Lee sizer question

[gareth96]

I used my .452 lee sizer for the first time last night to do about 100 45 ACP boolits.. They were .454 going in (Lyman 452630) and came out at .451 (Starrett micrometer)... will they expand back to .452 after a bit? I had lubed them with 45/45/10.. I have yet to slug my barrel that I want to use these in because the gun is still in breakin mode (standard is to leave the gun be till after 500 rounds). Thoughts? :confused:

[joesig]

Boolits may age harden but they won't grow!

If you need a larger boolit, the Lee dies are easy to open up with wet/dry paper on a dowel. Just make sure you finish with a fine grit like 600 so they boolits size easily.

[gwpercle]

Before you do anything, take your .451 dia. boolits , work up some loads and see how they do.
Lyman Reloading Handbook #46 shows all cast boolits for the 45 acp and 45 auto-rim were sized .451 . I have a 45 acp revolver that has tight specs in cylinder throats and barrel and will not even chamber boolits sized .452 but chambers and shoots .451 just fine. The throats and bore are .451 . No reason not to slug your bore, pushing a soft lead slug down it will do no harm...just put a little oil or lube on slug to make it easy. .451 diameter should work just fine in a newer gun unless the bore measures greater than that but it should not.

[silverjay]

Had the same problem last wek with a Lee 0.452 die. I used steel wool wrapped around a chamber brush and black buffing compound. Chucked it up in the drill press and polished away. Took about 10 minute to open it up. I went a little and then sized a few, repeat until you get the size you want.

[awaveritt]

Before you do anything, take your .451 dia. boolits , work up some loads and see how they do.


I recently ran into this exact scenario with my Lee sizer. But I agree, shoot some first before going to the trouble to open up the sizer die. My boolits came out .451, too, but they perform great in my new R1 bbl. Zero leading - and accurate enough for my abilities. I don't own a micrometer so I got .451 caliper readings for both my slugged bbl and the boolit. But went ahead and shot 'em and found I had no problem.

But, if you decide to open it up, it's not hard - as others have stated. I opened up a .358 Lee sizer which was sizing at .357. Took about an hour out in the garage with a drill, dowel and emery paper.

[williamwaco]

1. They will not get bigger.

2. In my experience they are too small and will very likely cause leading.

I recommend you polish the die out until your bullets mike .4520 to .4525

.

[gareth96]

Thanks all.. I think I'll try the chamber brush with some steel wool and some jb paste first.. may take a while but I just don't want to end up with an out-of-round sizer.. and as soon as I can come up with a good slug I'll slug my barrel. Or should one of the .454 boolits work? It's a Baer so should be pretty tight to .451 I'd think??

[runfiverun]

you could use one of your boolits, but soft lead seems easier to push through a barrel.