[JDSTG58]

.........

[Fwdftw]

The base is made outta a different material on the Lee classic vs deluxe

[Colorado4Wheel]

Ram is bigger as well, nicer primer catcher, nicer linkage, nicer handle, longer stroke, stronger base feels more rigid.

It just feels smoother and nicer in about every way.

They both work. We should talk about that scale you got.

[Fwdftw]

agreed! i like my rcbs 503

[Colorado4Wheel]

Originally Posted by JDSTG58

3) After I set up the press, the Auto Index worked fine for the first 500 rounds. Then it stopped rotating the turret at all. If I remove the Index Rod, the Turret spins freely by hand. What did I mess up? Is there something I should know that I haven't figured out?

Thanks For any Help.

There is a plastic disc inside the turret. It may need to be replaced. You should have a spare with the press. Always move to handle to a place where the turret moves easily with out binding when you change turrets.

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by JDSTG58

OK Here are my Questions:

1) What is the Difference between the Lee Turret Press and The Lee Classic Turret Press? After I set mine up, Ive seen many of you say to only get the Classic..... Too late now, but Id like to know for the future.

2) What else would you suggest I get?

3) After I set up the press, the Auto Index worked fine for the first 500 rounds. Then it stopped rotating the turret at all. If I remove the Index Rod, the Turret spins freely by hand. What did I mess up? Is there something I should know that I haven't figured out?

Thanks For any Help.

1. That got discussed in C4W's sticky... The Kempf kit, and the kit that everyone else sells, is totally different. My opinion, if you used the Classic Turret, you'd send what you have back. (Nevermind, I see it was given to you...). The spent primer system alone is enough to want to use the Classic Turret over the Auto Turret.
2. A BETTER SCALE
3. Check that plastic disk.

My guess is, you removed that turret a few times, and the turret wasn't completely free.

[sig357fan]

Originally Posted by JDSTG58

HI All

I posted this last week, but it was lost before I could read any of your responces.... Thanks for the help and patence.......

I was given a Lee Deluxe Reloading Kit last year when my family learned I wanted to get into reloading. It has been a busy year and I just set it up 2 months ago. I plan on reloading 200-300 a week. Heres what I have so far, all is made by Lee:

4 Hole Turret Press with Auto Index
Safety Powder Scale
Auto Disk Powder Measure
Primer Pocket Cleaner
Deluxe 4 Die Carbide Sets in 9mm, .357, .44, .45 acp
Extra 4 Hole Turret for each Die set
Safety Prime Large and Small
Pro Auto Disk Update Kit
Powder Funnel
Auto Prime and Shell Holders
Pro 4-20 110 volt Melting Pot
Ingot Mold and Ladle
Double Cavity Molds Tumble Lube in 9mm, .357, .44, .45acp, .44 Black Powder
Auto Disk Riser
Resizing Lubricant
and Liquid Alox

Reloading books by Lyman, Speer, Hornady
8# Unique
10k Primers

OK Here are my Questions:

1) What is the Difference between the Lee Turret Press and The Lee Classic Turret Press? After I set mine up, Ive seen many of you say to only get the Classic..... Too late now, but Id like to know for the future.

2) What else would you suggest I get?

3) After I set up the press, the Auto Index worked fine for the first 500 rounds. Then it stopped rotating the turret at all. If I remove the Index Rod, the Turret spins freely by hand. What did I mess up? Is there something I should know that I haven't figured out?

Thanks For any Help.

O.K., here’s some answers.

1. The Lee Classic Turret press is a newer design using a cast iron base and a larger diameter ram, it uses a “thru the ram spent primer catch“ with a detachable tube at the bottom of the ram to catch spent primers. It uses the “Safety Prime“ priming system to load a prime into the primer arm at the top of the ram stroke, then to be seated in the case at the bottom of the ram stroke. The handle is made of a steel rod that is adjustable both in location around its attaching bolt and height.

The Lee Turret press uses a base shared with the Pro 1000 and is made of, I believe, aluminum. Originally a three hole turret, it is now available with a four hole turret as well as an up grade for older three hole turrets to convert to four hole turret. Priming is done with a “T” shaped priming arm for both large and small primers, located at the front of the press body. The handle is cast aluminum and is adjustable around its attaching bolt.

Both presses are operated in basically the same manner, one pull of the handle for each operation, sizing/depriming, charging, bullet seating, and crimping with priming done at the down stroke of the ram between sizing/depriming and charging the case with powder.

