The ExhaustNotes Blog

Part 2: Lee’s Fab Four for the .44

This is the second blog in our series of three articles on the Lee Deluxe 4-die set. The first blog focused on the dies and their components; this blog focuses on how to set up the dies in a press.

1. Shellholder

As a first step, I inserted the shell holder (No. 11 in Lee’s numbering system) into the press ram. It’s a no brainer, but I wanted to mention that Lee includes the shellholder with their dies, which is a nice touch.

2. Resizing

I then raised the reloading press ram, and threaded in the sizing die in until it made contact with the shell holder. After the bottom of the sizing die contacted the shell holder, I lowered the press a bit, turned the die into the press a bit more, and tested it by raising the ram again. I wanted to feel just a bit of pushback on the ram.

The shellholder (lower arrow) in intimate contact with thre sizing die (upper arrow).

Once I felt resistance in the ram lever with the ram fully raised, I screwed the sizing die’s locking ring all the way down to the press head.

Screwing down the sizing die locking ring.

Once that adjustment was made, I don’t have to adjust the sizing die again for future reloading sessions. I can unscrew it by grabbing the locking ring and unscrewing it from the press head. The locking ring’s oring prevents the locking ring from inadvertently moving on the die body. All I need to do is screw the sizing die into the press.

The sizing die locking ring screwed all the way down to the press head.

At this point, I proceeded to size 50 cases. I inserted each into the shell holder and raised the ram fully. This both knocked out the old primer and resized each case.

Sizing .44 Magnum cases and punching out the spent primers.

3. Expanding

After completing the resizing operation, I unscrewed the sizing die from the press and partially screwed in the expander die (just a couple of turns at this point). I placed a resized cartridge case in the shell holder and raised the ram fully.

The Lee expander die in the reloading press.

I then continued to screw in the expander die until I felt the cartridge case touching the expander die. I then lowered the ram slightly and screwed the expander die a little further into the press, raising the ram and then lowering it again. I repeated this in minor increments to get the desired amount of flare on the case mouth. I knew I only needed a little bit, just enough to allow a bullet to start in the case mouth. When I do this part of the expander die installation, I check for adequate case mouth flare by taking a bullet and checking to see if it can start in the case mouth.

I used Missouri Bullet Company 240-grain cast bullets for these reloads.

I don’t put too much flare on the case mouth. All that’s necessary is enough to allow the bullet to start into the case mouth.

The case on the left has not had the case mount expanded; the case on the right has had the case mouth expanded. Only a small flare is necessary.

Once the bullet could start to enter the case mouth, I knew I had enough flare. At that point, I raised the ram with the case in the shellholder. The case is now in intimate contact with the expander, preventing any expander die rotation. I then threaded the locking ring all the way down on the expander die, locking it in place in the press.

Screwing down the locking ring after the expander die has been adjusted.

The expander die lock ring locked in position.

Once I had locked the expander die in place, I proceeded to run all 50 cartridge cases through it.

50 Starline cases that have been run through the expander die. I usually reload handgun cases in multiples of 50.

After completing that operation, I grabbed the expander die by its locking collar and unscrewed it. It, too (like the sizing die) now had the locking ring in the right place, and it would not require adjustment for future reloading sessions (for .44 Magnum ammo; if I wanted to load .44 Special ammo, the shorter .44 Special cases would require making the adjustment described above again).

4. Priming

At this point, I seated primers in all 50 cases. I use an older Lee priming tool that is no longer available from Lee. My Lee priming tool is close to 50 years old, which says a lot about the quality and durability of Lee reloading equipment. I’m not going to spend too much time today talking about seating the primers, as this blog is focused on the Lee Deluxe 4-die set. I may do a future blog on the latest Lee priming equipment.

My old Lee priming tool. It still does a great job.

5. Charging

After priming, I charged the cases with propellant. My load is 6.0 grains of Bullseye powder with a 240-grain Missouri Bullet Company semiwadcutter bullet. You won’t find that load in modern reloading manuals. I have a library of old reloading manuals; this one is from an earlier Lyman cast bullet handbook.

An oldie but still a goodie. I use Bullseye powder for several different handgun loads.

An older Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook with a great load for the .44 Magnum.

6.0 grains of Bullseye with a 240-grain cast bullet works well in the .44 Magnum.

50 Starline cases primed and charged with Bullseye propellant.

6. Bullet Seating

I next seated the bullets using the bullet seating die. The bullet seating die can also be used to crimp the bullet in place, but I don’t crimp with this die. To prevent the bullet seating die’s internal crimping ring from crimping the bullet, I screwed the bullet seater nearly all the way into the bullet seating die (I wanted the bullet seater to reach the bullet before the die’s crimping feature reaches the case mouth). I then adjusted the bullet seating depth by screwing the die body deeper into the press.

