What do I need to get this old Lee press functional?

[CQB45ACP]

Nice floors

 

[ballman6711]

What looks like rust is mostly poor lighting, with some light patina on some of the bare metal parts. I wouldn't even call it rust. The ram looks bad in one of the pics because of the oil I put on it, but the last pic shows what the ram really looks like. It really is in very good shape.

chris

 

[ballman6711]

Nice floors

Thank you!

chris

 

[R44 flyer]

My parents came to visit a few days ago and bring us some Christmas gifts. Dad also brought me his old Lyman tumbler and his old Lee press. Thanks dad!

Anyway, researching the press it appears to be a Lee three hole turret press. It's about 40 years old and missing a few parts. I know I need a three hole turret to make it useable at the least, but what other parts do I need? I have no interest or desire to make it an auto rotating press, so those parts don't need to be mentioned. I have dies and shell holders, so don't need those either. Here's a pic of the press, the ram was a little sticky but I soaked it with a few drops of oil and worked the lever a bit and now it's pretty smooth.

View attachment 1185819

Thanks.

chris

All you need is a three hole turret. I would bet your dad has a few with dies in place. A coffee can was a good place to store filled turrets. They stopped using the long handle in the early 80’s.

 

[wild willy]

Your press looks good to me.The early 3 holes did not have auto index yours is a older one it has the older linkage on the press where the roll pins are.Lee had/has a upgrade for there that’s the only weak place on the press.If you call I’d ask about it they used to send them for free.The primer arm look like a T if you have some post a picture and we’ll let you know.Mine was from the first year they made them.I updated to a 4 hole then when the value press became available I got one of those.

 

[dartor]

I'm not familiar with the Lee 3 hole press, but is it missing the left front leg also?

 

[ballman6711]

I'm not familiar with the Lee 3 hole press, but is it missing the left front leg also?

I don't think so, the pictures I've seen show it with just three legs. I think it's so you have an opening to put your brass in and out, and you can move the front leg to the left side, as well as the handle, if you're left handed. Very creative thinking in the design.

chris

 

[kcofohio]

I'm not familiar with the Lee 3 hole press, but is it missing the left front leg also?

I thought it may be missing also. But the picture doesn't show signs of a witness mark where a bolt would have been.

 

[kcofohio]

I don't think so, the pictures I've seen show it with just three legs. I think it's so you have an opening to put your brass in and out, and you can move the front leg to the left side, as well as the handle, if you're left handed. Very creative thinking in the design.

chris

I looked at my LCT 4-hole turret, and it has pretty much the same pattern.

 

[LV Gun]

My parents came to visit a few days ago and bring us some Christmas gifts. Dad also brought me his old Lyman tumbler and his old Lee press. Thanks dad!

Anyway, researching the press it appears to be a Lee three hole turret press. It's about 40 years old and missing a few parts. I know I need a three hole turret to make it useable at the least, but what other parts do I need? I have no interest or desire to make it an auto rotating press, so those parts don't need to be mentioned. I have dies and shell holders, so don't need those either. Here's a pic of the press, the ram was a little sticky but I soaked it with a few drops of oil and worked the lever a bit and now it's pretty smooth.

View attachment 1185819

Thanks.

chris

I have one of those 28 years old and still use it but I am going to replace it as the ram is getting loose in the base . I tried to get some new parts from Lee but this is what I found on there website.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Any progress?

 

[ballman6711]

Any progress?

Yes. @codytrucker sent me an unneeded turret as a PIF. Thanks again codytrucker! I also picked up a couple more in case I can't get any in the future. I haven't found a primer arm yet so I can't really use it as a true turret press since I can't prime on it.

I have got it bolted to my basement work bench, and used it to deprime/size a handful of 9mm brass, and it works fine. That large/long lever gives plenty of leverage, but I think I'll restrict it to pistol loading. It does throw spent primers here and there, kind of willy nilly. I came up with a quick little solution that helps a lot, basically a small piece of folded cardboard, that helps but I still was getting a few primers going astray. Currently thinking of a better, more permanent fix.

I currently have three dies set in the turret, all size/deprime, in 9mm, 45acp, and 38/357. I don't have them properly tightened down yet, but I'll hopefully get that done in the next few days. Unfortunately, between her doctors appointments and mine, I don't often have time to reload, but sometimes I just say "heck with it" and put everything else aside and make time to reload.

I have to get dinner started now but if I get a chance I'll post a few pics later. If I can't get to it today, I'll get to it in the next few days.

chris

 

[CQB45ACP]

Yes. @codytrucker sent me an unneeded turret as a PIF. Thanks again codytrucker! I also picked up a couple more in case I can't get any in the future. I haven't found a primer arm yet so I can't really use it as a true turret press since I can't prime on it.

I have got it bolted to my basement work bench, and used it to deprime/size a handful of 9mm brass, and it works fine. That large/long lever gives plenty of leverage, but I think I'll restrict it to pistol loading. It does throw spent primers here and there, kind of willy nilly. I came up with a quick little solution that helps a lot, basically a small piece of folded cardboard, that helps but I still was getting a few primers going astray. Currently thinking of a better, more permanent fix.

