Lyman 8 Turret Press - Any Good?

sixty9santa

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So I'm new to reloading and I just purchased the RCBS Partner Kit from Cabelas along with a Lee decapping die.
This setup will be my decapping station before cleaning the brass since my DIY rotary wet tumbler is almost complete.
Now all I'm missing is the main press.

How do you all feel about the Lyman Brass Smith All-American 8 Turret Press?
Looking to start reloading 9mm and .308 or .357 on the same press.
Seeing as how I'll have a dedicated decapping station, how could I setup this 8 turret press?
Ideally, I'd want a powder measure for each caliber.
7040750_press_white_02_4.jpg
 
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So I'm new to reloading and I just purchased the RCBS Partner Kit from Cabelas along with a Lee decapping die.
This setup will be my decapping station before cleaning the brass since my DIY rotary wet tumbler is almost complete.
Now all I'm missing is the main press.

How do you all feel about the Lyman Brass Smith All-American 8 Turret Press?
Looking to start reloading 9mm and .308 or .357 on the same press.
Seeing as how I'll have a dedicated decapping station, how could I setup this 8 turret press?
Ideally, I'd want a powder measure for each caliber.
7040750_press_white_02_4.jpg

Unless you are doing a whole lot of reloading one powder measure is enough. If you are planning on doing a whole lot of reloading, you would be better served with a progressive system. All that a turret press does for you is saves changing out dies. Having your powder measure mounted on your bench, not on your press, allows you visually verify the powder drop before you seat the bullet.

The Lyman capping systems work very well; why would you not do that on your Lyman Press? You will already have it set up with a shell holder for the bullets that you are reloading?

Now, to Lyman themselves. I have an old Lyman turret press; bought it new about 1975 and I still use it; it looks like this one:
7550338_01_old_lyman_turret_press_640.jpg


However, be mindful that Lyman has a habit of obsoleting their reloading equipment, and not stocking service parts for their older equipment.

While I love my press, my capping system is on it's last legs, and the aluminum primer tube bracket is no longer available. When you are used to de-priming and sizing on the up stroke; priming on the down stroke; moving priming off process becomes the bottle-neck and in my estimation (I'm a process engineer) will add more than 30% to your reloading time.

I briefly investigated buying a replacement turret plate (6 die) to see if I could adapt Lyman's new priming system to my old press. I dropped that idea fairly quickly when I found out the the plates ran about $80.00 US if you could find them (they were already obsolete) and that was before buying the new priming system components to go on it.

Now i'ts 8 die only. No way this will fit on my press.

Again, great equipment, but there is a reason why almost no one carries their equipment, and why it is now about the least popular of all of the big names in reloading.

If you do get one, buy a bunch of spare parts with it, because 2-5 years from now, you will not be able to find them anywhere.
 
Do they even make replacement turret heads for the 8?

Currently, I use a Tmag Lyman turret press for my 2 pistol calibers (9mm & 45) and I’m doing a similar process as you want to.
Deprime on a Lee classic cast then wet tumble. This way, as I’m sure you’re already aware you just end up stock piling cleaned brass and have it ready to go.

As for the turret, and while only a 6 station, I have it set up for each caliber I load. Unscrew the 9mm turret and install the 45, swap shell holder and priming arm and I’m off.

Both of mine are set up: Prime - size - expand - powder drop - seat - crimp.

I also run the powder measure right on the turret, as it saves a ton of time and dinking around not having to remove the brass from the press.


While I’m sure the 8 station is just as good if not better, I’d strongly look at getting atleast a replacement head as I don’t think you’re going to have enough stations to run multiple pistol calibers pre set on one turret. Each pistol caliber with a powder measure mounted and assuming you’ll be seating and crimping separately (I strongly recommend this) is going to take up 5 stations so you’d be forced in theory to run a 9mm/308 turret head on one and then a 357 on another with room to add in the future. Even if you trimmed it down, and didn’t run a powder measure for each caliber (saving 3 spaces) as well as crimped in the same station as seating, you can fit all 8 dies on the press but now you lose what I see as all the benefits of a turret press and just a cluster f—k of dies.
 
