Lee .285 sizing die?

[condorjohn]

I saw this on GB and was wondering if someone can identify it. It says Lee Bullet Sizing Die but doesn't look like the kind I'm familiar with.Attachment 142923

[Bent Ramrod]

That's the old, old version of the Lee sizing die. Usually it came in a flat box with a little metal dish, an aluminum cake cutter, and a stick of lubricant. You melted the lube in the dish, stood your boolits in the lube, and let the dish cool and harden. Then you cut the boolits out of the lube and pounded them through the sizing die. (Base first, if I recall.) New boolits were put in the holes in the lube in the dish and the lube remelted, and so on.

That was my first sizing setup, in .45 caliber. Worked fine, if slowly.

[Ben]

Yes, place the bullet in the die, put the black piston in place , tap with a soft piece of wood and out comes your sized bullet.

It won't lube your bullet, but it will size it.

[condorjohn]

Thanks Fellas... John

[Greg]

condorjohn –

that’s how pour boys did their sizing in the 1970’s while working thru Jr College


Bent Ramrod

thanks for the memories

2-300 rounds for 38 special a week…

[Larry Gibson]

The original Lee sizers can easily be adapted for use in a press. The die body is a slip fit into the press and can be held there with 2 split ring clamp die lock rings. I leave the bottom one locked onto the die and slip the die up through the press and then put the top lock ring on and tighten it down. The base of the ram is easily turned to fit a shell holder. I shape mine for a RCBS #3 (Lee #2) shell holder. It works fine that way. I've picked up several of the older sizers for next to nothing as many don't want to use them as originally intended. They work as well as the newer ones with simple modification.

Larry Gibson

Attachment 142947Attachment 142948

[mdi]

If it weren't for the Lee "Sizing/Lubing Kits" of long ago (small pan, cake cutter, sizing die and punch) I wouldn't have started casting. Can't remember where I found mine, but I used it to make a whole bunch of good shootin' 240 LSWCs for my .44 Magnums...