A .44 Magnum cartridge about to have its bullet seated to the correct depth. The upper arrow points to the bullet seater adjustment; the lower arrow points to the locking ring.

I adjusted the die deeper into the press until the bullet was seated to its crimping groove. This resulted in an overall cartridge length of 1.600 inches.

Having a good calipers helps reloading enormously.

The 240-grain bullet seated at an overall cartridge length of 1.600 inches, but not yet crimped in place.

After I had achieved the desired bullet seating depth, with the ram raised and a cartridge with a seated bullet in the shell holder, I screwed down the die’s lock ring to lock the die in place. I then seated the bullets in all 50 cartridges.

7. Crimping

The last die is the crimping die. Here’s what it looks like.

The Lee Factory Crimp Die. This is a stellar bit of reloading equipment.

To install and adjust the crimping die, I raised the ram without a cartridge in the shellholder. I then screwed the die fully into the press head until the bottom of the crimping die firmly contacted the shellholder. At that point, I backed the crimp adjuster nearly fully out (until I knew it would not contact the cartridge case). I needed to do this step without a cartridge in the press because if I tried to do it with a cartridge in the press, I might have overcrimped the bullet in the case before I had the crimp adjustment correct.

The shellholder in intimate contact with the bottom of the Lee factory crimp die.

The factory crimp die locking ring, fully screwed down on the die body.

I lowered the ram, installed a cartridge that had not been crimped into the shellholder, and raised the ram fully. I lowered the crimp adjuster until it contacted the cartridge case (I could feel when it did do by increased resistance on the crimp adjuster as I screwed it into the die body).

I then withdrew the ram slighly and turned the crimp adjuster in a little bit more. I backed off the ram and examined the crimp. I repeated this process (backing off the ram, screwing the crimp adjuster in a bit more, and examining the crimp) until I was satisfied with the crimp.

A crimped .44 Magnum cartridge. The Lee factory crimp die does a great job.

Once I was satisfied with crimp, I crimped all 50 cartridges.

The last step for me was to label my newly reloaded box of .44 Magnum ammunition.

Labeling is critical. If I don’t do this immediately after loading the ammo, I might forget what the recipe was.

I had my 50 rounds of reloaded .44 Magnum ammo; the next step was a trip to the range to see how it shot. That blog will post in about a week. A spoiler alert…this ammo performed magnificently. Stay tuned, and you’ll see.

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Jerry and the Jersey Devil

I’d heard of the Pine Barrens when I was a youngster in New Jersey but I’d never been there, which was weird because the northern edge of the Pines starts only about 40 miles from where I grew up and geographically the Pine Barrens cover about a quarter of the state. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the US, but you wouldn’t know it in the Pine Barrens. Pine trees and sand, lots of dirt roads, and not much else except ghost stories and New Jersey’s own mythological Jersey Devil (more on that in a bit). The region is mostly pine trees, but there are just enough other trees that our last-weekend-in-October ride caught the leaves’ autumn color change. That, the incredible weather, and saddle time on Jerry Dowgin’s vintage Honda Scrambler made it a perfect day.

Kicking back in the Pine Barrens town of Chatsworth. Check out the leaves changing colors in the background.

A 305cc Honda Scrambler, the Jersey Devil, and Lucille’s Country Diner. Life is good in the Pines.

Jerry Dowgin at speed in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He’s been riding the same motorcycle for five decades. Jerry paid $10 for his Honda Scrambler. I offered to give him what he paid for it, which drew only a smile.

There were other things that made the day great. For starters, that has to include riding with Jerry Dowgin, former South Brunswick High School football hero, vintage motorcycle aficionado, and son of the late Captain Ralph Dowgin. SBHS is my alma mater (Go Vikings!), and the Dowgin name is legendary in New Jersey. I didn’t personally know Jerry when I was in high school (he was four years ahead of me), but I knew of his football exploits and I knew of his State Trooper Dad. Captain Dowgin commanded Troop D of the NJ State Police, and thanks to a photograph provided by lifelong good buddy Mike (another SBHS alum), Trooper Dowgin graces the cover of The Complete Book of Police and Military Motorcycles. Take a look at this photo of Jerry, and the Police Motors cover:

In the New Jersey Pine Barrens with former football star Jerry Dowgin and his awesome Honda Scrambler. I only run with the cool kids.

Jerry’s father, Trooper Ralph Dowgin of the New Jersey State Police. This photo was taken in 1936. The one above it was taken 4 days ago.

Trooper Dowgin’s original leather motorcycle helmet. Jerry showed it to me.

My ride for our glorious putt through the New Jersey Pine Barrens was Jerry’s 1966 CL77 Honda Scrambler. Jerry has owned the Scrambler for five decades. Jerry’s name for the Scrambler is Hot Silver, but I’m going to call it the Jersey Devil. The bike is not a piece of Concours driveway jewelry; like good buddy Gobi Gresh’s motorcycles, Jerry’s Jersey Devil is a vintage rider. And ride we did.

Honda offered three 305cc motorcycles in the mid-1960s: The Dream, the Super Hawk, and the Scrambler. All were 305cc, single overhead cam, air-cooled twins with four-speed transmissions. The CA77 Dream was a pressed steel, large fendered, single carb motorcycle with leading link front suspension. Like its sister Super Hawk, the Dream had kick and electric starting; the electric starter was unusual in those days. The Dream was marketed as a touring model, although touring was different then. Honda’s CB77 Super Hawk was a more sporting proposition, with lower bars, a tubular steel frame and telescopic forks, twin shoe drum brakes (exotic at the time), twin carbs, a tachometer, and rear shocks adjustable for preload. The engine was a stressed frame component and there was no frame downtube. Like the Dream, the Super Hawk had electric and kick starting. It’s been said that the Super Hawk could touch 100 mph, although I never saw that (my Dad owned a 1965 Honda Super Hawk I could sometimes ride in the fields behind our house).

The Scrambler fuel tank. Honda hit a home run with the Scrambler’s styling.

Everything on this motorcycle is well proportioned. The ergnomics fit me perfectly.

The cool kids removed the Scrambler’s bulbous two-into-one muffler and replaced it with Snuff-R-Nots. Jerry is one of the cool kids.

The third model in Honda’s mid-‘60s strategic triad was the CL77 Scrambler, and in my opinion, it was the coolest of the three. It had Honda’s bulletproof 305cc engine with twin carbs, and unlike the Super Hawk engine, it was tuned for more torque. The Scrambler didn’t have electric starting like the other two Hondas (it was kick start only, a nod to the Scrambler’s offroad nature). The Scrambler had a downtube frame, no tach (but a large and accurate headlight-mounted speedo), a steering damper, and a fuel tank that looks like God intended fuel tanks to look (with a classic teardrop profile and no ugly flange running down the center). The bars were wide with a cross brace. With its kick start only engine, the magnificent exhaust headers, and Honda’s “we got it right” fuel tank, the Scrambler looked more like a Triumph desert sled than any other Honda. In my book, that made it far more desirable. I always wanted a Scrambler.

The Scrambler’s speedo. The switch on the left is for the headlight; the amber light is a neutral indicator. The speedometer is accurate; we rode through a highway sign that showed your speed and it matched the speedometer indication.

The Scrambler’s tool storage compartment.

Jerry’s wife Karin made the toolkit pouch. Jerry’s toolkit includes the original Honda tools and a few extras.

A single overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder, and threaded locknut valve adjustment. Honda’s casting quality was superb for the time.

Jerry and I had great conversations on our ride through the Pine Barrens. We talked motorcycles, the times, the old times, folks we knew back in the day, and more. Other riders chatted us up. The Scrambler was a natural conversation starter. Every few minutes someone would approach and ask about Jerry’s Scrambler. Was it original? Was it for sale? What year was it? I had a little fun piping up before Jerry could answer, telling people it was mine and I’d let it go for $800 if they had the cash. I can still start rumors in New Jersey, you know.

The Scrambler’s rear suspension has three preload adjustment positions.

Relatively sophisticated for the time on a mass-produced motorcycle: Twin shoe brakes.

The Scrambler’s rear brake was similarly equipped.

The 305cc Honda twins of the mid-1960s were light years ahead of their British competitors and Harley-Davidson. British twin and Harley riders made snide comments about “Jap crap” back in the day (ignorance is bliss, and they were happy guys), but at least one Britbike kingpin knew the score and saw what was coming. Edward Turner, designer of the Triumph twin and head of Triumph Motorcycles, visited Honda in Japan and was shocked at how advanced Japanese engineering and manufacturing were compared to what passed for modern management in England. No one listened to Turner. The Honda 750 Four often gets credit for killing the British motorcycle industry, but the handwriting was already on the wall with the advent of bikes like Honda’s Dream, the Super Hawk, and the Scrambler. I believe we’re living through the same thing right now with motorcycles from China. Or maybe I just put that in to elicit a few more comments on this blog. You tell me.

