Lee Classic Cast Single Stage Press

Product #: 317831
| Manufacturer #: 90998
Status: Available
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This single stage press has a rigid, cast iron "O" frame with an attractive baked powder finish, large opening and 4" ram stroke. It features powerful steel compound linkage with travel stop to prevent "cam-over". Also features automatic primer arm with bottom of stroke priming and a large 1-1/8" diameter ram. Includes small and large primer cups. Accepts both standard 7/8"-14 threaded dies and the larger 1-1/4"-12 threaded dies. Adjustable for right or left hand use.

Technical Information

Features:

  • Steel die insert is removable, when removed the press accepts 1-1/4"-12 thread dies

    Number of Mounting Holes:
  • 3

    Warranty:
  • 2 Year Unconditional Guarantee

    • Application Charts & Information

    Overall Rating:
    5 out of 5
    Used this Product?Rate It
    5 stars
    Bruce Layne of Lexington, KY
    Date posted: 11/9/2006
    I like most Lee products because they offer good value. I have a Lee Pro-1000 progressive press that I've owned for twelve years, and I'm selling it because I upgraded to the Lee LoadMaster progressive press a few months ago. I bought the Lee Classic Cast Press because there are some things that can't be done on a progressive press and everyone needs a good single stage press. Well, this is a GREAT single stage press. It's large capacity and heavy duty frame tackle the biggest jobs including the mighty .50 BMG, but the press handle can be shortened to reduce the stroke if less leverage is needed, which makes this a solid but nimble press. It's very versatile. It's also very ergonomic. The fit and finish is excellent, better than any press I've ever seen, regardless of color $$$. This press will last a several lifetimes. The new Safety Prime system on the 2006 Classic series of presses is a welcome improvement to one of the few problematic areas on Lee presses. I'm VERY glad I bought the Classic Cast press. So far, I've used it for resizing cast lead bullets and measuring lead hardness using the Lee Lead Hardness Tester. I expect to use this press to load some very accurate high power rifle ammo for some long range precision shooting, including hopefully the .50 BMG.
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    5 stars
    Lance Dickison of Locust grove, OK
    Date posted: 10/4/2006
    Stable, smooth function and some nice touches including primer disposal. Access to the cartridge is a little better than the RCBS because you don't have the priming fixture in the line of sight between you and your work. Excellent press, every bit the press of any of LEE's competitors, at a vastly more reasonable price.
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    5 stars
    David Spangler of Kerrville, TX
    Date posted: 12/17/2006
    Excellent product. I use this press with the Hornady LNL bushings after removing the 50 BMG bushing. For my purposes, it fills the need at a fraction of the cost of the competition. I managed to break the handle clamp sleeve when I had a stuck case. Lee promptly replaced it inexpensively. Good primer arm feature.
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    5 stars
    James Jacks of Talladega, AL
    Date posted: 11/11/2006
    This is the "BEST" single stage press I own. Like it better than my Lyman Crusher II and my RCBS RC II. Press is very sturdy and tight.Best of all it cost less than my other two......Rick
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    5 stars
    Dan P. of West Chester, PA
    Date posted: 7/13/2006
    I own a Challenger Press and twice the handle linkage failed on 30-06 brass so I decided to upgrade to the Classic cast and WOW. This thing is so much better than the challenger. Everything about it is better, the handle linkage the size, strength. It reforms 30-06 brass with ease. This has got to be the best press in its price range bar none. If you are thinking about the challenger to save money don't, you'll spend it in shipping the handle parts in for repair. Buy this one.
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    5 stars
    Keith Miller of Winnebago, IL
    Date posted: 5/9/2006
    I purchased this to do full length resizing of 22-250 and 308 shells. I was doing this in my Dillon progressive but the torque was a bit much for it. First off this thing is dirt simple to set up. A nice change from a progressive. This thing is as solid as they claim it is. Absolutely no flex that I could detect. It has a very smooth stroke to it and made the resizing a breeze. This is exceptionally low profile as compared to the progressive. As a result of that and the link mechanism, forces on my reloading bench was substantially reduced. I recommend this product 100%.
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    5 stars
    Jim Kosz of Salem, WI
    Date posted: 9/24/2006
    Strong press to have on hand. Nice for rough-forming cases. Primer catcher is a bucket under tube, what could be more simple? Give it a good strong mounting surface. Ram diameter is what all presses deserve. Lee was smart to use steel for a great change.
