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Old February 11, 2013, 04:17 PM   #1
Tmitch
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Best Die Lock Rings

Who do you think make the best die lock rings?

Terry Mitchell
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Old February 11, 2013, 04:37 PM   #2
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I really like the Forster rings, with the upgraded Allen-wrench screws! Work great with my Co-Ax!
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Old February 11, 2013, 04:44 PM   #3
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Hornady. Cross bolt + wrench flats.
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Old February 11, 2013, 05:53 PM   #4
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Not Lee. Sorry Richard but an o-ring is not meant to be a positive, repeatable stop. I like the Hornaday rings I have.

Let me know if you find a magical way to tighten them onto the die while they are tightened onto the top of the press. I find it fiddly to get them tight on the die with the die set right where I need it to be.
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Old February 11, 2013, 06:00 PM   #5
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Hornady's won't mess up the threads.
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Old February 11, 2013, 07:54 PM   #6
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I'm running the Hornady rings on my RCBS dies, used in Hornady quick lock bushing system in the RCBS Rock Chucker.
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Old February 11, 2013, 08:09 PM   #7
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I do not like the new RCBS because the setscrew damages the thread. The old style split ring RCBS used to make was the best. Hornady still makes these types.
Lees Orings su?k The O-ring can not be set in a memory position (Set & Forget) seating & belling dies and must be readjusted after each use it. Not criticizing Lee dies as I own a few. I have replaced all Lee Oring lock nuts on all dies except the sizing dies.
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Old February 11, 2013, 09:24 PM   #8
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All of them except Lee. I despise that O-ring "locking" worthless contraption.
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Old February 11, 2013, 11:00 PM   #9
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Agree on the Forsters. I called them to get the screw size because I wanted to switch to Allens and found out they had changed to them. Good move on their part. With Lee, you continue to get what you pay for. They have their place but not on my bench.
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Old February 11, 2013, 11:05 PM   #10
ScottRiqui
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All of them except Lee. I despise that O-ring "locking" worthless contraption.
I don't have any problems with the Lee dies coming loose, but I leave the dies screwed into the turret and just swap out turrets. If I were constantly swapping dies in and out, and wanted them to go back in to the exact same depth they were before, I'd probably be looking for some other solution.
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Old February 11, 2013, 11:22 PM   #11
Jbotto
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Quote:
Agree on the Forsters. I called them to get the screw size because I wanted to switch to Allens and found out they had changed to them. Good move on their part. With Lee, you continue to get what you pay for. They have their place but not on my bench.
I bought a few of their rings nearly a year ago for just one set of Lee dies, as the Lee die rings, don't quite work in my Co-Ax... and the rings came with cheap aluminum screws. I liked them, but switched the screws out with something I found at Fastenal. I ordered the 12 pack a few months later and by that time, they were changed out to allen-headed screws. Definitely nicer!
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Old February 12, 2013, 12:18 AM   #12
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Hornady.
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Old February 12, 2013, 02:06 AM   #13
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Hornady Sure-Loc. Great rings; a little tight on a Dillon tool-head though.
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Old February 12, 2013, 06:01 AM   #14
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I love the O-ring Lee die rings and I've had phenomenal use out of them for over two decades. The bonus? Laughing at folks who use a lock ring for indexing dies -- which is ludicrous. Lock rings are supposed to tighten a die in to the press. At that, the Lee rings are fantastic and they out perform the Hornady, RCBS and Lyman rings I also have a few of.

For indexing the die and having it precisely where I want it, I use an index line on the die and a matching line on the press.

Why that's been so difficult for what seems to be 95% of the folks that have ever screwed a die in to a press to discover shall be one of the great mysteries of time & space, I suppose.
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Old February 12, 2013, 06:13 AM   #15
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I replace all lock rings with Lee's, they don't move once set and they automatically square up in my tool heads(XL 650 and LCT).

I guess if you are loading on a single stage press you might want hard rings to speed up die switching, speeding up and SS reloading are a contradiction, though.
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Old February 12, 2013, 09:08 AM   #16
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To keep from messing up my RCBS die threads from the set screw locker, I pull out the set screw and put in a couple (size depending) lead shot in front of the set screw. Haven't had any problem with adjustment changing.
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Old February 12, 2013, 01:40 PM   #17
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Midway did have Hornady lock rings on sale,don't know if they still do.
But I bought 6 to put on my rcbs seating dies. Figured I didn't need them for sizing or expander dies. But yes rcbs rings stink.
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Old February 12, 2013, 04:56 PM   #18
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It depends on the type of press you are using. For a single stage you probably want a lock ring that has a set screw so as you screw it in and out it won't move on the threads and lose adjustment. I load on a Lee classic turret and Dillon 550. All my dies are Lee and with the Lee lock rings I have never had a die go out of adjustment. So how are any of the others better than that?
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Old February 12, 2013, 05:24 PM   #19
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I have used the same trick as FullCaseload. I put 2 71/2 shot pellets between the set screw and the threads on the die. The screw can be tightened snugly and the soft lead protects the threads on the die.
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Old February 12, 2013, 06:11 PM   #20
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The RCBS ring marking the die does not bother me. When I lock a die, chances are it will never be unlocked again.
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Old February 12, 2013, 06:42 PM   #21
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I've always liked using the Lee's better than the RCBS rings.
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Old February 12, 2013, 06:50 PM   #22
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Quote:
...I load on a Lee classic turret and Dillon 550. All my dies are Lee and with the Lee lock rings I have never had a die go out of adjustment. So how are any of the others better than that?
It depends on the type of press you are using. For a single stage you probably want a lock ring that has a set screw so as you screw it in and out it won't move on the threads and lose adjustment.

I sure would like to hear how Lee o-rings are more repeatable or in some other way, superior to locking rings.
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Old February 12, 2013, 10:09 PM   #23
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I sure would like to hear how Lee o-rings are more repeatable or in some other way, superior to locking rings.
I don't think Lee lock rings are superior. But I also don't think other lock rings are superior to Lee when mounted in a tool head and left in.
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Old February 12, 2013, 10:11 PM   #24
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I dont mount m dies in tool heads and leave them in.
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Old February 12, 2013, 10:24 PM   #25
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I dont mount my dies in tool heads and leave them in.
But some of us do. "Horses for courses", as the saying goes. If you don't have a need for a positive stop so that you get repeatable die depth when removing and reinserting dies, set-screw lock rings are unnecessary.
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