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  #1  
Old 03-31-2022, 04:32 PM
JDHasty JDHasty is offline
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Default Lee has suspended custom services

Inquired about purchasing a custom Collet Die Set yesterday for a friend who doesn’t have internet. Got an email letting me know that custom services have been suspended at this time.

March 17, 2021: Due to unprecedented order volume, we have suspended custom services for Collet Necksizing Dies, Full Length Sizing Die Sets and Bullet Molds until we are able to meet the required volume of our standard product line for these categories.

WE WILL POST HERE WHEN THESE SERVICES RESUME. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING ANY PRE-ORDERS/BACKORDERS AT THIS TIME.

I don’t use very many of Lee products, mainly the priming tool shell holders in my K&M primer seating tool and the shell holders and lock studs for their case trimmer if I need to spin a case to clean it with a Scotch Brite pad. But have been using Collet Dies since they came out and like them quit well. We have ordered custom sets in the past with no problems. Hopefully this will be short lived.

Last edited by JDHasty; 03-31-2022 at 10:22 PM.
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Old 03-31-2022, 04:47 PM
JDHasty JDHasty is offline
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No sooner than I posted this I got a call from a gal at Lee and she said they just reopened some of the custom services last month and they are currently on target to meet their goal which is to have the full service available again within the next couple months.

Large or small, the outfits I deal with in the shooting fraternity surely are are among the nicest, most personally responsive people I have ever traded with.
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  #3  
Old 03-31-2022, 05:59 PM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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IIRC, this has been on their web site on the Custom Services/Products title page since early last month. Maybe not on Feb. 1, but within a couple of days after that when I saw it while shopping for something else. Likely just a sign of the times (Covid, etc.) where information sometimes gets jumbled among employees...........

Custom Services

February 1, 2022: Custom services have re-opened for: Quick Trim Dies, Case Length Gauges and Rifle Factory Crimp dies and Classic Bullet Sizing Kits.


March 17, 2021: Due to unprecedented order volume, we have suspended custom services for Collet Necksizing Dies, Full Length Sizing Die Sets and Bullet Molds until we are able to meet the required volume of our standard product line for these categories.

WE WILL POST HERE WHEN THESE SERVICES RESUME. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING ANY PRE-ORDERS/BACKORDERS AT THIS TIME.


So in real time, the thread title posted today (Lee has suspended custom services) happened over a year ago (March 17, 2021) and changed with some custom products on or around Feb, 1 2022.

I don't use a lot of their products, but Lee has always been very responsive to any questions I've had, including quickly replacing several items - no questions asked - much like RCBS has built a reputation on for years.

-BCB
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  #4  
Old 03-31-2022, 07:55 PM
JDHasty JDHasty is offline
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I was unaware of any suspension of custom services. Thank you for posting the details.

I have heard someone comparing Lee products to owning his Prius. Very reliable car that does the job it’s designed to do very well, but there is no pride of ownership to be had in owning one.

I am not willing to accept “very well” when it comes to their priming tool shell holders, they are pretty iffy when it comes to fitting way more brass than say Redding or RCBS shell holders. And my kid’s toys have better attention to detail than much of their stuff, but I can find nothing wrong and everything right with the performance of their Collet Dies… once I inspect and debur them they perform extremely well.

Last edited by JDHasty; 03-31-2022 at 10:23 PM.
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  #5  
Old 03-31-2022, 09:48 PM
sbranden sbranden is offline
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I just had Lee make me a 221FB collet die. Was thinking about them for a 22 Creedmoor next, but I'll see how the die set I finally found does first I guess.
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Old 03-31-2022, 10:03 PM
GLWenzl GLWenzl is offline
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Funny timing of this thread. I just called Lee for the first time I remember doing so. The lady who answered the phone was just super awesome and very friendly. When I told her what I was wanting to do, she transfer my phone call to the tech. I’m thinking he must’ve been having a bad day, and seem to be in a very big hurry… he told me the girl already had everything I needed and transferred me back. She had no clue but continued to look and finally told me that they do not have a part number for that part and do not sell it. But she did offer me one very important piece of information, and that was the proper Lee nomenclature. Using that word I was able to score all the parts I needed from Graff And Sons. It left me shaking my head about Lee. But I just chalked it up to the busy times were an thinking that I probably could’ve done any better than either one of those two.

