Question about Lee dies

[peter nap]

I am till rooting through my endless junk boxes.
I have a set of Lee dies. All three look like mouth flaring dies.
All are marked
Lee-45 Colt-DO
Lee-45 Colt-F2
Lee-45 Colt-K8

Anything special about these?

[azshtr]

I would think that all 3 might be powder through expansion dies or crimp dies from your description. The DO, F2 and K8 are just the months/year of manufacter. (The letter is the month and the number is the year -- DO is April 2000, F2 is June 2002 and K8 is November and could be 1998 or 2008)

If the top piece of the die has a small powder funnel that screws into the top of the die and if you remove that, a expansion plug is located then I would think that they are powder through/expansion dies. If the top of the die is unthreaded then they are probably a roll or taper crimp die.

Hope this may help and also hope I'm not way off with the information.

[peter nap]

I would think that all 3 might be powder through expansion dies or crimp dies from your description. The DO, F2 and K8 are just the months/year of manufacter. (The letter is the month and the number is the year -- DO is April 2000, F2 is June 2002 and K8 is November and could be 1998 or 2008)

If the top piece of the die has a small powder funnel that screws into the top of the die and if you remove that, a expansion plug is located then I would think that they are powder through/expansion dies. If the top of the die is unthreaded then they are probably a roll or taper crimp die.

Hope this may help and also hope I'm not way off with the information.

They all have the funnel. I figured as much but thought there may be something special about them.

I can't figure why I would buy a set with three of them. I found all sort of stuff today. I found a 4 die 45acp et with the factory crimp. When did I buy that?

Gunshows...gotta love em.

[Gerry N.]

Doesn't sound like a "Set" at all, more like three dies in a box. If you use that caliber, you have a good powder thru the expander die and two for trading stock. What's not to like?

Gerry N.

[azshtr]

"I can't figure why I would buy a set with three of them. I found all sort of stuff today. I found a 4 die 45acp et with the factory crimp. When did I buy that?"
The .45 ACP headspaces on the mouth of the case hince you would not want to "roll crimp" the .45 ACP cartridge as it will make the case shorter, same with most automatics. The 4th die in your set is probably a Carbide Factory Crimp Die which resizes and taper crimps the cartridge as a last step in reloading. If the crimp die has an adjustment threaded into the top of the die it is a Carbide Factory Crimp die, if it is open and non-threaded on the top then just a steel crimp die.

I would think you probably purchased the set due to the capability of the Carbide Factory Crimp Die being able to post size and taper crimp.

[peter nap]

The .45 ACP headspaces on the mouth of the case hince you would not want to "roll crimp" the .45 ACP cartridge as it will make the case shorter, same with most automatics. The 4th die in your set is probably a Carbide Factory Crimp Die which resizes and taper crimps the cartridge as a last step in reloading. If the crimp die has an adjustment threaded into the top of the die it is a Carbide Factory Crimp die, if it is open and non-threaded on the top then just a steel crimp die.

I would think you probably purchased the set due to the capability of the Carbide Factory Crimp Die being able to post size and taper crimp.

I understand how the 45acp headspaces....but thee are 45 Colt which headspaces on the rim.

The acp dies are jut something else I found.