It was nearly a decade ago that I was introduced to the Redding T7 Press. I used it at work developing loads. The press was brand new when we ordered it in and by the time I left, on what would be a brief hiatus, from the firearms industry, the press was well used. At the time of leaving I had loaded probably no less than 10,000 rounds on that press. Everything from 338 Lapua, to 9x19mm.
After using single-stage presses for most of my hobby-reloading career, graduating up to a Turret press was a big change for me. It is no secret that I loved that press, if we were to build a van diagram of a press that occupied a happy medium between form, fit, function, and affordability, this press would be in the center. With that said, there are some shortcomings of the T7. A few weak points that you might not even realize exist until someone points them out. Kind of like the arrow in the FedEX logo…once it’s been seen you cannot unsee it.
That’s where I did some work to come out with a kit that looked to fix some of those minor flaws. Basically taking what, I feel, is already an excellent press, and turning it into something really neat. So before we get into the kit, let’s point out a few of the flaws.
“If it’s so great, why does it need an upgrade?”
One of the Achillie’s heals of nearly all reloading presses on the market is they are made from cast materials. This is the most economical way to produce a press. Most frames are either Cast Aluminum, Cast Steel, or Cast Iron. The powder coating and the textured paint are all clever ways to try and mask the natural roughness of the casting. The downside to this approach is that the castings tend to be softer materials. Soft materials do not slide past each other very easily. Yes we use a bit of grease or gun oil to help them glide, but really they just tend not only “grab” but they will also wear.
If you rotate the turret on the T7 head and you have a heavy hand, you may notice that the head will have a bit of grittiness. It’s subtle, it’s not in your face, like an RCBS Turret press (Yes, they are THAT bad) but it is noticeable. There is a fix for that, and more than likely you’ve found it in your kitchen. Polytetrafluoroethylene, also known as PFTE, which is also branded Teflon, is a very slick plastic. Not only does it give you a nice nonstick surface in your cooking pans, but it also makes for an excellent dry lubricant, and is fairly wear-resistant.
As is common with Research and Development, we were not looking to use PFTE for this project. We were testing some thin-film PFTE in another project when suddenly one of us has a grand idea to try and stick some under the head of the Redding T7. One of those simple ideas that 9 times out of 10 never works, but we had the material, we apparently had the time, and well let’s see what happens. Sure enough, it was a noticeable improvement over the standard greased approach we have used in the past. This formed the basis for our new “Upgrade Kit”.
We made a template and cut out some trial pieces of PFTE. We soon found out there was a small issue with our approach. The bushing in the center of the head is a very tight fit to the head. The bushing sits proud of the head, but only just barely. Redding claims they lap each bushing to get the perfect fit, and that each bushing is specific to each head they shipped. Putting a .010in a thick pad of Teflon down interfered with that precise fit and the head would bind. We worked the problem and decided to include a .010″ brass shim as part of the kit.
Brass has a natural lubricity to it, in part, because it is often softer than steel. The brass shim also is stiffer than Teflon by a considerable amount. So we could tighten the head down and rest assured that the brass shim would not compress as the Teflon would. Thereby preserving the height of the bushing over the top of the Turret. Making allowances for the shim was a simple adjustment to the PFTE template.
Because we are adding a PFTE pad to the pedestal that the head rested on, we needed to also add a PFTE pad to the pedestal that the ball detent was housed in. This again was a fairly simple template to put together. By doing this we ensured that you would not have “Casting touching Casting” between the head and the body of the press. This completely eliminated any drag on the press head and just made the press smoother to operate. Little things, that might otherwise go unnoticed, when fixed make a noticeable difference.
Imagine our delight when we found out that we could get the PFTE sheets with a self-adhesive back…we were on a roll now.
“We can’t just sell Stickers”
Pretty sure that was the exact quote of our VP of Operations when we told him of our scheme. Thus we began to look for other things we might do to make this press “just a little bit better”. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, just take what is already an exceptional product and tweak it to make it just a bit better.
We turned to what I have termed the “Lockup” of the press. This is the ball and detent mechanism that locates the head in position and keeps it there while you do your operations. The standard Redding Lockup is noticeable but soft. I’ve loaded thousands of rounds using this system and I had nary a complaint. However, we felt maybe there was something there that could be just a bit better.
We tried a few different balls and springs to see if we could not get a stiffer lock up. We did not want to have to muscle it in place, but we wanted it to lock with a bit of authority, and then keep the side-to-side slop down to a minimum. Through some trial and error, we found the combination that we felt gave that improved performance. Now we weren’t just selling stickers.
Other Wear Points
The T7 Press has two wear points that are likely the most noticeable to users. I noticed it most after I got used to reloading with my “Broken In” T7 and compared it to a new T7. Those where points are where the pivot arms connect to the pivot. The wear can become quite bad, and it is a result of people putting side pressure on the handle.
If it was a perfect world we would only work that handle straight up and down, as God and Redding intended. However we are imperfect people, we tend to put a little side pressure on the handle, it is just how we are built. This side pressure wears the pivot arms by scraping off metal, which loosens the pivot and makes the press looser feeling over time. We can correct this, and in fact one year, at SHOT I was talking to Redding and told them if there was one thing I thought would make that press a bit better, it was to put a washer, or bushing in that pivot. This is to preserve the new “Tight Press Feel”.
That was my last personal contribution to this kit. We put in two PFTE washers but inserted them between the pivot arms and the pivot. They can be squeezed in place and then you can restore that tight feeling back to even a well-worn press.
Last Points
Putting this kit was a lot of fun, not only because we got to take something we already enjoyed and make it better, but because so far it has been something well received. We introduced the kit in August at Camp Perry. I demonstrated it for the shooters that came through the shop and I sold nearly a dozen kits. It was fun to talk to guys about their presses and what they liked in a good reloading press. Then to listen to their feedback on how they liked their presses and how they perceived our kit.
We formally launched the kit at Creedmoor Sports in October. At the time of publishing, it is $20 plus tax and shipping. It is a good way to protect a new press and preserve that new press feel, and it is a great way to take a loved press and show it a bit of appreciation. Anyway, that’s the story of how this kit came to be and what it could do for you.
These kits can be purchased at Creedmoor Sports. Here’s the link. I do not receive any compensation or kickbacks for the purchase… but I do work there, so if you order one do not be afraid to say “Hey Jay” in the shipping notes.