Lee Loader

I had asked on Cast Boolits about an "M" type expander for the Lee die and I guess there isn't anything.

Well NOE makes a drop in expander plug for rifle and pistol cartridges that are like the Lyman M die expander plugs. You basically take out the factory expander plug in the Lee die and replace it with the NOE expander, You will have to make a spacer to take up the excess space because the Lee factory expander plug is much longer, some simply flip the factory expand over but I like to just use a couple spacers to give me some adjustment and keep the case up inside the die. I use them for all my cast bullet rifle and pistol cartridges that I use Lee dies for.

The expanders have two numbers the first is the case mouth step which I like to be about .002" larger than the bullet dia. the second numbers is what the expander plug sizes the case or case neck to which I like to be around .002" under bullet dia. The expanders are designed to work with the Lee Universal Expander die but will also work in the Lee factory expander die.

Examples:
.357" would need a .359 x .355 expander.
.358" would need a .360 x .356 expander.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=565_89

The only way you're gonna get "shaving" is if the case mouth presents a sharp edge smaller than the bullet. If the case mouth is tapered a bit larger than the bullet, the bullet will seat without having. Try using something with a taper, like the head of a punch/chisel, a pair of needle nosed pliers (anything that is tapered and might flare the case mouth). Tap/push the tapered tool in the case mouth. Set a bullet on the tapered portion. Is the case mouth flare larger than the bullet's diameter? If a bullet is still shaved when seated, the problem lies somewhere else. A friend of mine often uses a bottle necked case to flare (just push hard and turn) and one old timer I know uses a pocket knife to chamfer the case mouth.

Yes indeed the shell holder is hitting the bottom of the die and the powder measure is screwed down tight. As a matter of fact I can screw the die down far enough that the ram will not come to the top of the stroke.

So far I have not contacted Lee about this die or the expander. From what I have learned so far is no one makes an "M" type expander to use in the Lee powder thru die.

A fancy plug is a band-aid if you cannot get the die to adjust like it should. Call Lee.