Adjusting Flare Using the Lee Expander Die

[tbogart]

Sorry for what is probably a "stupid" question but I just don't know. I am casting and loading 45acp and I need to flare the case just a bit. The instructions for the Lee Expander Die say to seat the die then, "Finger tighten the lock ring, adjust the flare to your liking". I have no way to adjust that I can see. Do I just muscle past the lock ring? After everyone stops laughing, please help. Thanks.

[bulldog44]

http://leeprecision.com/single-station-die-adjustment.html

See if this helps...

[r1kk1]

Turn your die down a little farther. I like about .020" measured with calipers. You can also sit a bullet on the case to see if it will seat without shaving lead off. If it does, turn the die another 1/8 turn to see if it improves. I do not own the die you have but it works with other makes of dies.

Take care

r1kk1

[Bullet Caster]

Wow. It seems that every beginner (just as I was) has the same question. There is no stupid question. It's just inquiring minds want to know. The above replies are true and should be taken to heart. However, there's just no getting around practical experience. I would suggest that you take an empty case unprimed and put it through the expanding die and see if you can start a boolit with just your fingers. You should be able to insert the boolit without shaving off any lead with just your fingers. I'm not talking about seating the boolit with your fingers, just get it started and let the press do the rest.

I played around with several cases using the expanding powder through die and kept screwing in the die a little bit at a time until I found just the right amount expansion to get the boolits seated without shaving lead. Lee dies use the seating die for crimping all in the same step. You want just enough crimp to remove the "bell" from the mouth of the case so that the round will chamber in your pistol.

After reloading .45 acp's I usually lock my slide rearward and drop each and every round into the chamber of my pistol to ensure that I have no surprises when it really matters. This is my quality control step after reloading. I do this for all my rounds that I reload even my 7.62x39's and .30-06's.

Also after you've loaded a boolit into the case and after seating and crimping, pull the boolit and measure its diameter. The boolit should still measure .451 or .452 whatever sizing die you use. This will ensure that you're not shaving lead during the seating process. Just make a few test rounds without any powder or primer until you get the hang of it.

I know when I started reloading, I had boucoup questions and could find very few answers until I joined Castboolits.com and asked the "pros". I didn't realize that screwing the die in or out a little further would change the amount of belling of the case mouth. I had no idea how the die's position would determine the amount of expansion. Sometimes the instructions that come with the dies are not so clear and interpretation of the instructions could be explained by someone with a greater knowledge than I had. BC

[tbogart]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the help.

[jonp]

I usually just tighten the expander a little and try a boolit. Rinse and repeat until the boolit will just fit into the casing and that is it.
Only stupid question is an unasked question.

[1hole]

Dies and their innerds adjust one way; vertical. It's a whole lot easier to do if we loosen the lock rings first.

[Bwana]

All of my Lee pistol expanding dies have washers in them to make it so the expander doesn't move within the die.

[Recluse]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the help.

Yep, adjusting a die usually refers to how far you've screwed it in the press or turret holder or toolhead. Also not a bad idea to go ahead and factor in that you're going to screw up some brass as you're adjusting your dies this early in the game.

But even then, I've been doing this for over forty years and I still end up irreparably ruining some brass now and then with new dies or when making drastic changes.

And by all means, if you have questions. . . PLEASE ask them here. Much better to have folks jump on board and help you out than you inadvertently get into the danger zone.

:coffee:

[DrCaveman]

One problem you may be having is the 'finger tighten lock ring' instruction. Everyone's fingers tighten a little different and if you put a gorilla grip on it, the expander die will be tough to turn in and out.

On the other hand if you give the lock ring a light yet snug grip on the bushing, you will still be able to turn the entire die by hand. Often the lock ring ends up turning along with the die, for me, and when I find a sweet spot I tighten the lock ring back down.

When I am settled I usually put a little bit of torque on the lock ring with a c-wrench or the like. Just a bit, so that nothing turns unless the lock ring is loosened with wrench.

Others more experienced prob do different but hey this has worked for me.

[41 mag fan]

What i do, when i use my turret press for 45 acp's, is to run a pierce of brass up, turn the powder thru expander until I feel it touch the brass, turn it a little more, then tighten ring. Try and see if it expands, place a boolit in it to see if it sits in brass ok. If not, turn the expander a little more, till I get the flare I'm wanting and needing.

[mdi]

The only "bad" Lee die I've found in nearly 30 years of reloading was the expander die for 45 ACP. It would not put enough flare to easily accept cast lead bullets (the expander insert was straight, then a taper (for the flare) then a ridge. The case would hit the ridge before enough flare was put in the case mouth). No big deal, I just used a die from an old Lyman set, and the Lee die worked fine for jacketed bullets...

[ukrifleman]

I seat a case into the shell holder and raise the ram, then wind down the die until it touches the case.
Then screw the die down in small increments checking the case each time with a bullet until you get the flare you want, once you are happy with the flare, tighten the locking ring and you're good to go.
ukrifleman.

[salfter]

Would've been nice if I had seen this thread first, as my first batch of cast bullets got shaved when I loaded them last night. They shot OK, but I had to scrape off the shaved bits before they'd even load properly. I only loaded 24 of the 30 bullets I cast, so I'm thinking I'll experiment with some empty brass and the dies before loading more live ammo.

In hindsight, it makes sense that some die adjustment would've been necessary. I had previously loaded Berry's plated bullets with this die set, and they might be a smidge smaller.

(Details: I'm loading .44 Magnum for use in a Ruger Super Blackhawk. The mold I used was a Lee 90338 (2-cavity .429 240-gr SWC with gas check). The alloy was range-lead ingots from an eBay seller, the gas checks were aluminum from another eBay seller, and the bullets were tumble-lubed twice, before and after sizing with a Lee .430 sizing die...had read somewhere that the sizing die should be 1 mil larger.)