New Lee Locknuts

[jimkim]

These look interesting. I guess someone listened to me about making some that use a spanner. My idea was to put two holes through them and use a socket with two pins in it to tighten them.

Sent from my VS880 using Tapatalk

[Conditor22]

lee ULTIMATE LOCK RINGS 3 PACK 90566

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021760132?pid=575065

https://fsreloading.com/lee-precisio...gs-3-pack.html

[abunaitoo]

They look good.
But I have so many of the old style.I'll probably not try them.

[GONRA]

Sure look great to GONRA! Will get some on next MIDWAY order.

[1hole]

Gag.

Those of who understand why Lee's lock rings have always been made the way they were - and used them correctly - won't be making tracks to buy the new ones so I don't care one way or the other. (Anyone using a wrench of any kind to jack down hard on a lock ring is doing it wrong, a hand tight die is plenty tight.)

[winelover]

I guess then all other manufactures are doing it wrong, since they have lock nuts with some type of locking mechanism. As a rule, I don't purchase many Lee products. The few specificity dies that I have of their's, have the old style lock nuts. I have notice them slightly moving, when I switch dies. Finally, Lee has seen the light. BTW, I've been reloading for near on 50 years.

Winelover

[mtnbkr]

What problem does this solve?

While I use a wrench to tighten mine down, I only go as far as it takes to compress the rubber o-ring. I've never had a die come loose or lose it's adjustment.

Having a proprietary nut and wrench combo is just asking for the little wrench to be lost and being worse off than you were with the old style.

Chris

[sparkyv]

Looks good, but I'd need to spend at least $88 to equip my dies. Pass.

[jmorris]

I’d just get the small Dillon ones and use a boxed end wrench I already have lots of vs some special tool to keep up with.

[country gent]

Im betting that exterior pattern matches the détente on their press also that holds locates the bushing and or bayonet lock in place. O like it and think it is an improvement. I seldom use a wrench to tighten but have need one after a long session to loosen a die that sucked in tighter.

[Froogal]

What problem does this solve?

While I use a wrench to tighten mine down, I only go as far as it takes to compress the rubber o-ring. I've never had a die come loose or lose it's adjustment.

Having a proprietary nut and wrench combo is just asking for the little wrench to be lost and being worse off than you were with the old style.

Chris

It appears to be a solution to a problem that does not exist.

[hpdrifter]

I like it! Especially for a 5 or 6 die turret where there is no room for a little 'mechanical advantage".

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have been reloading since 1964, slowly I have put the Lee O-ring lock rings on all the dies I use. I use the the Lee Turrets and screw my dies into the turret one time. Spinning dies was/is always annoying using a single die press.

[mdi]

Gag.

Those of who understand why Lee's lock rings have always been made the way they were - and used them correctly - won't be making tracks to buy the new ones so I don't care one way or the other. (Anyone using a wrench of any kind to jack down hard on a lock ring is doing it wrong, a hand tight die is plenty tight.)

I couldn't agree more. I have been saying for years (I first found reloading forums in 2007), "lock rings for keeping dies in a press need only be finger tight and the Lee O-Ring lock nuts work". Maybe I'm brighter than many (nah!) but as a lifelong machinist/mechanic I can see how nuts/bolts, locking or plain work (working for a large city as a heavy equipment mechanic/electrician we had quite a bit of vendor training and IIRC we had a full week "training" on threads, nuts and bolts, tolerances and the interaction between male threads and female threads.). Lee lock nuts work, if one knows how to use them...

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree! A solution in search of a problem.

[KenT7021]

I replaced the lock rings on the few sets of Lee dies I own with RCBS lock rings.They work better for me and hold adjustment when changing dies.

[Bookworm]

The new lock rings do indeed look interesting.

I've used the Lee rings for many years, the type with the rubber o-ring. I have often wanted to get them just a bit tighter than I could with fingertips in the small area of a turret press. I like the idea of the little wrench.

The question I have is this: if the rubber o-ring design works, why have a split ring with a bolt to tighten it also?

The split ring design is a hassle, because many times the lock bolt is inaccessible.

I would have preferred the spline drive outer diameter, with the o-ring of the original, without the split ring design.

However, Lee Precision doesn't listen to me.

[WebMonkey]

Might want to consider they're intended for the breech lock bushings.
You twist the die body back and forth to insert/remove the die/bushing pair from the press.

Finger tight will allow the die to rotate inside the bushing and throw off the adjustment.

Screw in press or turret, finger tight is coolio.
Quick change bushings, need to lock the die down.

[hpdrifter]

I have been reloading since 1964, slowly I have put the Lee O-ring lock rings on all the dies I use. I use the the Lee Turrets and screw my dies into the turret one time. Spinning dies was/is always annoying using a single die press.

I normally do same, however, when loading 45 colt I sometimes switch between bullets. I invariably have to adjust things a bit when I do. I almost always have to fine a small pair of channel lock pliers to loosen the finger tight O ring die.

[robg]

The whole point of the Lee lockrings is to be hand tight ,put Lee lockrings on all my dies much simpler to use.