Author Topic: How have you made Lee equipment work well for you? (Read 4269 times)

Questor · « **on:** February 11, 2005, 05:17:10 AM »

It's not for everyone, but Lee equipment can be suitable for many. What are your positive experiences with Lee equipment and how does it fit into your reloading hobby?

jh45gun · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2005, 05:34:28 AM »

To be honest the casting stuff is fine My lead pot keeps working and my moulds cast good bullets. I have had not one problem with my Lee Dies which is all I will buy because you get the shell holder and I buy the sets with the factory crimp die which was a excellent Idea they work slicker then Heck. My presses are the handheld ones because I live in a apt and do not have room for a bench. They work well and all I load is rifle ammo and I have not seen a cartridge yet I could not resize easily. I even use the hand presses for sizing bullets. I have never had to do anything to anything I own from Lee. My Lead Pot is over 5 years old at least along with my first set of lee dies in 45/70. The rest are more recent ( I have six sets of Lee Dies several sizing dies additionally) but I have not had any problems at all. Jim

skb2706 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2005, 06:09:49 AM »

Best way to get most of it to work is keep sending it back til they get it right or buy something else. There are only a select few things Lee that I believe work well and none are made well. Everything I ever got had that "Made in China" look to it. I like using his Autoprime II. The rest is junk.......same with Richards loading manual.

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2005, 06:14:27 AM »

There are two Lee items which are in regular use on my bench and have been for a long time. I prime cases ONLY with the Lee AutoPrime. I've tried other methods but have found nothing to even remotely compare to it. I recommend it without reservation and have been using it for well over 20 years. The other is the Lee Shell holder sets in the little green and red boxes. I have four sets, two of each. Some of them seem to find their way into the die boxes for my most heavily used die sets but I still have a second set in box ready to grab one out if the proper shell holder isn't in the die box. Very handy and they work as well as any and cost less than most. Excellent buy.

I have some Lee moulds and use them to cast bullets from time to time. I have one of their ingot moulds but it's not used regularly as it doesn't hold as much as the other brands I have and is a bit on the flimsy side. Still I do like the wood handle on it. Their six cavity moulds really are quite nice and I like making six bullets at a time.

That's pretty much it for my use of Lee Products at this time.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2005, 06:17:55 AM »

I apply the moving parts test. If a Lee Product has only a couple of moving parts, it's likely to work as well as anyone else's. Maybe better, because Richard Lee was a brilliant designer. If it has a lot of moving parts, it's best avoided. I got so frustrated at a Pro 1000 that I converted it to a simple turret press. Like it fine as a turret press.

Pistol shooters owe Lee a huge debt of gratitude. Lee got carbide dies within everyone's reach. His first carbide dies sold for less than other makers's steel dies and for less than half of the other carbide dies He forced the price for everyone down within reason. Lee also introduced the hollow expander ball and the expander operated powder measure.

I especially like Lee's bits and pieces. The chamfering tool, the pocket cleaner, the case trimer, the universal decapping die and the universal flaring tool are all innovative, inexpensive, and do their job flawlessly. The AutoPrime has been a standard for reloading since it was introduced, even for people who won't own any other Lee gear. I prefer the press mounted AutoPrime II, but that hasn't caught on to the same degree.

Lee has done more than any man alive to revitalize bullet casting. While the one and two cavity moulds have a deservedly poor reputation, they will turn out decent bullets and last a reasonable time if kept properly lubed. The six cavity blocks are fully as good as similar blocks costing three times as much. Liquid Alox and the Lee Sizers made it possible to do without an expensive and cranky lubrisizer.

There's been some junk, too. The early AutoDisk measures were pretty bad. The new Pro Model is quite decent. The priming system on the Pro1000 is near criminal. Best that can be said about the shotgun Loadall is that it is better than nothing. I ain't sure that I would say even that about the progressive shotgun press. The little Reloader C press is about the last thing I would use for loading rifle ammo, but mighty handy for miscellaneous light jobs.

