Lee 45-70 Factory Crimp Die Disassembly?

[Tex S]

Im taking apart and cleaning all of my dies today.

Does the 4 finger collet come out of the LFCD?

I can't get it out to save my life and I don't want to damage it.

 

[Unclenick]

You can get it out, but I don't recommend it. There's an expanding diameter coil spring around the collet on the inside, and I had the very dickens of a time getting mine back together. I think it was apart on the bench for a good month before I could work something out.

 

[Tex S]

I think that its odd because some of my crimp dies come apart, but the 45-70 die won't.

Does Lee make several different types of crimp dies (as it pertains to rifle cartridges)?

 

[Unclenick]

It's the fact the 45-70 has such a wide mouth that causes the problem. They don't have enough metal to cut threads for a retaining plug for a separate closing insert like they use in the other collet dies. To solve that, they turn the closing surface angle directly into the die body and make the mouth end a straight cylinder and insert the collet from that end. The spring is around a recess cut in the collet fingers just below the crimp jaw and acts as a retainer. It's the only thing that keeps the collet from just falling out through the mouth of the die.

 

[Reloadron]

I believe this covers it quite well:

You can get it out, but I don't recommend it. There's an expanding diameter coil spring around the collet on the inside, and I had the very dickens of a time getting mine back together. I think it was apart on the bench for a good month before I could work something out.

The mentioned coil spring can be seen in the below images. Getting it back together proved to be an exercise in frustration for me also.

Ron