Would you buy....

[Jim]

....A Lee mold of any given caliber instead of any other mfgr. if Lee made the mold of your choice? I've written to The Honorable Sir Richard and asked him if he would consider enlarging his line of molds and have received no response.

If Lee made the caliber and style or even close on the style, would you buy theirs instead of somebody else's? I'm going to let this thread run untill it dies and look at the responses. If it leans toward being Lee friendly, I'm considering copying and forwarding the entirety of the thread to Mr. Lee. No need to bash here, that's not what this is about. Just curious to see how much influence we can stir up .

Thanks, fellas.

[StrawHat]

I am guessing a lot of folks would consider it (just look at the number of group buys that used to go to Lee) IF:

1 The time between ordering and delivery was reasonable.

and

2 The dimensions of the castins were acceptable.

Those are the two criteria I use to evaluate molds. To me it matters not one whit if the mold is iron, brass, aluminum or ? as long as I get it fairly soon after I order it and it casts a bullet I can use. Undersized bullets that arrive late are no good to me.

Hope this helps.

I always wondered why some of the "classic" bullets were not included in the Lee lineup.

I agree about the bashing but he needs to understand that a bullet needs to be a certain size, being close doesn't make it.

[Jim]

I failed to make myself clear. I'm talking about if Lee made molds as stock items that are available like the rest of their line.

[big dale]

I'm betting that the guys that cast for the 41 mag just wish he would still make the 240 grain SWC and the 238 grain round nose that he discontinued....

Oh, never mind he no longer makes any molds for the 41.

Big Dale

[Bret4207]

Yes. In a heartbeat. That is as long as they were made correctly and of proper dimensions. I have Lee moulds that have cast thousands of fine boolits for 20 years and they're still good. I wish they'd use a little tougher alloy, especially in the 2 bangers.

I wonder if they'd consider a "Premium" line. I'd pay a few more dollars for a better material.

[pdawg_shooter]

I prefer Lee moulds. Bust bang for the buck, but like you there are many I cant get from them.

[stubshaft]

I xast 5X as many bullets out of my Lee moulds as I do from my other custom moulds. That doesn't mean that they are the best but they can produce serviceable bullets for most of my plinking needs.

[Heavy lead]

First let me say I'm not a Lee hater, in fact most of my reloading equipement (probably about half I would say) is Lee, I love their pistol dies and the turret press is awesome, and always will use the 20lb. casting pot. However I do not like their boolit moulds, especially the 2 hole moulds, yes I have them and particuliarly like the C430-310RF and the C452-300RF, mine both cast proper size (.432 and .454) and are an awesome heavy for the 44 and 45, but as a whole I'll gladly pay 3 to 4 times more for an iron or steel mould, rate of casting is much faster and I can sustain a higher quality cast for longer. As far as the 6 cavity moulds for smaller boolits they are ok, but they need to get rid of the sprue plate, it's over engineered and I simply bend them all the time. Swede Nelson with the plain Jane plate he uses should be adopted by Lee, it would cut their cost tons and work much better, the hinge end (45 degree end) is simply too week and needs to be squared off and lengthened and the handle and cam weilding out into space is simply ungainly in the way.
What I really wish is Swede Nelson and Mihec would have a full line. I don't mind paying for moulds, but I want quality and so far these two are simply awesome.

[dragonrider]

Nor am I a Lee hater but I hate their delivery time. One year from order to delivery is rediculous. I think 3 months would be too long but acceptable. It's doubtful that I will be getting into any more group buys if they go through Lee. I wish that Lee would use the same locating pins in the two cavities that they use in the 6 cavities.

[HeavyMetal]

Back on line with the intent of the thread:

Yes I would buy more Lee molds IF they were more quality consistant, just plain common QC, and he over hauled the designs.

The round flats are actually a neat idea but some one at Lee is infatuated with a lot of small lube grooves on the boolits! Tumble lube's I can see but a standard 44with two or three mni grooves and a gas check?

Some one finally talked him into copying the H&G 68 but he has failed to copy the 429421?

I don't get it.

Good luck getting anyone in management to give you the time of day! I will suggest you ask 45nut how he managed the deal with Lee he may have an idea or two.

[timkelley]

Yes, I'd buy more molds from Lee if they were correctly made and available from stock. I believe six banger Lees are the best deal going.

