Lee turret broke

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  • Last Post 25 October 2024
Dom8 posted this 16 October 2024

Anyone had one of these Lee 3 hole turrets break. I was collet neck sizing a 6.5x55 case when it let go. About 5 or 6 yrs old. Has been used mostly to load hand gun rds. 

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bill carson posted this 16 October 2024

No, but Im waiting for it to happen.

Ive the 4 hole classic turret myself, and the turret lifts up when seating a bullet, it seems if im not carefull enough seating..I can exaggerate the runout, but maybe im seeing things. Ill generally seat precision rifle bullets on the lee hand press.

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sandwman posted this 19 October 2024

You get what you pay for. While Lee Precision has many good products, their presses are cheaply made. 

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tomme boy posted this 19 October 2024

You had the die set to not cam over right? 

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John Alexander posted this 19 October 2024

I've been using Lee turrets with their collet dies since the original turrets came out many thousands of rounds, no trouble with any parts.

The Lee Collet Die (or any collet) can be improperly set so that the press can still apply more force AFTER  the collet has closed as far as it will -- either by having no more space between the fingers of the collet or because the collet has pressed the neck of the case tight onto the mandrel. If at that point more force is applied by the ram, especially if the die is set so the press is near the cam over point, tremendous force (many times what  it takes to size with the collet die) can be applied by the ram -  with movement impossible. Something gotta give.

It should NEVER take more that very light force on the press' handle to use the collet die.

Lee products are engineered to do what the competition does but a lower price. That is the essence of good engineering.  Doing something reliability and well for a dime what others can do for a dollar. That is not being cheap.

John

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Dom8 posted this 19 October 2024

Lee says, 25lbs of downward pressure. I have never exceeded that. Have been using  Lee collet dies for years on various other cal's. . Never a problem They have always worked fine. . I am still using various Lee products I bought way back in 1980 & 81. All those older items still working fine.  

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John Alexander posted this 19 October 2024

Was there, pre-chance, an inclusion, or sharp edge or nick in one of the fracture surfaces that could have concentrated stress and initiated fracture?

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99 Strajght posted this 21 October 2024

When something like this happens I usually look in the mirror first.

Glenn

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Ross Smith posted this 21 October 2024

I'm with John. I'm not familiar with aluminum, but when steel breaks there are shiny edges. If the edges are dark it is an old crack or casting fault.

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Duane Mellenbruch posted this 21 October 2024

I am not an expert on aluminum casting failures, but have seen several during my flying days.  I am trying to see a black powder which would result from the sides of a beginning crack as it fails through the casting.  At the point of final failure and separation, you might see a bright and clean area.  These photos of the same view of the part are not adequate to show this feature.

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Mike H posted this 21 October 2024

I would think that a replacement part would not be costly,replace it and keep on working.My Lee press is a Classic Turret,with a four hole turret,the ram has a stop at the top of the stroke so it cannot go over centre.I set the collet die so that when the ram is at the top of the stroke the collet is only engaged enough to size the case neck,it doesn’t take much force on the handle to achieve the desired result.No need for concern about how many pounds force on the handle.

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wimilkman posted this 23 October 2024

Well said John, I have all Lee reloading equipment and have been using it for 30 years now I have never had a turret let go and I load 10 different calibers . Titan Reloading explains Lees way of making there products if you go on there website look at From an Engineers Perspective it is quite informative.

Fred H.

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wimilkman posted this 23 October 2024

Dom8 , Call Lee CS they might just send you one if they still have them. They have always taken great care of me.

Fred H.

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jimkim posted this 24 October 2024

My buddy bought a Lee turret press in 1982. He sold it to me in 1990. I used it until 2012. I wasn't gentle with it. You could say I abused it at times, just prove a point. I gifted it back to him, when I bought my Classic Turret press. When he died someone else got it. As far as I know, it's still being used. I am amazed that someone actually broke a turret.

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Dom8 posted this 25 October 2024

I, for sure  was not abusing this press. There had to be a flaw in the casting of that turret..

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Aaron posted this 25 October 2024

Stuff breaks.

 

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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Premod70 posted this 25 October 2024

The reason I buy RCBS products.

Forrest Gump is my smarter brother.

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Dom8 posted this 25 October 2024

Yes!!!  in perfect shape today

, my RCBS Rock Chucker I bought new in 1967. the first year of production. I still use it on a regular basis. See picture.

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SkinnerD posted this 25 October 2024

I wonder how many gazillions of these Lee has made and sold, and how many more gazillion rounds they've reloaded? All together likely enough to make other "premium " brands close to a rounding error. I haunt a lot of forums. I've rebuilt old old Lee presses like early pro-1000s that Bubba got to, bought in was given, used and moved on x4 1000s, x5 3-hole turrets, still use a 3 hole and a 4 hole along with Dillon and RCBS presses. This tge first time in the 20 yrs I've been reloading and cruising the internet that I've ever seen or heard of a broken Lee Turret.

Dom8s turret either suffered a traumatic event that caused the failure or had a factory casting flaw. Either way I would not justify a slam on Lee. Any manufacturer has occasional fails. What matters is what they do about it. RCBS have been great to me, as have Lee and Dillon. Lyman not so much. Out of respect to Lee, given the age and price of a used replacement turret, I would not even bother calling them. Just pick up another one. Statistics guarantee it will not break if the previous one had a factory flaw.

John - New Zealand

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