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Unless you are doing a whole lot of reloading one powder measure is enough. If you are planning on doing a whole lot of reloading, you would be better served with a progressive system. All that a turret press does for you is saves changing out dies. Having your powder measure mounted on your bench, not on your press, allows you visually verify the powder drop before you seat the bullet.

The Lyman capping systems work very well; why would you not do that on your Lyman Press? You will already have it set up with a shell holder for the bullets that you are reloading?

Now, to Lyman themselves. I have an old Lyman turret press; bought it new about 1975 and I still use it; it looks like this one:
7550338_01_old_lyman_turret_press_640.jpg


However, be mindful that Lyman has a habit of obsoleting their reloading equipment, and not stocking service parts for their older equipment.

While I love my press, my capping system is on it's last legs, and the aluminum primer tube bracket is no longer available. When you are used to de-priming and sizing on the up stroke; priming on the down stroke; moving priming off process becomes the bottle-neck and in my estimation (I'm a process engineer) will add more than 30% to your reloading time.

I briefly investigated buying a replacement turret plate (6 die) to see if I could adapt Lyman's new priming system to my old press. I dropped that idea fairly quickly when I found out the the plates ran about $80.00 US if you could find them (they were already obsolete) and that was before buying the new priming system components to go on it.

Now i'ts 8 die only. No way this will fit on my press.

Again, great equipment, but there is a reason why almost no one carries their equipment, and why it is now about the least popular of all of the big names in reloading.

If you do get one, buy a bunch of spare parts with it, because 2-5 years from now, you will not be able to find them anywhere.

Further to this; I am looking towards the day that I need to replace mine. I did a bit more research, and the primers system I was considering converting to, is now also obsolete... the Lyman legacy.

The new one looks like they may have copied Redding. While it looks like a good system, a year from now, you may not even be able to get parts for it either.

I am leaning towards Redding or Hornady right now.
 
Wow, thank you all for your very valuable input!
I never knew Lyman had such a bad reputation.
I was looking at the Redding but they are pricey, I now know why!
With the price of the Redding, I may as well save a little more and do as I had originally planned, buy the Hornady LNL AP.
I could use the RCBS Partner in the meantime!
I was looking to use the Lee 9mm carbide 4 die set and some sort of powder measure, does the die set make sense?
 
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The Hornady is a nice set up. Make sure you are going to use it enough. I shoot around 5000 rounds a year of the three pistol calibers I reload; and about 1000 .223 and if I were able to get parts, I would be content to stick with my Lyman. It is a relaxing pass time. If you know that you are going to shoot more than 5000 rounds in a year, and are going to load at least 1000 of one caliber at a time, then a progressive likely would be what you are looking for. Remember, the more complex the press, the more involved change-over is. Right now with my 6 hole turret press I can leave two sets of 2 or 3 die sets in it. I only need to change over the shell holder and maybe from small to large primers when doing .45. I use die nuts with a set screw so I lock position, then I just screw them in and out hand tight, and they are repeatable.

Keep it simple; less chance for error too.
 
I don't plan on load testing since precision shooting will be down the road.
I'm looking at replicating factory loads, be it plinking loads or defensive for the time being.
Ideally I want to shoot 10k/yearly of 9mm, budget permitting.
I know reloading isn't going to save me money but, I hope to simply shoot more.
What reloading manual would be best recommended for a noob?
 
I don't plan on load testing since precision shooting will be down the road.
I'm looking at replicating factory loads, be it plinking loads or defensive for the time being.
Ideally I want to shoot 10k/yearly of 9mm, budget permitting.
I know reloading isn't going to save me money but, I hope to simply shoot more.
What reloading manual would be best recommended for a noob?

You should be looking at a progressive for those kinds of numbers. Just about anyone's manual is good; if you use Lee dies, the reloading data that they provide id good too.

BTW, you will save money, and if you buy components when on sale, the savings can be substantial. Your home loads may very well be more consistent than "cheap" factory ammo for less money!
 
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