I’m always curious about how others starting riding, so I asked Jerry if he inherited his interest in motorcycles from his motor officer Dad. The answer was a firm no. “Pop wasn’t interested in motorcycles; he saw too many young Troopers get killed on motorcycles when he was a State Trooper.” Jerry’s introduction into the two-wheel world was more happenstance than hereditary. He was working with his brother and his brother-in-law installing a heating system in a farmhouse when they encountered the Scrambler. Jerry bought his 1966 Scrambler in 1972 for the princely sum of $10. Yes, you read that right: $10. The Scrambler wasn’t running, but the deal he made with his brother was that Jerry would do the work if his brother would pay for the parts (and in 1972, the parts bill came to $125 from Cooper’s Cycle Ranch, one of the early and best known East Coast Honda and Triumph dealers). Getting the Scrambler sorted took some doing, as the engine was frozen, it needed a top end overhaul, it had compression issues, and getting the timing right was a challenge. But Jerry prevailed, and the bike has been a Pine Barrens staple for five decades now.

Jerry shared with me that he plans to leave his Honda Scrambler to his son and grandson. I think that’s a magnificent gesture.

Jerry on his Scrambler at the end of a great day on the road.

Jerry and his Scrambler were featured on the cover of the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club’s magazine about 4 years ago.

Our ride in the Pine Barrens was most enjoyable. It’s amazing how little traffic there is in the Pines, an unusual situation for me. As a son of New Jersey, riding with no traffic in the nation’s most densely populated state was a new experience. But there’s a lot of land down there in the Pine Barrens (the area was a featured spot for dumping bodies on The Sopranos, and that probably wasn’t just a figment of some screenwriter’s imagination). Riding into the Pines (where we saw few other motorcycles and almost no cars), we made our first stop in Chatsworth. Chatsworth is an old Pine Barrens wide spot in the road with only a few buildings and a roadside eatery with no seating. You buy a soda and a dog (of either the hot or brat variety), find a seat on one of the roadside benches, and chat with other riders. It was different and much more fun than what I remembered New Jersey riding to be, but I had never ridden the Pines before. The locals told me it’s always been like this.

From Chatsworth, it was on to Lucille’s Country Diner, a popular Pine Barrens roadhouse more like a California motorcycle stop than a New Jersey diner. Lucille’s is known for its pies, and (trust me on this) they’re awesome. We parked under a carved, presumably life-sized Jersey Devil statue. I’d heard of the Jersey Devil when I was a kid (it’s a New Jersey thing; think of it as a cross between Bigfoot and Lucifer and you’ll understand). We didn’t see the Jersey Devil lurking out there in the pine trees on this ride, but who knows? Maybe he saw us. As a New Jersey native, I know this: Anything’s possible in the Garden State.

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Moundsville, West Virginia

John Denver got it right: Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Hold that thought. Let the music play in your mind as you read this blog.

I think I found the best place in America for motorcycling. I could be wrong, but if you like twisties, if you like impressive views, if you like points of interest, and if you like good food, West Virginia (and in particular, the roads around Moundsville) is where you want to be.

A view from the top of the mound. That bridge spans the Ohio River, and that’s Ohio on the other side.

Moundsville is named after the huge mound that dominates the town (it’s what you see in the photo at the top of this blog). It was only in the 1800s when the person who owned the land surmised that it was an ancient burial mound (there were several in the area). The Native Americans who lived and then disappeared in this region were named (by us, not by themselves) as the Adena people, and it is now known that the mounds predate Christ. There’s an interesting museum next to the mound, and it is an easy place to spend an hour or two. The mound and the museum are free, and if you’re feeling up to it, there’s a circular stone stairway that takes you to the top of the mound (I made the climb, so if I can do it you probably can, too).

Susie on the way to the top of the mound.

The Grave Creek Mound Archeological Complex Museum. It’s a very nice museum.

Across the street from the mound is another treasure, and that’s the West Virginia State Penintentiary. It was used for well over a hundred years, but it closed in 1996. The West Virginia Supreme Court closed the place because it was inhumane. The good news is that there’s a modestly priced, 90-minute, guided walking tour. It’s a must-do sort of thing (in my opinion) and we thorougly enjoyed it. This is a place with a horrifying history (it was consistently one of the most violent prisons in America), and our guide (Tina) made it come alive for us.

The West Virginia State Penitentiary. Take the tour; it’s well worth the price of admission.

Yep. Nine people. Another 85 went via the gallows. The West Virginia Penintentiary used to hold public executions and charge admission. One condemned guy in one of these public executions had the trap spring open before the executioner slipped the noose around his neck. He dropped 25 feet straight down, breaking numerous bones. Undeterred, the staff strapped him to a stretcher, hauled him back up the gallows steps, and hung him while he was still on the stretcher. “Don’t worry ab0ut the pain,” they are reported to have told him. “In five minutes, you won’t feel a thing.”

A typical cell. It’s 5 feet by 7 feet. It housed three inmates.

A cell in the isolation wing that housed a gang leader. He didn’t have to share his cell, but he spent 23 hours a day here.

One of the most intriguing aspects of our prison visit was the woman who works in the gift shop. She lived in the prison for many years. No, she wasn’t an inmate. She was the warden’s wife. We had a very nice (and interesting) conversation with her.