I currently have three dies set in the turret, all size/deprime, in 9mm, 45acp, and 38/357. I don't have them properly tightened down yet, but I'll hopefully get that done in the next few days. Unfortunately, between her doctors appointments and mine, I don't often have time to reload, but sometimes I just say "heck with it" and put everything else aside and make time to reload.

I have to get dinner started now but if I get a chance I'll post a few pics later. If I can't get to it today, I'll get to it in the next few days.

chris

Happy to hear it’s moving along. Dinner & press.

 

[ballman6711]

Dinner in the crock pot takes awhile and needs to be started in the morning. Temps here are in the 20's today, and aren't expected to get above freezing for a few days, so I figured it would be a good day to make chili.

Making good chili is like making good ammo, start with good components and take as much time as you need to do it right. In the end the result is worth it.

chris

 

[Soonerpesek]

Making good chili is like making good ammo, start with good components and take as much time as you need to do it right. In the end the result is worth it.

You forgot about the 20 or so people that say you are doing it wrong.............

 

[CQB45ACP]

You forgot about the 20 or so people that say you are doing it wrong.............

Indeed. Back in the 70s I worked with a guy from Cincinnati. He said the best chili was from the Greeks who settled there. He talked about place named Skyline which had the best in town. They opened one here around that time and I admit it changed my entire chili preferences. First I’d ever heard of a chili mac.

But have to say I like it all.

 

[ballman6711]

You're right, I didn't get a habanero to put in it this time. I would have but I have to go across town to get one and she said don't bother.

Back to this press, I believe this press could make very good ammo. I was a bit concerned (not sure if that's really the correct word) about the turret moving up and down and causing COL variance, etc.... But it seems that what others have said is that the turret moves up and stops solid during operation, which would remove most if not all variation in every step of the process.

I still have a lot to learn.

chris

 

[ilbob]

I have one of those 28 years old and still use it but I am going to replace it as the ram is getting loose in the base . I tried to get some new parts from Lee but this is what I found on there website. View attachment 1187656

What kind of lifetime guarantee is that?

 

[CQB45ACP]

You're right, I didn't get a habanero to put in it this time. I would have but I have to go across town to get one and she said don't bother.

Back to this press, I believe this press could make very good ammo. I was a bit concerned (not sure if that's really the correct word) about the turret moving up and down and causing COL variance, etc.... But it seems that what others have said is that the turret moves up and stops solid during operation, which would remove most if not all variation in every step of the process.

I still have a lot to learn.

chris

That movement is why I stopped using my Lee classic turret. Seemed to make consistent OAL impossible but regardless it was the nagging feeling that OAL would be off that bothered me more.

 

[LV Gun]

What kind of lifetime guarantee is that?

They will replace it if you send it back to them with half the price of the new one it’s a pretty good deal.

 

[LV Gun]

You're right, I didn't get a habanero to put in it this time. I would have but I have to go across town to get one and she said don't bother.

Back to this press, I believe this press could make very good ammo. I was a bit concerned (not sure if that's really the correct word) about the turret moving up and down and causing COL variance, etc.... But it seems that what others have said is that the turret moves up and stops solid during operation, which would remove most if not all variation in every step of the process.

I still have a lot to learn.

chris

The movement you are experiencing is normal that is why you set the sizing die so the shell holder pushes it slightly against the turret ring that holds the turret when sizing. The new style primer arms work in that press I use them on mine.

 

[LV Gun]

That movement is why I stopped using my Lee classic turret. Seemed to make consistent OAL impossible but regardless it was the nagging feeling that OAL would be off that bothered me more.

I don’t have an issue with OAL but I don’t check every round I have once you get it set mine has always been consistent

 

[CQB45ACP]

I don’t have an issue with OAL but I don’t check every round I have once you get it set mine has always been consistent

I quit using it several years ago. It’s like new, in the box, all the trimmings, but I don’t do online selling (actually it’s the money exchange) so there it sits until who knows when

 

[Varminterror]

I was RELATIVELY confident I recalled the old 3 holes using the same Safety Prime system as the LCT, and found this online:



The primer plunger assembly mounted in the press does look a little different than the current primer lever arm on the 4 hole turret, but I would bet heavily on anyone with an ability to reload ammo to also be able to modify a current production primer lever to fit this press. The lever arm is just a bit thinner on the old model, so the new may work without any modification.

 

[Varminterror]

I was a bit concerned (not sure if that's really the correct word) about the turret moving up and down and causing COL variance, etc.... But it seems that what others have said is that the turret moves up and stops solid during operation, which would remove most if not all variation in every step of the process.

Don’t worry about the upward play of the turret - too many of us have proven that LCT’s and LT’s produce consistent coals and further, produce very, very small groups. National PRS and World PR Champion Austin Buschman uses an LCT to load his ammo. If you’re not shooting in the 0’s and 1’s, you’re not shooting smaller than can be loaded on a Lee Turret.