60,000 rounds with it.

 

[venomballistics]

If you have a little reloading experience, the new six pack pro is worth a look.
I've been working with one lately. I have about 4000 rounds through it and it's running remarkably well.
It's still a little "young" but I'll sign off on it as being worth consideration.

 

[BC38]

If you have a little reloading experience, the new six pack pro is worth a look.
I've been working with one lately. I have about 4000 rounds through it and it's running remarkably well.
It's still a little "young" but I'll sign off on it as being worth consideration.

I hadn't heard about this new press. Looks like a full-on progressive.
Price is getting up there pretty close to Lyman/Dillon/RCBS territory though - at least it is on the Lee site. Others may be selling it at a discount below Lee MSRP though.
Gonna have to look into this one!

 

[venomballistics]

I hadn't heard about this new press. Looks like a full-on progressive.
Price is getting up there pretty close to Lyman/Dillon/RCBS territory though - at least it is on the Lee site. Others may be selling it at a discount below Lee MSRP though.
Gonna have to look into this one!

it is a full on progressive.
where lee keeps taking nickles out of a design till it wont work, then puts a dime back in, they put in a couple of quarters on this one.
I think they are trying to be taken seriously.

 

[Rule3]

They are also coming ou with a Ultimate turret press, 3,4,5,6 stations. Better handle and case ejector.


I have been using a LCT for years and find myself using it more than my Hornady LnL progressive. The turret is much easier to change calibers and primer sizes.
I shoot a lot of calibers and not mass quantities of one kind.


Lee Precision, Inc.. Ultimate Turret Press

 

[venomballistics]

I expect to see that die plate in the six pack in the future.
Caliber change is a little painful, but primer change is easier than their hand tools, and actually reliable for a change