Should Lee shell holders be used with the Lee Factory Crimp die?

[William Young]

In the pictures I see your die is not correctly setup.

Like in the instructions I linked to, screw the die into the press until you touch the shell holder. Then add an additional 1/2 turn down. This is why the shell holder didn't matter. Please just do that before anything else. I can see the bullet is very deep into the die and there is no way it can crimp the brass.

Screw the die in until you touch the shell holder and then add an additional 1/2 turn!

How is it not set up correctly... it's fully closed at full up stroke. I turned it down until it touched and then a WHOLE turn to fully close the collet.

 

[William Young]

Just to see I popped the collet out of my 223 die body and measured it at 1.706" top to bottom.

I just popped mine out and got 1.706 as well. It doesn't make any sense. I put it back together and adjusted it so the collet is fully closed at full up stroke and I can wriggle the shell around with the collet fully closed.....so it's not making any contact with the case. The only variable I can think of is the deck height of the shell holder. I'm going to try and pick up some Lee shell holders this weekend. If that doesn't work, I'm at a loss. I'll just try and shave some off the collet at that point.

 

[Englishmn]

My case is 1.760, that case in my shell holder from top of holder to top of case is about 1.635.
And the top of my case sticks in the collet when stacked as I pictured earlier.

The collet is counter bored inside with a cone shape to guide the case into the crimp area it's possible it was bored too far making the edge of crimp above the case.

 

[William Young]

My case is 1.760, that case in my shell holder from top of holder to top of case is about 1.635.
And the top of my case sticks in the collet when stacked as I pictured earlier.

The collet is counter bored inside with a cone shape to guide the case into the crimp area it's possible it was bored too far making the edge of crimp above the case.

I'm getting 1.630 from the top of the Hornady shell holder to the top of the case mouth with a case length of 1.755. I don't think .005 would make any difference. I think you're correct, the collet is mis-drilled. I've already marred this die a little trying to get the collet out of it so I can't return it. I might try and shave the base a little and make it work. Thanks for your help!

 

[Englishmn]

Yes that's probably the easiest fix.

 

[William Young]

Yes that's probably the easiest fix.

Ok, I took a little off the bottom and she's crimping. I hope I didn't take out too much. The empty case and the loaded round were ran through and crimped, although you can barely see the crimp line on the loaded case. Look good to you?

 

[Englishmn]

Looks a lot like mine now.
And faster than sending it back to Lee.

 

[Toprudder]

I just popped mine out and got 1.706 as well. It doesn't make any sense. I put it back together and adjusted it so the collet is fully closed at full up stroke and I can wriggle the shell around with the collet fully closed.....so it's not making any contact with the case. The only variable I can think of is the deck height of the shell holder. I'm going to try and pick up some Lee shell holders this weekend. If that doesn't work, I'm at a loss. I'll just try and shave some off the collet at that point.

The outside dimension is not the critical dimension. The distance from the bottom to the point of the crimp (which is some distance down from the top) is the critical dimension. Taking some material off the bottom will change that.