Anyoen tried converting a Lee mold to a HP yet?

[sheepdog]

I need some ideas, no need reinventing the wheel.

[mooman76]

I am in the proccess of converting one now so I don't know how it is going to work yet. The one I am doing is a DC 32 caliber SWC. So far I removed the bottom allignment pins, drilled 1/4" holes through the bottom. I plan on taking 1/4 in bolts or somethin 1/4 in and shaping the pins and holding them in place with a washer bolted through the bottom of the mould hoping the boolits will still drop with stationary pins. I also am going to cut bolts to replace the pins for for a WC bullet. If it doesn't work I'm only out a mould but it should work as a WC at least.

[mooman76]

Actually I miss stated. I am converting to a HB mould but same principle applies.

[cheese1566]

I believe buckshot will do it to Lee six cavities, but not the two or single.

[longbow]

I was just thinking the same thing after having cast with the Mihec Cramer .44.

Lee hollow base moulds use the captured base pin so I pondered the idea of making a similar arrangement to convert my 2 cavity Lee RanchDog mould to hollow point.

Alternately and maybe easier is to use the same idea NOE is using for their hollow point moulds. That would actually be reasonably easy to retrofit to a Lee.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Longbow

[garandsrus]

From what I remember, the problem with converting Lee molds is the bottom alignment pin gets in the way of the HP pin. You would probably need to add some additional alignment mechanism and lose the bottom pin.

John

[geargnasher]

From what I remember, the problem with converting Lee molds is the bottom alignment pin gets in the way of the HP pin. You would probably need to add some additional alignment mechanism and lose the bottom pin.

John

A modification to the Lee Mis-alignment mechanism on the two-bangers is much needed anyway.

Gear

[longbow]

You bring up a good point! It would be hard to drill a hollow point hole through aluminum and steel. Wouldn't do the pin much good either.

I had been thinking of drilling and reaming the blocks for steel pin and socket like the Mihec and other better quality moulds (maybe even Lee 6 cavity?). Then the horizontal alignment pins could be removed and the extruded Vee guides could also be removed or at lease not be needed.

Then it would be suitable for hollow pointing! Seems like a lot of work. Likely easier to build a hollow pointing drill jig and just drill boolits.

Longbow

[Buckshot]

You bring up a good point! It would be hard to drill a hollow point hole through aluminum and steel. Wouldn't do the pin much good either. Longbow

.............I doubt you could drill the alignment pin as it's a roller bearing. Someone DID HP a SC or DC, and posted about it on the "Special Projects" forum. This was probably at least a year ago.

..............Buckshot

[mooman76]

The alignment pins are easy to tap out. I plan on replacing it with something else shorter or shortening the ones that I removed. I know it won't be an expert job but should still work good enough for me.

[MT Gianni]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=71615

Jims fixture works well and is not expensive IMO.