2. Looks like you have about everything you need, I would, however, consider a better scale. I’ve never used the Lee Safety Scale but have read reviews on this site that suggest it isn’t the best or easiest to work with. You also mentioned sizing lube, not needed with carbide sizing dies found in the handgun calibers you mentioned.

3. I’m not real familiar with the Lee Turret press but if it uses the same indexing method of the Classic Turret press there is a small black plastic “square” the slides on the indexing rod, which engages inside a “ratchet“ housing attached to the top of the ram, just under where the shell holder sits. If you try to rotate the turret when the ram is at the bottom of the stoke the black plastic square is engaged in the ratchet and you will round off the corners of the black plastic square and it will eventually round off enough so as to not engage the ratchet correctly on the down stroke of the ram, preventing indexing to the next die station. You can prevent this from happening by raising the ram to half stroke before manually indexing the turret.

Hope this helps and come back if you have any more questions.

sig357fan

-edit-

add a way to clean your brass.

[IndyGunFreak]

I think we have a consensus on #3..lol

[atakawow]

You will 'need' a tumbler.

Also, as Sig357fan mentioned, the plastic square thing will get used out. Don't worry about short/long stroke, just do as you like to speed up production. If the square thing gets worn out, no problem, just order a bunch more, they are under a buck each last I remember. For the record, I short stroke about at least once every round since I'm only using three holes in a four hole turret. It has been more than a year and I only had to replace the square part once.

Improper turrets switching will hurt the mechanism more than anything.

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by atakawow

You will 'need' a tumbler.

Not really.... It's nice to have if you wanna find your brass among the other brass at the range.. , but it's not totally necessary.

[atakawow]

Originally Posted by IndyGunFreak

Not really.... It's nice to have if you wanna find your brass among the other brass at the range.. , but it's not totally necessary.

Haha, I could not live without a tumbler. Check my location. 90% of the 'free' brass is buried in wet soil.

[IndyGunFreak]

Originally Posted by atakawow

Haha, I could not live without a tumbler. Check my location. 90% of the 'free' brass is buried in wet soil.

AH, ok... being a typical flatlander, I use a broom and dustpan and sweep my brass off a concrete slab..

IGF

[JDSTG58]

.......

[sig357fan]

Originally Posted by JDSTG58

Thanks for the info.

I took the Auto Index Clamp off, and the square ratchet was striped. Unfortunately so was the Clamp itself, The screw just puled straight out. I will have to give them a call for parts.

I wonder if it would be worth it to make a metal ratchet?

The screw stripping in the ratchet housing isn't anything new, just find a 10-24 (I think!) screw a little longer than the original screw and run it through the ratchet housing and add a nut to the end of the screw to tighten it up, don't over do it as you could crack the ratchet housing.

Making a metal housing may solve the stripping problem, but may cause some other problems, I can't think of anything right off hand but if the ratchet housing and indexing square are designed to be the fail point when the press is overstressed, making one of them out of metal adds a whole new dynamics to the mix.

The stripping issue can be avoided by half stroking the ram when indexing to another station or removing the turret.

Sometimes you just have to learn the particulars of a mechanical devise by trial and error, fortunately, this fix won’t be too expensive, chock it up to a lesson learned.

sig357fan

[Uncle Don]

Originally Posted by JDSTG58

Thanks for the info.

I took the Auto Index Clamp off, and the square ratchet was striped. Unfortunately so was the Clamp itself, The screw just puled straight out. I will have to give them a call for parts.

I wonder if it would be worth it to make a metal ratchet?

I'm actually still on the first ratchet since I got the press in 06. You simply have to raise the ram to take turrets in and out so it doesn't put a bind on them. The two spares it came with are still attached to the rear post with a bread tie. Look at the fourth video down.

Get the new clamp and a couple of ratchets and do the following when changing them and I doubt you need any more in the life of the press.

http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Turret-Press-Help.html

[JDSTG58]

.........

[Uncle Don]

An easy error to make and very inexpensive. Now that you know, I'll bet that next ratchet lasts you for years.

[rivardj]

I also stripped one of the ratchet squares on my Lee press, I never rotated the turret with the lever in the incorrect position to cause it to strip. Mine stripped because of the turret detent ball in the turret ring binding and not allowing the turret to rotate as free as it should have been able to rotate. Be sure to put a drop of oil on the turret detent ball.

[JDSTG58]

........