Lee Classic Loader for handgun caliber question.

[Bazoo]

I've not had much experience with the lee classic. I have one for 30-30. It only sizes the neck. Does the pistol caliber, and specifically, 357 caliber loaders size the whole case or just the neck?

[Cowboy_Dan]

The Lee Classics are all neck only to my knowledge except the shotgun ones which size the base only. I think it is because it would be too difficult to remove a case that is being full-length sized from the die.

[mdi]

Yep "straight walled" cases are full length sized with a Lee Loader. I have 5 Lee Loaders including 2, 38/357 Magnum, and one in .44 Special/Magnum. Sometimes it's best to lightly lube the cases when sizing because they can be a bit hard to drive in the die, especially the .44 Magnum...

I really like my LLs and sometimes I'll feel "retro" and get one out and pound out a few rounds (.38 Special and 30-30 are my favorite) even though I have 3 presses and 1 3/8 tons of dies and assorted reloading tools.. I have used my 38 LL with an arbor press at times any found it really easy and fun...

[Bazoo]

Thank you mdl. I had suspected as much, But havent had the change to pick up any of the pistol caliber sets. I will definitely be getting a 357 set though.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

And Harbor Freight sells a really inexpensive Arbor press that'll work well with those....

[singleshot]

I have one for 44 mag and one for 45 acp...the 45 acp takes more force than the 44 mag for me. I would suspect the 38 spec would take significantly less force. Lubing for the straight-walled cases is advised and IIRC advised in the Lee instructions.

[Bazoo]

Does the 45-70 loader full length size or neck size only?

[S. Galbraith]

I might have to get a LL and try it out. I suppose that you are limited to one seating depth for the bullet?

[Bazoo]

I might have to get a LL and try it out. I suppose that you are limited to one seating depth for the bullet?

No, the seating depth is fully adjustable.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Using an Arbor Press to push the cases into the sizing die is a good way to do that operation. If you don't have an Arbor Press a Drill Press works just fine.

Lee Loaders are basically less expensive versions of Wilson Hand Dies. This method of loading cartridges is as old as reloading itself. Wilson Dies are designed to be used with and arbor Press.

I was reading an article about the .400 Whelen. The guy had actually gotten Col Whelen's Loading Dies loaned to him for the article. They were essentially very early versions like Wilson dies.

They were designed to be used with a small Arbor Press. Not beat with a hammer.

I just scored an older .30-06 kit today for $20 at a gun show. First thing I did when I got home was to push a few cases into the die with my Sinclair Arbor Press. Virtually effortless!

Try it.

Randy

[Retumbo]

I got one for 38S&W. It didn't like plated cases, some of the plating was flaking off after resizing. Took me a bit to get used to it. Had a primer go off, scared the **** out of me.

[Bazoo]

Scared me when my first primer went off. Had the occasional go off since then, no worries. Scared the wife the first time too which was funny.

[mdi]

I only have one set that will pop primers; my .44 Mag. Loader. But, I have an arbor press and using that to prime I get no surprises. I also noticed a heavier mallet (or dead blow hammer) works better to give a "push" rather than a "tap, tap, tap", especially for priming...

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I cut my reloading teeth on Lee Loaders back in the mid '60s. They're a great tool, but the occasional primer explosion was unnerving. Sometimes it would result in powder burned thumb and forefinger and expel the seating rod from the die hard enough to dent the ceiling. Definitely made me a believer in wearing safety glasses while using them. After enough sessions with the Lee priming system I bought an RCBS "squeezer" priming tool and found it to be a great improvement in both speed and safety. Also, it's hard to beat the Lee Ram Prime System as used in their hand press. The occasional primer explosion was the only criticism I ever had of the basic Lee Loader.

[wingspar]

I started my reloading with a Lee Loader (Whack-a Mole) in .308. Seating primers with a hammer made me nervous. It only took a month of using it before I bought a single stage press. It was like stepping up from a Ford Pinto to a Rolls Royce.

Actually, 20/20 hindsight tells me that I could not have picked a better way to get into reloading. I’m super glad I did it and would recommend it to any new reloader.

[Bazoo]

I like the idea of throwing the loader, powder, primer, and bullets into a pack and going off into the wilderness for a while.

[MarkP]

I started on a 410 LEE loader, I loaded hundreds of them with it, also bought one for 44 mag. I loaded probably 1,500 44 mags before I bought the hand press and dies when they first came out. I never had a shotgun primer go off but did have some large pistol primers go off. Always had glasses on but just reinforces not to prime or load without them.

[Bazoo]

I also figured it was a good idea to not have an open powder container anywhere near when priming.

[725]

I've used the LL's for years and have never thought of, or heard about using an arbor press. What a great idea.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I had a LL for 45 ACP and used it for a few years. It worked just fine;was kind if slow but produced good ammo. The one step that I could not deal with was the priming. I never could get used to the idea of hammering on primers and having a couple go off on me put an end to it; I got a lee hand priming tool pronto and then lived happily after. its a good tool just find another way to prime your cases. LLS