Three New Tools.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I got 3 new tools from Midway today.

I got a Lyman M Die for .30 Cal.

A Weaver torque wrench,

A Lee Breech Lock Hand Press.

I needed to the M Die to load my .308 and .30-06 better. It is pretty much self explainitory.

I wanted a torque wrench for doing scope mounts and other gun screws for along time, but the only reasonably priced thing out there was the one from Wheeler Eng. I didn't like it. It felt cheesy.

Well Weaver has one now and Midway has them. It is light years ahead of the Wheeler one. It is made in Taiwan ( not china) which is a good thing, and it even came with a nice box, 10ea 1/4"hex drive bits, and a calibration cert! $60 and well worth it. Much better tool than the other one.

But the thing I was most impressed with was the Lee Breech Lock Hand Press.

I have been meaning to get one for some time for a portable loading kit. I tried it out FL sizing 4ea .30-06 cases and it works easily. It is well made and finished.

I was also impressed with the way they did the interupted thread. They held the bushings vertically and side milled the threads off the part in three places so the thing only requires 1/6th turn to engage. The starts and stops of the remaining threads are clean.(something that is not that easy to do right.) They did the ID threads on the Aluminum Press itself the same way. Pretty impressive from a machinist's viewpoint. I maintain my view that Lee has one of the best machine shops in the loading tool business, along with some very smart guys running the machines. The engineers are half bad either.

The tool works well and my new portable reloading outfit will be housed in a Craftsman plastic tool box. There is enough room for the hand press, several sets of dies, some kind of powder scale, and varrious insundry doodads for loading. I've had the box for years and just cleaned it up when Ben did his portable loading kit a few months ago in anticipation of this day. It will pack up nicely in the Jeep, as it is not too big and will hold everything needed other than consumables.

Midway has the Lee hand presses on sale right now for $28.99. Can't beat that!

So Christmas came again today. Yay !!! Now I have to scheudule my Colonoscopy!

Randy

[462]

W,
If you find the stock "30 R" expander plug to be too skinny for your .30-caliber boolits, contact Lyman and order a "31R" plug.

[W.R.Buchanan]

462: Rather than ordering a small part from Midway and paying thru the **** for shipping,

I will get a piece of allthread and turn one to the needed size. I am planning on doing this for a variety of calibers as needed with this same die body rather than buying many sizes of M Dies. They all appear to have the same size body. Plus I can include a nice flare on the spud to whatever degree I choose.

Thanks for the part number though. I saw the "30R" number on the end of the one in the die. Didn't know about the other one.

The die body is nicely machined, good complete knurling, nice finish.

Randy

[462]

Yep, they are quality dies. Midway doesn't sell the individual plugs, you have to order them from Lyman directly. I think they cost $4.95 each.

I had some custom plugs made, as I don't have the means to do so.

You may find this of interest: http://www.lasc.us/Brennan_LymanMDies.htm

[Catshooter]

Mr. Buchanan,

I have found that polishing the M dies really helps their performance. I chucked mine in my lathe and shined 'em up.


Cat

[milprileb]

The Lee hand press has been ignored by me for a long time as I saw no need for it. I load at the bench with a press. The hand press looked awkward and had no mission for me.

That is until my buddy Dave arrived at the range with his 338 Lapua Magnum and Lee Hand Press with a Forster micrometer bullet seater in it. Dave had a bunch of loads cooked up and had all loads with bullets seated high. He then began using the Lee press to seat bullets to X depth: test for accuracy, seat another bullet at Y depth: test and in short order: he found the ideal COAL for that one load. At $3 a shot for Lapua bullets in 338 Lap Mag... that Lee Press won the day !

My opinion of this Press for serious range development use has changed !

Now I realize this is not cast bullet performance I have noted but I see no reason Dave's method could not be used for testing bullet depth /COAL for cast bullets to achieve ideal accuracy results.

That micrometer seating die got my attention too. Might have to get one for 30 caliber.

Anyhow: the Lee hand press was remarkably well made and felt like a quality tool. If it fits your mission needs, do it.

[LUBEDUDE]

Thanks for the heads up and reviews. I have been stalling on the Lee hand press. And that Wheeler torque wrench held me at bay as well. You coined it well, cheesy.

Great to know about the Weaver torque wrench.

Also, my hat is off to Wheeler on ideas, but not on follow through. I bought their gunsmith screwdriver kit and found that their tips just did not fit my guns like Brownells. Got rid of the the Wheeler and upgraded the best Brownells tipped set for the bench and the pro set for travel.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Lubedude: I concur with your assessment of the Wheeler stuff.

I have the Brownells tools too and for the same reason, but I had looked at the Wheeler stuff first and rejected it BEFORE I bought.

The Weaver torque driver fit right in between the Wheeler TD and the Brownells TD which is way too expensive for a tool like that. I couldn't justify $150 for a tool I would use infrequently but wasn't going to pay $40-50 for junk either. This one split the difference.

Milprileb: My main usage of the tool will be for on site load development, but the bug out use would be valid as well. I was surprised how easily it sized a .30-06 case.

Being able to have all of my tools in one box and then consumables in another makes remote reloading for several cartridges very doable. Alot of the Lee hand tools pack nicely, and I'm talking specifically of my priming tool and case trimmers. I only really need to find or make a small box so my 45 year old Redding #1 powder scale doesn't get gooned in the box banging around with everything else.

Randy

[LUBEDUDE]

WRB - Me too, I just could not come up with "easy" money for the Brownells TD which would not see much use in my shop as well. That Weaver sounds just right.

Thanks