Lee 40S&W Dies - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

DonL100 · 09-09-2005, 03:14 PM

Ok this is not a commercial for Lee Dies. I've always used RCBS and was ready to buy that brand. Looking for 40 S&W dies I checked Midway and found a 4 Carbide die set by Lee with a shell holder CHEAP. I bought the set and tried them out today. Neet!!! What I like is that the crimp die is seperate and is a final resizing die also. It crimps and then checks the whole case and resizes it to Sammi specks so you don't have to worry about the shell not fitting into your chamber. I've had trouble with RCBS 9mm dies in that the seating and crimp die is all in one and sometimes I wind up with small bulges on the case where the base of the bullet is seated. Not with this lee crimp/sizings die. I don't have a progressive press but if I did the die that bells the case is hollow so that you can drop a powder charge through it after you have primered and belled the case. Just something that I found interesting and easy to work with. Don

MoJo · 09-09-2005, 03:42 PM

Lee dies are first rate. The Lee carbide factory crimp die is a stroke of genius.

one-eyed-fatman · 09-09-2005, 04:02 PM

I'm getting ready to trash can my rcbs dies. I lot of times I can't get the rounds to chamber. But if I rotate the casing 180 degree's then it loads right up. No matter how I adjust the die it's always the same old thing. Talking 22-250 dies. May just go to a neck resizing die (non rcbs).

DonL100 · 09-10-2005, 09:51 AM

one-eyed-fatman, I neck size my 22-250, 243 and 25.06. What I've found is that you may get a little more accuracy but you might have more trouble chambering your rounds. They get pretty tight. I had to quit neck sizing my 25.06 because, like you, I found that if I rotated the round a little they would chamber. Not a good thing when your hunting. I also find that when neck sizing I have to full length size ablut every 3rd reload. I use Forrester neck sizing dies.....way better than RCBS. Just my .02 worth. Don

ajamesp51 · 09-10-2005, 11:00 AM

I cant say enough about the lee dies, with the final resize I have never had a round not chamber becuase it was not sized properly.

ichy_trigger · 09-11-2005, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by one-eyed-fatman

I'm getting ready to trash can my rcbs dies. I lot of times I can't get the rounds to chamber. But if I rotate the casing 180 degree's then it loads right up. No matter how I adjust the die it's always the same old thing. Talking 22-250 dies. May just go to a neck resizing die (non rcbs).

I adjust my full length die to only size about half the neck and yes, they are harder to chamber but man are they more accurate. Dont pass on trying Hornady new dimension dies, I bought a set for my .44 and they are really top rate.

40SWXDSHOOTER · 09-12-2005, 02:05 AM

I have been using Lee dies since I started loading 40sw(about 10 years ago), and they have always worked great. Right now they are set up in a Dillon 650 putting out 8000 to 10000 rounds a year. As for not worring about not fitting in the chamber, I gage all my match ammo and I find 5 or 6 per 1000 that don't fit in the gage, but that is from using range brass more then likely and not the fault of the dies. The ones that don't pass the gage test go in a can to get shot up later, and even the ones that didn't fit still have worked in my XD so far.

one-eyed-fatman · 09-12-2005, 04:56 PM

I ordered a 22-250 bench rest full length Forrester today. Gonna check it out.

DonL100 · 09-13-2005, 12:33 PM

one-eyed-fatman-If you haven't, you should try the Forester Bench Rest Seating die with the micrometer to adjust the seating depth. It also has an internal sleeve that catches the case as the die is coming down for perfect concentricity of the bullet seating. They're neet and boy do they knock the accurracy up a notch. DonL

**agalindo** · 09-13-2005, 01:43 PM

Lee dies is all I use. Never had any problems with them.

09-09-2005, 03:14 PM	#1
DonL100 XDTalk Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Prescott, AZ Posts: 30	Lee 40S&W Dies Ok this is not a commercial for Lee Dies. I've always used RCBS and was ready to buy that brand. Looking for 40 S&W dies I checked Midway and found a 4 Carbide die set by Lee with a shell holder CHEAP. I bought the set and tried them out today. Neet!!! What I like is that the crimp die is seperate and is a final resizing die also. It crimps and then checks the whole case and resizes it to Sammi specks so you don't have to worry about the shell not fitting into your chamber. I've had trouble with RCBS 9mm dies in that the seating and crimp die is all in one and sometimes I wind up with small bulges on the case where the base of the bullet is seated. Not with this lee crimp/sizings die. I don't have a progressive press but if I did the die that bells the case is hollow so that you can drop a powder charge through it after you have primered and belled the case. Just something that I found interesting and easy to work with. Don __________________ XD-40SC Colt Combat Comander,9MM Colt SA,.357 Walther PP, 32ACP, WW2

09-09-2005, 03:42 PM	#2
MoJo XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA Posts: 314	Lee dies are first rate. The Lee carbide factory crimp die is a stroke of genius. __________________ \"In these modern times, many men are wounded for not having weapons or knowledge of their use.\" -Achille Marozzo, 1536 The only gunfight you can truly win is the one you avoid. -Anon.

09-10-2005, 09:51 AM	#4
DonL100 XDTalk Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Prescott, AZ Posts: 30	one-eyed-fatman, I neck size my 22-250, 243 and 25.06. What I've found is that you may get a little more accuracy but you might have more trouble chambering your rounds. They get pretty tight. I had to quit neck sizing my 25.06 because, like you, I found that if I rotated the round a little they would chamber. Not a good thing when your hunting. I also find that when neck sizing I have to full length size ablut every 3rd reload. I use Forrester neck sizing dies.....way better than RCBS. Just my .02 worth. Don __________________ XD-40SC Colt Combat Comander,9MM Colt SA,.357 Walther PP, 32ACP, WW2

09-10-2005, 11:00 AM	#5
ajamesp51 XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Birmingham, Al Posts: 5,027	I cant say enough about the lee dies, with the final resize I have never had a round not chamber becuase it was not sized properly. __________________ "God shall not have his word made manifest by cowards" RWE www.xd-hs2000.com

09-13-2005, 12:33 PM	#9
DonL100 XDTalk Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Prescott, AZ Posts: 30	one-eyed-fatman-If you haven't, you should try the Forester Bench Rest Seating die with the micrometer to adjust the seating depth. It also has an internal sleeve that catches the case as the die is coming down for perfect concentricity of the bullet seating. They're neet and boy do they knock the accurracy up a notch. DonL __________________ XD-40SC Colt Combat Comander,9MM Colt SA,.357 Walther PP, 32ACP, WW2

09-09-2005, 04:02 PM	#3
one-eyed-fatman XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 10,203	I'm getting ready to trash can my rcbs dies. I lot of times I can't get the rounds to chamber. But if I rotate the casing 180 degree's then it loads right up. No matter how I adjust the die it's always the same old thing. Talking 22-250 dies. May just go to a neck resizing die (non rcbs).

09-12-2005, 02:05 AM	#7
40SWXDSHOOTER XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 891	I have been using Lee dies since I started loading 40sw(about 10 years ago), and they have always worked great. Right now they are set up in a Dillon 650 putting out 8000 to 10000 rounds a year. As for not worring about not fitting in the chamber, I gage all my match ammo and I find 5 or 6 per 1000 that don't fit in the gage, but that is from using range brass more then likely and not the fault of the dies. The ones that don't pass the gage test go in a can to get shot up later, and even the ones that didn't fit still have worked in my XD so far.

09-12-2005, 04:56 PM	#8
one-eyed-fatman XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 10,203	I ordered a 22-250 bench rest full length Forrester today. Gonna check it out.

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