Lee lock rings=sliced bread

[4306]

I find Lees die lock rings another of Richard Lee's great innovative products. I will run a case into a loose sizing or crimp die, and with the die aligned by the case cinch down the ring with a wrench. This creates rock steady and perfectly true die placement in my press. Seating dies also use the rings but tension on the die is created by the seating stem against a partially seated boolit. Does anyone else love these locking rings? Interested in hearing if/ how others use them.

[fatelk]

This is a controversial issue; seems people either love them or hate them, depending on how they use them.

Personally I don't like them, and I replace them every chance I get, but that's because I load a lot of different calibers on a single stage press. I'm always changing out dies, and prefer to have a lock ring with a set screw that stays adjusted and doesn't require a wrench.

If I didn't change dies a lot, or just clamped them down in a tool head of a progressive press, I would probably like them a lot more.

[BabaLooey]

I like them, get them set up on my progressive press and they stay adjusted. Also use them on the single stage and find them no more troublesome than any other kind. Being a poor boy I use a lot of Lee stuff.

[Geraldo]

I don't like Lee, Dillon, or RCBS, although I'll set Dillon rings and leave them alone in the toolheads. My single stage press is a Forster Co-Ax, so I need a ring that will work in it. My preference in die rings is the Lyman/Forster style that tightens with a screw that doesn't hit the die threads.

[462]

For utter ease of adjustment, my choice is the non-maring, split-ring design.

[shotman]

I find the O ring dont last very long if you change them offen. If you lube them they dont hold. The set screw work if you drop a No 5 lead shot in against the die . The plastic bead that RCBS uses tends to hang and make the ring tight to adjust. The split with the bolt wont work on a Lyman All American

[1hole]

I neither love nor hate Lee's rings, they work as well as any for me. For lock rings with s set screw into the threads I substitute a brass machine screw, that's much simpler than fooling with birdshot just to save the threads.

I used to lock dies down with a wrench ... 43 years ago. Stopped doing that after about 6 months, learned that hand tight is plenty tight and it makes die swaps much simpler.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

They have always worked alright for me. Easy to loosen or tighten, hold well and reasonably priced. I've used the extra ones that I've accumulated to hold powder measures or other loading bench setups. LLS

[skeet1]

At one time I hated those Lee rings. Then I tried them.

Ken

[fcvan]

I prefer the Lee rings because I am pretty much a Lee fanatic. I prefer to load in a single stage stye - one stage at a time - but use an old turret press. Die/Caliber swaps are very quick and I load a lot of calibers. I do occasionally switch to a hand press for working brass while watching a TV program. I just finger tighten and they stay adjusted. Frank

[Guesser]

I thought they were a joke, then I tried a set of Lee dies, now I have about 20 sets of dies by the "Green" guys that wear Lee lock rings. I like "wrench" flats on my lock rings.

[donaldjr1969]

The only issues I have had with the Lee rings is that when I was using the Auto-Disk measure, it seemed to, due to it not having a perfect symmetrical weight distribution, make the powder thru expander die lean a bit to the side. This seemed to put more of a load on half the ring and less of a load on the other half. Combine that with the operation of the measure and the lock rings were loosening while on the turret. So for the powder thru expander, I went with those split style lock rings. I also use the split rings on my Redding Profile crimp die as I am often times adjusting it to use with crimping 44 Special cases. But for the seater and the sizer/decapper, my Lee lock rings have held perfectly.

[dragonrider]

Hate em, I replace them with a brass split ring that I make myself.

[bumpo628]

They work great on a turret. You just crank them down with a wrench and forget about it.

[Ozark Howler]

I don't really care for the Lee ring as supplied, I remove the O ring and use it as a standard lock ring. Once they are tight on the turret, no need to readjust.

[Spector]

I thought they were junk and replaced a bunch of them with split lock rings. Then one day I ran out and used the Lee rings.......I thought......until I could order more split rings. I put all the Lee lock rings back on all my dies.........Mike

[imashooter2]

I love the Lee rings and have swapped them onto several other maker's dies. I use them per the instructions with no tools. Always repeatable. The adjustments never move.

[MikeS]

I The split with the bolt wont work on a Lyman All American

Why not? I don't see why they wouldn't. I have the Hornady split rings, and while I don't have an All American, I've seen pics of them, and I can't see why they wouldn't work? Unless you're talking about the fat alumimium split rings, I can see those not working on it. The Hornady are made of steel, AND have wrench flats, and are smaller in diameter than those fat aluminium ones! I have a Lyman Tru-Line Jr. press with a 3rd party turret on it (so I can use modern dies) and the fat aluminium rings (split or otherwise) won't work on it either. So if you want to try split rings (which IMHO are the best) try the Hornady ones.

BTW, I just got this turret, and it really makes the Tru-Line Jr. into an amazing press! It won't full length resize magnum rifle cartridges, but it works for what I need (pistol stuff, and 30-30 rifle)

[MikeS]

I thought they were junk and replaced a bunch of them with split lock rings. Then one day I ran out and used the Lee rings.......I thought......until I could order more split rings. I put all the Lee lock rings back on all my dies.........Mike

Me too, I thought the Lee rings were a joke, then I tried one. Now I use them on some of my Lee dies, I'm still not 100% sold on them, but they do seem to work. They work even better if you put some blue locktite on the nut once you've got it adjusted just the way you want it. I put the locktite on top of the nut, and capillary action lets it sink into the threads of the nut without changing the die's adjustment.

I still prefer the Hornady split rings to any other ring, but putting them on everything adds to the cost, so now Lee rings are my second choice.

I also have a bunch of the fat aluminium split rings, and I use them on the RCBS trim dies which I only use on my Lee reloader C press. Even tho they're a split ring, the split closes all the way up, and the ring protects the press from getting brass filings into it.

[noylj]

On any press that uses a die bushing such as Hornady or Lee, the Lee or Dillon lock rings are great.
For a short die, you remove the o-ring from the Lee lock ring and put it on the die upside down. This lets you get up to the last one or two threads of the die and still be able to tighten the die down.
For a press where the die screws directly onto the press head or a tool head, a split lock-ring like Forster is preferred (if you can get the die aligned and then back the die off from the press enough to tighten the lock ring to the die without locking the die to the press or toolhead, so you can keep the lock ring position even after removing the die and ring from the press. The negative is if the die and lock ring work loose and you don't notice. If you lock the die to the press, there is NO benefit to the split lock ring that I have found.
In no case is an RCBS lock-ring of any use and is always removed and thrown away.
I prefer Lee or Dillon lock rings on my 1050s.

[zuke]

I like them.
I use a LEE turret press and once I set them and tighten them down with a wrench their there for good.

[izzyjoe]

i have a lee breach lock press, and i leave the bushings in and just use it like a std. press. but some times the dies have to be losened with a pair of channel locks, and i hate that. i like the ones that have flats for a wrench. but i try to just barely snug the die down, but somtimes it just get's tight. oh'well.

[Catshooter]

I tried them. Now I hate them.


Cat

[jhrosier]

I'm in the hatem camp.
I throw away the orings and flip the nut over.

Jack

[troyboy]

I like them. Those giant rcbs ones are a pia.

[jrhoney]

As a RCBS convert, I must say that coming from using Lee's lock rings, the locking rings for RCBS are better in my opinion. The little brass allen key locking screw is much more reliable than the Lee system.

[Cowboy T]

At one time I hated those Lee rings. Then I tried them.

Ken

You said it, Ken. I find they work just fine, too.