OK, OK, There is play, ofcourse. & like you PaulS, I've bent cases, mostly due to sloppy shell holders. I have so many shell holders now, I just find one that's snug anymore. But, the play you are talking about is minimal. When I rotate it into position, it's as solid as a chambered round in a bolt action rifle. Isn't that good enough? Even a single stage has got play, i.e., ram, shell holder, etc. Are you happy now, I had to go back on my word, admit to some play, now no one will trust a word I say here anymore (as if they did), I'm ruined, reputation gone (as if I had one), now I'm alone again, got no friends, I wanna crawl in a hole & die. What, what do I hear...a voice..."the only thing that can restore your reputation is for all others to admit their presses also have play in them, regardless"...you hear that guys? I can be saved. Who's going to step up on my behalf? Keep it coming...

P.S. If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because the wife & are are going on vacation. As soon as they release her from the hospital, tomorrow or Monday, we're going to Minot, ND to send my son stationed there off to Korea.

Hey George I am with you man. The more I work my Lee the better it's getting. The only thing that I have not been able to over come is the powder charge. It's throwing between 5.1grs to 4.7grs. I get it where I want it but after 40 to 50rds it's off again. I ordered a ajustable charge bar today and I think that will take care of that.
Tell that young man of yours that he will be in our prayers. I have a nephew stationed in Minot also. Good Luck.. Charlie

George
Our prayers are with you and your son.
Hope the wife is ok too.

Have a nice trip George. I'd admit for you that the Lee has some play but I dont got one

Anyways hope your wife is a nurse at the hospital and not actually sick And Godspeed to your son going to Korea.

Dimitri

Dimitri wrote:

Have a nice trip George. I'd admit for you that the Lee has some play but I dont got one Anyways hope your wife is a nurse at the hospital and not actually sick And Godspeed to your son going to Korea. Dimitri

Dimitri, I wish she was a nurse, but, she's not. She's in there because of an illness that no one can find the cause of. She blleds out & then has to get several units of blood to get her close to normal. They've done hundreds of tests and can't find where she bleeds from. I've had her in ER 9 times in the last 7 months for the same problem.

Anyway, thanks to all for your concern. I'm trying to get her healthy enough to make the trip, but haven't said anything to my son, he has enough to worry about.

Keep it coming...

George,

Sorry to hear that. Our prayers are with her

I hope she gets better soon.

Dimitri

Sorry to hear it George, Hope all is well and she gets better very soon.

Poor george,
I think that all my shell holders have some play in them too - But I've never bent a case because of them. The rams in my presses have some clearance for lube but its not enough to see or feel. The linkage in my rock chucker used to have lots of play after I tried to swedge bullets with it but it is without play now because I fitted it with Torrington needle bearings.
I guess that just shows that you should use the right tool for the job. I am making a press with which to swedge bullets. (Among all my other projects)

Well I went & did it, got a new press. The wife is still in the hospital, may be there til Tuesday, so, I have time to waste before we start our vacation, so I took a coupon & a gift card I had to Sportmans Warehouse & bought a Redding T-7 turret press.

Obviously it's better than my old LEE 3 hole turret press, which, I will still use, but the T-7 can handle the longer 300 Weatherby shells better, my only purpose for buying a new press. I can't seem to steer clear of the turret versions.

I see in this thread how others have a low opinion of the LEE turret (not sure if it's new or older versions like mine they talk about), but is that opinion the same for the T-7 by Redding? The T-7 seems to be a pretty solid platform. Any pro's & con's out there regarding the T-7?
Keep it coming...

George,
The Redding is a solid platform with a rear support for the turret and a ram that supports the shell holder and case. The turret is mounted to the press with bearings that take most of the tension from the upstroke. It is nearly as strong as the Lyman turret press. On the down side I don't think that Redding ha incorporated any rear adjustment to make up for wear. The attachment of the turret is not as secure as the Lyman but it is adequate for any reloading task. Don't use it to form cases larger than the 223 Rem. or you risk bending or breaking the cast parts or damaging the bearings that support the turret.

PaulS, For my intended use, I think it's going to work out fine, strictly reloading, no case forming. But, since you raised that thought, what is a good press for case forming?
Keep it coming...

George,
Depending on the case size and how modified it is to be an "O" type heavy duty press is alway the best. You need to have a frame that is either cast iron or forged Steel. The ram should be of tool steel and at least an inch in diameter. You also need lots of leverage when forming large cases so the Toggle type of linkage is best too.
Who makes presses like this? Almost all of the top names have presses that fit the requirements. I am an old timer so I would recommend the Rock Chucker by RCBS or the presses that look like it and came after it. For the low dollar side of things the minimum press would be the C-H heavy duty press with the off-set "O" design, the Bonanza 68 series, or the Herter's heavy duty O press. Those three are the minimum amount of press for case forming. None of them is the top of the line made by the manufacturer but they are each strong enough to do the work.

george20042007 wrote:

I wish she was a nurse, but, she's not. She's in there because of an illness that no one can find the cause of. She blleds out & then has to get several units of blood to get her close to normal. They've done hundreds of tests and can't find where she bleeds from. I've had her in ER 9 times in the last 7 months for the same problem. Anyway, thanks to all for your concern. I'm trying to get her healthy enough to make the trip, but haven't said anything to my son, he has enough to worry about. Keep it coming...

Gidday George. Mate, I am sorry to hear that your wife is ill. Please pass on our regards from over here in Australia with hopes for a successful diagnosis and a speedy recovery.

My thoughts are with your son for a safe return home.

Cheers, Vince

Thanks Vince for the input. Wife got out of the hospital on the 9th, nothing found again, but she did get 6 units of blood. We left for Minot, SD on the 10th, arrived late on the 11th, and started back on the 17th, got home on the 19th...gotta say...I'M BACK.

It was a good trip, had lots of fun, spent lots of money. Even got a new Stoeger Condor Supreme 12 gauge O/U shotgun ($499.00), single trigger, selective barrels, auto ejectors, 2 bead ventilated rib. Same features as on guns costing over $1000.00. I didn't know it was possible to get an O/U with so many features at so low a price. I'm looking forward to Dove season in September.

Our trip was a true vacation...very relaxing, good company, lot's to do, yet restful. Still, it's good to be back, and so I don't break the thread, I got to do a lot of reloading of 12 gauge to get ready for the upcoming season, but, I'll be using my MEC 9000 instead of a LEE Pro 1000

Keep it coming...

Thanks Vince for the input. Wife got out of the hospital on the 9th, nothing found again, but she did get 6 units of blood. We left for Minot, SD on the 10th, arrived late on the 11th, and started back on the 17th, got home on the 19th...gotta say...I'M BACK.

It was a good trip, had lots of fun, spent lots of money. Even got a new Stoeger Condor Supreme 12 gauge O/U shotgun ($499.00), single trigger, selective barrels, auto ejectors, 2 bead ventilated rib. Same features as on guns costing over $1000.00. I didn't know it was possible to get an O/U with so many features at so low a price. I'm looking forward to Dove season in September.

Our trip was a true vacation...very relaxing, good company, lot's to do, yet restful. Still, it's good to be back, and so I don't break the thread, I got to do a lot of reloading of 12 gauge to get ready for the upcoming season, but, I'll be using my MEC 9000 instead of a LEE Pro 1000

Keep it coming...