Lee products

[denton]

Practically all my dies are Lee. So you know that I like them.

However, about 1/4 of the dies I've bought from them had a stray burr that needed to be buffed out. Often, these are around the base of the neck, and leave a matte finish on the neck of the cartridge. So I figure that there is a good chance that I'm going to spend 5 minutes doing some clean-up. Still, for me, they are an outstanding value.

I have the Classic Cast press, and it is outstanding. I don't think there is a better, stronger single stage press out there at any price. And it sells for $60.

Having tested the consistency of a few powder measuring/dispensing systems, I can tell you that the $25 Lee Perfect Powder Measure is more consistent than the $100 Hornady product, and as consistent as a good balance when doing ball powder. The bad news? When I first got it, I disassembled it and found molding flash around the mouth of the measuring cylinder. A couple of seconds and a pocket knife fixed it. But it shouldn't have been there.

My first press was the Lee Anniversary Press. The lever linkage is made of cast zinc, which is only slightly less strong than aluminum. With heavy use, the linkage does crack. As it happens, the equivalent parts off their heavier press fit, and for $11 I made that problem go away.

Their case trimmer is clever, works well, and is very inexpensive. The handle is 1/2", so I sometimes put it in the chuck of my drill press. With that, I can trim cases very quickly.

So, it's a mixed bag. There are some outstanding designs, and there are some qualtiy problems. All in all, I think they are an outstanding value, and will make ammunition as good as any you can make or buy elsewhere. I use Lee almost exclusively. But I also plan on doing a little clean-up sometimes, before putting an item into service.