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    5 stars
    Stan Goodwin of Tempe, AZ
    Date posted: 9/3/2006
    I'm absolutely impressed with this press. The ram has absolutely no wiggle and ram die alignment is very precise. I use it to load 22-250, 223 Rem and 44mag target ammo for PPC and Silhouette competition and it is as good as more expensive presses. I have always avoided Lee presses before but this is an exception!!. The primer disposal is superb and a lot better and more effective than RCBS supreme. I was so impressed, I bought one more for my small cabin in Montana. Great press!!!
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    5 stars
    Michael Keim of Hastings, MN
    Date posted: 3/8/2007
    This is a really well-made heavy duty press at a better price than its competition. I just ordered a second one.
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    5 stars
    Robert B of Nashville, TN
    Date posted: 2/22/2007
    Excellent press! You can't find a similar (better) press for the $70 I gave. I also own a Forster Co-Ax which is more refined and smooth when articulating the ram. However, the Lee makes up for it in its brute strength. You can't go wrong with this press.
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    5 stars
    Rob Meadway of Louisville, KY
    Date posted: 7/3/2007
    Excellent press! I've had mine for a while now and find it to be among the very best single stage presses at the lowest price.
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    5 stars
    al intilli of pensacola, fl
    Date posted: 6/16/2007
    Lee has finally cracked the code on a single stage press built for lifetime use. I just got back into reloading and wanted to put together a solid basic kit without spending too much. I had planned on getting an RCBS Rockchucker (what I had previously owned and was very satisfied with) but decided to give the Lee Classic a try. It's as good or better than the RCBS and costs about 40% less.
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    5 stars
    Terry Conrow of Bowling Green, Mo
    Date posted: 12/29/2006
    I think this one of the best presses I have used. It makes reloading very economical with it's price, yet does as good or better job than more expensive presses. Very satisfied and highly recommend this press
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    5 stars
    Michael Gallagher of Black eagle, MT
    Date posted: 12/28/2006
    I’m not going to expound about how sturdy this press is or how nice the paint is. That has already been done. I am going to try to give a comparison to my previous press, the RCBS RC II. I have been switching a lot of my tools, namely dies, over to Lee. Not because they are better than other dies, but because I like the innovative designs Lee has put on the market. I think all the toolmakers make a high quality product; I think it is just a matter of personal preference. What I have discovered almost immediately is that my Lee tools, such as the collet neck dies, dead length seaters and factory crimps, perform exceedingly well on the Lee press. This is not to say they don’t work well on the RC II. They do. But I had to be very careful when I set the Lee tool up on the RC II because of the toggle over effect of the press. If you’re not careful, you can damage the die when the RC II press toggles over. You don’t have that toggle over in the Classic Cast. It is a smooth continuous stroke right to the end. All you have to do is follow the instructions that come with the Lee dies and the combination performs flawlessly, with minimal setup time. My RCBS dies also perform well on this press. Another feature I like about the Classic Cast is the position of the ram at priming. The Lee seats the primer with the ram at the bottom of the stroke vs. the RC II, which seats in the middle of the stroke. Again immediately, you can feel the difference. Priming at the bottom of the stroke gives you a much better “feel” of the primer seating. I also purchased the Auto Safety prime system that goes with the press. This is made of plastic and seems out of place with this heavy cast press. The auto prime system on the RC II is much more substantial. However I did not like stacking the primers in the tubes. I never had an accident with them but I was beginning to feel the odds were against me. I think the flat tray on the lee system is safer. The primer system is easy to install and it can easily be removed when not working in the priming stage. It is somewhat awkward as it only installs on the right hand side of the press and I am right handed so I must let go of the press lever to insert a primer then go back to the lever to seat. However. This is not a real big problem for me, as I do not prime in high volume. I had no unusual problems getting the primer system to function properly. I found there to be a small learning curve in switching over to this press, but if you have enough intelligence to reload in the first place you will find it will take very little time to master the change and soon you will be enjoying this press as much as I do.
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    5 stars
    Al Richardson of Santa Clara, CA
    Date posted: 2/8/2007
    I've mostly used RCBS presses before but after reading the reviews I ordered the Lee Classic Cast. This is the finest press that Lee has ever made. I've used it on .223 and 25-06 so far and the incredible mechanical advantage makes full length resizing very easy. Fit and finish is great. Only issue was the wooden ball handle was loose. It's just a press fit onto the conical shaped handle. Just a rap with a rubber mallet took care of it. This press would be worth it at twice the price.
