Lee Made in the USA

[jimkim]

One thing I've heard for years is that Lee uses Chinese parts or castings. I kinda got tired of reading it or hearing it. I decided to ask the people at Lee Precision "what parts or components do they import from other countries".

Here is their response.

Dear James,

All of our reloading presses and components are cast, produced, machined and assembled here in Hartford, WI USA. Lee Precision is 100% American owned and operated.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Lee

Lee Precision, Inc.
4275 Highway U
Hartford, WI 53027
phone: 262-673-3075

I wouldn't have posted this but for a conversation about the broken linkages on that RC. As soon as we started talking about it my buddy mentioned how Lee used cheap Chinese castings. It made me curious, and I figured if I was, others may be as well.

[1hole]

So far as I know, RCBS is the only U.S. maker who had a run of press castings from China, and that was a few years back. There was so much resistance they stopped it ... I think.

[ph4570]

Lee stuff made entirely in USA -- That is good to know. Thanks for sharing it.

[zuke]

I've read that the new little rcbs press's have "china" molded on their side's.

[old_haidouk]

Still, Lee is a Chinese quality American manufacturer.

[Atakawow]

Still, Lee is a Chinese quality American manufacturer.

And I am one satisfied consumer of Chinese quality American manufactured products.

[wellfedirishman]

Still, Lee is a Chinese quality American manufacturer.

I heartily disagree. Lee's quality and customer service is very good. I have about 15 sets of Lee dies and 20+ molds, a Lee casting pot, and Lee rifle and shotgun presses, so speak from plenty of experience with their product range. I have 10+ thousand rounds loaded on my Lee Classic Turret press and love it.

If a Lee product breaks, they stand behind it. I broke (through my own stubbornness) a linkage part on my Lee Classic Turret, they sent a new one out the next day no questions asked. Same goes for a mold sprue cutter I broke.

In terms of bang for the buck, you cannot beat Lee IMO. And when you call them you get a real live person from the get go.

[UNIQUEDOT]

Still, Lee is a Chinese quality American manufacturer.

Well then what does that say about the poorer quality of the other manufacturers stuff? for instance... in comparison to Lee's classic cast press. The other guys must be raiding the bottom of the Chinese quality barrels to compete.

[plmitch]

I heartily disagree. Lee's quality and customer service is very good. I have about 15 sets of Lee dies and 20+ molds, a Lee casting pot, and Lee rifle and shotgun presses, so speak from plenty of experience with their product range. I have 10+ thousand rounds loaded on my Lee Classic Turret press and love it.

If a Lee product breaks, they stand behind it. I broke (through my own stubbornness) a linkage part on my Lee Classic Turret, they sent a new one out the next day no questions asked. Same goes for a mold sprue cutter I broke.

In terms of bang for the buck, you cannot beat Lee IMO. And when you call them you get a real live person from the get go.

Well said Sir!

[jed]

I have used Lee products from the Lee Loaders for shot guns up to the Lee deluxe dies for 6.5x55. I know some of their products are not over engineered, but they function for their intended use quite well as long as I use common sense when using them.

[Judan_454]

I used Lee products for years and always had good luck with them. Living in Wisconsin I thought it was a good thing to buy from a Wisconsin manufacture. In the late 1980's when I got my first turret press I bought it right from the Lee factory in Hartford Wisconsin. Back then I talked to President of the company Richard Lee, infact he was the one that sold me the turret press. Lee manufacturing is a great family owned business,oh buy the way I still have that same turret press and still is one of my main presses that I use.

[LeadBrain]

My bench looks like a roll of LifeSavers it has so many brand colors! And I am happy with everyone of them for their application. IMO it is best to fit the design to the application not the brand. Although some I bought because they were AVAILABLE not because I wanted that Brand. The Lee's work as well or better as any other brand depending on which product. But everything is relative, the powder measure works fine for the money but is that the measure you want to use for next 30 years.

[jimkim]

Every press on my bench is a high quality US manufactured product. That includes a Dillon, two Lee Classic presses, and an old RCBS RS. They are all of equal quality. They just differ in design.

[Bwana]

Still, Lee is a Chinese quality American manufacturer.

