Wish you had taken some pictures of that failure, such things need to be made a record of fact...in case someone else has trouble. But glad ole Lee came through with the sterling character they usually show its customers.
When I first converted the Lee Classic press to duty swaging, I was thinking maybe this won't work because the two linkage side bars have cones extending into the bottom of the ram piston on both sides...I was thinking maybe the cones might give out from swaging stresses???
Well, happy to say it never happen, nor did the cones show any signs of wear.
Besides, I had a backup plan for the cones in case they did fail...it was to remove them and run a big a$$ bolt through their slots all the way through the ram piston and the off-side of the linkage bar.
Glad we both like Lee Classic single stage presses.
Yeahbub, did you know you can attach a gas check to any none GC lead bullet, whether or not it has smaller shank. One can even increase a bullet's weight by four or five grains, even if they are plated or copper jacket.
All you need is a swaging die like C-H makes that has an ogive round top in side. You place the bullet upside down on the ram's flat punch, then gently ram it up into the die body until you feel it touching the ogive curve. It doesn't require a lot of pressure, then back the bullet back down out of the die. There will be a slight ogive taper to the bullets base, it can then be seated in good Hornady gas check, or other brand, then set it right side up back on the flat base punch to swaged it into the swaging die nose shape die of your choice.
All this is shown on another thread in the Swaging Bullets section...just have to look for it. Please give it a try and see if you like it.
Jim