Lee Loader

[Green Frog]

ive been buying them when i see them cheap(<$20) even for cartridges i dont shoot.

I'm still looking for a .32-20 set, but no joy yet. Does anybody out there have one they would like to use for some really neat trade??

Froggie

[QUON]

Thank you zitar for the x ref sheet.

[Ziptar]

QUON, You are welcome!

I forgot to mention my new addition I picked up Saturday. I went to a gun show and a guy had a whole messy table of Lee Stuff but, what caught my eye was a bunch of Lee loaders. Two good stacks of them, the seller didn't even really know what he has, he just had set prices for stuff according to the pile it was in.

I got a complete 12 ga 2-3/4" Deluxe Loader with the wad guide, fingers, 6 point and 8 point crimp starters for $20.00. Seller thought it was a box of dippers... I don't think he ever opened it. I've been trying to get a hold of one without paying eBay prices for a year.

At the bottom of another pile I also found a Target Zero Error loader in 30-06 complete and in really good shape. I held it up and asked the seller "You know what this is?" he responded with "Yeah, It's $50.00". It bugged me to walk away and leave it there, so I haggled with him a bit and bought it.

It's now on the way to one of our forum's members, I didn't really make a profit but, at least it'll be properly appreciated.

[Ziptar]

Now I've seen it all.....

A 12 Gauge 2-3/4" Lee Loader just sold on eBay for $102.50. It wasn't even the deluxe version.

If this keeps up we are going to have to have our Lee Loaders insured like priceless works of art...

[plmitch]

Now I've seen it all.....

A 12 Gauge 2-3/4" Lee Loader just sold on eBay for $102.50. It wasn't even the deluxe version.

If this keeps up we are going to have to have our Lee Loaders insured like priceless works of art...

sweet, I'm going to sell off my 12 ga. loader and become a hundredaire

[0verkill]

I have one of those, a 20 ga and a deluxe 12 and 16 ga. Imight be able to retire early AND keep all my metallic LEE Loaders.

[UNIQUEDOT]

I have one of those, a 20 ga and a deluxe 12 and 16 ga. Imight be able to retire early AND keep all my metallic LEE Loaders.

Well there is definitely some idiots out there with plenty of money and partial brains.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/vintage-LEE-...item415dea5f4e

[Texantothecore]

I love the Lee Classic Loader. I went from using a single stage press to the LCL because it makes incredibly accurate rounds and it is really satisfying to load a single round at a time, complete. I get the same speed or slightly faster than a single stage press but I place ever tool in the same spot after I use it. I think I do one in about 22 seconds using a 16 oz hammer.

For those of you who are not familiar with the benefits of the LCL, let me count the ways I love it:
My field bag will hold:
Lee classic Loader + neck flaring tool
Hand Press with the Factory Crimp die
About 1/3 lb. of powder in a Tupperware type sandwhich box
At least one hundred rounds of .45-70
Full set of Lee Dippers
100 Primers
4 oz gunsmith hammer ( I use 16 oz plastic faced hammer at home)

I frequently load at the range and an afternoon spent working up loads is golden. I also meet a lot of people: They always ask "What is that?" and I teach them how to load using the LCL and have them shoot the rounds that they have reloaded. Fun stuff. I hope they have gone home and ordered one or more as they are a real blast to use.

In the field, you can use a hammer, a branch, a rock, tire iron, anything that has some weight to it.

I haven't tried it for the .45 ACP, but I think I am going to buy one and try it out.

[Maven]

"My field bag will hold: Lee classic Loader + neck flaring tool...."

Texantothecore, The Lee Loaders in handgun calibers include a neck flaring tool as did the older (black cardboard box) Lee Loaders for rifle calibers.

[jcwit]

Not all of the Lee Loaders are out of sight pricewise. Grabbed 2 within the last month for $34.45 for both, shipping encl. One was 30 cal carbine, the other was 38 Spec/357 Mag.

I do see some guy with a .32 Win, Spec wanting $100.00 bucks starting for it.

[UNIQUEDOT]

I do see some guy with a .32 Win, Spec wanting $100.00 bucks starting for it.

Wow! that is just ridiculous!!! I used to collect the things and i had some that were somewhat rare and i had them for shotshells in every ga. and length offered, but when i sold them off i only asked ten bucks each for them. The only one i kept was a 2.75" 12 ga. just because i like to use it every now and then.

