LEE Loader; 16 ga Shotgun, Red Box

[nitro-express]

I bought a LEE loader for 16 gauge the other day, and it has a full instructive sheet, but no mention of a year anywhere. I found an older post on this site that said the first ones came in a red box.

Here's my Red Box treasure.

https://i.imgur.com/MLH0nJfm.jpg

All the tools are solid metal, the instruction is a 4 page pamphlet, the load data is shown.

https://i.imgur.com/arzKGG0m.jpg

The crimper has a detent ball for the plunger, which I've not seen on the later versions I've owned

https://i.imgur.com/mhtokPJm.jpg

The powder measure is marked Hercules, Red Dot, 16 Ga.

https://i.imgur.com/FWMYiZJm.jpg

The shot dipper has a large and a small option, just reverse the removable bottom disc to change from 1 oz. to 1 1/8 oz.

https://i.imgur.com/plQ23Tvm.jpg

I've scanned the complete instruction pamphlet, it is too large to attach.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ke41yya6j2kio4/Lee Loader Shotgun Red Box.pdf?dl=0

Nitro

[kaiser]

You've described the first reloading tool I ever purchased in 1968, except I had a black box. A 1oz load of lead in a plastic wad over a "scoop" of Red Dot was the absolute "bees knees" for any type of bird I hunted (quail, dove, woodcock, grouse, and ducks). I seated the wads over a bathroom scale and used candle wax to keep the "fold" folded. My best loads were using paper Winchester hulls.

[Gewehr-Guy]

I am going to guess made about 1962. I have a 12 guage like yours, but the box is in terrible condition. Now I have to go find it and see if my shot measure is like yours