Learning more with the Lee Classic Cast

[BT Sniper]

As I was swaging 22 lead cores yesterday I learned somthing new with my LCC press. I have altered this one by driling additional holes in the support links to shorten the stroke and increase the leverage, this works very well for swaging needs since we really don't need 4" of ram travel.

For my modification to work I had to grind off the over travel stops or the cam over stops whatever you wish to call them. Not really a big deal for me as I prefer the feel of the press caming over slightly and there for I know it has reached top dead center of the ram travel. Well having a press cam over caon feel a bit werd to some and for the task I was using it for at the moment it would benifit if I could keep it at top dead center for a second to bleed all excess lead from my cores.

So what I found out was this.... The handel of the Lee Classic Cast is addjustable for length as we all know. Well I din't need a lot of leverage for swagin 22 cal cores so I shortened the handel via it's adjustment and what I found was the end of teh handel made contact with my shooting bench evectivly acting as a stop or over travel stop or cam over stop! A quick couple adjustments and I had it set perfect. I found this worked better then teh factory stops and it worked very well for my needs. Maybe it will help with your's?

Here is the pic. Notice how the end of the handle is in contact with the bottom of the table.

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1070341.jpg

Good shooting and swage On!

BT

[runfiverun]

i build my benches with a 2x6 front so that the board acts as the stop for the handle.
eliminating any cam over.

[BT Sniper]

That sounds good too :)

BT

[runfiverun]

figured that out after ripping the second press off the bench.
i build them that way now,add a piece of plywood for the press to butt up against and let the bottom of the handle bump the 2x6.
i add a 2x4 behind the 2x6 so i can run 4" lag bolts in.
and add a third lag bolt to the back of the press.
never needed any of this stuff till i started swaging.
and it might be a little overkill but is easier than redoing the bench top.

[a.squibload]

Good idea, never thought about stopping the handle.
Made more heavy 40s tonight, cammed over once
(by accident), can still remove the punch by hand. :smile:
Lowered the die to keep from going that far.

My lever extension plates needed the top corners ground
off to clear the bottom of the press. Figured out too late
that if I had shaped them right they would have made a
good stop. Probably more trouble than it's worth.

My lab table was fine 'til I started swaging! Had to add
crossmembers underneath to stiffen it up. Now thinking
it could use more, still flexes a bit.

[BT Sniper]

I don't mind it caming over. I made me a few hundred last night too on a different lee CC then the one pictured. Adjusting teh handle like the one pictured is kind of counter productive since it reduces the amount of leverage but if you added some sort of adjustable bolt extension to the back side of the handel?

Being able to stop at the exact top dead center of max pressure helped with bleeding my 22 cal cores.

Yes I know what you mean, the linkages them self could be a over travel stop if machined just right.

Still I don't mind the press caming over. You might want to check just to make sure your not appling to much pressure to form the bullet. Remember once the rim of the 9mm makes it to .400 your done! Any more pressure is just more and not really acomplishing anything.

GOod shooting

BT

[a.squibload]

I just wanted to avoid possible damage, otherwise
cam-over doesn't bother me. Seems to be OK now
with the new punch. It is nice to have a positive stop,
I put one on my RC press & like it.

True, the trimmed "light 40s" don't require much pressure,
especially with the lever extension (& soft cores &
annealed brass). I just got too close to that point and
it surprised me when it went.

[BT Sniper]

I assume when "it went" refers to the base punch crack? You shouldn't have any more problems. That previous punch had to much play in it and did not properly support it's self. I did not recognize it as my work, atleast not that much play in the fit, ????? Dosen't matter your back in production with the new punch I sent you. Those punches need to fit snug in the shell holder slot and your good to go now.

I've made thousands of bullets with the press set in operation to cam over. So long as you develope a bit of a "feel" so you will notice when somthing doesn't feel like the last severial bullets you formed you can STOP before excessive pressure is applied.

Good shooting

BT

[a.squibload]

Nope, "it went" just referred to when it cammed over again recently,
kinda surprised me, like a mousetrap or something. I never felt it when
the other punch cracked, just noticed it when putting away the equipment.
I assumed the cam over had something to do with it. I usually have the die
adjusted low (screwed in) enough that it won't cam over, or that's what
I thought. Must have had a light core and got close to that point where it
pops over to the other side. My cores are not perfectly consistent!

Don't suppose there's anything wrong with cam over, just wasn't expecting it.
Had cam over for years on the RC press and never noticed! Seems to pop harder
on the LCC. A positive stop is nice, easy to tell when to stop pushing.
These swaged JHPs are pretty easy to make, don't require all that much pressure
so it's not that hard to tell when to stop.

I posted this pic in another thread, some 40 ammo I made the other night.
I like the new HP shape.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rEBSOtfjyAo/T6iIuthbaUI/AAAAAAAAAbU/RMye3Kn-vwg/s800/40%2520ammo.JPG

[BT Sniper]

Cool! Great looking bullets! Actually they look PERFECT!

[runfiverun]

holy shiney.
nice work.

[DukeInFlorida]

The only thing that would make those .40's better would be to do the universal notching on them. One of the best investments I ever made with swaging.

Side by side, my .40's and .44's look like Hornady XTP's.

[a.squibload]

Thanks, I have Boolit Elves in the basement who do the polishing for me.

I WANT the notch die, maybe some day!

I like the fact that all that stuff is used or "recycled" (except the primers & powder).
Not that I think I'm saving the Earth or anything, just that I'm cheap!
'Course it gives me something to do when I don't wanna do anything else.
We should think up a word for that, like "hobby", or something...

Now for the bad news: I haven't been shooting for WEEKS!

[BT Sniper]

LOL :) Haven't been shooting for weeks! Sounds fimilar! But it sure is fun to make the bullets.

I did the math and with only 5 grains of powder (2 cents) and a primer (3 cents) we are shooting 40 S&W at around 5 cents a pop! anyone check the cost of 22LR lately? :)

BT

[a.squibload]

LOL :) Haven't been shooting for weeks! Sounds fimilar! But it sure is fun to make the bullets.

I did the math and with only 5 grains of powder (2 cents) and a primer (3 cents) we are shooting 40 S&W at around 5 cents a pop! anyone check the cost of 22LR lately? :)

BT

Well, add 2¢ to that, I bought some range brass...

I still have some bricks of 22 on sale years ago @ 1000 for $9.99.
Hope they still work!

[BT Sniper]

Yeah I have 22 bricks of ammo from a ways back too. but now days it seems a brick of about 550 rounds is going for about $20, that is about 3.5 cents a pop.

[runfiverun]

they are about 24-25$ around here.
i try to grab a bulk pack when i am at the walmart.
still looking for something effective from a revolver on small game.
might have to cobble something up to flat point some cci's or something.

[alfloyd]

Cal-Ranch store here in Logan, Utah, has the Federal 22LR hollow point bulk pack ( 525 rounds ) for $17.99 a box.
I bought a bunch on Black Friday last year for $14.95 per box.

I haven't paid over $20.00 per bulk pack for 22LR for a long time.

Lafaun

[BT Sniper]

About 2.9 cents a piece there on the 22lr then. I suppose the real question is what does quality 40 S&W factory ammo cost? I want to say I saw the white box cheap ammo at wally world for possbily $40 for a box of 100 rounds. Not sure though I didn't pay that close attention :)

BT

[DukeInFlorida]

the ONLY ammo I ever buy at a store is 22 LR. I reload EVERYTHING else I shoot!

[BT Sniper]

Me Too! :)