Lee Turret Press Problem

I have been using my Lee Turret Press for a few months and generally I like it. However, I have encountered one problem which involves seating the primers. I exert sufficient pressure on the downstroke of the ram and yet quite a few of the primers do not seat deeply enough in the primer pocket and bulge slightly above the rim of the pocket. It doesn't seem to matter which brand of primers I am using or which brand of brass I am reloading. Because of this I have to check all my reloads carefully for these and then put them back in the press to reseat them a second time. Also, I am not entirely comfortable in exerting pressure on a primer in a fully loaded cartridge. Has anyone else encountered this annoying problem and is there a simple fix for this? TIA

Hi, You don't mention which Lee Turret you are using. I encountered sonething similar on the old Lee 3 station turret , but the problem was with all the cases in all calibers; it was due to that weird little primer arm being a bit too shorter at the bottom due to wear. Once replaced the problem went away. If you are using their newer classic cast turret press with 4 stations the priming arm is stronger and gets more push from the larger ram and more mechanical advantage is involved. If some primers are being seated correctly without cratering or curling the edges and to the proper depth then all primers should be seated/seating without a problem. Something is interfering with the primers seating fully. Even before lookimg at some possible defect in the primer arm itself I would check out A) the shellholder for any dirt, speck of brass or other something that may be causing the rim of the cases/some cases to tilt or not go all the way into the SH. it happens and SH's have to be checked often and kept clean. B) Double check all of your brass' primer pockets and make sure that they are clean. Residue builds up even with one firing. A small 1/8" screwdriver can do the job or else you can make a very good primer pocket cleaner out of a piece of old hacksaw blade which is very hard steel. You just grind one end to a cone shape and then cut the end off and grind it a little on each side until it ressembles a screwdriver blade tip that fits the diameter of the primer pocket...one end of the hacksaw blade for large and the other for small. It'll last forever and does a good job of cleaning the pockets. If A& B above don't solve the prob then there may be something wrong with the primer arm; what exactly I don't know as there isn't much to a primer arm, but its a machine part and sometimes it can have something wrong somehow. If that is the case then I would suggest sending it back to Lee with an explanation, or call them; they are pretty good about following up on stuff like that. Another thing to check altho the possibility is remote is the uniformity of the primer pockets themselves; it s sometimes an issue. Hope that some or any of this works for you as you have a good press there. JC

1. Make sure primer pockets of the cases are cleaned of powder residue with the primer brush.

2. Make sure primers are placed into the primer seater device that came with the Lee loader squarely (properly).

3. Press down on the press lever with sufficient force to seat the primer into the case; rotate the case 90 degrees to 180 degrees and press down on the lever again to reseat the primers uniformally all around the primer pocket.

4. Visually inspect cases to see if the primer is flush or slightly below the case head with no area askew (out of round). If not, repeat the reseating procedure accordingly.

5. Call Lee Loaders customer service technician for added suggestions.

6. Forgot to mention........ occasionally look into to primer seating device pocket to make sure no slivers of shaved metal case strips remain in the seating device. Otherwise, they will leave an indentation on the "seated" primer face.

hope that helps

Thomas

Also, I am not entirely comfortable in exerting pressure on a primer in a fully loaded cartridge.

Never try to seat a primer in a fully loaded case. I have had primers go off occasionally while seating. :yikes:

Only do my technique on empty cartridges, please!

Never reseat primers in a loaded round. I have loaded 100,000's of rounds and have had two primers go off in seating. Both in empty cases. A primer going off in a loaded round will ruin your live. Just ask my buddy who did it.