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Lee Neck Sizing Die Failure

The Old SaltThe Old Salt Member Posts: 94 ✭✭
edited December 2014 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Both the internal threads in the collet assembly barrel & the top cap that holds the internal components in failed. Thread tops sheared off. Cap pushes out to the barrel as case is pushed into the bottom of the die. E-mailed Lee Precision. We'll see how they respond. This die has only sized a few hundred 308 case necks. Has this happened to anyone else?
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Comments

  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,081 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My experience with LEE customer service has been 100% acceptable. I've had several decap stems and 2 .223 sizing dies replaced w/o complaint.
    I didn't bother contacting them-just sent the buggered part(s).
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  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sheering threads sounds like a heat treatment problem, or an adjustment issue. I'd bet lee fixes you up.
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  • MG1890MG1890 Member Posts: 4,460 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've got Lee collet dies. They work well, but the thread fits are not that great. Lots of slop in the threads. I'm not surprised that they stripped.
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  • AmbroseAmbrose Member Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That cap is aluminum. The threads on mine sheared off from trying to squeeze the neck too much. It works better to turn the case a 1/3 and squeeze it again.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    they tend to do that. Back the die body off a tad and that shouldn't happen again. Lee will send you a replacement cap at no charge.
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't set it so it will cam over a strong press like a Rockchucker.
    All you can do is close the collet to squeeze the neck against the mandrel, ramming it harder is not going to do anything but break the die. I had to learn that the hard way, too.

    I recently saw a post were a guy got a stronger than average Lee collet die and broke the press!
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  • SwanKongSwanKong Member Posts: 989 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JustC
    they tend to do that. Back the die body off a tad and that shouldn't happen again. Lee will send you a replacement cap at no charge.


    +1
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  • The Old SaltThe Old Salt Member Posts: 94 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lee replied and said to send them the dies which I will do soon as the USPS opens after the holiday.
    Didn't realize the cap was aluminum. It broke when the press cammed over. Too much pressure.
    Does anyone else make a neck size die that doesn't require lube?
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A bushing die with TiN coated bushing would do, for a considerable cost.
    Just use the Lee properly.
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    why are you concerned about not using lube??

    either way,..the lee die will sometimes not give enough neck tension without making the press cam over and get close to damaging the cap. What I do in that case, is to dis-assemble the die, and chuck the mandrel in a drill. By using sand paper (for metal) from larger to smaller grit, and holding it around the mandrel as it is spun in the drill, with some oil applied, and a set of calipers handy, you can reduce the size of the mandrel in .001"s of an inch. This makes it so that the neck tension is increased, without having to place unneeded pressure on that cap by having to cam-over the press.[;)]
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  • The Old SaltThe Old Salt Member Posts: 94 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    JustC, I like ur idea. Have thought about that myself. I have used it without the mandrel to get necks sized smaller, put it is a pain to run the case through the same die twice. Once to recap and again to reduce sufficiently reduce the neck ID. Reducing the mandrel to a dia of about .306 or .3065 would provide more neck tension in the assembled round. I am shooting only BT bullets so they seat can deal with the reduced ID OK.
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  • AmbroseAmbrose Member Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My Rock Chucker (and my RCBS Junior) does not cam over. However, I have an old Pacific/Hornady that does. Unless I don't understand what is meant here by "cam-over".
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  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Ambrose
    My Rock Chucker (and my RCBS Junior) does not cam over. However, I have an old Pacific/Hornady that does. Unless I don't understand what is meant here by "cam-over".


    cam-over is when the die body has been adjusted so far down that the shell holder makes contact at the very last part of the stroke, and you feel pressure on the handle that requires an increased pressure needed to fully complete the stroke. It gets tougher and then you feel a THUMP when the handle fully goes all the way. Try it with a die and you will see what I mean.
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  • The Old SaltThe Old Salt Member Posts: 94 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Got an e-mail from Lee Precision today. New die on the way. Free warranty replacement. Nice to see that there are still companies who deliver excellent customer service!
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