Saturday Movies: Turret Press Options with 9, 8, 7, & 6 Stations

Every handloader can benefit from a turret press. This type of press features an upper rotating disk that has multiple threaded placements for dies or other tools (such as powder dispensers). There are a variety of turret presses on the market today with the remarkable Area 419 9-Station Zero Press at the top end, and the inexpensive Lee turret presses at the other end of the spectrum. In between are Lyman’s 8-station All-American turret, the Redding 7-station T-7 press, and the RCBS 6-station turret.

Today’s Saturday video showcase features notable turret presses from Area 419, Lyman, Redding, and RCBS. We lead off with a feature on the advanced Area 419 ZERO 9-station turret.

Area 419 ZERO 9-Station Turret Reloading Press — Without Peer

Area 419’s impressive ZERO reloading press is a 9-station turret press with some very unique features. This press was designed to be the most precise turret ever created. As tested by Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com, the ZERO turret press delivered very impressive shoulder-bump consistency and ultra-low seated bullet run-out (about +/- 0.0005″). The numbers were as good as you can get from a quality single-stage press, so Area 419 did some impressive engineering. We would expect that, as this represents a big investment — the current ZERO Gen 2 model $1400.00 at Area419.com. SEE FULL Gen 1 REVIEW on UltimateReloader.com.

The ZERO turret press lets you install up to nine (9) different reloading dies in the large top turret, which revolves around a central axis. But unlike most turret presses, the ZERO doesn’t have flex or wobble when you’re loading. This is because Area 419 includes a clever system for locking the turret in position after you’ve selected the die from your array.

Lyman Brass Smith All-American 8-Station Turret Press

The 8-station Lyman Brass-Smith All-American Turret Press is an impressive product. Since its introduction in 2018, Lyman’s All-American 8 has become popular with handloaders. With a $275.99 street price at MidwayUSA, the 8-station Lyman is $119 cheaper than the $394.99 7-station Redding T-7 (current Amazon price). No question, that’s a significant price advantage, which has helped Lyman grab turret press sales from Redding.

More Stations Provide More Reloading Options
Gavin liked having 8 stations, because this offers more flexibility. With eight stations, you can have four two-die sets, or three two-die sets plus a dedicated decapping die and a powder measure. Gavin notes: “I’ve owned many reloading presses, including 3-station, 4-station, 5-station, and 7-station variants, but I’ve never owned an 8-station press until the Brass-Smith All-American 8 came to the shop. I’ll have to say… you can’’t get too many stations, especially on a manually-indexed turret. I love the idea that you can leave dies on the press, and load multiple calibers/chamberings using the same turret setup.”

Quick Comparison Videos — Lyman, Lee, Redding

Below we’ve included a couple quick vertical-format video “shorts” which show the Lyman 8-station Turret Press and the Lee Classic 4-Hole Turret Press in action. If you are just loading one or two pistol cartridge types, the inexpensive ($184.99) Lee Class turret press may suffice.

Redding T-7 Turret Press Overview

The Redding T-7 has long been a leading turret press for precision handloaders. It offers one more station than the other “green” turret press offered by RCBS. It has a reliable optional priming system and plenty of leverage. We like the build quality of the Redding T-7, but at $394.99 on Amazon, it is now significantly more expensive than the Lyman turret, which has one more station. See a comparison of the Redding T-7 and Lyman 8-station turret press in a video below.

Redding T-7 with Creedmoor Sports Enhanced Turret Head

Creedmoor Sports offers an upgraded Enhanced Press Head for the Redding T-7. This $219.95 turret top allows greater precision in case sizing and bullet seating. This UltimateReloader video covers the advantages of the new precision turret head.

8 vs. 7 Stations — Lyman Turret and Redding T-7 Comparison

If you’re considering acquiring a turret press, it helps to compare products side by side. Here is an interesting comparison video showcasing the Redding T-7 and the Lyman 8-station turret press. This video offers a side-by-side comparison of the Redding turret and the Lyman turret, showing how each performs key functions.

RCBS Six-Station Turret Press

This Editor has used an RCBS Turret Press for over 20 years. It does not have the most stations or the most sophisticated features, but it has proven very reliable over the years. I use it primarily to load with pistol sizing and seating dies. Having six stations allows me to load multiple cartridge types: 9x19mm, .357 Magnum, and .45 ACP. READ FULL REVIEW on UltimateReloader.com. The RCBS Turret press is currently $389.99 on Amazon.

Creedmoor Enhanced Turret Heads for Redding and Lyman

Creedmoor Sports offers enhanced precision press heads for the Redding 7-station Turret Press and the Lyman 8-station Turret Press. The Creedmoor Enhanced Press Head is a direct drop-in upgrade to the factory OEM press head and can be installed in a matter of minutes. This press head is precision-crafted from stainless steel bar stock. Priced at $219.95, these enhanced heads are featured in the video below. (NOTE: There are also 1″ series turret heads for Lyman and Redding turrets priced at $154.95. These will only work with 1″ dies).

NOTE: Creedmoor Sports no longer lists an enhanced top for the 6-station RCBS Turret Press.

The $219.95 Creedmoor Sports turret top allows greater precision in case sizing and bullet seating. A recent UltimateReloader video covers the advantages of the new precision turret head for the Redding T-7. READ Full Report on UltimateReloader.com.