What's wrong with my Lee press?

[HaveGun]

I bought this single-stage press about 8-9 years ago and since day one, noticed that the primers being extracted all shoot out onto the floor and maybe 1 or 2 out of 50 actually go where they're supposed to and end up in the clear hose collector.

It seems like the ram is installed either backwards, or, there is a piece that is missing from the slot in the ram and allows the primers to go the opposite way of the collection thing.

Any ideas? Not a big deal as it has been working fine; it just shoots spent primers on the floor instead of the collection tube.

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[dmack]

Mine is an older (like 35 years) Lee challenger O frame press. I don't believe it has that long cut opposite the primer catch tray. Mine would hit the tray and bounce onto the floor. I added a high tech piece of cardboard that extended the catch tray higher. No issues since.

 

[ma96782]

There is a guy on eBay that makes "custom" primer catchers for various presses. He makes them on 3D machines. He has some innovative designs that just might be the fix for you.

Aloha, Mark

 

[P7M13]

You have the classic cast there, yes?
Check to see if you have some primers jack-strawed inside the chute.

 

[HaveGun]

You have the classic cast there, yes?
Check to see if you have some primers jack-strawed inside the chute.

It's clear. Looks like there is a pin just below the hole that would guide them to the collection area. It's like there is something that should be installed on that pin to divert the spent primers to the collection area.

 

[reblwing]

I had the same problem the first time i tried depriming with my lee press. Then looked at the instructions. You need a primer arm in the long channel in the press. Put one in and everything started going down the tube.

 

[reblwing]

Lee sells them for $7 each though mine came with the kit i bought about 6 months ago.

 

[HaveGun]

Lee sells them for $7 each though mine came with the kit i bought about 6 months ago.

I suspected it was something like that! I bought the whole kit, so it's probably in the box somewhere. I'll have to start digging and see if I can find it.

 

[P7M13]

This forum is great for learning like this.

 

[baker3gun]

I can confirm dmack's experience: if you extend a catch tray with tape, paper, clayboard, or plain jane cardboard, it won't work.

OP - read this: Link

Suggestion: wipe off your ram, put a drop of oil on your finger, rub it on the ram, cycle the ram. Keep it clean. You want to preserve the tight tolerance between ram and frame. HTH.

 

[msgriff]

I think there is a hack using a drinking straw.

 

[arakboss]

Your primer arm is missing, which directs the primers to hole at base of press. Install the primer arm and that should fix your woes.

 

[HaveGun]

Found it and installed it! No idea the press came with a primer attachment. I have been using a Ram Line priming tool ever since my hand priming tool broke a couple of years ago.

Ran a few cases and the primers are now being diverted perfectly, and I can prime the case the same time I de-prime and re-size it. I feel like such an idiot for never realizing this before...

 

[arakboss]

Found it and installed it! No idea the press came with a primer attachment. I have been using a Ram Line priming tool ever since my hand priming tool broke a couple of years ago.

Ran a few cases and the primers are now being diverted perfectly, and I can prime the case the same time I de-prime and re-size it. I feel like such an idiot for never realizing this before...

View attachment 828756

There should be a piece of vinyl hose that you can attach to the bottom of the press to further direct the primers in to a can.

 

[HaveGun]

There should be a piece of vinyl hose that you can attach to the bottom of the press to further direct the primers in to a can.

Yep, that's been there since the beginning and has a cap on the end. It's never filled up after thousands and thousands of rounds over ten years.

 

[arakboss]

Found it and installed it! No idea the press came with a primer attachment. I have been using a Ram Line priming tool ever since my hand priming tool broke a couple of years ago.

Ran a few cases and the primers are now being diverted perfectly, and I can prime the case the same time I de-prime and re-size it. I feel like such an idiot for never realizing this before...

View attachment 828756

The system works great except for occasionally the primer arm sticks and lifts out of it's slot. I have picked up the habit of holding the primer arm down as I raise the ram.

 

[DizzyJ]

This forum is great for learning like this.

Definitely.

 

[Member 5605]

You need the primer arm to deflect them the correct way.

 

[Member 5605]

The system works great except for occasionally the primer arm sticks and lifts out of it's slot. I have picked up the habit of holding the primer arm down as I raise the ram.

Lee makes two types of primer arms.
One for single stage and one for the turret press.

The difference is the mass below the hook.

 

[po18guy]

Same problem, initially. Did not want any extraneous parts on my Classic Cast press. The slot is 1/4" (.250) wide. So, I grabbed a piece of .250 ABS sheet and fabbed up a cure. The notch on the right straddles the top of the primer arm cut. The square notch on the bottom left is clearance for the rim of the shell holder. The "flag" is just a handle to install or remove it. The ball is an embedded BB that provides enough friction to keep it in place.