Your post says more about you than it does about Lee.

[Ben]

Lee Bashers, Lee Bashers, ..............UUuumm ? ?

Some things just won't go away.

Ben

[r1kk1]

I'm a basher of everyone. Period. Not happy when Redding wouldn't open a 44-40 crimp die for this PITA Ruger Vaquero. Lee rifle FCD works! Not happy with the APEX 3.0 from Hornady. The MEC 9000 works! Now looking at either the Patriot from P/W or Spolar. Not happy to learn RCBS is using China! Pissed! Lyman quality is slipping. Missed the custom order stuff and now we have custom mould makers from everywhere churning out quality moulds in the weights that Lyman had. Solved.

100% of the stuff that is Lee on my bench is older than the two year warranty. When you get past this, Lee will send you a part at 50% of their retail. Still cheaper to use Midway or some other retail outlet unless you have a C&R license. I don't care for their scale or powder measures. Buy a powder measure that works! I love it when I see what powder works through my measure? I reload for my firearms not my equipment! I have sent many brands of measures throughout the decades down the road. Settled on two RCBS Charge Master and the Quick Measure.

Out the door they went. Don't care for their alloy presses and do remember when Richard would say that cast iron and/or steel are not needed for reloading. Whatever. I do not own any of the Classic Cast presses. I have a press that Richard makes fun of in his book as being over engineered. Maybe so, but it works and works well.

The Load-All is a joke. Hate it. Went out the door without being sold. I could see Lee bringing a Classic Cast version of this with interchangeable heads for different gauges. Lose the plastic. If he built a Classic Cast version of this and a simple pin arrangement to adjust for 2-3/4", 3", 3-1/2" shells, he would have a winner! Don't mention the Apex 3.0 shotshell loader to me as Hornady and I have a mutual hatred for that press. Yeah I hard on stuff that doesn't work. Don't care who's name is on it. I use a Ponsness Warren 375C press and it is less than five minutes to swap gauges or shell heights. Best single stage shot shell loader I've ever used. I've rebuilt and sold quite a few MEC presses over the years. Good product, just a pain to swap gauges on. There is a reason why people own several and dedicate a press for that gauge another for this and so on.

I have a ton of Lee custom services stuff. Bullet sizers, case length gauges, moulds, etc. Stuff I swear by, not swear at. Their bullet sizers are tough enough for me to swage jacketed bullets down a .001 or two. I don't use or need pistol FCD. I swear by their rifle FCD.

I'm waiting on a custom Lee 6 cavity mould for a 357 in Keith style. Once again another custom purchase.

I pay good money for equipment over the years. I'm not on anyone's payroll. I don't make excuses for manufacturers either. If RCBS is using China, bad on them. I have a plethora of dies and other stuff on my bench for various manufacturers. There is not a company that I haven't made a phone call, email, or snail mail going "what the hell!"

Just my .02 cents and not a fan boy of any company, it's my money and it better work!

r1kk1

[MattOrgan]

I do not understand the general attitude about Lee. I've said this before but they revolutionized many aspects of reloading. My first shotshell machine was a LoadAll about 30 years ago. I have loaded thousands of rounds with that machine. When the plastic pivot pins wore out on the main body, Lee replaced it for free. Name a shotshell machine that can load anything in a shotshell that comes in one box? I own three of these machines (12/16/20) I would own one in 410 if they made one. Can't beat them for versatility. I use them for hunting loads and experimintation. That being said I own three P/W machines in 12/16/20. They load beautiful ammunition. But once set for trap/skeet/sporting clays I leave them alone. I only switch between 7 1/2 and 8 shot depending on the game. Changing gauges is not real easy.

I loaded my first cartridge with a Lee loader in .243 Winchester. There was no way I could have afforded any other system when I was 12 years old. It still took a lot of miles delivering newspapers to buy a rifle, scope, and Lee loader.

Lee dies are as high quality as anything else. Their carbide pistol does did two major things for relaoders. First they stopped the upward spiral of cost. They also introduced the first sizer/ due capper dies for pistol that were inexpensive and widely available. This made the inexpensive progressive relaoders usable for many. When I bought my Dillon RL 450 in the early 80's Mike Dillon recommended Lee dies.

