My girlfriend, lovely gal that she is, bought me a Lee Loadmaster progressive press for Christmas (tell me this isn't the woman of every shooter's dreams?).
She had to get one shipped from the States since every shop in town was out of stock around that time of year - and when it came, she told me (after Christmas, so several weeks post-receipt) that the box had been opened by Customs and it looked all beat to hell. Holes in the box etc.; not a pretty sight, to put it mildly (according to her).
Now, upon quick post-gifting inspection, I thought everything was present and accounted for... well, I FINALLY (yes, more than 2 months later) set it up tonight after burning through a bunch of ammo at Phoenix Range the other day. "Finally have some spare brass" I say... "Gonna fire out a few hundred rounds in a couple hours after I get this baby set up and we get acquainted" I say...
"Where the HELL is my fill-through case mouth expander for the charging die" I VERY LOUDLY say when the Pro Auto-Disk powder measure isn't being actuated by the case mouth!
At some point along the way, it seems the plug normally contained within the universal charging die - which expands the case mouth as one fills the cartridge immediately before seating - went AWOL! The Loadmaster is shipped with the dies already in the plate, and the plate fixed in the press; a hole in the box means that Customs or the postal service now have a .45 ACP fill-through expander plug to show their friends and family.
So, I'd love to hear ideas on where I can get a new one (it's a $3.00 part listed on the Lee website - part SE2411, "PM EXPAND PLG 45ACP) and I'm sure a new one would come with an entirely new charging die... but is there anywhere besides direct from Lee (as it seems they ship parts to the US only?) that I can get this part? I've got a lathe and a mill, and can probably make something that'll do the trick, but I'd like to stick to a factory part just in case of warranty issues down the road.
Cheers if anyone can point me in the right direction!
-M
She had to get one shipped from the States since every shop in town was out of stock around that time of year - and when it came, she told me (after Christmas, so several weeks post-receipt) that the box had been opened by Customs and it looked all beat to hell. Holes in the box etc.; not a pretty sight, to put it mildly (according to her).
Now, upon quick post-gifting inspection, I thought everything was present and accounted for... well, I FINALLY (yes, more than 2 months later) set it up tonight after burning through a bunch of ammo at Phoenix Range the other day. "Finally have some spare brass" I say... "Gonna fire out a few hundred rounds in a couple hours after I get this baby set up and we get acquainted" I say...
"Where the HELL is my fill-through case mouth expander for the charging die" I VERY LOUDLY say when the Pro Auto-Disk powder measure isn't being actuated by the case mouth!
At some point along the way, it seems the plug normally contained within the universal charging die - which expands the case mouth as one fills the cartridge immediately before seating - went AWOL! The Loadmaster is shipped with the dies already in the plate, and the plate fixed in the press; a hole in the box means that Customs or the postal service now have a .45 ACP fill-through expander plug to show their friends and family.
So, I'd love to hear ideas on where I can get a new one (it's a $3.00 part listed on the Lee website - part SE2411, "PM EXPAND PLG 45ACP) and I'm sure a new one would come with an entirely new charging die... but is there anywhere besides direct from Lee (as it seems they ship parts to the US only?) that I can get this part? I've got a lathe and a mill, and can probably make something that'll do the trick, but I'd like to stick to a factory part just in case of warranty issues down the road.
Cheers if anyone can point me in the right direction!
-M
