Lee Unitized Lee Loader

[abunaitoo]

I was looking through some old magazines and came across this.
Lee Unitized Lee Loader.
Full length sizer
Crimping and flaring for cast bullets
I've never heard of it before.
Anyone have one, or know more about it??????
156455

[Tracy]

That's pretty cool! I didn't know about it, but I did know that Ideal made some Lee Loader-type (except they predated the Lee Loader) full length sizer dies, used with a hammer or arbor press to pre-size unknown or oversized brass before loading it with a 310 tong tool.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I knew that Lee had made Full Length Sizers for some cartridges. I did not know about a full kit.

I think the run on these was short lived as it takes considerably more force to F/L size a rifle case than to just neck size it. Also there is the introduction of case lube into the mix which they couldn't control and as most of us know can create problems if not done right.

I suspect there were problems and the run was stopped.

Lee also used to make Hand Shotshell Loaders. I have one and I assure you there were problems.

Lee is not afraid to bring out a new product and then dump it if it doesn't work out.

Randy

[catskinner]

This is Lee Custom Engineering not Lee Precision. I do not know what the relationship was between the two companies was. I have a unitized loader in 7 X 57 and the full length sizing worked just like the Lyman shell resizer. The priming tool was mostly plastic and was a pretty chintzy outfit. Somewhere along the line Lee Custom Engineering morphed into Mequon Reloading Company (MRC).Neither company was in busines very long.

[abunaitoo]

This is Lee Custom Engineering not Lee Precision. I do not know what the relationship was between the two companies was. I have a unitized loader in 7 X 57 and the full length sizing worked just like the Lyman shell resizer. The priming tool was mostly plastic and was a pretty chintzy outfit. Somewhere along the line Lee Custom Engineering morphed into Mequon Reloading Company (MRC).Neither company was in busines very long.

It always amazes me the knowledge of member on the forum.

[W.R.Buchanan]

There was another company in the mix there as well. My 12 ga. loader was made by an outfit out of Fresno CA named MA-REP-CO. It was called the Accu-Load.

The kit has everything the later Lee Loader had, except it is all better quality. I have the main part of a Lee Loader as well and it is not hard to see where the design came from.

Mine came with the main tool, the sizer/wad ram/ crimp closer, as well as the decapper, recapper punches, a dedicated wad guide, an adjustable shot dipper and powder scoops that were made to look like Hornady/Pacific powder bushings with blind holes and a handle that has a clip on it that captures the bushings. All very nicely made.

There is a lot behind the Lee Company and it's evolution, pretty sure a lot of it was about partner fallings out and such like that.

There's a saying,,, Best Partners are "NO Partners!" seen way to many companies go bust because of that one factor.

And Cat: I've been looking for other things and have found a few. Coming soon.

Randy

[shunka]

I , like many hivernaughts, started loading .38's on a a Lee Loader, as I could not afford a proper press. After getting tired of the whacking noise
bothering the my neighbors in the building, I built a simple "nut-cracker piston press" like this

http://ep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-47162501710842/pecan-cracker-3.gif

which worked fairly well until I could save up for my first RCBS press and die set.

here's a pdf of the original instructions:
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/RE1422.pdf

Here's a little of the history:
http://gunlore.awardspace.info/gunknow/LeeTools.htm


http://lee-loader.com/download/file.php?id=753

hope this helps
shunka

[abunaitoo]

I enjoyed the history of Lee.
I've never tried to load with a Lee Loader.
Gotta try one of these days.
One thing I don't think is a great idea is seating the primer.
Tapping on a primer to seat it makes me nervous.

[EDG]

Lee Custom Engineering was the original company that started mostly with the shotshell loaders and then added the neck sizing metallic whack a moles


Then the original Lee hand priming tool came out in the late 60s. This is the one with the screw in shell holders

Lee could not really compete with it the press loaders that could full length resize so they produced the abortion called the Unitized Loader.

I had one that I got really cheap but it was a turkey.

The finish of the FL sizing die interior was crappy and scarred the brass. Mine was a .375 H&H and was about useless because you had to beat the case in and out with a lot of force. BTW my tool was in the original Lee Custom Engineering Box and the Lee Custom Engineering part of the label had a Mequon sticker over it. The instruction sheet had the Lee part marked out with a permanent marker.

[Brithunter]

In my little collection there is 4 of the Lee hammer type loaders. A Lee Loader in 270 Winchester this is an original Lee Custom tool. A Unitized Lee Load in 280 Remington the differnce is that the Unitized has the hand primer seater a red plastic one. The other two tools are Lee Zero Error target model Lee Loaders one in 6mm Remington and one in 222 Remington.

Now the 222 one is complete and still has the blue ribbons and gold seal and most of the celophane intact. it has never been used. These have an alloy bodies hand primer seater and the Zero Error loaders also have a reamer for case necks and a case trimmer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Brithunter/Reloading%20Tools/P5250180-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Brithunter/media/Reloading%20Tools/P5250180-1.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Brithunter/Reloading%20Tools/P5250174.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Brithunter/media/Reloading%20Tools/P5250174.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Brithunter/Reloading%20Tools/P5250175-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Brithunter/media/Reloading%20Tools/P5250175-1.jpg.html)

The cellophane is slightly damage at the end.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Brithunter/Reloading%20Tools/P5250178.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Brithunter/media/Reloading%20Tools/P5250178.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Brithunter/Reloading%20Tools/P6070202.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Brithunter/media/Reloading%20Tools/P6070202.jpg.html)

This is the 270 Lee Loader, note the new yellow dipper, the originals were red plastic or alloy.