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    5 stars
    Rodney Johnson of Lansing, NC
    Date posted: 1/18/2007
    This press was recommended to me by a friend, it is my first press and I love it. It was very easy to setup and use even for a beginner like me.The only problem I have seen is the spent primers sometimes bounce off of the little rod and land in the floor, not making its way down the tube. I have had the press for almost a month now and would not think of replacing it with another brand. I have used it so far on 270 Win and 338WinMag with no problem whatsoever. Try one you will like it!
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    5 stars
    Pavel Romashkin of Longmont, CO
    Date posted: 7/15/2005
    I like this press a lot. It is very sturdy and every part of it works just like you would expect. I coupled mine with the Hornady LNL system and love the ease of switching calibers. It is worth noting that Lee dies are just a bit too short to work perfectly with LNL, which adds about 1/8" to the required thread length. I worked around it by simply turning lock rings upside down - they have O-ring groove at the bottom and by turning them over you gain another thread or two. This is enough to lock them in LNL bushings. I have found no flaws in the operation and highly recommend this press.
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    5 stars
    Erik Dyal of Newberg, OR
    Date posted: 6/10/2005
    What i am about to type is simply redundant of evrything above. This press made it possible for a newly disabled person keep loading. The extra mechanical advantage and adjustable handle angle made it all possible. Plus it is a pretty red color. God bless and good shooting!
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    5 stars
    Matt Claeys of Camp Hill, PA
    Date posted: 8/10/2005
    This is the second Lee press that I've owned and I must say, the best. The drop tube for the spent primers is a great addition. The press does not get as dirty as my other because of it. The action is very smooth, and it has a long stroke for the larger caliber rifle rounds. I also like the adjustable handle. When I reload handgun ammo, I can adjust the length of the stroke with a simple adjustment. All in all, this is the best press I've ever used and would recommend it to anyone.
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    5 stars
    Robert Smith of Charleston, SC
    Date posted: 7/21/2005
    After years of loading revolver ammo with a Challenger, I started to reload a medium-sized rifle case. Even though the Challenger handled the job, the small amount of "spring" in the press bothered me. So I decided to "spring" for one of these, and dedicate it to sizing the rifle cases. Fit and finish are impeccable. The spent primer disposal system is simple and neat. There is no spring or flexing of any kind. There is virtually no play in the ram, which is a good tight fit in the frame. Operation is totally smooth. I don't believe you could damage this press unless you intentionally set out to ruin it. If you're a beginner and you KNOW you will not reload rifle ammo, then the Challenger will work fine for you. Otherwise, get one of these incredible bargains while you still can!
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    5 stars
    Chuck Ganyon of Fulston, TX
    Date posted: 1/17/2004
    The finest press ever made by Lee. Combines all the desirable features of premium brands at nearly half the price. I bought this to replace my Lee Challenger. Very strong cast iron frame. No springing for even for 300 Win Mag and 35 Rem Mag. I like the removable bushing for loading 50AE using my RCBS Carbide Dies in 1-1/4x12 size. Primer arm is like Hornady's which automatically centers. Very capable press. Buy with confidence. You will be enjoy this tool!
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    5 stars
    Penny Goodall of Orlando, FL
    Date posted: 1/15/2004
    This press is unlike any of the Lee presses. Its frame is made of cast iron and the links and toggle are steel as opposed to aluminum in Lee's other current presses. This new press is built really strong and a complete departure from Lee's anemic designs of their earlier presses. I've used this for 30-06 and .223 Rem and the press is really great. Duplicates the feel of a Rock chucker. The other thing I like is the primer catcher where the decapped primer is routed thru a hollow ram down thru a tubing which you can outlet to your trash can. No more scattered primers or sweeping the floor after a loading session! Lastly, if you use a Lee turret press, the mounting hole locations of this Classic press is the same as the turret press so you need not drill new holes on your bench. I would highly recommend this press to rifle case reloaders. It's strong, and has even larger press opening and the price is a lot cheaper too! Kudos to Lee on this press!
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    5 stars
    Greg R of Elizabeth City, NC
    Date posted: 3/1/2004
    Wow, this things is built like a side of Montana beef! Never would have thought something like this would come from Lee. I've used other Lee products and while generally serviceable, they were never what I'd call strongly built. But this press...it applies so much pressure and gives me such a leverage advantage that I've had to slow down when loading my .44 revolver cartridges. You barely feel the resistance when sizing pistol cases, and I look forward to trying this press with my .06. Way to go Lee, great press at a great price!!