[docone31]

I like Lee Molds and dies. I found them really easy to work with.
With the molds, they are really inexpensive so a little QC work on my part is not unreasonable. I lap my molds, sometimes sharpen the sprue plates, no biggee.
With my dies, they have always modified the way I have recquested and turn around time was at light speed!
I broke the toggle on my Classic Cast Press. I had one in 5 days! I was more than impressed.
With lapping my molds, I try to enlarge them equally, then I size the castings. I get great results.
A Lee Mold costs what a box of 100 bullets would, so if I have to do some work, what the heck?
I can understand their small choice inventory. I have my own business and if I chase every idea a customer has, I will have a full, no business shop. They make what works day in, and day out. I do the same thing.
When I talk to folks at Lee, I speak with Pat. He has always done me right.

[DLCTEX]

I would like to see smaller caliber molds in the lineup. I have the 22 Bator mold made by Lee and it casts great boolits, so I don't understand their aversion to smaller calibers. I also don't understand ignoring the 257 Weatherby, dropping the 410 Lee Loader, hollowpoint molds, the 311-170 F molds, and a number of other things. Is it just that they want to concentrate on what sells best and ignore the rest? Obviously people are willing to pay a higher price for some of these things, look at what they sell for on Ebay.

[docone31]

Most people who get Lee stuff are first timers.
I know the difficulty I had when I first started. I waited 20yrs untill I tried it again.
I can just imagine a newbie trying to cast .22 castings in an aluminum mold for the first time!
That might be a large reason why Lee has only standard choices.
Less freaking out newbie customers!
I would do the same thing.

[462]

Jim,

Yep.

[alamogunr]

Given recent experience with GB's, I would have to say NO. They would have to demonstrate that quality and consistency were obtainable from them. If I ordered a mold based on reports from other buyers, I would want it to be exactly the same. I realize that most participants in GB's are very critical and expect molds to be per specifications. This doesn't seem to be too much to expect from a stock mold. I haven't seen any specifications(dimensions) for their stock molds. Do they exist?

John
W.TN

[Riverrat]

Yes!! I have always wondered why they did not have a better selection. I would love to see some molds in .270 and other smaller calibers.

Ed

[sundog]

Dale, same thing here. The 22 Bator in the Lee is outstanding. Lee is missing the boat on the small calibers. Maybe if they did more of them, they would learn to hold tolerance better on the stuff they do cut. Yeah, that was a slam.

[TAWILDCATT]

hi Paul:the company is making as fast as they can.I too have talked to them.they are up to their maximum.one press they make is 150 a day and they have 2000 on order.if you know how a factory works you would realize they cant go any faster.just like the ammo companies.from what I understand they make more molds than all companies combined. those molds are made using extrusions from the alum foundries.and the two cavities work great if you keep the guides lubed.
and I dont see how you can break the molds the way some of you do.you want them to last treat them right or get another brand to beat on.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[Marvin S]

Yes, would like to see better 32-20, 32-40 and a good 43 Spanish all of these casting a nice FAT boolit.

[mooman76]

I sure would! I have allot of moulds and mostly Lee. I have very pleased that they started making more 2 cavity as some used to only come in the single. They used to make some smaller moulds such as .270 but dropped them as well as other moulds that didn't do as well as they wanted.

[fredj338]

I like the Lee 6cav fro the most part but would like it better as a 4cav w/ the same handles. I even asked if they would consider making sione of their more popular designs that way, seems straight forward enough. The answer was no. I prefer iron molds & like the 3 & 4 cav designs by Lymna & Saeco. The cost is always the downside though.

[geargnasher]

YES. I think Lee moulds are fine, like anything else they are their own animal and usually work well after the learning curve.

Only problem, right now, is demand is over the top and all our little pickey, oddball wants are getting neglected for regular stock for the big customers. I've been waiting for a Cruise Missile mould from Midsouth for months.

And I'm really, REALLY disappointed that Lee let Ranch Dog go under on account of lack of supply. I wanted a few of those badly, but just didn't have the funds when they were available.

Gear

[StrawHat]

I failed to make myself clear. I'm talking about if Lee made molds as stock items that are available like the rest of their line.

Jim,

I was also talking about "stock" items. My gun shop has had "stock" molds on order for over 6 months and still nothing in sight.