Last week I bought the Lee classic cast single station press. I bought it because it captures all primers. Works like a charm. Not as nicely finished or painted as my first RCBS rock checker, but a $104.00 it is an amazing bargain.

I own stuff from every major manufacturer. Some is better than others. But we are so blessed in this country with the availability of everything and the quality and customer service. Every company I've ever dealt with just fixes it, usually at no charge.

[Johnny_Cyclone]

I really think RCBS, Hornady, Dillon and others should be sending Mr. LEE thank you cards.

If it wasn't for LEE I don't think there would be half as many folks buying reloading equipment.

LEE is where a lot a people go when they want to test the reloading waters. Which can lead to thoughts of "..well if I can do that with this, what would X brand be like.." which helps the other manufactures who don't have entry level stuff sell their presses and equipment.
(they do have entry level,..but not dip a toe in the water entry cost. )

I know for myself if I hadn't started with a little LEE single stage back when money was tighter, and with my knowledge of reloading in its infancy I wouldn't own all the equipment I own now.. lol, good for manufactures=bad on my pocket book.... because I wasn't going to spend that kind of cash to find out if I liked reloading or not.

LEE deserves accolades from the other manufactures for supporting the hobby by manufacturing items where the pricing allows noobs to discover the joy.

All made in the USA.

I also notice that LEE is the only Big? reloading/casting manufacture to support Castboolits with a banner ad. That says something there too.

Unfortunatly, LEE is facing completion by price point from the China made SmartReloader brand. This is a shame. Many are buying that stuff, because they don't know that LEE is a nicely made similarly priced US product. All due to misinformation like the OP's friend had.

I have to wonder if those that bash LEE would really direct a friend to Smartreloader if his friend had limited funds spend towards dabbling in the hobby.

Also I wonder if RCBS having gone to China to build presses is part of what awakend the Chinese manufacturing giant to entering the US reloading market. RCBS could have just created a monster that could eventually run out some of the American companies presses and the jobs that go with them.

I wouldn't be suprised to see an exact copy of a Rock Chucker show up on the market soon.

sorry for the thread drift...

Back on topic.

LEE,.. Made in the USA... Heck yea!

That's what I'm-a-talkin' about.

[Bill*]

I agree with most of you.....the Lee bashing is getting real old

[r1kk1]

I do not understand the general attitude about Lee. I've said this before but they revolutionized many aspects of reloading. My first shotshell machine was a LoadAll about 30 years ago. I have loaded thousands of rounds with that machine. When the plastic pivot pins wore out on the main body, Lee replaced it for free. Name a shotshell machine that can load anything in a shotshell that comes in one box? I own three of these machines (12/16/20) I would own one in 410 if they made one. Can't beat them for versatility. I use them for hunting loads and experimintation. That being said I own three P/W machines in 12/16/20. They load beautiful ammunition. But once set for trap/skeet/sporting clays I leave them alone. I only switch between 7 1/2 and 8 shot depending on the game. Changing gauges is not real easy.

Which P/W press do you own? I OWN the 375c and the 800 plus. Very easy for gauge conversions. The 800 plus was sold to finance either the Spolar or P/W Patriot. Very easy for gauge conversions. Load some 3-1/2 12s on that Load-All. Name a shotshell loader that comes in a box. Spolar, my P/W, MECS, etc. and work very well. Please don't state that the bushings that Lee puts out covers every powder and shot combination. Maybe for what you do but not I. I have bushings from MEC, Hornady, and P/W and they work for 10 gauge to 410. Yes I do load all of them. I load Bismuth, pretty soon nice shot, and others. Versatile - the 375c hand down. I hunt as well clay shoot and load #4s and #5s easily. Any of the twin-post shotshell loaders from P/W easily change gauges by switching out toolhead assemblies. On the 375c, one knob, two allen head bolts, done. Turn the toolhead around to load a different gauge. Hard to buckle a shell with heavy wad pressure on a P/W. The only exception is the 10 gauge as the taper die works when you divorce the shell body holder from the round.

take care,

r1kk1