Mandrel die vs Lee Collet Neck die

[markm87]

Can you change the neck tension with the Lee ?
I think it is a one size mandrel. The "others" have different diameters available.

You can. And I did with my .308 die. I spun the mandrel down with some 400 grit by chucking it in my drill press. I heard you can order smaller mandrels, but I'm cheap and mildly resourceful.

And if you screw up, order another die for $15.

 

[Fast14riot]

I too am a fan of the old style Lee CND. Great design, however I wish Lee would put more effort into their fit and finish and they would be really great products. I normally disassemble a new one, clean and polish mating surfaces, grease moving surfaces and double check mandrel diameter, polish if needed.

 

[209jones]

Lee makes plenty of good products, use a few that I have suitable applications for. My only beef with the Lee collet and a honed FLS die is the versatility of them. I am under the understanding Lee will make custom sized shafts for expansion, but, they are custom order, not personally aware of any other aftermarket ones handily available, or how easy or hard they are to swap out. Honed dies, you need to establish what size you need first, and stick to that brass for it, unless you are turning necks, then it likely won't matter. So, there is some experimentation req'd before doing those options, which if the runout you have is good, makes them moot.
Us kids and our toys.

 

[Doom]

One of these days, just for fun, I need to take the Lee die to the range and use it to load for a few groups. The plan would be to remove the bushing from my FL die and use it like a body die, and size necks with the Lee.

I would love to see the results!

 

[AA Ron]

Lee Collet die and seating die, 5 at 100yds.

Aaron

 

[Albany Mountain]

Love my collet dies in 308 win and 223 Rem. Saves me tons of time by not lubricating and cleaning the lube off. Used mine yesterday.

 

[old_heli_logger]

I should have been more clear...I use LCD as my final step, way before that I use a full length die to bump my shoulder and size the body.

 

[SKWERLZ]

As a 1000yd, BR. shooter, I started with a Harrel's Fl bushing die and slightly under sized my dasher brass and then used a mandrel for my final set but found out that a honed forester die gave me much les runout, so I now have three honed dies in case I want to change tensions. A lot of the shooting disciplines' might not require that type of control. If a lee collet dies gave me a better result, I would have no problem using one as cost is not my first consideration. Test and decide for yourself.
P.S. CharlieNC is correct, nobody that I know of that shoots at Williamsport neck sizes only. Everyone FL sizes.

Those honed Forster’s do seem to work really well.

 

[Laurie]

I too use the body die + LCD combination in 223, 308 and 6.5X55mm, and results are good throughout. I have also used FL dies in both bushing and good-quality non-bushing forms with the expander removed followed by a mandrel expand for many years and still do so for some cartridges with good results. (That includes a custom Forster FL die with honed neck for the 6BR which I've used for many years now and agree is a great tool.)

Subjectively, where I used both, I can't see any differences in the results. As @Albany Mountain says, it is however a big improvement to the reloading process to avoid having to lube the case-neck, inside and out thanks to the LCD.

All of my LCDs are older models that size the entire neck.

 

[Rat Rifle]

Not much love for the Lee Collet Neck die around here. It's funny though, that I see a lot of folks using mandrel dies as their final step to set their neck diameter. The Lee Collet Neck die IS a mandel die that also centers the neck and reduces run-out.
Let the beatings begin or help me understand what I'm missing.
Using these cheap Lee dies are working for me...

Hey, We true believers have been trying to keep the LCD a SECRET !!!

 

[old_heli_logger]

Hey, We true believers have been trying to keep the LCD a SECRET !!!

Oh, oops

 

[BoydAllen]

I would love to see the results!

A friend has done that with excellent results, with a well built 6BRA. The collet plus body thing has been around for a very long time. It is well proven.

 

[old_heli_logger]

I too use the body die + LCD combination in 223, 308 and 6.5X55mm, and results are good throughout. I have also used FL dies in both bushing and good-quality non-bushing forms with the expander removed followed by a mandrel expand for many years and still do so for some cartridges with good results. (That includes a custom Forster FL die with honed neck for the 6BR which I've used for many years now and agree is a great tool.)

Subjectively, where I used both, I can't see any differences in the results. As @Albany Mountain says, it is however a big improvement to the reloading process to avoid having to lube the case-neck, inside and out thanks to the LCD.

All of my LCDs are older models that size the entire neck.

Speaking of the new models that only size half the neck ...does anyone know of a solution to this? Can the die be reamed or polished or something?

 

[Rocketvapor]

Flare at the end of the neck can't be honed out. You could neck size then add in a washer under the die to size to the end. A 1/16 slotted front end shim might work. Adds about 1/2 operation to the process.

 

[old_heli_logger]

Flare at the end of the neck can't be honed out. You could neck size then add in a washer under the die to size to the end. A 1/16 slotted front end shim might work. Adds about 1/2 operation to the process.

Excellent, thank you!

 

[Murray Brook]

Flare at the end of the neck can't be honed out. You could neck size then add in a washer under the die to size to the end. A 1/16 slotted front end shim might work. Adds about 1/2 operation to the process.

This is exactly what I do. I also have a Forster honed die which also works good. Leave it to Lee to screw up something good.

 

[Rocketvapor]

The flare is probably not as bad as many make it out to be.
Neck comes out of the chamber as-fired, less spring back (hopefully not a loose chamber), doesn't get sized down with a body die, LCD sizing down to mandrel and leaves the flare at about as-fired O.D.
Really shouldn't cause much of an issue as the neck goes into the chamber long before entering the neck.
I can't feel it chambering a round, Might slow down mag dumps a little.
What do others feel, or is this more of an internet thing?

 

[Ruger15151]

Speaking of the new models that only size half the neck ...does anyone know of a solution to this? Can the die be reamed or polished or something?

Why are you concerned with sizing the entire neck?

 

[Rocketvapor]

Why are you concerned with sizing the entire neck?

The internet has complained. Must be bad.
and it's not "half the neck".

 

[Ruger15151]

The internet has complained. Must be bad.
and it's not "half the neck".
View attachment 1625968

The internet is wrong most of the time.

Most of us that compete in benchrest and long range competitions prefer not to size the entire neck down to the shoulder for several reasons.