I Had To Modify My Lee 30-30 Sizing Die

[Jimbo357mag]

I had been noticing for some time that some of my cartridges were getting harder to chamber. Hmmmm. Looked like they weren't being sized enough especially at the shoulder (1) but as I tried to size down on them some more, I was meeting a lot of resistance near the base of the cartridge (2).

Time for some ingenuity. I took an empty case and drilled the primer pocket out for a dowel so I could chuck it in a drill and then wrapped some fine 400 sand paper around the tapered end. I dressed the inside of the Lee sizing die so that I could size down on the case and push the shoulder back a little (3) and still not have it bind up at the base (4). mission accomplished. :D

 

[gramps]

Did you modify it or merely clean it out to original specs? Either way, it worked, and that is what counts.
gramps

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Did you modify it or merely clean it out to original specs? Either way, it worked, and that is what counts.
gramps

The F-L sizing die was always so tight that I could not run it all the way down on a case without getting it stuck. So I backed it off and stopped about 3/16" from bottoming out. All was fine for a while until I started noticing the problem with chambering rounds. The sandpaper definitely opened up the bottom of the die enough so I can now size down as far as want without getting a case stuck and the rounds chamber well. :D

 

[PriseDeFer]

You're Batman.

 

[DGW1949]

Did you modify it or merely clean it out to original specs? Either way, it worked, and that is what counts.
gramps

The F-L sizing die was always so tight that I could not run it all the way down on a case without getting it stuck. So I backed it off and stopped about 3/16" from bottoming out. All was fine for a while until I started noticing the problem with chambering rounds. The sandpaper definitely opened up the bottom of the die enough so I can now size down as far as want without getting a case stuck and the rounds chamber well. :D

If what you did worked, it worked.
I suspect that you'll know more once you get down to the "shootin' part".

DGW

 

[Sin6Sec63451022]

Cool. McGuyver would be proud.

 

[Luckyducker]

I'll probably cause some on here to be butt hurt and sorry about that, but I fixed my Lee dies I owned years ago by throwing them in the trash (didn't want to sluff them off on some other unsuspecting person) and replacing with either RCBS or Redding.

 

[5of7]

I usually stick to RCBS or Lyman dies too, but the Lee collet factory crimp die is very useful for older cartridges such as the 38/40 and the 32/20. The brass is so thin in the neck that a regular roll crimp doesn't work well at all. 8)

 

[Rick Courtright]

I'll probably cause some on here to be butt hurt and sorry about that, but I fixed my Lee dies I owned years ago by throwing them in the trash (didn't want to sluff them off on some other unsuspecting person) and replacing with either RCBS or Redding.

Hi,

Darn! Not butt hurt at all, I just wish I'd known you were just gonna toss 'em back when. I could have traded you some RCBS dies before I gave THEM away... :lol: Everybody's got their preferences... and if the bullet lands where it's supposed to, who cares what color the die box is?

And just a tidbit from "The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm" department:

Everybody "knows" RCBS dies are "better" than Lee dies, right? So when we look in their respective catalogs, we see RCBS sells a couple of bullet puller tools, most commonly used these days to correct mistakes (really, how long's it been since anybody here pulled down some old milsurp ammo to recycle the bullets and maybe the powder, too?) I don't see one in Lee's catalog! Hmmm...

Rick C

 

[Jimbo357mag]

The standard die was just sizing the cases down too much to begin with. The die works great now that I opened it up a little. I can size the shell all the way down to the shell holder and if properly lubed, it doesn't stick. The rounds chamber fine now and of course they shoot really well because (cough) I load them myself. :D

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

The standard die was just sizing the cases down too much to begin with. The die works great now that I opened it up a little. I can size the shell all the way down to the shell holder and if properly lubed, it doesn't stick. The rounds chamber fine now and of course they shoot really well because (cough) I load them myself. :D

That is what counts.