My 6mm Zero Error is missing the case chamfer tool.

[Wayne Smith]

I started with the Lee Loader in 30-30 and one in 16 Ga when I was 16. One of the first things I did was deliberately set off a couple of primers just to see what happened. I was underwhelmed. However, when I did it accidently it wasn't a suprise, I knew what I had done.

[Don Fischer]

My first two press 910 were lee Loader's. One in 12ga and one in 7mm rem mag. That was about 1971. I keep thinking i wish I had the newer Lee hand press or a Lyman 310 to take with me but I always take ton of ammo with me.

[Ric-san]

Cool...been looking around for a 12 ga Lee Loader

[1bluehorse]

I suppose if someone wants a Lee Loader for shot shell reloading just for the sake of having one is a good enough reason. However, if you just want to load a few shells and not want to buy a "proper" press, or just for "fun", you can make your own quite easily with a couple blocks of wood and some dowels (I have some I made). Crimping the finished shell is the only problem to solve (not real difficult) but I use a couple old roll crimpers when I decide to abuse myself in this manner. If you want to load some shot shells "on the cheap" get the Load All 2, does a very passable job and will be much easier and quicker than the Lee Loader. Of course if you're one of the folks that think that someday you'll have to be reloading your "survival" ammo out of a ruck sack while on the run [smilie=2:from (whatever) then the LL would probably be a better option....of course packing that 25lbs of shot for said loads could be a handicap as well. :lol:

[44magLeo]

A little more Lee history. Richard Lee started Lee Custom Engineering. He had a difference of opinion on how the company should be run. This got him forced out of the company. Mequon took over Lee Custom Engineering, Richard Lee started Lee Precision.
Mequon is now history and Lee is about the biggest reloading equipment manufacturer out there.
I guess Richard Lee's Ideas were the better ones.
Leo

[TNsailorman]

I started out loading with a Lee Loader in 30-06. Then bought M-1 carbine, .38 special, .41 magnum, 8x57mm, .357 magnum, 6.5x55mm. I used them all for a while and then when I was given a C&H 333 press for Christmas, I gradually changed over to press loading. After about 50 years and using the Lee's less and less, I sold them all and now the only Lee Loader I have is the Target loader in 30-06. It will be with me until I cross the Jordan. I will say that the 30-06 Lee Target Loader turned out the most accurate ammo I ever loaded. By the way, Herter's made a version of the Lee Loader and I see one on Ebay every so often. Pacific made a Pak-It loader that was on the theme but used a threaded screw system instead of whacking everything with a hammer. It was a better system but didn't last long. Lee was not the first to offer a loading system, they have been around since the late 1880's at least. Lee's was a vast improvement over those early systems though. My experience anyway, james

[RogerDat]

Wacking a primer while loading 38 special (SP primer) with the Lee Loader will startle the dog, and the wife but won't hurt or make your ears ring or anything as long as you wear some safety glasses. I also have the Lee Loader for 20 gauge my only excuse was I have some pistol powder I can use for shotgun and scored a couple of coffee cans worth of shot at a scrap yard....

Always makes me laugh when it comes down to loading kit for "survival" given that already loaded ammo is a much better choice for most folks. Generally water proof and compact. BP muzzle loader or C&B or flintlock maybe one could make an argument for a couple of molds so you could decide what you needed bullets for.... Me I would generally opt for another couple of 1Qt ziplock baggies of ready made. ;-) Worth noting that Lewis & Clark came up with an ingenious way to carry powder and lead for an extended journey. They had the lead cast into hollow containers (possibly like cannon balls) then filled them with powder and solder sealed a lead plug in the container. Each provided a matched amount of powder and lead. Break open the lead, dump out the powder and cast away. The powder stayed dry inside the lead container. Soldering those seemed a bit dicey but maybe it was non-union labor back then :-)

[rking22]

Wow, learned something interesting today! Don't think I would have the nerve to solder them :)
I started with a 22-250 target loader, loaded great shells. Then a 38, and well I just play with them now. On the concept of why we like/have them. Well I have a 410 set, it was 10$ and I couldnt resist. Figured if I got to the point I needed money more than my shotgun press, I could sell it and load my 410s on the little Lee. Same concept with the 30-30 and 22 Hornet, not worth enough to be worth selling and don't take up much space if I was forced (Economically) to downsize. That's my take on the survilavilist use of them,if forced to "bugout"(and I mean FORCED,ain't leaving willingly) I would grab a bunch of 22LR and 38s :)

[TNsailorman]

I get a real chuckle with the "bug out" idea. People who try to "bug out" will being running into trouble---not running from it. If something disastrous dies happen, the people who live in cities will come out and flood the highways and countryside around large population centers. And they will come stealing and killing. Roving gangs of armed thugs will preying on those who have supplies also. If you want to have some idea of what it will be like, read the book "One Second After" or something like that and get a chilling picture of what the chances of survival are like. If you haven't planned ahead, you are going to be one of the 75% or so that won't survive. Living in a rural area with few or no major highways near you will be a blessing then. Ammo(or reloading supplies), propane, gasoline, and long term storage food like "spam" will be worth their weight in gold. Also medical supplies of all kinds like bandages, penicilin, etc.. Just pray it never comes to a "bug out" situation.