locking rings and Lee classic turret?

[FullEffect1911]

are there any split rings that work with the turrets of the Lee Classic cast press? I have heard many of them are just to big to all fit together in those 4 hold turrets.

Seeing as I can't stand lee's design for their die rings, I am considering changing them.

Also any tricks to make those lee die rings less irritating to work with would be appreciated.

 

[RustyFN]

I don't know, what do you find irritating? I use Lee dies in all of my turrets and haven't had any problems with the lock rings. I have heard where some people will turn them upside down to take the rubber ring out of play.
Rusty

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Hornady and Forster are too big I've heard. Not sure about Lyman split rings (not the ones that come on their dies).

I'm with FullEffect; I can't stand Lee lockless rings. But, on a turret, turning them upside down would at least help, as long as you don't have to pull dies in and out of the turret plate. You could also use two Lee lock rings, stacked o-ring to o-ring, if you have enough threads showing. I think Corbin makes rings like that (two thin, threaded rings with an o-ring in between).

Andy

 

[PotatoJudge]

I bought some used RCBS 30-06 dies that have rings with set screws that are small enough to work on the turret. They're not split rings, but functionally they're the same. Not sure if they're RCBS rings or what.

I'm with you guys, I don't like the lee rings.

If you have a drill press you could drill and tap the lee lock rings for a set screw easily.

 

[Briggs]

This might be what you are after:

A characteristic of virtually all progressive reloading machines, regardless of brand, is that the dies are set rather close together. When you are first setting up a "naked" machine, there is plenty of wrench room, but if you have a need to adjust a die afterward, it often requires a delicate touch to maneuver a lock ring on a crowded toolhead.
Dillon Precision has addressed this in two ways. We now offer new 1" die lock rings and a 1" Bench Wrench to fit them. This combination gives much more room to re-adjust dies after they're already mounted. The opposite end of our new wrench is a 7/16" box-end for adjusting the Powder Bar of any Dillon Powder Measure. Our new lock rings fit any standard 7/8" x 14 dies.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/24511/catid/4/Dillon_5_Pack_Die_Lock_Rings

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

The Dillon bench wrench is too fat to fit on the Lee Classic Turret when the turret is full of dies. The RCBS wrench (the better one I think) and the CH 4D (which I own) wrenches, which both are a "tube style" that need minimal side clearance, both work well.

I have several turrets setup for my Lee Classic Turret press. On each one, I've simply switched the standard lock rings upside down and used the CH 4D wrench to tighten them down firmly. Doing this, I've gotten good lock down and after over a good year of use, none of the lock rings has needed to be retightened.

Emotionally, you may want to replace the Lee rings and I did too when I originally started using this press, but the logical facts haven't born out my concerns, as I've not had problems with the originals holding when they're turned upside down and tightened with a wrench.

At this point, with the experience I've had with the originals, I'd advise anyone to spend the money for the RCBS die wrench or the CH 4D wrench and flip their rings upside down for solid lock down.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Eric F]

if I use lee dies I have never had a problem with lee lock rings however with the set of lyman dies I have they do not want to thread on the dies. but I can safely say that the lyman split rings leave plenty of room to work around on the classing turret press.

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

The Dillon bench wrench is too fat to fit on the Lee Classic Turret when the turret is full of dies. The RCBS wrench (the better one I think) and the CH 4D (which I own) wrenches, which both are a "tube style" that need minimal side clearance, both work well.

I have several turrets setup for my Lee Classic Turret press. On each one, I've simply switched the standard lock rings upside down and used the CH 4D wrench to tighten them down firmly. Doing this, I've gotten good lock down and after over a good year of use, none of the lock rings has needed to be retightened.

Emotionally, you may want to replace the Lee rings and I did too when I originally started using this press, but the logical facts haven't born out my concerns, as I've not had problems with the originals holding when they're turned upside down and tightened with a wrench.

At this point, with the experience I've had with the originals, I'd advise anyone to spend the money for the RCBS die wrench or the CH 4D wrench and flip their rings upside down for solid lock down.

Regards,

Dave

I don't mind the Lee rings they do work well enough for me without having to buy others. Dave, thanks for posting about the wrenches. I have put the RCBS hex wrench in my various wishlists but where can you buy/look at the CH 4D wrench? Who sells them? bb

Thanks
CM

 

[Briggs]

Regarding the smaller Dillon Rings, they are 1 inch instead of 1 1/8". The wrench used with them is also smaller than the normal Dillon bench wrench.


That being said, that CH4D tool is going to be on my bench. I got plenty of those 1 1/8 lock rings.

Thanks Dave.

 

[rcmodel]

I take the O-Ring out, toss it, and drill & tap the Lee rings for a 6-32 set-screw & a lead shot.

rcmodel

 

[FullEffect1911]

good ideas so far guys.

I am going to go the modify the rings with a set screw.

I have a milling machine, set screws and some extra time.... dangerous combination right?

What could be substituted for lead shot to no mar the die's threads? Tiny piece of silicon or rubber? I don't have lead shot available though it is a clever idea.

 

[rcmodel]

How about do you have any solder, or know someone who has a soldering gun? Just clip off a piece of rosin core, or solid core solder.
Just don't use acid core!

I suppose you could clip the nose off of a .22 LR bullet, if you had a .22 LR bullet.

Or pound any lead bullet flat to make lead sheet, and clip off pieces of that to fit.

Failing all that, a nylon ball-point pin refill tube might work, but I haven't tried it?
Probably wouldn't hold as good as lead though because nylon is slick stuff.

rcmodel

 

[FullEffect1911]

plenty of solder here... great idea!!!

 

[The Bushmaster]

You might find some fisherman's lead splitshot sinkers that may serve...Small shot would seem the most appropriate though...And solder will work too. You might roll them between two pieces of metal to make them into a cylinderical shape to fit the hole and last a bit longer...

If you can...Drill and tap at the apex of the locking ring flats to give you a deeper hole and to help prevent spliting of the locking ring...