Odd Lee sizer/decapper

[Rio Grande]

Got it in the mail today, carbide for .357.
It's marked .357 BO
The carbide pc. screws into the bottom, and the pin/expander is held down with a screw-in plug from the top.
The pin/expander can be afjusted so that there's no play up and down, or the plug at the top can be backed off so there's up and down play.
Never seen one like this before.

[Cowboy5780]

sounds like a lee speed die you use it to do all the operations by changing the setup around look at the lee site for detailed instructions

[Rio Grande]

yeah, it looked like the top stem could be used as a bullet seater! It was kind of radiused.
I'll check the lee site, thanks

Yep, thats it all right...Speed Die.

I checked the Lee site, doesn't look like they are still offered by them.
But still available at different suppliers.
Around $20
interesting concept, one guy on a forum said they don't work well with cast boolits!
But I just needed a .357 sizer die anyway, having all the other dies, so works for me.

[1hole]

Speed dies are a marvel of sophysticated engineering in pistol dies. They were an excellant, inexpensive choice for those who work on single stage presses and were willing to spend a couple of minutes converting the die for the next operation. I have two and love them. They work as well as any carbide three die set but never really took off in the market.

And yeah, the plug that holds the decapper/expander in place is the seating plug.

To use, remove the "guts" and size your cases. Remove the sizing ring, insert the decapper and expand them. Remove the decapper, reinstall the seating plug and finish the job. Easy enough it would seem ... but a LOT of users sorta "forgot" to remove the sizing ring and cussed the die because they couldn't get the cases expanded at all! Another Lee basher, all self generated, again. Duh!

[Rio Grande]

They work OK w/ lead boolits?
Somebody posted somewhere he couldn't get 'em to seat straight.
I like LEE also!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

They were made for pistol cases....9mm, 38special, 357, 45ACP and 44 Mag. They work very well with cast bullets without any alledged problems. This system was designed for single station work, but will work on one station of a turret press as well. Its not the fastest sequence in the world, but is not complicated and handy. One has to follow the loading sequence outlined in the instructions. It works just fine in the Lee Hand tool as well, especially in the field or at the range. All the sizers are carbide equipped. LLS

[Rio Grande]

What a lucky find then! I answered the ad for a 'Lee .357 full length carbide sizer die' and though I'd get the standard one.
I have a Lee hand press, and this sounds great for 'heading for the hills' type use.
Kind of like what Skeeter Skelton advocated with the Lyman 310.

[Rio Grande]

Looks like it's only offered in .38 sp. now.
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/textcart.cgi?&acct_num=1250226319.4648&CODE=1100&CATEGORY=Pistol+Dies

Or does that show it's discontinued?
I followed quick search/pistol dies/speed dies to find that on the Lee site.

[mdi]

They work, but they don't seem like they are worth the trouble. I have one in .357. As I remember I had to readjust the die for each operation just like a multi-die set. I've still got it but I don't use it much anymore; I have a set of Lee .357 dies that are set up in a turret for my Lee turret press.

[TAWILDCATT]

I have several inccluding rifle calibers.they work well with the press they were intended for.oh by the way the press is a herter and the dies of course are herter
from the 50s/60s. nothing new on this earth.:coffee:[smilie=1: