Adapting a Lee Perfect measure to Standard Lee Dies made easy

[Storydude]

...And FREE!

I"m sure most of you have at least one 30-06 case lying around. Well, look at a Lee 3 die set. See the Expander die and the funnel adapter? A 30-06 case ALMOST fits into the hole in it. Take a hammer, lube the neck up and tap it into the funnel adapter, flush with th bottom of the adapter. then twist/pull the cas from th adapter..you want firm/snug but not massive tight. Then put the silver threaded drop tube nut from the measure onto the -06 case and decide where to cut the Wb off of the -06 case. Hack the web/rim off th 06 case then slowly drive the brass through the nut till it, again, is flush.

Put nut on measure, adjust to a comfortable position and smile at your work.

Mine's been through 200 rounds on my turret in Auto index and it's still secure.

Try it!

[kbstenberg]

Storydude How about some pictures

[Storydude]

Hole in the die
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19738&stc=1&d=1265679531

Measure mounted
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19741&stc=1&d=1265679531

Longer necked case and friction fit into measure drop tube nut
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19740&stc=1&d=1265679531

Modified brass mounted in die
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19739&stc=1&d=1265679531

[RayinNH]

Story, that's a durned good idea...Ray

[Storydude]

Now up to 400 rounds with no issue. Still tight, but moves enough to easily find the right location for the measure handle.

The -06 case is larger than the hole in the measure nut, but I tapped the brass through with a wooden mallet and not much effort. The O ring even fits.

[Recluse]

The -06 case is larger than the hole in the measure nut, but I tapped the brass through with a wooden mallet and not much effort. The O ring even fits.

Wonder how a .270 would do. . . .

Good idea.

:coffee:

[cheese1566]

HMMM, wonder how I can adapt mine to fit 7/8" threads to fit my Hornady Projector powder drop tube?

I have a Lee tucked away in storage since I have numerous measures that will work for this. I may bring it out as a dedicated measure for something...

[lead-1]

Great idea, thanks and I will be sure to put it to use in the near future.

[johnlaw484]

You better patent it, Richard Lee will be selling it shortly.

[OldBob]

Doh !! and I went to all of the trouble to machine an adapter......:drinks:

[Ben]

This idea has always been appealing to me ! !

I tried to join my Lee Powder Measure and the Lee Flare die with the use of the 30 - 06 , ( as per Storydude's instructions ) case without success. I guess I was doing something wrong.

While I was trying to get the two together, I tried to fit the threaded portion of the underside of the Lee Powder measure directly ( without the use of a 30 -06 cartridge case ) down into the " funnel " on the top of a Lee .44 Spec. Expander die. It would almost go, but needed a few thousandths removed from the aluminum funnel, not much , but some metal had to be removed .

I did some trial and error removal of aluminum with a rotary sanding drum and a slow speed cordless drill. Go slow, you can take metal off , but it can't be put back on . When the inside dia. of the aluminum funnel reached .607" I stopped and tried to put the 2 together. All the nylon threads are snugly down in the aluminum funnel on top of the expander die now. I've got my doubts this thing could be knocked off with a hammer now ! !

The beauty of this is that the Powder measure can easily return to it's free sanding use with the black nylon funnel and lock ring that comes with the measure. No permanent modification is made to the measure, the only modification is to the inside dia. of the funnel on top of your expander die. The aluminum funnel part of the Lee expander die is removable and can be swapped from one Lee Expander die to the other. I may cut a shallow ring all the way around the one that I've enlarged and fill it with red nail polish to identify it at a quick glance.

Here are photos :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0003-27.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0005-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0007-9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0008-8.jpg

Here I've installed the measure in the Universal Rifle Charging die ( works just as well in any of the pistol expander dies )

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/PICT0002-26.jpg

[blikseme300]

Ben,

Your pics and execution are excellent. It is show-and-tell's like this that makes this forum so much fun.

Bliksem

[Ben]

blikseme300 :

Glad you liked it. I'm simple minded. If I read it, I may or may not understand it.

Show me a picture of how it works and something " clicks " inside my head.

Thanks,

Ben

[PatMarlin]

Remarkable- that Ben.

[Storydude]

Ben, I tried doing that, but on my Turret, I needed the riser of the case to allow the adjustment arm to clear the next die.

This works on all Powder-through-expanding pistol dies I have. The Universal and rifle charging dies may have a different dimension on the funnel adapter.

Lee reloading tools are like HF tools. functional as-is, but with tiny mods, become so much better.

[Ben]

Storydude ;

Yes, you're correct.....I can see where you'd need the extra height. I'm using mine on a Lee Reloader press ( single hole ). Seems to work fine with my set up right now

I have progressives set up for " volume pistol " loading. Sometimes however, I like to load small lots of pistol ammo ( and rifle ammo ) for testing purposes. This set up will allow me to set the precise powder charge that I want and flare the case and throw the powder charge in the same motion, saving valuable time at the bench.

Rock solid.

Thanks for a great idea,

Ben

[AviatorTroy]

Wow. I've got a very old Ideal measure that I was trying to think of a way to adapt and I was going to turn and drill a piece of threaded rod and this and that and the other...

I think I'll just do something along the lines of what you've got there. Thanks!

[Doc Highwall]

Dillon makes a adapter to mount a 7/8x14 powder measure on a die for manual powder dispensing. I have it so when I load small batches of cartridges it lets me use my RCBS and Lyman powder measures with the Dillon and not have to change the setting or remove the Dillon powder measure from another set up.