[Dave Bulla]

I've seen that $99 32 special too. I don't think he's gonna get any bites but you never know.

The one I want is a 2.5" 410 but I'd prefer not to pay over $50 for one and that just doesn't often happen. I've seen some go for less but I missed the end of the auction on them. Usually they end up in the $60 to $80 range.

All I want to do is load some shells for the kids and I to hunt rabbits and squirrels with. I love the two and a half inch 410's loaded with 4 shot for bunnies. Absolutely deadly and don't tear them up. Totally the opposite direction most people go but an old friend told me about it and after I tried them, I've used nothing else since. The bigger bb's really help on a tough critter like a squirrel too. Just have to be sensible about shot distance.

[Green Frog]

Just like anything else, if it isn't selling in big enough numbers, the bean counters kill it off. Then, since not many were made, and they can't be bought new anymore, folks who never thought of needing one now can't live without it! Add to that folks like yours truly who try to get special gear for oddball obsolete calibers to support their personal shooting habits, and the discontinued uncommon calibers get pricey in a hurry. Of course there are those who ask (and those who pay) entirely too much for stuff just because it is discontinued... somebody once said there was one of those folks born about every 60 seconds or so! BTW, I'm still trying to find that .32-20 set to go with my S&W M&P in that caliber!

Froggie

[BKS]

Question here, please. Got lee loaders for several calibers and Lee trim gauges, etc. I am having trouble keeping a consistent over all length on the cartridges..

What am I doing wrong?

[DHB]

My first reloading was on the living room floor in about 1976. I had a rawhide mallet and a 38 special Lee Loader (still have it). I could not afford to shoot so that Lee Loader took good care of me. I have a mess of them now plus 5 target models.
DHB

[0verkill]

Question here, please. Got lee loaders for several calibers and Lee trim gauges, etc. I am having trouble keeping a consistent over all length on the cartridges..

What am I doing wrong?

It's probably the lock nut. Tapping the unit with a mallet causes it to loosen. It seems more of a problem with the pistol calibers to me with the bullet seating system they use. Tighten the lock ring as tight as you can and check every few rounds to see if it loosens. Check for lube build up on the seating stem as well. If that doesn't cure the problem maybe someone else can help or has more ideas.

[heathydee]

My 30-30 Lee Loader has benefitted from the addition of the Lee chamfer tool and case trimming tools . Also a homemade neck flaring tool and a nylon sleeve to both keep the cartridge aligned as the crimp is applied and limit the amount of crimp .

All of the extra bits can cram in the original box .

The crimping sleeve works as follows .

[0verkill]

That nylon sleeve is a great idea and something I'd never seen before. Anything that elps make more uniform ammunition is good. What did you scrounge the nylon from? Did you take measurements to determine optimum length of the sleeve or just trial and error?

[heathydee]

That nylon sleeve is a great idea and something I'd never seen before. Anything that elps make more uniform ammunition is good. What did you scrounge the nylon from? Did you take measurements to determine optimum length of the sleeve or just trial and error?

I obtain nylon in various diameters from my local bearing supply but if a piece was not available the sleeve could be made out of aluminium or steel .
The sleeve was machined too long to begin with and then trimmed to suit . The need to apply a consistent crimp came about when I was comparing ammunition reloaded with the Lee Loader to ammunition loaded with a press and Lee dies ; specificaly the Collet Neck Sizing die and Factory Crimp die . Once I sorted out the crimping feature of the Lee Loader , there was no difference in the quality of ammunition loaded by either method .
It must be mentioned that the trial was conducted in my Winchester 94 AE . That is why the rounds had to be crimped.

[Dave Bulla]

heathydee,

Great minds must think alike!

Just the other day I went to our machine shop at work and talked to one of the machinists about making a tool exactly like that. I didn't think of using nylon but the idea of a centering bushing for the round and cutting it to a length that allowed it to bottom out at a perfect crimp were the two main points I was trying to get across to him.

He's a gun guy too but in all honesty, he just seemed to think "If you can't get a good crimp with this tool, why use it? Why not just use regular loading dies?" All I could say was "Well, I just LIKE these kits."

Were you able to come up with a gap measurement that worked best for you? Looks like between a 64th and a 32nd but if you measured it in .000's, that would be great.

Do you feel there is any advantage to they nylon? I'm thinking maybe it might slide better over the case but also that it might distort over time a little or might have some give to it. Is your hole for the case a super precise fit or did you just drill and or ream it for a slip fit?