One last stop on this most interesting West Virginia day was the Palace of Gold. If you’re old enough to remember the Hare Krishna crowd (the folks who used to hawk their books in airports), this West Virginia enclave is Command Central for them. The 30-minute tour was inexpensive and there were lots of photo ops. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

The entrance. It’s hard to imagine this being founded in the 1960s in West Virginia, but there it is.

One of the hallways in the Palace of Gold.

What I enjoyed even more were the roads to and from the Palace of Gold. Think magnificent twisties and stunning views, and you’ll have a feel for this part of West Virginia. It truly is a stunning area.

US Highway 250 in West Virginia is incredible.

Twisties, twisties, and more twisties. If you designed a road specifically for motorcycles, it would look like this.

The best kept secret in Moundsville has to be Bob’s on 3rd Street. It’s in downtown Moundsville and it’s not fancy, but wow, the food is both spectacular and reasonably priced. We tried several different dishes, but the signature dish (named, of course, “the Mound”) is my favorite. It’s a gigantic thick pancake topped with scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, cheese and then another thick pancake. Put a little butter on top, pour on a little maple syrup, don’t tell the American Heart Association about it, and you can thank me later. And you will thank me. The open faced turkey sandwich and the open faced roast beef sandwich are great, too. And the pies…all I can say is wow. We tried a slice of the coconut creme and the blackberry pies, and they were awesome.

“The Mound” at Bob’s on Third Street in Moundsville. It was awesome.

Coconut creme and blackberry pie. There are many more on the menu. Bob’s is Moundsville’s best-kept secret.

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Part 1: Lee’s Fab Four for the .44

A month or so ago I wrote a blog about Lee’s .357 Magnum Deluxe 4-die set. I liked those dies so much I picked up a Lee 4-die set in .44 Magnum. I am similarly pleased with this latest set of dies. There’s too much info to fit into one blog post, so I’m presenting it in three blogs:

- - This first blog is about the four different dies, what each does, and the parts in each die. Lee’s engineering is superior, and this blog showcases it.
  - A second blog will focus on installing each die in my loading press, and how to adjust the dies to make world class .44 Magnum ammunition. Watch for this blog within the week.
  - A third (and concluding) blog reveals how ammunition loaded with the Lee dies performed. The ammo was stellar and I’m a believer. Lee’s Deluxe 4-die set is a magnificent product and it makes magnificent ammunition. But don’t take my word for it. You’ll see it in the groups I shot. The accuracy blog will post in about two weeks.

So, here we go. When I reload, I start with fired ammo brass cartridge cases, like you see below.

Fired .44 Magnum ammo brass cases, loaded into the vibratory cleaner. The vibratory cleaner polishes the brass cartridge cases. This makes the cases look good, but more importantly, it prevents them from slipping rearward against the cylinder walls when the reloaded ammo is fired.

And when I finish, this is what I have…newly reloaded ammunition as good as or better than factory ammo, at a fraction of the cost of factory ammo. That “as good as or better than factory ammo” descriptor is misleading. My ammo is better.

A box of reloaded .44 Magnum ammo, custom tailored to my requirements, and capable of superior accuracy.

As most of you know, a gun chambered in .44 Magnum can also shoot .44 Special ammo (just like a .357 Magnum can shoot .38 Special). .44 Magnum dies can be used for reloading .44 Special ammo.

The label for each Lee die set is a printed instruction and load data sheet. The boxes are indexed and they stack nicely.

Lee dies come in a hard plastic case with a clear cover. The cover is removed by inserting a flat blade screwdriver on either side.

The plastic cover needs a little coaxing with a flat blade screwdriver to open. The cover includes a recess for screwdriver insertion.

The Lee label unfolds to reveal directions on using the dies along with a bunch of other information, including several suggested loads. Over the last five decades, I’ve found a few .44 Magnum loads I like, and in particular, I have a favorite load I shoot in the Ruger Super Blackhawk. I will share more of that with you in the next blog in this series.

The Lee instruction sheet includes load data and other information.

Lee’s Deluxe 4-die set consists of four dies, a shellholder, and a powder cup:

- - A carbide sizing die.
  - An expander die.
  - A bullet seating die.
  - A factory crimp die.

Here’s what the die set looks like after you remove the cover.

The Lee .44 Magnum/.44 Special Deluxe 4-die set. From left to right, it’s the factory crimp die, the expander die, the yellow powder cup, the shellholder, the bullet seating die, and the sizer die.