I also used the Lee shell holders for the K&M neck turner as well as the APP which surprisingly was money verywell spent. It rates right up there with my FART as far as getting a lot of use, and getting a lot of work completed making me wonder how I ever got by without either one of them years ago lol
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Old 04-02-2022, 04:21 AM
georgeld georgeld is offline
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Over two years ago I got the same message
Suspended until further notice.

GW: good seeing you post again. Been a long time.
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  #8  
Old 04-02-2022, 05:42 AM
Iowa Fox Iowa Fox is offline
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The original Lee collet neck sizer coupled with a Redding body die is impossible to beat. I say original because Lee decided to shorten the collet so it doesn't size 100 % of the neck. A fantastic die ruined by a poor decision by the current Lee bunch running the show. The original die with the Redding die using John Valentines instructions for the collet die gives me much better results than any of my bushing dies.

Out of 4 collet dies for the same family of cartridge I have 80 thousandths of disparity in the overall length of the collet. Of the four collet sleeves three are exactly the same length and one is a thousandth different than the other three. That is an outstanding job of manufacturing. I ordered a 6mm Creedmoor die and a week latter I ordered another one just to see what I would get. The collets were 40 thousands different in length. The sleeves were exactly the same. Lee is having issues with this die.

GL I know exactly who that customer service rep you spoke to is. He's like that every day.

If anyone does submitt a custom collet die order make sure you tell them how long you want the collet.
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  #9  
Old 04-02-2022, 03:24 PM
Danny Danny is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa Fox View Post
The original Lee collet neck sizer coupled with a Redding body die is impossible to beat. I say original because Lee decided to shorten the collet so it doesn't size 100 % of the neck. A fantastic die ruined by a poor decision by the current Lee bunch running the show. The original die with the Redding die using John Valentines instructions for the collet die gives me much better results than any of my bushing dies.

Out of 4 collet dies for the same family of cartridge I have 80 thousandths of disparity in the overall length of the collet. Of the four collet sleeves three are exactly the same length and one is a thousandth different than the other three. That is an outstanding job of manufacturing. I ordered a 6mm Creedmoor die and a week latter I ordered another one just to see what I would get. The collets were 40 thousands different in length. The sleeves were exactly the same. Lee is having issues with this die.

GL I know exactly who that customer service rep you spoke to is. He's like that every day.

If anyone does submitt a custom collet die order make sure you tell them how long you want the collet.
From what I have heard, they got led astray by a gunwriter. I was going to buy more Collet Dies, but have changed that thought after hearing this news a while back.
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Products that I am looking for but can't seem to find no matter how hard I look:
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  #10  
Old 04-02-2022, 03:29 PM
Danny Danny is offline
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa Fox View Post
The original Lee collet neck sizer coupled with a Redding body die is impossible to beat. I say original because Lee decided to shorten the collet so it doesn't size 100 % of the neck. A fantastic die ruined by a poor decision by the current Lee bunch running the show. The original die with the Redding die using John Valentines instructions for the collet die gives me much better results than any of my bushing dies.

Out of 4 collet dies for the same family of cartridge I have 80 thousandths of disparity in the overall length of the collet. Of the four collet sleeves three are exactly the same length and one is a thousandth different than the other three. That is an outstanding job of manufacturing. I ordered a 6mm Creedmoor die and a week latter I ordered another one just to see what I would get. The collets were 40 thousands different in length. The sleeves were exactly the same. Lee is having issues with this die.

GL I know exactly who that customer service rep you spoke to is. He's like that every day.

If anyone does submitt a custom collet die order make sure you tell them how long you want the collet.
Wouldn't it have been cheaper, better, easier to leave the die as is and let users who desire, set the die up to size less?
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The 11th Commandment: Thou shallt not fold thy Pizza.

Products that I am looking for but can't seem to find no matter how hard I look:
Leopold Scopes, Forester reloading equipment and Victorianox knives.


I video recorded all of my Highpower Rifle matches. Pretty soon I am going to watch them all in reverse order so that I can watch those F Class guys GO HOME and leave us alone so that we can shoot Highpower Rifle.
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