Overall, I'd say that Lee stuff depends on the user. Needs of ten box a year hunter are way different from those of the thousand rounds a month pistol competitor. A reasonably handy man is going to be a lot happier than the mechanical klutz as there is likely to be some fine tuning involved.

bgjohn · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2005, 06:19:51 AM »

Lee collet dies are the best thing since sliced bread. I did need to sand the mandrel on the one for the 22 Hornet but no biggy. Hornet brass is very thin. It worked fine on new brass but after a few loadings the brass wouldn't hold the bullet. The brass was used for 2 years before I finally got tired of looking at it and threw them in the scrap. They must have been loaded 30 times.
JM :grin:

Vern Humphrey · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2005, 07:43:53 AM »

Lee Products that I recommend:

1. Lee Casting equipment -- I use the Lee production pot, Lee moulds, and Lee liquid Alox.

2. Lee Autoprime.

3. Lee dies, in general. For revolvers, the floating crimp die is the best available.

4. Lee Collet dies -- for hard-to-load cartridges like the .22 Hornet, they can't be beat.

5. Lee Hand Press -- great for working up loads at the range, or for a reloading kit in a tool box.

sprest22 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2005, 07:51:29 AM »

I like the LEE collet dies and factory crimp dies,nothing beats them in my opinion.I also use the hand press's a lot.I have two of them and use them more than my bench press.For the money,they cannot be beat.I have shot much better groups with ammo made on "cheap"LEE stuff,than others that use the "better" dies and such.I like it and will continue to use it.

Castaway · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2005, 09:39:47 AM »

Have to jump in on this one. Agree with the Auto Prime noted above, Liquid Alox and Production pot but have to add a few others:

1. The Auto-disk. My philosophy is to not handle a dirty dish twice. From the hand to the dishwasher, skipping the sink. The Auto-disk allows me to bell a case and charge the case with powder at the same time, saving a step in the loading process. Great for pistol cartridges.

2. Lee Carbide Pistol dies allow me to use the auto disk noted above to reduce my time and effort at the bench.

3. 255 gr RNFP, 45 Colt, 6 cavity mould. Drops 'em out clean, well filled, consistently and fast. Good for target shooting and pure death on deer and pigs.

4. Powder Dipper kit. Allows me to select the proper dipper, scoop a large measure of powder for my 45-70 and trickle in the last few grains onto the scale.

jh45gun · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2005, 11:48:08 AM »

Quote from: skb2706

Best way to get most of it to work is keep sending it back til they get it right or buy something else. There are only a select few things Lee that I believe work well and none are made well. Everything I ever got had that "Made in China" look to it. I like using his Autoprime II. The rest is junk.......same with Richards loading manual.

Funny you say that about the made in china look. as Lee's Dies do not look any different than any other die I have seen and they work fine. Better than the Hornady 45/70 dies I had that I traded in for a Lee set. The Lee ones worked great the Hornady ones kept busting the Primer decapper rod. I do not like Lee's book as well as others as he reccomends powders that I do not use a lot. Still some think it is great. Also for the made in China look Norinco has made some gun copies that are to the equal of the guns they copied. Their 1911 copy the Browning 22 copy and the Walther target gun copy come to mind. I have one of the Walther copies and it shoots as accurate as any 22 pistol out there and the fit and finish are excellent. It is a keeper. I also had the 1911 copy I dumped when I got divorced as the ex bought it for me and I traded it off in a fit of emotion. Still kicking my self as the gun shop owner kept it for himself and he still tells me how great it shoots which it did. Jim

lilabner · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2005, 12:49:12 PM »

I started handloading with a $9.98 Lee Loader for 30-06. The one where you drive the case into the sizing die using a mallet. Slow but it worked fine. I scaled every powder charge and my stuff would outshoot the factory ammo available at that time. I've had good luck with his carbide single die set for 9 mm pistol. I've used Lee rifle dies and RCBS rifle dies and the Lee dies seem to work just as well. His hand priming tool and case trimmer work well for me. Never owned a Lee press and never wanted one. My old Rock Chucker will outlast me, I'm sure.