1. Sizing Die

The sizing die is a sizing and decapping die. When this die is installed in the reloading press and a fired brass case is inserted into it by raising the press ram, two things occur:

- - The cartridge case is resized to its original diameter (it expanded when the cartridge was fired, so it needs to be resized to specification dimensions). The Lee die is a carbide die, which means is has a very hard carbide steel tube inside the die body. Because it is a carbide die, there’s no need to lubricate the cartridge cases for the resizing operation (like you have to do with plain steel dies). Carbide dies are much preferred for this reason.
  - The used primer is pushed out of the cartridge case (this is the decapping operation).

Here’s the sizing die.

The Lee sizing die. The red arrow points to the locking collar.

Here’s the sizing die from the bottom:

The top arrow points to the locking ring. It has an oring that holds the locking ring in place. The locking ring is screwed down on the threaded die body to lock the die body in place. The middle arrow points to the carbide sizing insert. The center ring points to the decapping pin, which pushes the spent primer out of the cartridge case.

Viewed from above, the decapping pin is secured by a threaded collet that screws into the die body. It’s a good approach because if there is an obstruction (if the pin hits the case bottom rather than the primer through hole, or if the primer through hole is blocked), the decapping pin simply pushes up in the threaded collet nut. This prevents bending or breaking.

The upper arrow points to the top of the decapping pin. The lower arrow points to the threaded collet that secures the decapping pin in the die body.

2. Expander Die

Once the cartridge case has been resized in the sizer die, it needs to be opened up slightly and the case mouth needs to be flared to allow a new bullet to be started in the case. This is accomplished with the expander die. Like each die in the Lee Deluxe 4-die set, this die includes a locking ring to lock the die in the reloading press. Some reloaders charge the case (add powder to the case) during the expander die operation. I don’t reload this way, and I don’t know any reloaders who do.

The Lee expander die consists of six components. These are:

- - The die body.
  - The locking ring and its oring.
  - An oring between the die body and the through hole insert.
  - An expander.
  - The through hole insert.

These components are shown in the photo below.

Expander die parts. The die body, the locking ring, and the oring are shown as a subassembly on the left. The arrow points to the expander. The part on the right is the powder through hole insert.

The expander slides up in the die body when a cartridge case is inserted by the press ram. When it reaches the end of its travel, a ramp in the expander plug creates a flare on the case mouth. This is what will allow a new bullet to be inserted in the cartridge case. In the photo below, the expander plug is inverted from its installed orientation to allow a better view of this ramp

The arrows point to the ramped surface that creates a flare in the case mouth.

You might wonder why there is a powder through hole component at the top of the expander die, and why the ramped expander plug is allowed to move up and down as a cartridge case is inserted into the expander die. The through hole allows inserting powder into the case with the powder cup (which I don’t use). Other Lee reloading gear uses the expander plug up and down motion to activate automatic powder dispensing devices (this is the approach used on Lee’s progressive reloaders).

The business end of the Lee expander die. The red arrow points to the expander plug as the cartridge case sees it.

The cartridge case on the left has not been through the expander; the cartridge case on the right has been through the expander. Notice the very slight flare on the right cartridge case mouth. This will allow starting a bullet into the case.

3. Bullet Seating Die

The bullet seating die is the third die in the Lee Deluxe 4-die set. This one is a bit more complicated than the first two because there are two adjustments, and this die can also be used as a crimping die. With the 4-die set, I am not going to use this die for crimping. I am only going to use it for seating the bullet to its required position in the cartridge case.

The bullet seating die is shown below.

The bullet seating die. The upper arrow points to the bullet seating adjuster, the middle arrow points to the die body, and the lower arrow points to the locking ring.

Here’s Lee’s illustration of the bullet seating die.

From the outside, the bullet seating die and the factory crimp die appear to be almost identical. The easiest way to distinguish them is by the size of the knurled segment on top and by the length of the die body.

The bullet seating die is on the left; the crimping die is on the right. The bullet seating die has a longer knurled section and the die body is longer.

The bullet seating die parts include:

- - The die body.
  - The bullet-seating adjuster and its locking oring.
  - The locking ring and its oring.
  - The bullet seater.

These parts are shown below.

From left to right, this photo shows the bullet seating die body and locking ring, the bullet seater (denoted by the arrow), and the bullet-seating adjuster and its locking oring.

The bullet seater as seen by the bullet. The arrow points to the bullet seater.

I mentioned above that I use this third die in the Lee Deluxe 4-die seat only to seat the bullet. It can also be used to crimp the cartridge case around the bullet, but I don’t crimp with this die. I use the Lee factory crimp die for crimping.

The bullet seating die also includes a crimping ramp in the die body, as shown by the arrow.

To adjust the die to do this, I run the bullet-seating adjuster well into the die body so that it pushes the bullet to its desired seating depth before the crimping feature reaches the cartridge case. I’ll describe this adjustment in more detail in tomorrow’s blog.

