Classic Turret Press

[kmw1954]

One question: Can I convert it to a three station?

Not unless you now find a used three hole press. Lee Has discontinued all those old press parts. The action rod is six sided like the Pro1000. The turrets and the turret retainer are also different and use a different lug design.

[Ranch Dog]

klr, it sounds to me like you need a Pro 1000 as well

[klr]

Oddly enough, I was thinking the same thing. But now I want to use it for brass prep. One station for resize, one to prime, and one to give the case mouth a slight flare. Or skip the primer so that I can throw the brass back in the tumbler to remove all the case lube. My reasoning is that if I'm using the APP to deprime, that is one press stroke. If I use a Pro 1000, I could deprime, size, and flare with one press stroke. Then I could run clean, resized, flared brass through my Loadmaster. The flare would save me from beveling the case mouth to make bullet seating easier.

[kmw1954]

Relate an experience.

Back before I purchased my ABLP I was using a Pro1000 and using it very successfully. Until I picked up a Witness 45acp and started have all sorts of problems with my reloads in it. After much work, resetting and chatting with numerous members on multiple forums we finally narrowed it down to the barrel and nothing that I was doing.

After going thru all this I found that by using the Lee Carbide FCD I could load plated bullets with 100% reliability. Now the only problem was tat the Pro 1000 only has 3 positions. So I needed to use the FCD in a separate operation

At first I tried in a single stage press and though it worked it wasn't what I wanted to do. It was cumbersome and took more time. Next I decided to try what a number of my friend so with their Pro1000 and set the turret up with the Powder thru die, seating die and finally the FCD. I also set up another turret with the sizing/decapping die.

I then set forth. the sizing, decapping and priming all went well, so then did the finishing stations. Only even after a month of this it just felt awkward to me. Out of step, out of natural rhythm. So from there I purchased the 4 station ABLP press.

So the Pro1000 can very easily be set up to use this way and with the new APP press and more and more people wet tumbling their brass I am surprised I do not see more reloaders moving in that direction.

[GasGuzzler]

Oddly enough, I was thinking the same thing. But now I want to use it for brass prep. One station for resize, one to prime, and one to give the case mouth a slight flare. Or skip the primer so that I can throw the brass back in the tumbler to remove all the case lube. My reasoning is that if I'm using the APP to deprime, that is one press stroke. If I use a Pro 1000, I could deprime, size, and flare with one press stroke. Then I could run clean, resized, flared brass through my Loadmaster. The flare would save me from beveling the case mouth to make bullet seating easier.

Be wary the amount of flare affects the operation of the AutoDrum (if that's what you're using). Pre-flared cases will make it drop inconsistently ... I think.

[Ranch Dog]

klr, it sounds to me like you need a Pro 1000 as well

Oddly enough, I was thinking the same thing. But now I want to use it for brass prep. One station for resize, one to prime, and one to give the case mouth a slight flare. Or skip the primer so that I can throw the brass back in the tumbler to remove all the case lube. My reasoning is that if I'm using the APP to deprime, that is one press stroke. If I use a Pro 1000, I could deprime, size, and flare with one press stroke. Then I could run clean, resized, flared brass through my Loadmaster. The flare would save me from beveling the case mouth to make bullet seating easier.

Dude, I was kidding!

In that you dived deep, which cartridge(s) is this for? And, why the "slight flare"?

[klr]

Re: Flare

GG - Last night I used a significantly flared case to set up the Auto Drum for Varget. It worked fine and I was getting very consistent charges. I then started reloading with brass with no flare and the charge stayed the same. So I don't know why it would matter. What do I need to keep an eye out for?

RD - I was thinking a slight flare would let me skip chamfering the case mouth when seating flat-based bullets for .223. In other words - laziness.

I didn't realize you were joking. When a guy with 5 Loadmasters tells me I need something, I listen!

[larryw]

I think I'm really fortunate that I started reloading pre-web.

Yup, & everything else he said!! I've owned or used about all of it I think,
& still do. Probably 75% still Lee.

PS,, I forgot to say, I love my Lee 4 hole turret!!!

[GasGuzzler]

Re: Flare

GG - Last night I used a significantly flared case to set up the Auto Drum for Varget. It worked fine and I was getting very consistent charges. I then started reloading with brass with no flare and the charge stayed the same. So I don't know why it would matter. What do I need to keep an eye out for?

Not my experience at all. If I run an already flared case over and over to set up the drum, the charge will be slightly different when an un-flared case is used during the real run. The drum is actuated a different amount with a flared case than one getting flared. Pretty sure this has been discussed here before.

[Ranch Dog]

Re: Flare

GG - Last night I used a significantly flared case to set up the Auto Drum for Varget. It worked fine and I was getting very consistent charges. I then started reloading with brass with no flare and the charge stayed the same. So I don't know why it would matter. What do I need to keep an eye out for?

Not my experience at all. If I run an already flared case over and over to set up the drum, the charge will be slightly different when an un-flared case is used during the real run. The drum is actuated a different amount with a flared case than one getting flared. Pretty sure this has been discussed here before.

My guess is in that the rifle charging die does not use an expander, it doesn't matter. I suspect that the neck thickness of the 223 is such that the slight flair used does not expand out further with the rifle charging die's insert. I've noticed that with the slider popsicle stick minimum for the Auto Drum that I mentioned in another topic, you can still get consistent charges even with some variation in case length. If the slider is lower in the range, not so.

With the PTED though, I want a fresh sized case through the AutoDrum every time.