LeadPoison · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2005, 01:06:39 PM »

I have the Anniversary Kit and for the couple hundred rounds I shoot every year I coudln't be happier. All the equipment it came with is on the plastic side but it WORKS.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #12 on:** February 11, 2005, 02:31:06 PM »

The new Lee classic cast is the cats meow there isn't another press on the planet that can touch it, And it will load .50 BMG if it will load them it will do anthing else you could want. All of my die sets are Lee and I have 4 Lee presses the C press is junk for loading but works great for my auto prime II, The turrent press I bought used and have loaded several thousand rounds on it, The other press is an O press but I only use it to size cast round don't know how it would work for other stuff, about 10 moulds and little odds and ends yep I like Lee stuff.

The hornady lock-nload bushings work great to make die changes faster in the classic cast, hold setting also. My frien Ian has a dillion 550 and his Lee cast sees more use time.

earschplitinloudenboomer · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2005, 12:27:37 AM »

Bought Lee pistol dies in 7.62 X 25, had real problems...'til I read the instructions! I've read a lot of posts on a lot of forums about this particular set of dies, most folks having problems and are blaming Lee dies...bet they need to read the instructions too! I use lots of Lee equipment, I like it.

New Hampshire · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2005, 01:41:15 AM »

The majority of stuff I use is Lee. Ive got the Anniversary kit I started with, the Turret press and the Loadmaster. Ive posted before about how I get my Loadmaster to run smoothely. Basically the first and most important thing to do is remove the weakest link, the priming system. It doesnt even bother me that much since I like to prime by hand anyways. I have also found that it is easier to size my big cases (rifle) off the press. It works things out because, like I said I like hand priming. So what I do when I get brass is I tumble, lube and size (and de-prime of course), tumble again to remove lube, then start loading on the progressive. May sound like A lot of pre-work but it still makes the loading time go like warp speed compared to a turret press or single stage. After all that its just fiddling with the case slider to get it just right. On long, small based cases, like .223 I will sometimes get them to slip off the holding arm for the case slider, but its not bad and dont happen too often to annoy me.
Brian M.

Castaway · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2005, 01:48:36 AM »

Forgot to add the Lee Sizer to my above list

jgalar · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2005, 04:11:35 AM »

The only problems I have had with Lee is on a collet die and the Nagant revolver die set.
The collet die just needed to be taken apart and lightly buffed to work properly.
The 7.62x38R die set needed to have the bullet seating stem cut and a screw installed inside the die to properly seat a bullet. This wasn't Lee's fault as they made a special run of modified dies for midway using midway's specs. The die sizes 32-20 cases to use in the little Nagant. Once I made the mods it worked like a champ. The RCBS die set cost around $150 the Lee/midway was about $17 - I can live with making a few mods with that price difference.
I have never had a Lee tool break or wear out. There is a learning curve using some of the stuff to get it to work properly.
Lee has quick turn around for special order items that I have ordered and even being special order from the factory their prices are still cheaper than other tool makers.

Jim n Iowa · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2005, 02:54:24 PM »

I don't like there pistol dies(can not remove the decap pin/arm). I do like the 4 hole turret press for pistols, the factory crimp dies, and the powder dippers. Then its RCBS who I think has the best customer service in this business.
Jim

earschplitinloudenboomer · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2005, 10:07:58 PM »

I do wish Lee would go back to the split lock ring on their dies.

bgjohn · « **Reply #19 on:** February 13, 2005, 02:35:57 AM »

Quote from: earschplitinloudenboomer

I do wish Lee would go back to the split lock ring on their dies.

