.410 Re- Loader

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

Good Day Gentlemen,

Does anyone have a 410 Lee Loader that they would be willing to send me some pictures and snap some dimensions of? I have wanted to clone a lee in 410 for years but have never been able to put my hands on one. I'm an ex-Navy MR with access to a nice machine shop. I would be willing to send a copy of my version to who ever was willing to help me with the dimensions/pictures if they wanted. It would probably take awhile to complete as I would be tinkering after work and in my spare (read not much) time, but I think this would be a worthy cause and alot of fun. Any help would be appreciated

Kind Regards,
Everett

[dannyabear]

[Me too, I've been thinking about buying a lee load all and trying to make the parts to convert it to 410

[Lucky Joe]

If I'm not mistaking fellow forum member Lar45 is working on that now. I believe he plans to have them available in the future, although I'm not sure when. He has the means and skill to do it. Might want to let him know of the interest. If all else fails I do have one and I'd be happy to help if I can.

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

Lucky Joe,

I was suprised by the fact that no had done this before. I hope to be able to get this project off the ground. If I don't get a response from LAR 45. Then maybe you can send me the info. Thanks for responding.

Everett

[Lucky Joe]

SPRINGFIELDM141972,

He's a good guy, he'll get back with you. But if not for some reason let me know I have this thread marked.

[dannyabear]

I've been thinking about that tooo; I just gave up and scored a MEC 600 jr on ebay for $32.00 so i'm set now.

I am looking for a couple of hundred 3" winchester AA HS hulls if anyone knows of a source. Thanks

[Old Ironsights]

Lar45 has done the "engineering" work on getting one of my .410 Lee Loaders duplicated. (I've done the "paper" work. The hazards of being a Legal minded Geek...)

As the Patent is expired, we can produce at will, assuming that we can find someone crazy enough to turn them. (It's all dimensional Lathe Work).

(Contact Lar45... the more Small Shops making these, the better...)

I have about 200 star crimpers and am working with Plano to get boxes to put the kits in.

We should hopefully have them for sale soon-ish (as in less than a decade), but I can't say when.

(At the moment I'm still working on a heavy .410 slug loading. the 140 is looking good for tha "average" Cylinder Bore, and I'm just starting on the 195 at .420 for my .417 CB)

[EDG]

I have an new unused 3" .410 Lee loader. Mine has the turned aluminum dippers with wood handles. What dimensions do you need? I also have the little aluminum conical .410 "shell conditioner".

[turbo1889]

Well, I used to have one, but gave it away when I got an MEC machine to take it's place. Yah, the little tool went to a good home of someone who was just starting out in reloading along with it's brother in 30-30 but I've still been kicking myself ever since for that one.

Currently my thoughts are along the lines of making a set of dies that will fit in a standard reloading press with 7/8 threads and use a .303-brit. shell holder with the primer drop through hole enlarged. Make the first die a sizer/decapper just deep enough to handle a wildcatted 3-1/2 inch shell (got the room in the die blank so why not). Put a carbide ring on the bottom to size at least most of the brass base (yah, it won't get the part inside the shell holder but would still be better then no size at all) Make the deprimer rod enlarge to a taper so it opens up the crimp all the way on a shell that's at least 2" long. Next I think a ram prime unit could be modified to work with 209 primers. Next die would be a simple wad-stuffer tube that was hollow and had the right hole size on top to fit a reloading funnel just like the Lee powder through dies in their pistol sets -- That takes care of powder, wad, and shot just measure and then poor into the funnel. Final die would be a crimp die -- hollow body with an "air-hose quick disconnect" style unit on top with a double sided snap in insert. One side for crimp start; other side for crimp finish. Just work the lever once, flip the top peice, and work the lever again to fully crimp star style crimps. Roll crimps could be done with a drill unit from BP.

Right now it's a pipe-dream, but I see no reason why you couldn't build and market a three die set for 410 including the moddified shell holder and ram prime unit that could be used in any standard metalic reloading press. You could load just about any .410 shell with such a die set from 2" stubby 1/4 oz. roll crimped slug loads made from worn out 2.5" shells to a 3.5" magnum wildcat shell. You could even reload full length steel and brass shells with that carbide ring and then crimp them with a 45-Colt crimp die.

[Granny taught me to shoot]

I used to have one. Have not used it in decades. I'll start looking around for it in my bench rubble. If I find it, you can have it free.

[bullshot]

Springfieldm141972
I have a Lee loader in 410, missing the punch to install the primer. PM me your address and it yours.

[725]

I hope you can go into production for the .410 "Lee" loader. I'll stand first in line to buy one. Have always wanted one but, now that they have achieved cult status, of sorts, i can't afford one.
725

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

Bullshot/Granny Taught Me to Shoot-

Thank You for your offer, but I purchased a used MEC 650 for $30.00 since posting this thread. I found it in junk/parts box at a resale shop! All it took was a little pentrating oil to free it up.

Kind Regards,
Everett

[JIMinPHX]

I would love to buy a Lee Loader style set up in .410 or the 3 die set up in .410 if any of you guys are selling them yet. If you’re not actually going to get around to making them any time soon, then I’d really appreciate any info that you could forward to me so that I can make one for my own personal use. The price of .410 ammo is just more that I am willing to spend & it ain’t like the material cost of that ammo is the reason.

Thanks,
Jim

[utk]

If you're interested in reloading for .410 with brass, do a Google search for ".410 reloading".
For example, this article pops up:

http://www.endtimesreport.com/410reloading.html

[JIMinPHX]

Actually, I think that I have most of this figured out now. I’ve got the sizing, decap, reprime, powder charge, wad insertion & shot charge all hammered out. The only place that I’m coming up short is on the crimp. I’ve never done shot shells before, just a lot of pistol & rifle cartridges. Does anybody have any good suggestions for hand crimping a .410?

[JIMinPHX]

I think I’ve got it licked. I’ll post about how I did it later.

[JIMinPHX]

That is, I’ll post if anybody has any interest in this. Is anyone interested?

[Chiefs50]

I Certainly am interested

[725]

Oh yeah. I'm very interested. I'm hopen' somebody here is going to make the lee loader type job available. I'd be first in line. I don't know anything about patents, etc, but have been told that same is about to run out for Lee. If it's legit and true, I'm sure somebody is going to make a small fortune with those things.