Help Identifying LEE dies

[PatMarlin]

Is there a chart anywhere that identifies LEE die numbers?

I've got 3 dies here in 45 colt. One's a bullet seater and the other 2 I think are crimps and I'm looking for a taper crimp, but be danged if I can find any identifying info or die number chart on the containers or instructions here or on the net, or maybe I'm just deaf today.

I've got the following LEE in 45 Colt:

T-J4 (bullet seater I believe)
T-C3
T-E3

Any one know what's the deal?

[RGMJ]

Hi pat,

If recall right, the caliber is stamped on the die body, somewhere near the bottom of the die.

Could you post pictures of the dies as well?

As last resort, you can e-mail Lee the pix and ask their help identifying them.

Thanks

[fryboy]

well heck ... i'm looking at two sets of lee's both in 45 colt carbide w/out the factory crimp die , both the with newer angled bottom seating dies ... different numbers on both of them ( perhaps a dating code ? )

set a

sizer A7
seater B6
expander/powder I or 1 6

set b

sizer K9
seater AO
expander/powder L9


soz not much help , umm is the "T-" actually part of the number or the end of "LEE-45 COLT-" ? , lee does state that all seating dies made after 1986 offer a modified taper crimp .."The Lee Taper Crimp Die is hardened steel designed to overcome crimp problems caused by poor die design. These dies offer little or no advantage when used with 1986 or newer Lee Dies as the crimp angle is already a modified taper crimp. Jacketed bullets must have a crimp groove."

http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Taper-Crimp-Die/

[mooman76]

I checked out my 45 colt dies but I have the deluxe set and none of the numbers match yours. The bullet seater should be the one with the knurled knob. The powder through expantion which also flares the case neck has a wrench fitting on top but is hollow through it to add the powder and the other one of coarse with the decapping rod running through it is the sizer decapper. If you have another with a knurled knob it could be the factory crimp die.

[Mk42gunner]

Like mooman76, I just checked my Lee .45 Colt dies. Three die set, round "box" the carbide sizer is numbered 45 Colt D1, the powder thru expander is 45 Colt C1 and the bullet seater/ crimp die is also 45 Colt C1.

Could the alpha numeric after the caliber be a date code? Possibly month and year? The closest I remember I bought these in 2001.

Robert

[John Boy]

Pat, call Lee and ask them

[PatMarlin]

Thanks-

I see looks like the stamp numbers only mean something to LEE.

They're all knurled. I know I bought a factory crimp die, and I thought I had a taper crimp, but there's no way to tell which is which without trying them or calling.

[swheeler]

The taper crimp die won't have the carbide insert in the bottom like the FCDie does.

[lead-1]

Several years back I bought a set of second hand dies with no box that were supposed to be a set but only one die was marked with a caliber. I beat myself silly trying to find out what those letters and numbers were only to find out they were date codes from LEE, this was before I had any of that internet stuff, lol.

[shotman]

hey
their LEE what do expect? LEES better idea many of the new dies dont have a cal. on them . If you dont have the box you dont know what they are for . I bought a new set of 380 dies and there is no markings at all on any. I think the one that has a pin is for depriming.

[Jim]

Lee .45 ACP Taper Crimp die, number F7, with carbide case sizing ring.

http://jgcphotos.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/p10100025.jpg

[swheeler]

Pat; looks like you are going to try them to find out which is which, then the stamps or electric pencil to mark them.

[PatMarlin]

yaw- That's what I will have to do.

Hadn't had time to call LEE yet. Both dies have a carbide ring on the bottom, and the third one's a seater.

The seater a combination taper crimp? Thing is, the instructions I have here do not mention the full function of the seater die. They just mention factor crimp as an (option). So I don't know if I have the option or what!

Maybe I'm missing something or there seems to be a real lacking of documentation. Problem is I long ago pull dies out of the original packaging, and they go in a turret block, either LEE or Dillon and when I need singles, I pull them out of the blocks, so I loose track. LEE can mark dies, with their nice roll stamps.

[mooman76]

I have always found the Lee instructions lacking. The Factory crimp die does not seat the bullet so if you look up inside the bottom of the die it goes way up inside and the seater die had the piece to adjust in seating the bullet. Lee did call their dies or at least some of them as a modified roll crimp or kind of a combination roll/ taper crimp. I guess trying to have both worlds. I think the T on the dies is for taper crimp die but that's just an educated guess. I think Lee mentions the factory crimp as an option as in you can buy the set with the extra factory crimp die or buy it seperately or not at all, it's your option.

[PatMarlin]

Yes- buy the extra factory crimp set. We just won't mark it for you, so years later after you purchase our dies, it will leave you wondering sometimes... :mrgreen:

I can't talk much, I don't mark my gas check dies yet but a simple measurement of the male die of either end will tell you what you have. Or you could put it back in the box when done.

I don't understand LEE though. They have nice roll stamping which I would love to have, but then they don't fully identify the die? I think I have 2 factory crimp dies from different years.

[Bullet Caster]

Pat,
My .45 Lee Colt sizer die says T-A1. The powder thru & expander die says nothing but Lee 45 Colt. My seater says T-K0. These dies were purchased earlier this year (10/2011). Hope this might help. BC

[PatMarlin]

Thanks BC. I think all these numbers are meaningless to anyone but LEE.

[Sonnypie]

Pat, call Lee and ask them

Harumph!
Ya took the words right outta my mouth! :lol:

Except... I'da emailed.

Meanwhile, back in the shop.... :wink:
I'm trying to use up all them gas checks I made Saturday morning. :o
So far I count 442, not counting my human errors! [smilie=w:

Makin parts, makin parts.... Checked, and sized, and loobed little farts. :violin:

[diopter]

I asked them that on Friday.
Answer:
"Carlos,
The Letter/Number stampings on our reloading dies are an internal manufacturing date code telling us when we made the dies. The Letter represents a month and the number represents the year, starting in 2000. For example A6 = January 2006, B6 = February 2006, etc. In years that have the same last number, such as "0", it could represent either 2000 or 2010.

Sincerely,
Raquel

Lee Precision, Inc.
4275 Highway U
Hartford, WI 53027

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