See this thread

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=55509

[Jack Stanley]

I'll be the first to give LEE credit for the neat handle on the six cavity sprue plate , the bullets aren't even close to my other six cavity molds .

I think I see a twenty-two caliber mold in my future and with the experience with molds , I think I'd pass on the LEE even if it was available . Bang for the buck ? yeah they do that and that is their market . However, I don't mind spending more money for a mold that gives me what I want . LEE has their niche for the entry level market and as long as Lyman continues the path they are , LEE might pick up more market and need more machines .

Jack

[HORNET]

I've got a LOT of Lee molds ( 1 & 2 cav) that I bought because I liked the design for one reason or another.
I haven't had any MAJOR glitches that were unfixable. I do consider a new Lee single or double to be semi-finished material and spend a little time fixing details up front, then they work well enough to see if anything else is necessary. Usually, they work well after initial tuning. Please note that is also necessary (although to a lesser extent) on Lyman and RCBS molds.
I do agree with Bret that I'd be REAL interested in upgraded Lee molds, maybe with a harder alloy and actual pins/bushings and a decent sprue plate. They could even set them up to use Lyman or RBCS handles(or the Lee 6 cav)....ANYBODY AT LEE LISTENING ???

[hornsurgeon]

i'd buy lee again. i have quite a few now. the bator is great and is actually the easiest 22 mold i have ever cast with. i do wish they had a better and more sensable selection. roundnose work fine for target and plinking, but i would rather see more flatnose designs. also would like to see at least one mold for each caliber, like a 358 rifle mold. and bring back the hollow point bullets, like the old 45/70 mold.

[leadman]

I would buy Lee moulds in sizes/designs that they don't produce now.

They need to make the 2 cavity and six cavity moulds for the same bullet the same. It is disappointing to find a good bullet in a 2 cavity and then but the design in a 6 cavity and it is differerent.

[jameslovesjammie]

I'd buy them. I really would like to see a cataloged .358 180 RF. We've done what, 4 buys of basically the same version through Lee? You'd think they'd take the hint. Also the 6.5 cruise missle, .22 bator, and entire Ranch Dog line should be standard catalog items.

[JDFuchs]

When i started all my casting stuff was Lee, If i wanted to cast i could not spend that much money on realy costley molds. Even now I only have 3 molds other then lee's Its also nice finding out what type of bulets work well for me and knowing I have not spent a few hundred on molds I wish I did not get. But after using a RCBS mold for the first time I was hooked on its ease, and I know ill have the lyman and RCBS molds long after the Lee's crap out on me. Tho still if i start into somthing new I would want to try out a lee mold for it first. 3 working two cavity molds for the price of one nice one depending.

[Doc_Stihl]

I try each lee mold available for any given caliber before I look elsewhere.

[Jim]

Jim,
Thanks for the link. I read all the comments and can only add that we have been overwhelmed with orders. This is not an exaggeration our May sales were four times 2008 and June was six times 2008. We have doubled our plant size and double our work force over the second half of 2008 and 2009. Keep in mind that mold making is just a portion of our business and absolutely everything we produce has been out of control popular.

We are not ignoring your requests for custom mold and other products we simply do not have the resources to tackle these new custom projects. All bubbles burst and I am expecting that some time soon that we will have plenty of plant and equipment. I hope of course the bubble deflates slowly.

When the dust settles we will be in a good position to produce custom molds very rapidly. At that time we will be implementing a new way of ordering custom molds that will work smoother for your group.

At 08:01 AM 7/21/2009, you wrote:

PLEASE!! Forward this to Mr. Lee. He NEEDS to know what's going on in the casting community.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=58279


Sincerely

John Lee, President

[Marlin Hunter]

thats all I have is Lee's. I would like to see more tumble lube styles.

One thing I don't like is the step in there round nose tumble lube molds.

[bruce drake]

I enjoy using LEE molds. THey are affordable and cast proper boolits when you follow the instructions. I've been casting for over 10 years with them and enjoy them.

I would like to see them make a 25 caliber rifle bullet (86gr FN and 100gr Spitzer/RN) along with more 32/8mm caliber bullet molds as well.

Bruce

[uncle joe]

if they had the styles I like I would buy a 6 hole or two in every caliber i cast.
of course I would go broke buying primers and powder pretty quick