Lee lock rings

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labnoti said:
I am using the "Lock Ring Eliminators" and the "Spline Drive Breech Lock Bushings." Both these combine the die lock ring with the breech lock bushing.
The discontinued Lock Ring Eliminators were machined from steel. They really only had one flaw: the pinch bolt was an internal hex-head (Allen) capscrew with a head that stuck out too far. The pinch bolt heads would interfere against adjacent lock rings in the Auto Breech Lock Pro's tight (turret) die holder top. If they had just swapped those capscrews out for some button-head internal hexalobular (Torx) screws, they would be golden. That's what I will do with mine. Instead, Lee replaced them with the "Spline Drive Breech Lock Bushings." They're machined from aluminum. I believe early versions came with a slot head capscrew (!). They had switched to a smaller diameter Allen bolt by the time mine were produced (I bought twelve). At first I thought they were good to go. I liked the four different colors for color coding although I could also use paint, colored sharpies, or colored electrical tape just as well.

Then I found that one of the bushings started to bind in the press head. That was really annoying. I had to order the spline drive wrench. The wrench is complete crap because it won't fit over the pinch bolt unless it's aligned just right which can sometimes be impossible with other dies in the way. With the breech lock bushings, I only ever use finger-tightness, so screwing around with a wrench to dislodged an aluminum bushing that's binding is very annoying. Not surprisingly, the bushing started to gall. Next it will probably jack up the press head. I'll probably be using anti-seize which will inevitably make a mess.

This is the kind of thing people who use Lee should already expect. If you want to be pampered, buy blue. If you don't mind working around someone else's shortcuts and poor choices, you'll figure something out.
Click to expand...
I wonder how galling can happen when the O-ring is in place on the bottom of the nut. If the design is defeated by removing the ring, should there be a complaint considered fair?
 
LiveLife said:
They are supposed to be "finger tight" - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1011199541


Little lock ring wrench for $2.50 - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021759797?pid=101497


That's what we get for complaining about their "finger tight" hex lock rings with O-ring ... John Lee went, "I will show you guys once and for all" and comes up with Ultimate lock rings :rofl: - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021760132?pid=575065

View attachment 930318
Click to expand...

Hey, I kind of like those! The 5 die holes on my Dillon 650 heads don't leave a lot of extra room. I tossed all my RCBS rings that put the set screw into the die thread and replaced them with the Lyman pinch rings like those Lee rings. I like the lower profile on those Lee's though, the Lyman pinch rings are nice but can be a little bulky. I have several Lee crimp dies but I have never used the O-ring lock rings that came with them. It also looks like that little wrench (that I will undoubtedly loose) will be much easier to use on a crowded head. I do like to lock my dies down more than finger tight because they can start backing out when you are running many thousands of rounds through the same press head without checking for loose dies.

index.php


It looks like these Lee rings are aluminum? If so, one less thing to rust!
 
I was going to make a post about the new Lee locking rings but I see it’s not necessary.

I decided last week to buy a second set of .38 Special dies as I am tired of resetting a single set of dies between.38 Spl and .357 Mag.

The new dies came with those funny little lock rings and at first I was miffed but then realized my single stage press is that Breech Lock System press so setting and locking the die in place really isn’t a problem, but I have never been one to trust “finger tight” anything.

Murphy rides my left shoulder. If “finger tight” can go wrong, it will. :D

When I saw that little wrench in the link that @LiveLife provided I thought “Great! One more thing to spend time searching for when I should be reloading.” ;)
 
my single stage press is that Breech Lock System press
Click to expand...

In that case just get their bushings that don’t require any lock nut/ring as the clamp is built into them.

7F86703E-D055-4EF6-BC1A-4F30CB03D73F.jpeg
 
Pat Riot said:
When I saw that little wrench in the link that @LiveLife provided I thought “Great! One more thing to spend time searching for when I should be reloading.” ;)
Click to expand...
No problem.

Just attach it to an empty 2 liter bottle like the gas station bathroom key ... :D

Or glue a small magnet and keep it stuck to the press frame or even the dies for quick access. ;)
 
RealGun said:
I wonder how galling can happen when the O-ring is in place on the bottom of the nut. If the design is defeated by removing the ring, should there be a complaint considered fair?
Click to expand...

The galling is on the aluminum breech-lock threads of the spline-drive breech lock bushings. My post was about the "lock-ring eliminators" that jmorris just posted a photo of in post #30. They've been replaced with the "spline-drive breech lock bushing." The former was steel, and the latter is aluminum.

90063.jpg
 
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