Lee Dies and Lock Rings

[Stroker Ace]

Alright, I don't seem to have found any info on this, so I figured I'd post it to show anyone who might find the info interesting, and to get any feedback y'all might have.

I have recently given up on the 'Lee Breech Lock' system. I just have too many dies that are non-Lee (Lyman, RCBS, etc.), that already have some sort of locking ring on them, and don't want to buy Lee's quick change bushings for every non-Lee die I own (or my Lee dies that don't already have them).

The two Lee presses that I have are going to have one permanent bushing installed that doesn't get removed. That leaves me with a problem... The Lee dies that I have fit nicely in their box, but the rings (without the bushing) doesn't really provide a ring that will stay in place, and installing split ring locking nuts make them too large to fit into the box (some thinner, non-split lock rings with set screws that can damage the threads will fit into the box, but I don't care to use those).

Myself being cheap, and looking for the lowest cost solution, got the idea from a picture of some Liberty dies that had two nuts that were to be screwed against each other to lock the die in place. If you take two Lee nuts, and screw them together (one is 'upside down'), with the rubber o-rings touching each other, you can create a very study, inexpensive locking nut that will fit into the original box, with some of the Lee locking rings that you may already have on hand. The o-rings being pressed together tightens the nuts together quite nice and securely



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The 'replacement' Lee lock rings are currently $1, and the rubber o-rings are .50¢, not including any shipping costs (on Lee Precision's website). For a Lee Deluxe 4 die pistol set, that would be about $6 (less shipping) to be able to continue to use the Lee 4 die box, as most other replacement die boxes only hold 3 dies.

I would be interested to hear what other people have done, especially with their Lee 4 die sets.

Please don't turn this into a Lee bashing thread. That is not what this post is about. I personally am plenty satisfied with my Lee products, and am glad that they are a sponsor of CastBoolits.com. If you can't stand Lee, that's fine, I just don't think this is the thread to express that.

[jcwit]

Thats not a bad idea and I've done the same, but what I really like to do is use the split rings available from Hornady. More expensive, yes, but I like it better.

BTW, there's nothing wrong with Lee dies.

Great company!

[W.R.Buchanan]

If you take a small piece of 1/8" dia plastic round stock about 1/8" long and put it under your set screws they won't goon the threads.

You can also buy Set Screws with a nylon point on them for about $2/100 from virtually any hardware store. They wil prevent gooning the threads also, and you can then use up those unused lock rings.

Lee dies are the best value on the market.

Randy

[Stroker Ace]

Lee dies are the best value on the market.

Agreed!

[oldreloader]

The more I use the Lee lock rings the better I like them. I only use one ring per die and don't have any problems.

[wrench man]

The more I use LEE lock rings the more I hate them!, I went and got a whole bag of DILLON lock nuts to replace them with, other than that the LEE dies seem to work just fine.

[zuke]

If a person take's the time to READ the direction's on how to use them, their no problem what-so-ever.
I too hated them but when you follow the direction's it work's out great!
And I went to a LEE 3 hole turret press 25 year's ago. I set them up and now just pop out the turret in a couple second's.

[Lefty SRH]

I prefer the Hornady split lock rings also.

[Stroker Ace]

I prefer the Hornady split lock rings also.

Do you know if the Hornady split lock rings will fit into the Lee boxes?

[Colorado4wheel]

Why even use the o-ring if you want to lock two nuts together. Totally not needed and more solid if you omit it.

[Stroker Ace]

Why even use the o-ring if you want to lock two nuts together. Totally not needed and more solid if you omit it.

My reasoning would be that because the rings have recesses for the rubber o-rings, there is actually less metal for the nuts to press against each other than an ordinary nut. It would also seem that the rubber would allow the nuts to be tightened by hand, without the use of tools, sufficiently tight to have the nuts press against each other with enough pressure to stay in place.

[Stroker Ace]

You can also buy Set Screws with a nylon point on them for about $2/100 from virtually any hardware store. They wil prevent gooning the threads also, and you can then use up those unused lock rings

Randy, why do you figure die manufacturers that use lock rings with set screws don't include this type of set screw with their dies? Seems like it would make more sense.

[jcwit]

Do you know if the Hornady split lock rings will fit into the Lee boxes?

Yes, without a doubt.
http://www.cabelas.com/presses-dies-hornady-loc-die-lock-rings.shtml?WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleBaseUSA&WT.z_mc_id1=1170711&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=37A1683A-1221-E011-8E88-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA