A short rant about Lee dies......

[Matno]

How do you get your dies in and out of a press without rotating them? Sounds like a cool trick.

[wbm]

That ain't what he means by no rotational force.

[granite1]

+1 "jonbearman"

[curlymaple42]

Only have one LEE die set and it's because it's the only one you could get the 50Beowulf in. Swapped out the lockrings the minute I realized I hated them. Never been impressed with their die set quality. Oh wait, I actually have a 270 set that I bought so I could use the naked sizer die to size halfway from 30-06 to 25-06. It was cheap.

[clovishound]

I'm loading on a Lee classic turret. The O rings work quite well for this application. I adjust them and then never have to worry about them again, unless I need to remove them for cleaning. It's nice not having to unscrew dies every time I change operations.

[n4ue]

The lee die lock ring was designed to let the die float in the thread to avoid misalignment caused by specs on presses being different and shell plates. For all you who throw them away send them to me for proper recycling.I don't really need them but I had to say it and am not soliciting anything. Just making light of throwing away the most important part of lees engineering. There is no rotational force on a die.

Ha ha, this is a 'good one'....
This is like saying worn out ball joints in your old Chevy helps it 'hold the road'... LMAO!!!!

ron

[JW]

Following this thread--- looks like some of us like the o-ring and some of us don't
I guess it comes down to the individual's application, press set up, and personal preference
No need to get wound up LOL They are just lock rings
Jack

[Willoughby]

I use lee dies (& o rings)adjusted to a Hornady lnl bushing in a rcbs press never had any issues with the orings -however I did have to shave .003 off the bottom of a Lee 223 die once, and I did ruin a aluminum cap once -but the cap was operator error ...

Im quite happy with the tiny little groups my rifles shoot using ammo loaded with Lee dies
I bought Forster dies for my 300wm on the advice of a (expert) when I first started reloading -later after using lee dies for a while in several other calibers -
I purchased a set of Lee dies for the wm
I just like them better -
I have never had an issue with the o-ring design -as far as I can tell -all the o-ring does is keep it from turning after initial set up-
although after reading this thread - I will try a solid ring on that 223 die and see if it makes a difference in shoulder to head length
thanks guys for keeping me "thinking"

[Jbotto]

The lee rings don't work in my Bonanza Co-Ax, so I bought Forster split rings to remedy that issue. Problem solved.

[langenc]

I reload 40 different ctgs, so I have a LOT of dies from almost every mfg. I really like Lee dies, especially the Collet style for rifle calibers. They work perfect for all my AI ctgs.
HOWEVER, I just don't understand why Lee persists on using those 'mickey mouse' lock rings with the 'o' ring lock. I just don't trust the ability to 'lock' when I screw them into the Rock Chucker.
I just purchased a lot of 11 normal split ring type lock rings on ePay for cheap.
I have been drilling and tapping the Lee rings for a set screw.
Who wouldn't pay a $1 (or so) more for a Lee die with a 'real' lock ring?

Sorry, I just had to unload. ha ha

ron

What does Lee say about all this??

[CharlieNC]

Maybe you would consider German Salazar's recommendation to use o-ring to improve concentricity as a serious, legitimate source.

[noisewaterphd]

The rubber o-ring is a legitimate method for producing more concentric ammo, and yes Lee uses them for that purpose.

Many long range competitors will add an o-ring to whatever dies they are using.

I can understand wanting a "locking" ring to prevent the die from adjusting during change of operations. In this case you would be doing yourself a favor to invest in Hornady, or Forester lock rings, they are the split ring style that don't damage the die threads. Why RCBS, Redding, and others are still using antiquated set screw lock rings is a mystery. Forester and Hornady combined with Lee's o-ring idea is how all dies should come shipped in the first place. 3 manufacturers got it half right :p.

Take the o-ring from your Lee nut, and continue using it with your new, proper (Hornady, Forester) lock rings so that you can reap the benefits still.

[Hotolds442]

In this case you would be doing yourself a favor to invest in Hornady, or Forester lock rings, they are the split ring style that don't damage the die threads. Why RCBS, Redding, and others are still using antiquated set screw lock rings is a mystery.
You've obviously never removed a setscrew from an RCBS, Redding, etc. die set and seen the plastic or lead spacer they purposely place there to prevent thread damage........
They use the "antiquated" setscrew lock rings because most prefer lock rings that actually lock.

[yobuck]

A visit to a Home Depot in the faucet repair section will produce any size O ring you want.
Even small ones for under the nut on the stem holding the expander and seater.
Ive used them and they made me feel better that i did. At least for awhile.
I do prefer some type of a locking ring. But i have old RCBS and even some 60 year old Pacific dies that
belonged to my father that still work fine.

[PaddyD]

I have Lee, Hornady and RCBS dies. I rather like the lee o ring setup. It requires no tools and stays tight using only my hands. All those other dies require I really reef down on that lock nut or it seems to always come loose during loading. As for being able to reset it exactly in the same spot every time. Well I don't trim cases every time so after a couple loadings they no longer are the same length as they were. This would be a factor with crimping. Nor do I always load the same bullets. Even if I did, that's what a dummy round is for. Setting seating depth only takes a second using a dummy and is better in my view as you then are sure of what your die is actually set at.

[noisewaterphd]

You've obviously never removed a setscrew from an RCBS, Redding, etc. die set and seen the plastic or lead spacer they purposely place there to prevent thread damage........
They use the "antiquated" setscrew lock rings because most prefer lock rings that actually lock.

It's probably far more obvious that I have done that. Regardless of the material, it is still an inferior method. People can, and do damage die threads all of the time with set screw rings, particularly with Redding dies.

Hornady and Forester lock rings are just as, if not more secure than the set screw type. So, if "most people" prefer a lock ring that actually locks, split ring is the way for these "most people" to go.

The reality is that "most people" don't know any better...which is why this thread was started in the first place.

[JASmith]

I have learned a few things from this "short rant" that is now 37 posts and counting...

Many thanks!