Why? I replaced some of my other locking rings with the Lee rings.
JM :grin:

Dave in WV · « **Reply #20 on:** February 13, 2005, 04:56:46 AM »

I have several Lee die sets. I put split ring lock rings on them. I use a Lee chamfering/deburring tool. I had a Lee Challanger press for 14 years before part of the linkage broke. I used Lee resizing lube for many years too.

earschplitinloudenboomer · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2005, 08:13:54 PM »

I have a bad habit of grasping the knurled upper die body and twisting it to seat or remove the die from the press (that's what it's for). I have had the die body turn and the lock nut NOT turn. This constitutes resetting the dies, I'm lazy.

jgalar · « **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2005, 01:45:52 AM »

The lock nuts are only $1. You can install two on the die and use the upper as the locking mechanism. I just use some blue loc-tite on the threads once I get them where I want them. It holds them in place real well, but is still easy to change. If you really want to make sure the locking nut doesn't move use red loc-tite.

mountainview · « **Reply #23 on:** February 14, 2005, 05:23:47 AM »

Questor,

I've had all positive experiences w/ Lee's equipment (case trimmers, gages, scale, Classic Loaders, and a new press). The relatively low cost was a big plus since I am on a budget and the equipment simplicity was also a boon for me as a beginner. Even the Safety Scale, which is maligned by many, has worked well for me. Of the few problems I have had, most were based on my not taking the time to carefully read through the directions.

Safe shooting.

JBMauser · « **Reply #24 on:** February 14, 2005, 03:42:23 PM »

I recomend lee equipment and use it as well. I did have to make a modification to one item. I ground a few thousanths off the base of my 7.65X54 die to bump the shoulder back when forming brass. The die worked fine to resize proper brass but I needed to compensate for the springback in forming. No fault of the die, I just had to customize it a bit. early on in my loading I did not get the case lube thing right off and I messed up the decap rods using them to drive out stuck cases. I since built a base style puller and lube properly. Great value. I hope they stay around a long time. They ease the path of entry to the hobby for many if not all newbees. JB

jh45gun · « **Reply #25 on:** February 14, 2005, 07:01:17 PM »

Interesting JB Mauser I also have lee dies in that caliber and have not had any problems with them resizing or loading in the chamber. Jim

JBMauser · « **Reply #26 on:** February 15, 2005, 03:37:21 AM »

jh45gun, nor did I in loading and sizing, just forming from cut down '06 brass. I know Redding makes shell holders in sets that are progressivley thinner so you can jam that puppy further up into the die. Since I did not have them and I did have a grinder, result - a custom die

JB

jh45gun · « **Reply #27 on:** February 15, 2005, 09:16:59 AM »

Excuse me JBMauser. I read the post too darn fast and thought you said 762x54 :oops: :oops: :oops: Jim

Racepres · « **Reply #28 on:** February 15, 2005, 05:25:23 PM »

Put my 2 bits in for the positive ... I too started w/ a Lee Handloader in the late 70's and have accumulated a fair pile of all brands of stuff. But I prefer the stuff from Lee.. A clear case of Value for yer $$ vs buying marketing and "image" ... Marty

Singing Bear · « **Reply #29 on:** February 15, 2005, 06:52:22 PM »

Started reloading on a budget almost 20 yrs. ago and did it with a Lee Turret with auto index, Lee dies and auto disk powder measure. Loaded for IPSC, Bullseye, rifle from 223 to 45-70, and now Cowboy Action Shooting. Bought a new Turret 5 yrs. ago for backup. I'm still using the old Turret and the backup is still a backup. I also upgraded my auto disk with the Lee Deluxe update kit. Never did have a squib or double charge with this system.

Also used a Production Pot IV for 15 yrs. and finally got a new one because I had sold the old one.(that's another story) 8( It was still working just fine. Also cast bullets with Lee moulds.

I use a Lee Loadall for shotshell loading, but only because I got good deal and I had sold my Mec Jr. (same with "another story"). Although the Loadall does good, I do miss my Mec.

For the amount and kind of shooting I do nowadays, there's just no need to get anything else or spend that kind of money for them. My son will probably inherit that backup, NIB. :lol: