.45 Colt Lee Loader Reloading Issue

As long as the brass or die are not way out of spec., IMO you may need to use more force.
After the 1:30 mark in this video, he gives the .38 Special case 12 - 14 hard whacks to force the case to fit flush.
Measure the length of the brass to see if you need to trim it.
Also measure the depth of the die to see if it meets spec.'s.

It also occurred to me that the case sizing lube could be preventing the case from fully seating, or at least require that more force be used.
Because the lube occupies space, there would be less space on the interior walls of the die available for the brass case, which could make seating more difficult and even seem impossible.
Perhaps removing the lube from the brass and die would help.
Or maybe too much lube was applied.

take the case out and take a light inspect the inside of the die to make sure of no burrs etc! what kind of case lube you using? plus don't try driving them in the crimp side of the die only the bottom end!

I cant find my old one but I remember it just neck sized If i shot the cases out of my Blackhawk they would never again fit into my 58 conversion cyl Im thinking that maybe its not meant to go all the way down? I would double check. JMO.

My LEE Loader got retired pretty quick in favor of a single stage press.

Maybe you have a loader for a .45acp instead of .45C ?

Mike

45 Dragoon said:

Maybe you have a loader for a .45acp instead of .45C ?

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The .45 acp case is shorter by .387 which is plausible.

As far as the video goes, the guy doesn't follow instructions very well. After resizing the case, the die (with the case) is placed on the priming tool and the case is then driven out of the die and a primer is seated at the same time. This procedure keeps the case square with the priming tool. Afterward, the primed case gets the case mouth "belled" with the belling tool . . . he totally skips this procedure . . .
Not to mention, when driving the case into the die for resizing, wouldn't it be easier to set the die on a solid surface rather than holding it just in your hand? (I thought that's what the small (too small) wood piece was for!)

Of course, he did say you may do it differently . . . it's always amazing to watch folks go out of their way to do things the hard way ! Lol!!

BTW, I started reloading in the 80's with Lee Loaders then went to a Lee turret loader. Still use it today for 38sp./357, 44sp., 45acp, 45C (when I get a chance!!!)

Mike

Might need to trim the brass.
Or use a bigger hammer possibly.

Howdy

I used one of those Lee Loaders a bazillion years ago to load some 30-30 ammo.

My advice is to buy a regular reloading press and a set of dies, and load your ammunition properly, rather than relying on a tool that needs a hammer to drive the shells into the die.

If you want to shoot 45 Colt in your conversion cylinder, you will be all day hammering away to load a few rounds. You are not going to be happy loading a few rounds for pistol, you are going to want to load more than that.

With a single stage reloading press, the correct shell holder, and a set of dies you can crank out a respectable amount of pistol ammo in a half hour or so.

Here is my old Lyman Spartan press that I bought used for a few bucks at a gun show a long time ago. Also pictured is the RCBS priming tool that I use with this old press. This is the press I used when I taught myself how to load 45 Colt and 44-40. Even though I moved on to progressive presses a long time ago, I still use this old single stage press to load my Black Powder 45-70 ammunition for my Sharps and Trap Door.

Ditch the hammer kit, and get a Lee Chalenger press, and the dies, and stuff for .45 Colt. Your reloading life will be much easier. Get a ram prime, and case length gage, and cutter (trimmer). I think you can get everything you need in a "Challenger Press Kit", that is calibre specific. I hav e 2 Challenger press', and use them alot. They are a good buy.
Then you will be on your way to a relaxing hobby, expandable to other calibres.
Dave

Blackpowdershooter44 said:

Perhaps I got a lemon from the factory?

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It sort of seems that way.
There must be a problem with the interior of the die, maybe it was mislabeled.
I would call Lee and and ask if they will send you a replacement without needing to send yours in.
It's so much of a hassle when it appears to be their fault.
Good luck and thanks for the update.

Blackpowdershooter44 said:

Maybe I have to go through all my cases and discard the ones that don't go in flush? (Even though the case length is of the proper size according to the loading data card that comes with the loader..)

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I wouldn't discard brass when you or someone else may be able to fix them, especially if there's a potential problem with the die.
Some companies use harder brass than others and have minor dimensional differences, such as wall thickness.
As long you don't bulge the cases, hold on to them.

I would still attempt to complain to Lee.
And what brand of brass are you dealing with?
Maybe the company is known to have problems?

.45 Colt is not rocket science. Try a single stage press....

Blackpowdershooter44 said:

The brass is from Fiocchi and Black Hills cowboy rounds
I'll contact Lee and see what they say.

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does it say on the kit instructions 45 colt? how about pics of this kit??

Just curious if it's the Fiocci brass thats causing your problems? I had a handful of Fiocci in 380 that were a royal pain in the kiester on a single stage press.

Black Hills does not make their own brass.

What does the head stamp say?

I started reloading in the 60's with a Lee "Hammer" loading kit. I did a partial box before ditching that POS for a single stage Pacific press. I still have it and it works great using RCBS carbide dies, no lube needed.

guys these little hammer kits are great when out camping or starting out on a tight budget infact I started with a lee 30-30 kit and made ammo with it for a while and I still have it today!

I have several of them, one is in .32 win special, I loaded a lot of ammo with that silly thing. I got chased out of my grandma's house when a primer went off while seating. They do work, just set your expectations a bit lower.

I loaded literally hundreds of .45 ACP and .38 Special on a friend's back steps in the breezeway between the house and Garage while drinking gallons of his Mom's Lemonade.

When my sister's future husband found out he gave me a single stage some other person had given him

Much easier but the "hammer-matic" was doable and beat paying for factory ammo while in college.

-kBob