The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Be aware that the Lee safety priming system is particularly finicky and temperamental, I got rid of my Lee Classic Turret because the priming system is unreliable. Just look on the internet and see how many articles and videos there are about getting it to work, speaks volumes about the problems it causes

A fine press let down by the priming system.

i bought a Lee turret when they first came out aeons ago. I think that they have ruined it by adding extre holes. All you need is three. All my dies are fixed in Lee turret plates and are never disturbed. I am sympathetic to checking the die adjustment every time if loading high velocity ammo where length, crimp etc are critical. I don't do this: most of my loading is obsolete calibres of low velocity. I have other presses, but they don't see much use. Most of my priming is by the old Lee auto prime: i have four of these for large rifle, large pistol small rifle and small pistol. Like Dromis, when I need case lube it is applied by finger and wiped off before the rounds go into the box.
Fred

dromia wrote:Be aware that the Lee safety priming system is particularly finicky and temperamental, I got rid of my Lee Classic Turret because the priming system is unreliable. Just look on the internet and see how many articles and videos there are about getting it to work, speaks volumes about the problems it causes

I've been using that on my single stage press for some years and, to be honest, I don't find it that bad. Mine is the old sort with the circular primer trays.
Yes, it drops the odd one and yes, you can never get the last two or three out but apart from that, i haven't had many problems.
Maybe I've been lucky!
S

PS...
For some odd reason, my wife seems to think that posting on here and asking you all if I need something, only to be told 'Yes!' is NOT a good reason for keeping on buying things.
I tried to explain that it's nearly three weeks since I last bought a gun but she doesn't seem convinced...

Never had a problem with the safety primer system, loaded 1000’s of rounds. What problems have you guys had?

I use a Lee Classic turret and find it very efficient.

I use the round Lee safety prime and have never had an issue with its function.

When I am loading pistol calibre ammunition, I use the indexing rod and a Lee auto disk powder measure fitted to the turret.

Coupled with the Lee safety prime, I can crank out around 200 rounds/hour when I get a rhythm going.

For bottle neck rifle cases, I remove the indexing rod and rotate the turret by hand and check each powder throw in my Redding beam scale prior to charging the case.

I always prepare all my brass beforehand and just prime, charge and seat bullets during the loading process.

ukrifleman

I’m afraid I’m the other way. I found the movement on the turret was not conducive to consistent rifle ammunition. Exactly the same reason why I don’t load rifle ammo on my Dillon 550. A Lyman Crusher II for rifle and a 550 for pistol/carbine ammo. The Lee especially had too much play for my liking.

The play is a good thing! It allows the die set to correctly align the bullet and case in the die. If there is no play, you are relying on the press ram and its bore being perfectly in line with the 7/8" UNF thread, the the thread itself being perfectly concentric and the outside thread on the dies being pefectly concentric with the bores of the dies. Not really feasible. The only automatic adjustment that you are left with is the play of the case head in the shell holder.
Fred

Didn’t work for me, Fred. I found te variation in OAL too great for my liking, nigh on completely eliminated when I stopped using the turret...

I bought a Lee Progressive 1000 when i first started pistol shooting back in the mid/late 80's... I had seperate turret heads for .38 and .45.

In the confiscation of 97, i put in the .45 dies, but kept everything else as i intended to get a .38/.357 carbine (which was the first rifle i bought with the compo money).
That Lee is still going strong and still used for my .38 loads.

I agree the priming system is cranky, but the main thing is to keep it full of primers... once the last primer goes below the socket, take the primer tray out and refill it.
Reliable primer feeding relies on the weight of primers in the chute to feed the next primer into the press.