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    5 stars
    Ken Drake of Sta Barbara, CA
    Date posted: 1/18/2004
    I wanted to gift myself with a Rock Chucker or Redding Big Boss but my son beat me to it and gave me this press. I was highly skeptical with any Lee Press but after opening the box I started to develop a liking for this press. The body is cast iron and has larger opening than the Redding Big Boss. I load 375 H&H and some 300 Wby Mag and I find the press handles these long cases no problem. The springing I experienced with Lee's turret press is virtually absent in this Classic press. It's solid and rigid all the way and very capable of full length sizing my 375 H&H's. Moreover, the ram is 1/8" thicker than the Rock chucker's contributing further to its strength. Primer catcher is an idea borrowed from the Redding Ultramag where primers run down a hollow ram, out the other end to a tubing, then to a collection bottle or trash can. I think this press is the one of the best presses in the market today. It has all the best features I want and the cost - well about half that of equivalent brands w/ lesser features. I'm keeping this press and hope Lee continues to produce strong tools. The Lee Classic is fine press by any measure.
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    5 stars
    Len Pearson of EHC, NJ
    Date posted: 2/27/2006
    Loaded 3000 rounds. Very strong. Designed correctly. Simply put, you can't buy a better press. You are wasting your money if you purchase any of the others thinking that you will gain some advantage for lots of extra dollars you will spend. If I had it to do all over again I would buy this press. I think it will last a life time with basic care.
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    5 stars
    Matt B of Cincinnati, OH
    Date posted: 2/26/2006
    My first press I've ever owned. It is beefy, looks really nice, has a well-designed compound linkage that is fully adjustable for height/angle/directional preference (righty or lefty). The depriming/priming system is ingenious, and the PVC tube through which the spent primers are directed is a great addition. And... it is much, much cheaper than comparable presses. If you are going to buy a single-stage press, there is not a single reason why you need to look any further. This is the best deal going right now. Lee rocks!
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    5 stars
    Danny Luten of Paulden, AZ
    Date posted: 4/10/2006
    I have used many different presses, and as for single stage goes, this is by far the best. I use this press for precision reloading of my .308 and .22-250 rifles. I use a Dillon press for my high volume work. The quality of this press is wonderful. Solid, smooth operation and took me less then five minutes to set up and start reloading. If you're looking for a great starter press, or some serious precision work, this press is the way to go.
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    5 stars
    Rick Schreiner of fresno, ca
    Date posted: 3/21/2006
    Lee has outdone itself here! Like many others have said, this press can basically do it all! Its built to last for years. This press can and does manhandle 50 caliber ! For 30-06 and 308 it's a dream-simple-strong-and can take a beating. I really like the tube that catches pressed out primers-no more primers in the carpet. I’ve had it for a year and this press has paid for itself the first weekend I used it! What are you waiting for? Get one and get out there!
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    5 stars
    William Rose of Anchorage, AK
    Date posted: 8/30/2005
    Totally outclasses any other press in it's price range. Runs with presses in the $100-$120 range. Nothing like the low-cost Lee presses.
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    5 stars
    Chuck J. of Austin, TX
    Date posted: 8/14/2005
    Used and abused. Still works great. I've loaded nearly 5,000 rounds of various pistol and rifle ammo - 45acp,38 super, 30-06, 338 win mag. Still working as tight as when I got it new. At half the cost of other presses but with better features, get one now before prices go up!
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    5 stars
    Grant G of Palmyra, VA
    Date posted: 12/21/2005
    I've had mine for about a year. I moved up from a Lee 'C' frame due to the press flex issue mentioned by others above. This press is solidly built. I've full length sized everything from .38 Special up to 7mm Remington Magnum on this press with no breakage issues and no movement. I've also used it to swage cast bullets with no problems. There's plenty of clearance, even using the long 7mmRM, and access is very good for an O frame press. The primer disposal tube is very handy for spent primer disposal directly into the trash. I haven't used the priming arm system, since priming off of the press is far faster.
