Post by Big Joe on Feb 22, 2016 21:39:10 GMT -5
Went by the local gunshop and there was a dude in there trying to get a set of 8mm Mauser Lee dies warrantied.... the owner wouldn't touch them. If he wanted them warrantied he would need to send them back to the Manufacturer. Here is where I got drug in, I know both and the store owner pretty well, the other just in passing. So the story is, the idjut bought a Mauser 98 and the dies from the store. Claimed it shot great with the Rem ammo he bought with it for the brass. Now to the reloading... this guy reloads and has for a while but lets say he has been very lucky until today. The rifle must have a huge Chamber as he was resizing the brass "every one would kind of stick". Ok that would have stopped me right there. anyway he stuck one in the die. not sure what kind of press but he said he pulled and pulled and it wouldn't "pop" free. so what does dufus do.. grabs a 4lb hammer and whacks the handle to get it free. well he freed the head plumb off the case. not the rim but the whole head. There was nothign left to grab on the head. So he fussed a bit then bought a RCBS die set and was going to toss the Lee’s in the trash I told him keep them he may be able to modify it for something else. Then we got around to talking about what lube he was using. He flat out said he used 30 weight motor oil has since he started and this is the first time anything ever got stuck. I know the store stocks Imperial so I suggested he give it a try, I have never stuck anything using it and that includes forming odd stuff that takes major force. So he got a tin of lube and handed me the dies and told me to follow him to his truck. He had a box of mismatched stuff in the seat. Told me to grab it if I wanted any of them he was going to toss them as most mere Lee and he had bought his last Lee anything, I just shrugged and grabbed the box. Went back inside, me and the store owner gave them a goign over most had been vise gripped at some point. The lock nuts were RCBS jobs, the insides looked ok. There was not a compete set of any thing in the box but I kept the 45acp and 223 stuff. I can always modify the 223 into something, maybe run a .287 chucking reamer through one and make my own 25-45 sharps or a close version of it. Got a Savage threaded .257 barrel setting in a tube just whispering to me. LOL But anyway me and the kid got home with the 8mm dies set and 45 acp sizer and seater no stem and no expander die. 223 FL die and neck die, a factory crimp die body - no guts marked 7mm Rem Mag and last but not least and last but not least a half a handful of caps and odd s and ends. Left the store owner parts and pieces to 30-06, and 300 win mag dies. Nothing complete but it was free. The one thing I am positive of there is no way that dude can give me any of his ammo for any reason other than tear down and maybe scrap the brass. And he lives amongst us, scares the begeebers out of me thinking he could be shooting next to me at the range someday. Just hope any flying parts miss me.