You might wonder: Why not do both (bullet seating and crimping) with this one die? Some folks do, and if you have the Lee 3-die set (not the Deluxe 4-die set), that is your only option for crimping. But this approach has the bullet still being inserted into the case as the crimping operation occurs, which invites potential bullet misalignment. To get around that, I use the fourth die in the Lee Deluxe 4-die set (the factory crimp die).

4. Factory Crimp Die

The factory crimp die does three things:

- - It roll crimps the bullet in place.
  - It maintains bullet alignment in the cartridge case.
  - It removes any imperfections in the cartridge case to assure easy chambering.

Here’s the factory crimp die.

Here’s Lee’s illustration of the factory crimp die:

The factory crimp die has the following parts:

- - The die body.
  - The locking ring and its oring.
  - A carbide crimper sleeve.
  - The crimping adjuster and its locking oring.

These parts are shown below.

The Lee factory crimp die disassembled. From left to right, this photo shows the die body and its locking ring, the carbide crimper sleeve (indicated by the red arrow), and the crimp adjuster and its locking oring.

The carbide crimper. The red arrow points to the crimping ring inside the carbide crimper. Note that this feature must point down when the die is assembled; this piece is orientation sensitive.

The carbide crimper shown above requires the cartridge case to enter the carbide crimper sleeve before the crimp is executed. This is an important feature, as it maintains bullet alignment with the case as the crimp is achieved and prevents case deformation that could interfere with chambering. Also, the bullet is not moving further into the case as the crimp is achieved, which is what would occur if I used the bullet seating die to crimp the case.

The factory crimp die as seen by the cartridge. The upper arrow points to the crimper sleeve; the lower arrow points to the crimping ring within the crimper sleeve.

There’s another carbide ring at the base of the factory crimp die, shown by the photo below.

Lower carbide ring in the Lee factory crimp die.

The factory crimp die lower carbide ring both prevents and removes any deformation in the cartridge case when the case is crimped and the cartridge is inserted and withdrawn from the die. This assures easy chambering and bullet-to-case alignment.

So there you have it. In our next blog, which will post in about a week, I’ll explain how I set up each of the dies in my press.

You might be wondering: Do these Lee dies really work? The short answer is an emphatic yes. I found when loading .357 Magnum ammo with the Lee Deluxe 4-die set that accuracy improved and bullet pull (bullets backing out under recoil) was eliminated. To jump ahead a bit, the .44 Magnum Deluxe 4-die set described in this blog resulted in stellar accuracy. I’ll cover that in a third blog, which will publish in about two weeks. Before I get there, though, here’s a teaser photo:

One of a limited run of Turnbull color case hardened Ruger Super Blackhawks, and targets shot with ammo reloaded using Lee’s Deluxe 4-die set.

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The Pima Warthog

The Pima Air and Space Museum has an A-10 Warthog on display. That’s an impressive aircraft with impressive features. The most impressive, I think, is the Warthog’s GAU-8/A 30mm Gatling gun. “GAU” is the military abbreviation for modern Gatlings. It stands for Gun, Automatic, Utility, and it’s pronounced “Gow.”

Viewed from the front, the A-10’s Gatling gun seems like it is offset from the aircraft center line. The reason is only one barrel fires at a time as the barrel cluster rotates, and it does so when it is on the aircraft centerline. When firing at the gun’s maximum rate (4,000 shots per minute), the recoil equals the A-10’s 18,000-pound max thrust. If the firing barrel was not on the aircraft centerline, the gun would steer the aircraft when firing.

The photo below shows the A-10’s Gatling muzzle clamp, which is the device that holds the gun’s seven barrels together at the forward end. The barrels are welded shut on this display aircraft to prevent a bad guy from stealing and using the gun.

The A-10 muzzle clamp. The rifling in each barrel is visible here. 30mm is 4.6mm larger than 1 inch.

The muzzle clamp’s center bolt secures the muzzle clamp to the barrel cluster. Maintenance folks never stand in front of the gun when removing the muzzle clamp. Applying torque to the muzzle clamp bolt might rotate the barrel cluster, doing so could bring the firing barrel into position, and if the gun is loaded, it might fire. In the old days of the Civil War era Gatling guns, it was not uncommon for a soldier to inadvertently fire a round when attempting to remove the muzzle clamp.

Here’s the A-10’s GAU-8/A Gatling removed from the aircraft (another Pima Air and Space Museum display item). It’s about the same length as a Volkswagen Beetle.

The A-10 GAU-8/A Gatling gun. These guns were manufactured by General Electric in Burlington, Vermont.

This next photo shows the gun’s bolts (there’s one for each barrel). It also shows the elliptical cam path in the gun’s rear housing. The elliptical cam path that drives the bolts back and forth as the barrel cluster rotates. That was Dr. Gatling’s original idea. All Gatling guns use this concept, from the first Gatling gun in 1862 to the modern Gatlings.

