Lee Loader

Macd wrote:I've had bourbon and branch, bourbon and soda and bourbon and lime water but never mixed it with pizza before. What is the ratio? Are there preferred toppings? :-P

Doesn't matter, good bourbon goes with anything. Or alone. No reloading today, but I spent a few minutes working on the Load Master getting it set up to run 9mm. Set up was with RCBS dies but decided I "needed" a Lee 3 die set as I don't have a PTX 9mm die so ordered a set of those, I have a FCD I found laying about in here, amazing the things you find when you start uncovering benches A couple days ago I did set up the new Universal Case feeder (got the plug from Lee to operate it with small cases) and with a Universal decapping die ran a bunch of 9mm through that to see how it works. Works just fine. At the time I ordered the case feeder and 9mm shell plate I also ordered the small priming unit as this press was for 45acp but I haven't tried priming with the small primer unit yet. Will wait for the dies to arrive and just see if I can run a hundred or so complete rounds instead of just priming cases. May have to "empty" a few more 9's to have that many cases though. Darn. A shout out to Larry W, I haven't forgotten our conversation, I just haven't been into town to the post office yet, but I'll get in there pretty soon. Have everything setting on the bench though so I did "accomplish" something. Just to much other "stuff" going on right now for much reloading room time but will get to it pretty soon.

QTY 50 on Lee single stage press:

.45 Colt 260 gr LRNFP from my brand new Lee 452-255-RF I got from RD. Used a very mild 6.5 gr (average) W231 because that's what dropped out of the closest dipper (039) I had. All my automatic PMs are taken on turrets and I was too lazy to adjust the Uniflow so I charged from a dipper and with a green funnel for the first time ever. It dropped between 6.4 and 6.7 on the first 30 in a row so I stopped weighing them. I know that looks under minimum for some but since the mold drops heavy and I didn't see 260 gr lead loads I went forward. They're actually short too (1.57") so maybe it'll all work out. I'm sure the rectally cramped reloaders hate my approach.

Funny thing is the bullets as dropped were about .458" at the base. I was shaving a little on the first go so I lowered the flare plug about 1/3 turn and passed all the cases back through a second time for MUCH better results. Of course I closed them off after seating by putting a good crimp on with the Lee FCD (pistol) die.

Good looking round.

Well, they flop a little maybe. Obviously these are slow. I'm not an expert but who has loaded a .45 that hits POA from 40' (forty feet POA) that might be tumbling? They made 5/8" or bigger holes in the sheet metal case of a Dell CPU but would not shoot through the removed hard drive. The hard drive did in fact HATE the shots it took. Lots of energy dispersed. Big dents, folds in the frame, slugs stuck within. I wouldn't wanna be shot with it especially since it hits POA from FORTY FEET from a 5.5" barrel single action revolver.

From my post on RR...

That is a good looking bullet! Good to see it at work in North Texas rather than sitting idle in South Texas!

One way to reduce diameter, believe it or not, is to smoke the heck out of the cavities with a butane lighter or stick. With the base being larger, keep the mold base us as you smoke it and smoke all the cavities uniformly. Carefully remove all the soot from between the cavities of the mold block with a cloth tightened around your fingertip. Carbon buildup is a heck of a tool. On other molds, it is a great way to reduce your gas check shanks if they are too big as well.

"Razzle Frazzle Mezalsmich" as Yosemite Sam used to say because my Auto Drum broke yesterday. I've been using it without any problems since I got it right after Lee released them to Titan (actually it was pre ordered). Anyway as I was chugging along I heard a click/snap sound and the spring wasn't resetting.

I took it apart, cleaned the large rifle powder die and the AD. Reset and adjusted everything and it work fine for 1 dispensing but snapped again on the second stroke. so tomorrow I call Lee and see what they have to say.

Going back to the Auto Disk as soon as I stop whining/crying/cussing. I hope I don't have to buy another AD.

I had a new ADrum doing the same. I removed all the black plastic parts & put them back on, it went back to work. Also, be sure it is operating at near the limit of the "tab" in the housing. If not, small, short changes in cartridge OAL setup a similar fail.

Ranch Dog wrote:Also, be sure it is operating at near the limit of the "tab" in the housing. If not, small, short changes in cartridge OAL setup a similar fail.

The short cycling allows powder to become packed in the device & this will eventually cause the reset trip to jump out of position to include the pin holds it in place.

I didn't do any actual reloading this weekend. But I brought home some 2000 brand new Starline .44-40 cases and gave them a good squirt of LEE sizing wax in water and ethanol. They needed all Sunday to dry off, and I will start this week to turn them into ammo. I still need about 450 nitro and 900 black powder rounds until August.

That ought to keep you busy. Are you using the Pro 1000 to load the 44-40?