lee collet neck die question

[MildBill]

Hi,

New guy here, and new to metallic reloading so sorry if this question is too elementary.

I have a forster co-ax press and have had bad luck when trying to use lee collet neck dies with it.

all I seem to be able to do is pop the top off the dies.

Any tricks to not doing that, and or how much mechanical advantage does the co-ax press give me. I am a big ol overgrown midwest farm boy...

I've done this with both my 243 die and my 280 rem die...

 

[Brodie]

If your poppig the top off the die then you are obviously using way to much pressure.......go easier on it.

 

[MildBill]

I figured I was putting too much pressure on, but it sure don't feel like it to me...

 

[Spanners]

Put some grease on the outside of the fingers and runs in the taper top piece.. make it alot slicker.
You don't need much force to size with them.. if you're popping the top off then WAAAAAAY too much.
I had to machine some new tops up as a mate decided to swing on them.

 

[tome]

i have the same press & use the lee neck die..you have the die adjusted wrong..if you adjust to the lee instructions, up against the shell holder at top ram..then a quarter to a third turn more ) you will strip the top of the die..the co-ax press uses it own type shell holder..adj the die just to touch the shell holder..try it..you may have to back the die out a little..i've blown the top off a lee die once..when it was adj too deep

 

[dlutter]

I've done this too, but with my Lee press by having the die screwed in too far. What I do now to ensure I don't pop the top off is:
1. I have the handle on my press all the way down and the die screwed in so it just touches the shell holder.
2. Then I take a case and run it into the die. At this point nothing should happen because the die will be backed out too much.
3. Then I lower the brass from the die and screw the die in an eighth of a turn or so and run the brass in again. Usually here you can feel the brass contact the collet but it wont size it, so I screw in the die another eight turn or so.
4. I'll do this until it takes just a little pressure to bottom out the ram at the end of the stroke.

Usually the case is sized just right at this point, but I always check the first few cases to make sure I can't slide a bullet in and out of the neck with my fingers. If I can move the bullet I screw the die in just a hair more.

I like this method because after I find the sweet spot I don't have to worry about putting the right amount of pressure on the handle. I just have to push until the stroke bottoms out.

As you learn about where to adjust you won't have to keep lowering the ram all the way. You can just release the pressure and screw the die in a little. Hope this method works for your press.

dlutter

 

[MildBill]

thanks for the help on adjusting the die. I will see what I can do here.