I am brand new to reloading and have just set up my Lee Breech Lock Challenger Press.

The quick change bushing, when inserted and locked in place by the lock button has a significant amount of play. To get the bushing tight, it has to be turned a little further. If we call the position where it locks in place by the lock button 6:00, the bushing is fully snug around 6:30.

Is this normal, or have I received an out of spec bushing/press? I plan on calling Lee on Monday, but I would like to hear from the community first in case they try to give me the run around.

I have the Lee hand press and all of the quick change bushings that i have need moderate to heavy force to get it around to the locking button.

If yours is loose, it could be the quick change bushings or the press.

I would contact them and check to see what advice they have to offer.

Good Luck!

Mine lock down pretty tight

Are you allowing that lock button to fully pop up through the half moon cut on the rim of the bushing?





ETA I just went to see if I could turn mine past the lock button to get a better feel for what your describing......I could, just a little and with way too much thumb and forefinger.......mine is snug enough at the point of the lock pin.

Correct, I am allowing the lock button to pop up and lock the bushing in, but in that position I can easily and freely wiggle the bushing and the die that is in left to right.

It is sounding like something is not right with my setup.

Mine seat tight, but as long as it doesn't push out of the press it shouldn't matter if there is a little wiggle room.  Just as long as the arm on the press stops in the same place every time.

I guess that o-ring they forgot to put in my box has something to do with this ;). I didn't realize that there was an o-ring supposed to sit on a stepped lip above the threads on the press...mainly because I never found an o-ring in my package! I'd be willing to be if I went back re-read the instructions a little more carefully I just missed the language about the o-ring.

It must have been an off day at the packing plant or something, because the 50th Anniversary set I got also came with two large safety primes instead of one small and one large...you would thinking someone stuffing those boxes could keep up with the complicated "black for one size, white for the other" system they have in place.

Mine has a little play, but I think it's normal.  The turret on my 4 hole turret has more play (up/down) than the single stage press. I looked inside the threaded area.  There is an o-ring, but not on top. It sits in a groove at the base of the threads.  Is that where you are talking about?

I have never noticed that o ring! I just went to check that out after I read your update......and there it was.



Mine is at the bottom of the threads in the breech lock hand press.....so the bottom of the bushing sits on it in the press.......

Sure enough, I get to home actually look at the thing and there is an o-ring at the bottom of the threads. The guy I was talking to at Lee had made it sound like it was on the top, and that would have made total sense to me.

The guy at Lee basically told me to just depress the lock button and turn it further if I wanted it tight...until we came upon the now false fix of the "missing" o-ring.

I have to say that I am less than impressed with this setup so far. All Lee would have had to do is either machine the threads right, or make a close tolerance fit where the lock pin hits the bushing, but they did neither.

you know upon further inspection i do get a little wiggle with the lock button in the slot in the bushing.

I honestly never noticed and it works fine.

The lee manual IIRC says you can later insert the bushing without having to push the lock button to remove by just turning it so it doesn't pop up.

If you want it tighter don't worry about the button locking in.

Mine works fine with a tiny bit of wiggle

I'll agree with a LITTLE wiggle. However, if it is out, and yes even a rookie can tell what's not right for the bushings, I would call lee and tell them to replace it. They have always worked with me, likewise they will work with you.

Shannon

all 3 of mine i can turn about :30 past or just about enough for the notch to be fully past the button.

just make sure you set it and note how you have it tightened all the way or in the notch

the notch is just a decent index point because it eliminates how much you torque the bushing down as a factor