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    5 stars
    Sal Oliverio of Sandy Lake, pa
    Date posted: 9/1/2005
    I've had a RCBS Rock Chucker Press since i was 12 yrs old. I'm Now 43 and have never used any other press. I needed a second press for the 30-378 & 338-378 weatherby rounds. The More than adequate opening in the Lee press makes sizing and seating bullets much easier than the RCBS. I was looking on E-bay for a second press, but for 66 bucks, it was cheaper to buy a new Lee press from Midway, USA. I think i paid more for the RCBS in 1973. But anyway it's just as good as the RCBS( and that says it all), has a larger opening for up to a 50 cal, and is more than capable of handling it. It has an advantage over the RCBS. It's PRIMER dispencer is way better than the Rock Chucker. That Tube to collect spent primers is Ingenious. RCBS could learn something here!!!!
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    5 stars
    Robert Rossmiller of Dillon, MT
    Date posted: 7/6/2007
    I have had mine for over ten years. Never had a problem with it, after loading for many different calibers. More expensive ones don't work any better. Had one.
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    5 stars
    DONALD CHEESEMAN of HOCKLEY, TX
    Date posted: 5/24/2009
    Among Lee presses, this is their Rock of Gibraltar. Simple, smooth, precise, and unyielding strength and rigidity. I really like the extra attention Lee gave to this press and the precision alignment of the ram with the die mount. I'm glad that, for once, Lee put aside their use of plastic and cast aluminum in favor of steel and cast iron. This press will still be working just fine when my little grandson is teaching his son about reloading. I have presses from RCBS, Lyman and Hornady, but none of them combine the strength, simplicity and value of this press. I snicker at some Lee products but they deserve major kudos for this press.
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    5 stars
    Nate Watts of Tooele, UT
    Date posted: 7/12/2009
    Outstanding press. Rock solid, roomy, pretty, cheap, made in America, and feature packed. The priming system works great. Every once in a while, the press will miss a spent primer but I found a super simple way to prevent this from happening. Just put your pinky finger next to the ram cutout with your free hand while decapping cases. Problem solved. Mine was a little tight when I first used it. I fixed that by lubing the ram with some synthetic motor oil, and loosening the linkage nuts. The press will almost travel by itself now. And with no slop in the ram either. I don't know what someone could not like about this press. This press was obviously designed with input from multiple reloaders with decades of experience at a reloading bench.
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    5 stars
    Lee Alexander of Vancouver, WA
    Date posted: 8/30/2009
    Ordered this to replace a 25 yr old RCBS partner, GREAT press. Very solid linkage, spent primer catch is wonderful. ordered the Hornady Lock-N-Load conversion kit along with it and now swapping over dies is a 2 second operation, and they're always set perfectly! No 'Camming' over at the top of the stroke took a little getting used to, but I think it's a better feel now. Some of the dies were a little short in the L-N-L inserts, but everyone adjusted out fine and work perfectly. I wish I swapped sooner as this thing is a ROCK SOLID piece of reloading equipment
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    5 stars
    LARRY MAXWELL of VALRICO, FL
    Date posted: 2/18/2009
    I almost purchased the Hornady LNL but chose the Lee cast press about a year ago, and after a couple of thousand rounds through it I can say its very well made, smooth to operate and I love the primer catch tube. I am sure it will last a lifetime, I have loaded everything from 204 Ruger to 30.06 and have had absolutely no problems. Buy with confidence you won't regret it.
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    5 stars
    Daniel Jaburg of Escondido, CA
    Date posted: 11/29/2008
    Having owned/used an RCBS press, I've come to expect a certain level of performance when it comes to using reloading equipment. I ordered this press to augment what items I already have and I've been more than pleased with its performance. Full-Length resizing on 7mm Rem Mag brass was as easy as could be and was accomplished with minimal effort. The spent primer handling is very nice and can either dump right in to a can placed under the bench or can be stored in the provided plastic tube for later disposal. Can't really find any faults with this. One very nice feature is that this can be mounted to the bench without having to create any notch in the wood, as I did with my RCBS press, to facilitate the moving parts.
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    5 stars
    David Proske of Katy, TX
    Date posted: 12/15/2008
    I was a little skeptical at first regarding this press. I was reading all the reviews and wondering how it could perform so well and cost so little. I was using a Hornady LNL single stage and needed a press with a larger opening for my Ultra mag and comp seating die. The Hornady press was very precise and very smooth in operation. I was considering upgrading to the Redding Big Boss or Ultra Mag. My concerns were that the Lee would not be as precise or smooth as the Hornady or Redding. I was concerned about slop in the Linkage and ram, and ram to die alignment. I need not worry!!! There is no slop in the ram to frame fit! No slop in the Linkage! The linkage is very well made and should last a long time. I wiped the black lube off the ram that Lee used and added a little Synthetic engine oil. The ram stroke on the Lee is smooth as silk now! There is much less slop in the Lee press than the Hornady!! Only thing with the Lee is the hollow steel Handle. If I ever get carried away and bend it I will either get a new one from Lee or make one out of some solid steel stock.
