Lee Collet Die Problem

[rockable]

I have several Lee collet dies but the one for my .308 has me stymied. I am using Lapua brass, all parts look normal and are lubricated. The collet moves up and down freely on the press with no case inserted. The mandrel mics at .303. Presently, it is adjusted per Lee instructions.

If I put a fired case in it, it will not size the neck. It's like it's against a hard stop. What's wrong with this picture?

 

[fyrewall]

Screw it in deeper - when working the collet die it will require more force than a regular die that will stop upon contact with the shell holder. Collet dies need to be adjusted by feel and do not contact shell holders except for the inner sleeve that pushes the collet closed against the cone shaped piece just under the aluminum cap on the top of the die.

I use Lee stuff and like their collet dies when used in combination with body dies. I F/L size .308's every time using the body die but size the neck with a Lee collet die.

Lower the die gradually, a press can exert massive forces that will destroy the collet die so increase the depth of the operation gradually until you can feel the collet squeeze the neck against the mandrel.

.303 sounds real good to hold a .308 bullet considering some brass spring back.

 

[Fast14riot]

If you ran the ram up without a case, you possibly damaged the collet by squeezing it closed (don't do this). It should not move freely, loosely. It sounds like it's closed and riding up on the case mouth rather than the shell holder. Take out the sleeve and inspect the leaves of the collet, they should be evenly spaced and not touching each other.

 

[rockable]

I am putting full force on it with a Forster press, No movement. Screwing it in deeper won't accomplish anything.

 

[T-shooter]

I have several Lee collet dies but the one for my .308 has me stymied. I am using Lapua brass, all parts look normal and are lubricated. The collet moves up and down freely on the press with no case inserted. The mandrel mics at .303. Presently, it is adjusted per Lee instructions.

If I put a fired case in it, it will not size the neck. It's like it's against a hard stop. What's wrong with this picture?

I have 2 for the .308 and they measure .305". If your necks are turned the die may not compress far enough to resize the neck against the mandrel.

 

[rockable]

If you ran the ram up without a case, you possibly damaged the collet by squeezing it closed (don't do this). It should not move freely, loosely. It sounds like it's closed and riding up on the case mouth rather than the shell holder. Take out the sleeve and inspect the leaves of the collet, they should be evenly spaced and not touching each other.

They are evenly spaced and not closed up. I gently moved it up and down with No case inserted. It springs back like normal.

Could it be that the case just needs to be FL sized again?

 

[T-shooter]

I sent the last before I was ready. Here is a drawing of the die. If the gaps/cuts in the moving portion of the die hit each other, they cannot compress any more.

 

[fyrewall]

I have found a tiny amount of lube on the top of the collet helps to prevent sticking.

I am not familiar with the Forster type press that apparently or might grip the die lock ring and causing at situation that prevents the collet from contacting the shell holder to start the collet compression process against the cone to squeeze necks.

 

[jdh47]

Are you using the standard reversible shell holder that comes with the Forster press? Does it work well with other Lee Collet Dies?

 

[rockable]

Thanks for the ideas. I will investigate further and report my findings.

 

[Hopkins]

My results with the Lee collet neck sizer improve dramatically when I anneal.

 

[bsekf]

Is your Lapua brass small primer? The Lee collet has a primer punch for large primers.

Have you miked the mandrel, might be the wrong one.

Is you case OAL correct?

Have you called Lee and talked to a tech?

Bill

 

[rockable]

Are you using the standard reversible shell holder that comes with the Forster press? Does it work well with other Lee Collet Dies?

Ding,ding, ding! We have a winner. Apparently the Forster shellholder and Lee Collet Die are incompatible. (Didn' have time to figure out why and don't really care. No problem with my Lee Classiic and standard shell holder. Thanks for the help.

 

[Medic505]

Ding,ding, ding! We have a winner. Apparently the Forster shellholder and Lee Collet Die are incompatible. (Didn' have time to figure out why and don't really care. No problem with my Lee Classiic and standard shell holder. Thanks for the help.

That's odd, I resize on a Forester and use a Lee collet Die with no problems.

 

[KevinThomas]

For what it's worth, the Co-Ax has an adapter that allows the use of standard RCBS style shell holders. Never saw the real need for these until this thread came up!

 

[Iowa Fox]

The Lee collet die works great but the instructions that Lee packages with the die is for the birds and they know it. Using John Valentines instructions is the only way to adjust them to make them work like they should.

In this link bigedp51 posted a copy of Valentines instructions. It takes a press that cams over to make them work 100%. Most of us probably have at least a half dozen presses any how.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/tip-for-those-using-lee-collet-dies.3753910/

 

[rockable]

That's odd, I resize on a Forester and use a Lee collet Die with no problems.

Good to know. I will study this a little further and report back. Thanks for the link to setting up the die. I' using Lapua brass. It may be part of the problem.

 

[clowdis]

That's odd, I resize on a Forester and use a Lee collet Die with no problems.

Yep, me too. No issues whatever.

 

[Medic505]

Good to know. I will study this a little further and report back. Thanks for the link to setting up the die. I' using Lapua brass. It may be part of the problem.

Large primer or small primer "palma" brass?

 

[6MMsteve]

yep I was using the collet die on palma brass and it kept doing a pinging sound, trying to neck down to 6.5 from 308 i just cut off the primer punch, thankfully it did not destroy the brass or the die I got lucky. Going to order a new mandrel with small primer punch