Play in press bushings; Can it affect precision?

[PathFinder]

I've had the same Lee O Frame press for over a decade now. Recently, I noticed that the quick change threads inside the press look very worn. When inserting a seating die, I noticed for the first time that there is substantial play between the quick change bushing and the die. I don't currently have a fixture to measure runout, but this seems like it could be the source of too much variation. Has anyone experienced something similar and measured runout or precision to quantify the issue it causes? Right now welding a bushing into the press is looking like a good idea for a quick fix.

 

[rayporter]

there are some that feel some play in the die is good for run out. it allows the die to self center.

if you try to make it solid how do you make sure it is centered?

 

[dukeball33]

F-Class John looked at it a little bit... seems like a couple thousandths runout wouldn't matter much, depending on you system. If you have a solid bullet and powder combination, I doubt you would notice.