neck sizing primmed .308 brass

condor bravo, my son. Ya'll need to read Big Phil's 3rd post of May 17, 2016 03:22 AM post. (Also note that Phil is in Australia. Today here is tomorrow for him. It's 20 May in Australia.)
He wants to use a LEE CLASSIC LOADER THAT IS OPERATED BY BASHING THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE(where the primer is) WITH A PLASTIC MALLET, NOT A PRESS.
THIS.
http://leeprecision.com/reloading-kits/lee-loader-rifle/
NOT THIS.
http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-hand-press.html
What Phil wants to do is fine. Just not with a Lee Loader. Mind you, I'm not 100% convinced a plastic mallet will set off a primer, but bashing a primed case with any kind of mallet isn't going to be safe. And it takes a fairly hefty whack to size with a Lee Loader.
 
OK Mr T, I finally have the big picture on the Lee hand loader, additional explanation not needed. But I was first thinking that he might have been using the Lee breech lock hand press that would have been a different story. I've been keeping up with his posts from the beginning, although removing the primer decapping pin is not now an alternative since we are not using standard loading dies.
 
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Hi. The Lee breech lock hand tool would be a different story. It's just a regular press that doesn't get bolted down. Kind of a daft idea.
Lotta guys started with Lee Loaders though. Including me. Slow, but the ammo's just fine. Still don't understand why Lee thinks those stupid scoops should be calibrated in CC's. Powder charge varies with 'em too.
 
T.O

You are sooo right

for everybody else check out the vid at 3:30 when he sizes the neck :eek: then how he has to drive it out of the sizing die :eek::eek: LMAO yea seems like a real good idea , NOT ! :D

I did not realize what loader he was going to use either .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-tzaULt1rs

I sure hope the reason the OP has not been back is not the reason I think :(
 
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A Lee loader requires that the brass be pounded into the sizing die with a mallet.. Anyone can read the instructions online. Hammering on live primers is frowned upon, especially in the presence of powder.
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I agree....Usually when a question like this is asked the person asking has little to no experience.....So if I were the OP I'd skip the whole process and just shoot the ammo as is......then if the cases are reloadable start with once fired brass.


Because you have pulled bullets, left live primers in the case, then resized them and got away with it. It is problematic as the amount of case pressures is unknown w/ a primer in an unknown state.
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Considering the fact that my dies have vents in them I'd say that there is zero pressure inside the case while resizing.
 
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T ,o., my concerns with bashing don't jus end with whether or not a nice Flat hammer will set it off, but you ought to see my plastic mallet ..it's got plenty of welts and bumps. A primer detonation isn't a really big risk, but nothing is free. Chaos owns this world, why do people insist that it's safe to ignore a risk just because the chances are very slim? People everywhere even some of the people here claim that a very small risk is the same thing as zero risk.

Another concern is that it might not detonate that primer, but may damage it badly, ruin the combustion, stick a bullet, and cause a problem.

If there is no need to resize, all of the discussion about hammers is moot, right? It then comes down to whether it's safe to pack new bullets into old charges.

This whole thought begs the question, why do it? Military ammo works, and to my knowledge, there's no reason to do this. The ideal thing to do would be to fire them as is.

There is a danger in tossing poorly considered advice around, I think you believe that too. The danger is that people sometimes know the answer that they want to get, and no matter how many people scream "DONT DO IT OR YOURE GOING TO DIE!", some people will still do the thing that may kill them, and gee, the folks who say "just ignore the sissies and do what you want" are partially responsible for whatever problem happened.
 
Btw, all, think about what a tiny risk really means next week is the fifth anniversary of an EF5 tornado that nearly wiped half of my town off of the map. Over 8,000 people who thought that it could never happen were in the path of a monster. My daughter and many of my friends were in homes that the tornado destroyed. A friend died. Three houses that I had once lived in either literally vanished or were destroyed or damaged.

Chaos rules, and all over town, people ignored the sirens, and that thing gave about five seconds of warning from first sighting to absolute destruction.

WE SHOULD NEVER TELL SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY NOVICES, THAT THE WARNINGS ARE USELESS DRIVEL.
 
I would hit the die body with the mallet. Resting the cartridge head on the depriming base, with the primer over the hole, tap the die body. Very simple to turn the base over set the case on the base, put the die body over the case and tap it home. Since it only neck sizes, not a lot of "pounding" is necessary.

It's pretty silly to think anyone would pound on the base of a primed case. Idiotic is a better description...

Perhaps this tool is too simple for some to imagine/visualize. Making "Mexican Match" ammo would be very simple with a Lee Loader...

I have 4 that I use occasionally whenever I feel "retro" or no time tr re-set a press.
 
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One could also rig washers to the base of the shell to ago I contact with the primers. That idea would minimize shock to the cartridge. Good idea.
 
G'day folks, WOW! what a lot of feed back. What I thought would be a relatively easy and fun exercise has turned out to somewhat different. Thank you for all the information and advise given, I think I will give up on the "Mexican match" idea and start my reloading adventure the regular way. I will persevere with the Lee hand loader as it was a present from my son and I think it is a good bit of kit if one does not want to reload a lot of rounds. I apologize for my tardiness in replying to your post but things are a bit hectic at home at the moment. When I actually get round to reloading my first batch I will certainly post the results. Once again THANK YOU for all the support for a novice re loader. It's Saturday night here so I'm going to crack a beer, Cheers.
 
I started reloading with a Lee Loader (.38 Special) and through the years and building up my more "normal" equipment inventory I've picked up a few Lee Loaders. My last was one for 303 British. For some reason I got a Lee Loader rather than standard dies when I got my SMLE. I think they are the greatest thing since smokeless powder! ...:eek:
 
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