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    5 stars
    Larry Fisher of Corpus Christi, TX
    Date posted: 1/31/2009
    I won't reiterate all the same comments that everyone has already posted, but I will strongly encourage anyone interested in a new single stage press to look no further than this rock solid beauty. It is everything everyone has said and more. I went from a Lyman Spartan that I purchased in 1970 to this press about a week ago. The Lyman served me well, but this Lee Classic is 10 times better than the Lyman. I don't think anyone would find a better press for the money than this one. I just finished loading 100 rounds of 9mm, and the de-priming and priming features on this press are worth the money. Very good engineering on both features. Another plus is that it is made in the USA - a real consideration in it's own right in these chaotic economic times.
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    5 stars
    CAMERON MEEKS of Wolcott, CO
    Date posted: 9/7/2009
    This is the best press I have used. Sturdy, well made and someone was thinking when they designed it. In my opinion it is hands down a better press than the other manufactures large presses.
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    5 stars
    Tony Pacelli of N. Plainfield, NJ
    Date posted: 1/25/2010
    I compared this press to all of the other major brands at a large outfitters store, not only was the fit, finish and operation as good as others, but the price and just general feel of it were outstanding. I use it for centerfire rifle, 44spl/44mag, and now 38/357mag, you won't be sorry if you buy one.
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    5 stars
    Keith Doran of Naples, Fl
    Date posted: 1/28/2010
    I was trying to buy a used RCBS Rock Chucker on eBay. For a backup after 2 weeks of being out bid. I gave up and purchased the Lee Classic I am more than happy with this purchase you will not find a better press for 4 times the money. It is smooth and rugged and has a much essayer primer catcher than the RCBS
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    5 stars
    Anthony Levens of Alexandria, AL
    Date posted: 2/7/2010
    When I first started reloading in 1992 the Lee single stage is what I bought. I've learned a lot along the way and loaded 1000's of rounds with this press . This press is the only one I use to make my benchrest rifle ammo with and it is a great value than some of the other brands out there. I've used this press on all kinds of cartridges; 308, 30-06, 25-06, 270win, 270wsm, 300win mag, along with a endless list of pistol rounds and rifle rounds. This press is my old faithful tried and true and I still use the press for testing rounds and brenchrest ammo.
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    5 stars
    JONATHAN EISEL of LAS VEGAS, NV
    Date posted: 12/29/2009
    Just received this press and so far its great. I was using an old RCBS Jr there are several advantages that the Lee press has over the RCBS. First of all, 3 mounting holes over the RCBS with only 2 gives you a much more solid hold on your bench. The 1 inch ram is much nicer than the smaller ram on the RCBS. The drop through primer hole makes sizing and decapping a whole lot cleaner, the old primers drop right through the middle and into a trash can. The priming arms are quick and easy and the fact that it primes at the bottom of the stroke makes it much faster than the RCBS which primes mid stroke. So far I have sized and loaded both 7mm Rem mag and 45acp with no problems. I am looking forward to loading on this press from now on. Highly recommended.
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    5 stars
    Mike Stevenson of Poplar Bluff, MO
    Date posted: 9/20/2009
    A super press. I have reloaded for many years. I have used all sort of presses. This one is absolutely superb. Excellent press, excellent price, It's built like tank. I just love it. I load the big boys 375 H&H, 458 Lott, 45-90 etc. I wish I had gotten one sooner.
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    5 stars
    frank confessore of staten island, ny
    Date posted: 12/5/2009
    Lee Classic Cast press is the best single stage press for the money. Works just as good if not better than RCBS, HORNADY, LYMAN AND THE REST. Their depriming system is better than the above and built just as strong.
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    5 stars
    Old Cowpoke of Chapel Hill, TX
    Date posted: 12/23/2009
    My best friend has thousands invested in the Green stuff, but he's got the $$$$. I needed something inexpensive, reliable, and SIMPLE to begin handloading. After much thought and research...as well as reading comments from all your customers, I settled on this "BRUTE". My friend spent hundreds just for equipment to reload 50BMG exclusively. The Lee Classic will do it with only a change in die sets....wow!! I doubt if I will EVER need another press. Simple...inexpensive, and easy...hard to beat that.
