Stiff die locking rings

[Captain Quack]

My fingers aren't as strong as they used to be, and I think some of the rings might be sticky. I'm having problems screwing them up and down on a die and getting them tight at the bottom of the die head. What can I do to make it easier to get them tight enough? I'd rather not use wrenches or any tool I don't have too.

Captain Quack.

 

[N555]

I think rcbs offers big hex nuts. I just use channel locks.
Something called cannon plug pliers are like soft jaw channel locks.

 

[jmorris]

A little oil should smooth things up a bit. Some presses don’t need lock nuts, to retain die adjustment either.

That said, when I find I don’t have the physical strength to perform a task, a tool is generally the solution I use.

 

[Varminterror]

What kind of rings?

If they’re locking split rings (Hornady, Forster), then it’s pretty common for these to fatigue in the “smallest” shape they can have, if they are stored with the locking screw tightened. Remove the screw and pry/wedge the rings open slightly.

If they’re solid rings with plug screws (Lyman, RCBS), and they remain tight even when the plug screw is loosened, then most likely the sacrificial bead is wedging in the plug screw bore, and needs to be replaced or tapped back into shape.

If old school Lee rings with the O-ring, remaining tightness usually means the O-ring has wedged into the threads, or has deplasticized and gone hard. Realign or replace.

 

[wild willy]

If it’s just when you first try to move them a tap with a small hammer will often loosen them. I keep a small brass hammer on the bench comes in handy for a lot of things.

 

[JimGnitecki]

Perhaps the small, soft sacrificial screws on the dies that you tighten to secure the dies in place have either deformed the die threads or left metal deposits in the die threads, and that is creating resistance?

Jim G

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

My fingers aren't as strong as they used to be, and I think some of the rings might be sticky. I'm having problems screwing them up and down on a die and getting them tight at the bottom of the die head. What can I do to make it easier to get them tight enough? I'd rather not use wrenches or any tool I don't have too.

Captain Quack.

The use of tools is what separates simple primates from human beings.

 

[Captain Quack]

Lee Loadmaster progressive press. All the dies are stock Lee .38/.357 or 9mm. No screws. I was thinking maybe buying a bunch of the ones that screw tight and see if they were better. I did try a little bit of motor oil, and it helped one or two, but not the rest. I considered gun lube (Slip 2000 gun lube) but figured I would check here first. I've looked at these on Amazon. Will lubes or anything like that hurt the rounds or the rings or dies?

https://tinyurl.com/2btvneas+
https://tinyurl.com/2xlq26p2+

I've never heard of this brand, but they do have good reviews.
https://tinyurl.com/25x67pv8+

If I'm going to go this rout, I'm leaning towards spending the extra money and going with Hornady since the screws go back into the ring and not into the die.
Since the accident my memory has some huge holes in it and some is about reloading, I find I'm almost having to relearn everything from scratch. Thank God for Youtube and the Highroad reloaders.
Captain Quack

 

[9mmepiphany]

https://tinyurl.com/2btvneas+
https://tinyurl.com/2xlq26p2+
https://tinyurl.com/25x67pv8+

Your links aren't working

If I'm going to go this rout, I'm leaning towards spending the extra money and going with Hornady since the screws go back into the ring and not into the die.

I've had great lucky with my Hornady rings on my Hornady LNL progressive and my Lee Classic Cast single stage with the LNL bushing conversion kit. I have used the Hornady Deluxe wrench to tighten them when needed

The Lee Ultimate Lock Rings look pretty promising at a slightly lower cost and seem to take less space on the toolhead. If you go that route, I suggest also getting the Gardner Bender Locknut Wrench

 

[JimGnitecki]

Lee Loadmaster progressive press. All the dies are stock Lee .38/.357 or 9mm. No screws. I was thinking maybe buying a bunch of the ones that screw tight and see if they were better. I did try a little bit of motor oil, and it helped one or two, but not the rest. I considered gun lube (Slip 2000 gun lube) but figured I would check here first. I've looked at these on Amazon. Will lubes or anything like that hurt the rounds or the rings or dies?

https://tinyurl.com/2btvneas+
https://tinyurl.com/2xlq26p2+

I've never heard of this brand, but they do have good reviews.
https://tinyurl.com/25x67pv8+

If I'm going to go this rout, I'm leaning towards spending the extra money and going with Hornady since the screws go back into the ring and not into the die.
Since the accident my memory has some huge holes in it and some is about reloading, I find I'm almost having to relearn everything from scratch. Thank God for Youtube and the Highroad reloaders.
Captain Quack

The Hornady screws that go into the ring, not the die, do have a serious disadvantage: On a crodwed progressive press toolhea, you sometimes cannot get at those screws. It is literally impossible (I have been there).

Jim G

 

[Walkalong]

I've never had that issue, but I never try to unscrew them with the die on the press.

 

[jmorris]

If the only problem you have with a loadmaster is the lock rings, you’re ahead of the game.

With their lock nuts, I generally remove the o-ring and flip them upside down. The O-ring dragging will cause friction and lube will make things slicker.

 

[berettaprofessor]

For Lee dies, I bought a 1 1/8" tall socket at a pawn shop for a dollar and it fits down over the die and assists tightening by hand. Add a little friction tape for a better grip!

