Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Turret Reloading Press

Going to upgrade my single stage Lyman Crusher 2 with a turret style press later this year. Any users please chime in on what you like or dislike on your current presses.

I’d love to hear some feedback 🤨

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I have the Lee Classic cast 4 hole press. I disengaged the progressive bar and use it like a quick-change single stage.

I batch my processes anyway.





P

I have been running a Redding T-7 the last few years. I like it a lot. Like all the Redding stuff (IME) it's a quality piece of equipment.
I don't have any particular way I use it all the time. Usually, with rifle brass, I will resize/deprime and reprime in one operation, then set it up with powder measure and bullet seating die and charge and seat bullets in the next set up. Sometimes I run it "semi-progressive" with straight wall and handgun brass. The biggest trick to running it that way is the fact that the primer feed tube runs straight up and down and it takes a little fussing around to get the powder measure to fit around it. There are work-arounds, but if you're doing that you need to pay close attention to what you're doing.

This. I have also removed the progressive bar. It keeps all of the dies a person would need on one quick change turret

kwg

I started with the little Lyman AA press around 1970 ish and loaded many thousands of rounds with it. I upgraded to a then new Lyman 6 station turret press about 20 years ago. I love the turret presses, they’re practical as you can set up without any adjustments 3 different rifle cartridge die sets or 2 - 3 die sets. The newer ones have plenty of strength (less flex) to do anything required in typical hand loading!

My old AA press has been regulated to straight wall handgun cases….as it does have a little “flex” on large bottleneck rifle cases!

Maybe if I were swaying bullets, ect. I “may” want an O type press…..but not needed presently! memtb

I started years ago with a Lyman Spar T press. Moved up to a Redding T7. Handles everything from .38spcl to .375 H&H. Easy to use. Primer feed is excellent. Lots of throat room. Can't imagine using anything else.

I use the Lyman brass smith turret press. 👍🏻👍🏻

Redding T7. I've been using one for 15 years or so.

I passed up a used Ponsness Warren the other day and I think I am going back to get it. It isn’t a turret, but a well machined lateral sliding mechanism that is similar to a turret, but faster…

I use two presses. A RCBS Reloader Special that I have had for about 40 years, that I use for decapping, resizing, priming, crimping, and anything else that might be needed. I have a Lyman turret press and I keep the bullet seating dies that I use the most on it. I probably need to rethink this setup, but I'm so used to it, that I guess I'm just too lazy to change.

I went to a Lyman All American 8 turret press recently. In fact, I had an older Lyman T-Spar turret and called Lyman for parts. With it being discontinued and they no longer offering parts, they offered me the All American for a bargain basement price. It might be worth calling Lyman and telling them you want to upgrade from your Crusher.

The All American 8 is an excellent press. I've found it to be the equivalent to a Redding T-7 for less money.

Redding

Have you checked to see if the turret is rocking any? There have been reports of some individual units where the turrets are tilting back with pressure from sizing. Other users don’t seem to have problem.

I have checked with my eye and do not notice it. Maybe a dial indicator will tell a different story.

Casey,

I haven't encountered that problem with the Lyman AA 8 I've been using for 3-4 years now.

Have two turret presses, mostly because I have two reloading rooms--one in the garage and one in the basement. The Lyman is in the garage, and the Redding T7 that I've had for maybe 15 years in the basement. I checked both of them for consistency in every hole for resizing and straight bullet seating, and both were as precise as a good single-hole--and still are.

I like 'em because for years I was often loading 2-3 cartridges at a time, due to various writing assignments, and it was MUCH handier to keep all the dies in one press than keep switching 'em. Oh, and both have a Lee decapping die more-or-less permanently in one hole.

Dillon 550c the most versatile “turret” press out there!

I've been using a Redding T7 for about 10 years. No complaints.

Tony

I’m using an Area 419 Zero. It’s the best press I’ve ever used. It has all the advantages of a single-stage, but replaceable turrets akin to a Dillon tool head.

You may also consider keeping the single-stage and picking up a progressive instead. That opens a lot of doors, especially for bulk brass processing.

John, I thought the Brass Smith AA8 turret was a slightly redesigned version of the All American turret press?

Or did they just give it a new name?

I have no idea--but from the photos on the Lyman site they certainly have, probably because they could start another ad campaign.