The Lee Collet Die

[Three44s]

There are a lot of newbies coming in lately and I ran into this vid this morning:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H_eX6-X2Kxg&feature=emb_logo

I am a huge fan of the Lee collet die. You need to clean and lube the internals of the die every now and then but not the case neck.

Case necks should be lightly lubed with other neck dies, perhaps the titanium bushing might not require it. The Lee, run your necks dry.

But the groups bear out the genius of the Lee die. Varmint gun’s don’t lie!

Three44s

[onelight]

Interesting video thanks for posting it.

[popper]

Unfortunately the Al cap will strip out before my 308W neck gets sized.

[Three44s]

Unfortunately the Al cap will strip out before my 308W neck gets sized.

I would look at your mandrel diameter. If it is the wrong size that could explain that. I needed more bullet grip on my 22-250 after I took up outside neck turning and Lee sold me a mandrel .001” undersized and all was well then.

Also I stripped out an aluminum cap on that die when I first tried setting it. I had too much pressure and mended my ways after that.

Three44s

[megasupermagnum]

Unfortunately the Al cap will strip out before my 308W neck gets sized.

Read the directions. It sounds insulting, but 99% of people who have issues with these dies are over thinking it, and using them wrong. Beyond that, they size very easy. I doubt I put more than 10 pounds of pressure on my press handle. It is easier than full length sizing by far.

[Three44s]

If the Lee Collet die is not available for a certain cartridge it shades whether I adopt that one into my shooting hobby. It’s not a deal breaker but it does factor into the decision.

Lee for a fair price will make a collet die as a custom order if it’s a size they can adapt it to.

I found a used but like new custom Collet die in 300 RUM and snagged it a few years ago.

Three44s

[Iowa Fox]

In my opinion the Lee collet neck sizing die was one of the greatest dies you could purchase at any price. BUT Lee ruined the die when they shortened the collet. I know they are busy but Lee will not even return my request for a original style collet which I would be more than happy to pay for. I think they made the change about the time they went to the serrated nut.

[megasupermagnum]

What do you mean they shortened the collet?

[Iowa Fox]

What do you mean they shortened the collet?

They shortened the length of the collet by about 0.050 so that now it does not size the entire neck. I think they changed about the time they went to the serrated lock nut. They must have been getting enough complaints about it that they even have a note about it on their web site. I doubt most people know or can tell the difference. I have about 6 or 7 of the old style and coupled with a Redding body die they are unbeatable compared to any dies at any price point. I ordered a new Brux barrel so I ordered a collet die and Redding body die. First piece of brass I tried to size I knew something was screwy.

[Three44s]

Too bad Lee made that change. Maybe they will get hounded enough and go back to original specs.

The web site touts the “genius” of a M.L. McPherson with dinging Lee into this.

The dies now leave .050” of the mouth of the neck unsized for easier bullet entry into the case mouth.

I wish I had already bought the .35 Remington Lee Collet die I have been pondering before this “genius” stuck his mush into this!

Three44s

[Three44s]

This is a nuisance, but you can raise the neck resizing location on a collet die by using a washer between the top of your shell holder and the bottom of your collet die.

The thickness of the washer will determine how much sooner that the collet compresses.

I do this with 6mm BR. I have a 6 mm PPC collet neck sizer which is too short for the longer BR case but the washer adds head room so that the shoulder of the BR case is not boogered up.

Three44s

[megasupermagnum]

Interesting, I did not know that. On a similar note, I always wanted to try and modify one with a flare on the mandrel, and a matching taper in the collet so that it flares the mouth. I could never figure out a way to do it accurately. I suppose a flared mandrel, with a shortened collet would do the same thing.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I use these collet Neck dies on .308-.30-06 and .303 Brit and do it in my Hand Press. It doesn't take that much pressure to resize a case neck and these dies work really well.

One of my videos on Youtube show me doing .308 brass like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjpPr9ogys&t=6s

Randy

[Three44s]

You lube the die ever so little but not the brass. That is a big time saver!

Convenient, accurate and economical. A lot to like!

Three44s

[Iowa Fox]

Excellent video Randy. It does a good job of showing just how little pressure is needed to size the neck. Most folks mistakenly apply to much pressure on the collet when using this style of die.

[1hole]

Interesting, I did not know that. On a similar note, I always wanted to try and modify one with a flare on the mandrel, and a matching taper in the collet so that it flares the mouth. I could never figure out a way to do it accurately. I suppose a flared mandrel, with a shortened collet would do the same thing.

It can be done much simplier than that.

Get a cheep cone shaped grinding stone wheel with a 1/4" shaft from Walmart and chuck it in a drill. Lightly push the wheel's point into the top of the collet and grind a short taper in it. Then use the die normally; the modified end will leave an unsized short flare in the case mouth. Done correctly, that unsized part of the neck (the flair) will work great for both cast AND jacketed bullet seating.

Grind slowly and test the "fit" as you go, it may take a couple of trys before you get the degree of flair you want without overdoing it. I like to grind in about an eyeballed .050" deep in the collet end; no other die change is needed.

[1hole]

Excellent video Randy. It does a good job of showing just how little pressure is needed to size the neck. Most folks mistakenly apply to much pressure on the collet when using this style of die.

It doesn't take a lot of lever pressure to squeeze form a thin neck to the die's mandrel and no amount of additional pressure is going to get necks any smaller than the mandrel allows.

Lee designed that collet neck die's alum top cap to serve as a ram pressure "fuse", meaning the top will blow out before the die or press can be damaged no matter how hard the user may try. It works too!

[Krag 1901]

I just got one for my Krag, It's a .303 Brit but works Okay with the Krag. The mandrel is of .309" whereas the one for my .308 is .308". I've found that a soft touch can give a .309" with both and my .311 GCed bullets fit perfectly w/o flaring the necks. You don't have to squeeze it all the way for larger boolets.