 

[Slamfire]

I cannot loosen the rings on my Dillion 550B tool heads. So I have to use wrenches. I often use Lee Dies on top, sometimes other brands. I use a lot of Lee rings as they stay put. I purchased a Unique Tek wrench and it works well. Thin enough that I don't have to remove the other dies on the tool head.



https://uniquetek.com/product/T1532

I believe this wrench fits Lee and Dillion rings. Unique Tek has other wrenches for other rings.https://uniquetek.com/product/T1560 Hornday has special shaped rings which require special shaped wrenches. Another tool box to fill with proprietary tools.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have a wide assortment of loading die lock rings. None are very good.
The common set screw against the die threads keeps the ring in place on the die, but does not keep it from loosening in the press.
The Hornady split ring tightens against both the die and the press. Makes changing the dies difficult.
The 1" Dillon is easier to get at with a wrench but has no retention either way.
Next time I am in a real hardware store, I will look for some 7/8" lock washers to put under the rings.

 

[Captain Quack]

I guess what I am asking is will new rings solve my problem? I've just ordered the Gardner Bender wrench. That looks like it might do the job with current rings nicely. Thank you again, Mr. 9mmepiphany. If they don't work, I'll try that 1 1/8th socket trick. Thank you for that tip JimGnitecki. I never would have thought about that until I ran into it. If nothing else works I'll try those 7/8" rings When I bought the Lee Loadmaster the store owner told me "unless you like to tinker, don't buy it". Well. I used to like to tinker. Now. Now so much, but I actually have the difficult parts done (case feed slider, Indexer). It functions in and out of the in place dies fine. Sizing. Powder/Flair. New seating die here next week, Factory Crimp Die. I'm thinking I might see a Dillon in my future after the settlement. I do still remember the days of not minding retuning everything every time I changed a caliber. I enjoyed it back then. Like a mechanic and a finicky car.

 

[1911JAS]

For my lee dies I remove the o-ring and drill and tap the side of the aluminum nut for a 6-32 set screw. Then thread the nut on the die. I put a #4 lead shot in the taped hole then the set screw. When I have put the die in my press and have a final location of the locking ring. I tighten the set screw squeezes shot into the die threads preventing dammage but still holding the locking ring in place.

 

[Slamfire]

I guess what I am asking is will new rings solve my problem? I've just ordered the Gardner Bender wrench. That looks like it might do the job with current rings nicely. Thank you again, Mr. 9mmepiphany. If they don't work, I'll try that 1 1/8th socket trick. Thank you for that tip JimGnitecki. I never would have thought about that until I ran into it. If nothing else works I'll try those 7/8" rings When I bought the Lee Loadmaster the store owner told me "unless you like to tinker, don't buy it". Well. I used to like to tinker. Now. Now so much, but I actually have the difficult parts done (case feed slider, Indexer). It functions in and out of the in place dies fine. Sizing. Powder/Flair. New seating die here next week, Factory Crimp Die. I'm thinking I might see a Dillon in my future after the settlement. I do still remember the days of not minding retuning everything every time I changed a caliber. I enjoyed it back then. Like a mechanic and a finicky car.

Gotta tell you, it is real upsetting to find a die has loosened, after creating a tray full of ammunition.

 

[Captain Quack]

Thank you for that advice, Mr. Watson. We actually do have a "real" hardware store left. Actually, a ranch supply place with an Ace hardware attached. Where I go for all my hardware needs. Oh, I can almost imagine that Slamfire. It took me a little while to figure out my squibs were coming from the fact my Lee autodisk powder measure was slowly turning towards off and reducing the powder flow. A little bit of duct tape fixed that, but I had a lot of .38 I had to pull.

 

[Jim Watson]

After reading the first post yesterday, I touched the dies before loading.
All three with Dillon 1" nut were loose. Not backed out, but perceptibly loose.
I cinched them down.

 

[Captain Quack]

A die head for each caliber and the dies welded in place lol.

 

[Varminterror]

I’m with @Walkalong - I set my dies individually and tighten the locking rings; if I remove dies from toolheads later, I remove the ring and die together. I also mark my dies and rings with witness lines - timing index lines - and make a regular practice to observe their alignment during the load process.

But I don’t use non-locking rings. I may not remove my dies frequently, but I prefer to eliminate as many opportunities for deviation as possible.

 

[Captain Quack]

Currently, my takeaway is lubing the dies and rings with a little lube won't hurt anything. Locking rings will hold the die in place than regular lee rings. The 9mm dies won't be changing position, and I have a separate head for them. No worries about them backing out when properly set with locking rings. The other dedicated head is for .38/.357. Those dies I would have to move in and out depending on caliber. A proper die ring wrench will help immensely. (Gardner Bender Ordered) Maybe a separate head for the .357 with its own set of dies would be in order. Just swap out the heads and not worry about adjusting the dies. Does all that make sense?
Captain Quack.

 

[lordpaxman]

It took me a little while to figure out my squibs were coming from the fact my Lee autodisk powder measure was slowly turning towards off and reducing the powder flow. A little bit of duct tape fixed that, but I had a lot of .38 I had to pull.

You may want to add a QC step to your process and monitor powder charge throws on a regular basis. I also do a quick COL and primer depth check at the same time. And I have a Dillon powder check die on the toolhead.

 

[Captain Quack]

That was how I figured out what the problem eventually. I noticed that I was getting smaller and smaller loads over every 20 rounds. Obvious I wasn't checking often enough. I intend to add a powder check alarm as soon as I figure out/can afford a good one.