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    5 stars
    Greg Conlon of Jenison, MI
    Date posted: 10/31/2008
    This is it! For all of you single-stage purists out there, this is the one to have. All of the great reviews are true!
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    5 stars
    Ron Burnett of Stilwell, OK
    Date posted: 10/21/2007
    I have several presses just bought this one, it's great you can adjust the handle length, leverage & stroke this is very helpful when priming, sizing & loading shorter cases. Has more room than any others for tall magnum cases! You can even load 50BMG cool! The spent primers go down through the ram and collect in a clear rubber tube. The LEE classic cast costs less than any of the competitors; it will do as much if not more than any of them! It's a really good press at a very reasonable price
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    5 stars
    Robert Berry iii of Livermore falls, ME
    Date posted: 12/6/2007
    Built like a rock! Bigger, heavier, sturdier than I had expected. The tube to catch primers is a godsend. I haven't bothered with the primer setting tool... I have a Lee AutoPrime, and that works too good to switch to a press for that task. In short, a press to last a lifetime.
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    5 stars
    Jesse R of Richland Center, WI
    Date posted: 1/11/2008
    This thing is bombproof. I utilized an RCBS Partner Press to start out and upgraded to this and I love it! Looks and works great and should last a lifetime! Just restating the obvious that this is probably the best buy going for a single stage press period!
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    5 stars
    Dave C. Oldham of Mesquite , TX
    Date posted: 8/11/2007
    The Lee Single Stage Press Is Built Like A Kenworth TRUCK" . Like the Ad says , It has a POWERFUL Compound linkage With a Stop on it. It has a Large Heavy duty 1-1/8 diameter ram that has been drilled out for spent primers to be colected inside of it and a long clear plastic hose attached to it so you can route it to a trash can, A Very well though out way to colect ALL" primers to your trash can when your decaping with it and It Still has a Strong enough ram to Reform or preform your cases which the Reforming part is TUFF to do on most presses, This one is COCK-Strong for doing that with and a Breaze on top of it because of it`s Mastive linkage set up and Long ajustable handel. I own 5 of these that I use for loading ALL" my cases, Pistol and Rifle. I use one press for each die of the Cal. I`m loading until I`m through with that cal. then change to a diff. cal. set-up. You can use ANY" size dies and any make of dies with this press, and ajustment`s left on your dies. I use ALL" Lee die`s my self for Many Reasons. I have use Every single stage press made and this one WILL 10-X All of them hand`s down. And for 72 buck`s , Mr. Lee, Must Be Nut`s for selling this press for that kind of money, He could get a lot more if he wanted it for This Press. For Presison! Shooting, ease of use work with all the two dozen cases I load, and if You prepair your cases Right" No Other Press Will Compare With It. See yall on the range or in the back wood`s hunt camp.
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    5 stars
    Dean Herrig of Palm Harbor, Fl
    Date posted: 7/15/2007
    I would recommend this press to anybody. It works very well. Solid dependable, could not ask for a better single stage press. I have loaded about 5000 rounds, works flawlessly. I use the autodiskpower measure and the primer feed and they both work well with this press. My only complaint is the poor quality instructions, but this press is simple enough for most people to use well. Good job Lee.
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    5 stars
    Thomas Higgins of Floral park, NY
    Date posted: 7/21/2007
    If you could have only one press, this is the one to have. Using carbide or steel dies the linkage provides for easy use and is infinitely adjustable to the individual reloader. The only thing that makes it even better is when it's on sale.
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    5 stars
    David Wiltshire of Bellevue, MI
    Date posted: 8/3/2007
    I call it the do it all press. The depriming tube works great, keeps the top of the press clean. It is sturdy. Handle adjusts easily. Has a large opening for easy access. Mounts very well on the bench. Excellent workmanship.
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    5 stars
    Freeman Harrington of Flint, MI
    Date posted: 2/4/2008
    Got this press 2 weeks ago. Very strong have resized about 200 270win brass with no problems. If you're in the market for a single stage press this is the one to get.
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    5 stars
    Thomas Rodden of Charlotte, NC
    Date posted: 3/24/2008
    Great product. Don't be fooled by the low price.
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    5 stars
    Dave Snyder of Butler, PA
    Date posted: 3/14/2008
    Great press and a great price. Well made and have had zero problems with it.
