I've been given a set of Lee collet/crimper dies via a friend of a friend, but they don't have any instructions.

The dies appear to be brand new and there are two in the case, one, I assume the crimper is marked A4 and the other which I assume is the bullet seater? is marked J4..

Can anybody shed a little light as to how these dies are set up and how they would be used?

I curently use a set of standard RCBS FL resizing dies set up to size the neck only..

Regards,

Pete

Hey Pete

The die marked J4 is the neck sizer and I have one for every caliber and it is an excellent die. Run your shell holder up and screw the neck sizer in until it hits the shell holder. Then lower the shell holder and screw the die in an additional 2 turns. Try not to raise the shell holder without a case in it or sometimes the collet will get stuck up inside the die. The collet die works with about 25 pounds of pressure on the handle so don't overdo it or you could pop the aluminum cap out of the top.

With a fired case just raise it until it hits and put about 25 pounds pressure on it and it will resize the neck only. Good thing about it is that you have resized the neck without any lube inside or outside the case that you have to clean off and it yields very little runout.

I don't use their bullet seaters so can't give you any input there.

On some long necked calibers like the 270 or 30-06 I put a washer on the shell holder around the case and it will leave part of the case the fireformed size. Helps center it in the chamber (IMHO).

Someone just asked this question on another site, so I checked the instructions for my Lee collet dies just to be sure. According to Lee, you screw the sizing/decapping die down until it just touches your shellholder and then one turn more. Depending on the thickness of your particular SH, you may need ~ 1/4 turn more or less than Lee recommends. As "woods" said, too much pressure will strip the aluminum cap in short order.

Hey Paul

Just pulled my instructions on the Lee Collet Die and under step #2 quoting "Other brands of presses that toggle or snap over center at the end of the stroke provide no feel and can damage the collet neck sizing die if adjusted as above. We suggest the die be screwed in until the died contacts the shell holder, plus 2 FULL TURNS. This will prevent the press from toggling over center and give the operator feel of the collet closing."

He mentioned that he had an RCBS press which is what they're talking about.

Oh, by the way Pete, the next paragraph says "OPTION. Even greater accuracy can be obtained by rotating the case one-half turn and sizing the case a second time."

Thanks gents!

I called my mate up to see if he had any instructions (answer: no) but he has found another Lee die which should have been part of the set and its marked H3..

I did look on the Lee site for info under "instructions" and eventualy found found some in the FAQ section.

Its seems I have a factory crimp die, dead length bullet seater and a neck collet die...

I've always been a little wary about the quality of some Lee's stuff but these dies don't look too bad at all..

Thanks again for the help,

Pete

Your welcome Pete

I think you will enjoy the Collet Die and the Factory Crimp Die. No more expander balls and lube.

For each caliber, I now use a Univeral Decapper, Lee Collet Neck Die, Redding Body Die (for when you have to push the shoulder back), and a Lee Factory Crimp Die. I think the best bullet seater is an RCBS Competition Bullet Seater but they're expensive, so just go with what I have on hand. Seems that mho and rejpelly do the same.

Hi Pete E,using body with the collet die seems something" new "to try(less DRAG,lube).Getting the head´n shoulders cartridge headspace gauge(Stoney point) is a fine tool to measure constant backing up the shoulder,seater; I like the Forster one,Redding competition seating die is (expensive),I dont hear any complaint about it,if you can get rcbs competition bullet seater seems a good seater.(they all are BR or competition...

I don't decap in my size dies, so I drilled a hole in the aluminum cap of the collet die to allow the mandrel to float. If I should want to decap with the die I can just put a dime under the cap. I have made custom shellholders to use one die for different length cases IE 6mm Rem, 243 Win. 6tcu.
Also I find taking the die apart and putting a thin film of imperial sizing die wax on the cone and the collet makes it work smoother.
Lyle

Pete E & woods, I stand by my original statement having just re-checked the instructions on my 10 year old Lee collet dies and they are explicit: Turn the collet die down until it touches the shellholder and then one turn more. Apparently Lee has modified them in the interim.

Collet die,one turn ,two turns,I am confused,25 pounds,seems to me the collet Lee die is difficult to adjust,I hope I didnt make up my my about the Lee colet die,seems to be the way,too much difference ,one turn ,two turns ...

Well Lee must have changed the instructions from 10 years ago Paul. I just bought the latest Lee Collet Neck Sizer about a month ago and should have the latest instructions. In a Lee press it says to adjust one turn past but in others 2 turns.

rejpelly, I know you're joking cause anybody that can use a Redding Body Die with the Stoney Point Head & Shoulders Gauge has graduated in die adjustment education.

Lee press vs others press;now I understand,just checking .

Ok, now I am confused!

I picked up the neck sizing collet die today and have just been trying it...

Firstly, although the de-capper is present and not broken, it doesn't knock the primer out...in fact it looks like the case does not go far enough into the die for it to reach.

Secondly, the collet appears only to be acting on the very edge of the case...case definately seems as if it should be into the die further..

I've stripped the die and everything looks ok..no burrs or dings for anything to hold up on..collet appears to be "open" correctly and everything is free to move as it should. The various parts are stamped .308win so thats not the issue...

I have tried different a mounts of pressure on the press handle to the point the collet grooves are marking the case mouth..I have also tried adjusting the die in and out of the press both one and two turns with the same results.

It looks to me if the ouside of the collet needs serious polishing to allow more space for it to spread more as the bullet enters??

Regards,

Pete

Pete E., You've tried everything and the collet die still isn't working suggesting the die somehow evaded Lee's quality control. Even though you're in the UK, I think I'd return it to them with a letter of explanation as my experience with them has been good. Btw, with a flawless (literally) collet die, resizing is a pleasure.

Someone may have closed the press on the die without a case in it and it may have locked the collet. Again with the Lee instructions but under the section marked "Buckled Shoulders" it explains how to break it free

"If your Collet Die buckles the case shoulder, it is due to the collet being closed and the case cannot enter. This is caused by closing the press without a case in the die and/or the die adjusted too deeply. Remove the collet from the die and spring it open. It is best done by pushing a tapered drift punch in the collet neck. If none is available, use the round shank of a Phillips head screw driver to pry the collet open. Cases that have been excessively annealed into the shoulder area may buckle even though the collet is open."

Never had to do it so you're on your own, but I would take it apart before I sent it back.

Paul, & Woods,

I have tried opening up the collet again and the case goes in further..Trouble is when you apply enough pressure to de capp the primer, the case neck is all marked to hell..In fact the whole case neck is now "bright" ending in a ring/ridge near the shoulder where the brass has been shaved off as it was forced into the die.

I don't have any more scrap .308 cases to mess around with at present so I will have to wait untill I go to the range again...I also sent Lee an email yesterday with regards the issue, so it will be interesting to see what they say...

regards,

Pete

Pete

Sounds like the collet is not opening up far enough to clear the fire formed neck. If the collet is not stuck then maybe the rifle chamber is a little large in the neck area. Measure the outside neck dimension of one of the fire formed cases and then the outside neck dimension of a neck sized case. I lolad for a 7 mag that has a large chamber in the case body area and it is a chore to get the case sized and it has to be lubed just right, not too much and not too little. The case or case neck should not have to be lubed in order for the Lee Collet Neck Sizer to work.