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    5 stars
    Jeremy Zorns of Round Lake Beach, IL
    Date posted: 7/12/2008
    Before I start, I'd like to mention previous press experience. I started with an RCBS Rock Chucker. Then, I sold everything for a while. Got back into reloading with a Lee Loader. (hammer type) Then, went to this press. Bought a Lee Turret press, sold that too. Now, I've got a Lee hand press and I still kept this one. This one is better than the Rock Chucker, despite costing less. It has at least as much leverage and a better system for catching spent primers; they go down a tube into my trash can instead of all over the floor. This press has more leverage than the Lee Turret press and is a bit more precise. Now that the breech lock Challenger came out, I see that is about the only thing missing from this single stage press; some kind of non-threaded lock for the dies. In short, this is the best quality press I've owned. Since it is cast iron, it is stronger than other Lee presses, which I believe are aluminum. If I were to start all over, this is how I'd do it. Start with a Lee Loader in your favorite caliber. This will whet your appetite with excellent accuracy improvement for very little cash outlay. Upgrade with the Lee Auto Prime. Hand primers are really the way to go. Onto the first press: If you shoot mostly pistol, get a Lee Turret press. If you shoot mostly rifle, get this one or the Challenger Breech Lock outfit. Lee's philosophy is generally to make things as strong as they need to be + a little bit, make them very precisely, and offer them at a fair price. This press is about 10X stronger than it needs to be, as well as heavier. But it is high quality, and it is precise. I think they made it because they saw how many Rock Chuckers were going out the door, and wanted a piece of that action.
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    5 stars
    Tom Davis of Snohomish, Wa
    Date posted: 4/28/2008
    I am writing this review to advise any potential buyer of the great press the Lee Classic is. I've been doing reloading for about 18 months. I started with a RCBS RS 5 press. I soon discovered that it was fine for 223 and pistol rounds, but was not really heavy enough for larger rifle rounds. I purchased a Lee Classic last month through Midway, and can say that it is a great press. It is heavy enough to reload any known rifle caliber, and I use it to resize Winchester 284 into Swiss 7.5, and reload 30-06, 308, 8MM Mauser, 223, 7.62x39, and 303 British. I highly recommend this press to both the novice and the seasoned reloader.
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    5 stars
    Erid Rambis of Maumelle, AR
    Date posted: 2/7/2008
    Rock solid press, yes once in a while a spent primer ejected from a fired case being sized does drop on the floor, no big deal because it is a dead primer to begin with. I load up to .375 H&H cartridges with this press with complete success and don't forget to use the Lee neck sizing dies, full sizing dies & their crimp dies: "Truly Superb".
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    5 stars
    Albin Bertics of Tobyhanna, PA
    Date posted: 2/29/2008
    Over all it is a solid press. The only thing that I find a problem with is, the cut out in the adapter for the priming arms. The cutout lets some of the primers fall out of the ram and on to the floor instead of going down the tube. Other than that it is built really nice. The finish is good. The bolt holes have been enlarged to 5/16 instead of the 1/4 inch. It looks like it will last a long time. Well worth the money.
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    4 stars
    Charled Dickinson of Machine, NY
    Date posted: 6/4/2009
    A nice, solid design overall with some useful features that the competition *cough* RCBS Rockchucker II *cough* does not have: + an extra thick ram + no camover linkage system - better feedback while sizing cases + unique primer catcher tube - no more primers and primer residue all over the floor +automatic priming arm with bottom of the stroke priming - easy to use, great feel while priming What I didn't like: -action kind of gritty right out of the box, but all it needed was some break-in: it basically went away after a bit of CLP was applied to the ram, and 200 or so cases were sized. The press is now silky smooth. -priming arm was literally rough around the edges and would not reset automatically: this was fixed with sandpaper and some CLP. -wooden handle came right off - fixed with some epoxy. Bottom line: a great press overall, but be prepared for some typical Lee quirks. 4 1/2 stars.
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    4 stars
    Omer Atwood of Summerfield, FL
    Date posted: 12/5/2007
    Well this press is well built and the ad does state that it can be used for loading .50 BMG. But just like the instructions warn, "loading .50 BMG requires a greater amount of force & may damage the lever", and sure enough mine bent on the fist round, even though I used plenty of Lee resizing lube! That thin hollow metal lever should be solid steel instead, and this would have never happend. Lee prices this part at $7.50. About the same as shipping. But I'll still give it 4 stars, even with the cheap lever.
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