If you are interested in the Gatling gun, its history, and its current applications, you might want to pick up a copy of The Gatling Gun.

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Roaming in Romania: Part II – The Transalpina Highway

We awoke in Moto Camp, located in Sibiu, just before sunrise. Moto Camp is probably the best base camp we’ve ever had and the best one anybody could ask for when staying near the Transylvanian mountain passes. These mountains are home to several of the world’s most sought-after motorcycle roads.

We researched the weather while drinking a strong cup of Romanian coffee. The day looked promising and the weather gave us a green light for riding. The buzz from riding the Transfagarasan Highway the day before was still with us and we both were anxious to see how the Transalpina Highway would compare.

The Transalpina Highway was two hours away from our base camp. We searched the least traveled roads to ride, which provided entertainment as we passed through tiny villages untouched by time. Horse-pulled carts rolled next to us and the occasional sheep crossings reminded us we were in Romania. These sites are common to Romanians, but for us it was like stepping into the early 1900s. Between the scenery and our motorcycle engines humming it was a perfect mesh of culture and time that fit nicely.

As we continued to ride, the small towns gave way to a remote pine forest speckled with beech trees shedding their leaves. As we sped by, we rustled the leaves to create mini sparkling whirlwinds in the morning sunlight while accelerating into the sweeping corners of this magical road. After 30 minutes we stopped along a dam with food and souvenir kiosks to grab a snack and drink. While sitting there we noticed about 40 Porsches stop and take the entire length of the dam. “Porsche Club of Romania” was stickered on their cars. Not wanting to be stuck behind any of the traffic we ate with a purpose and tackled the second portion of this road.

Once we left the dam, the sweeping corners continued with steeper gradients, angled such that we had to lean into them and keep our speed up while doing trig calcs on the fly to avoid falling. We continued gaining elevation when suddenly a bolt blew by me on the left, then another, and another. It was the Romanian Porsche Club; it seems they wrapped up their snacks at the same pace we had. As they roared past like orcas going for the kill (even on blind corners) I thought: “Hey, I still have Boston blood; I can be an apex predator, too!” We rode with them in formation as we roared past numerous cars on their Sunday drive.

Having been engrossed with the Porsches and the road (and our minds working geometry problems in the corners), we hadn’t noticed how the terrain had changed yet again. It went from pine forests to open alpine meadows with volcanic lakes. We continued to ride along these alpine meadows as heavy fog moved in. We were at just over 5,200 feet, but we felt we were on top of the world. As we adjusted to the new terrain the fog banks closed upon us and our visibility dropped to almost zero. Then, just as quickly as the fog appeared, it retreated. When this happened, the veil lifted to give us a snapshot of the road ahead before it dropped again.

Once hitting Ranca, our turnaround point, the fog rolled in so heavily that even the Porsches turned around. As we sat along a wall to fully absorb the view, we could hear the Porsche engines roaring in the distance as they continued down the pass, popping in and out of the fog. With the fog in no hurry to leave, we thought it was time to return to Sibui and mark another wonderous day of riding one of the best motorcycle roads in the Romanian mountains: The Transalpina Highway.

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The Franklin Automobile Museum in Tucson, Arizona

That motorcycle you see in the photo above is a 1913 Thor. It’s not been restored; the paint is original, as are the tires (and they still hold air). You don’t see something like that every day, and it’s something I didn’t even know was there. “There” being the Franklin Automobile Museum in Tucson, Arizona, a hidden gem in every sense of the word (more on that in a second).

A Franklin grill. These are majestic automobiles.

Never heard of the Franklin automobile? Don’t feel bad; I hadn’t, either. In checking out what museums were in the Tucson area, we found the Franklin Automobile Museum with an Internet search. The Franklin Automobile Museum has been called Tucson’s best kept secret. I believe it. I’ve been to Tucson many times and, as I said above, I had never heard of it.

Franklins were luxury cars, competitors to Cadillacs and other high end automobiles before the Great Depression. A Ford Model A in those days might cost $600. Most Franklins cost about $3,000; some went as high as $6,500.

A 1934 Franklin 19-B Club Sedan. This automobile has a 274-cubic-inch factory supercharged air-cooled straight six engine.

The first Franklin was designed by John Wilkinson in 1900. An industrialist named Herbert H. Franklin manufactured the cars, and the car was named accordingly. Franklins featured air cooled engines (initially four cylinder engines, but as the company grew, so did the cars and their engines…all the way up to a V-12, and yes, even the V-12 engines were air cooled). The cars were manufactured in Syracuse, New York. Franklin built approximately 153,000 cars from 1902 to 1934, and then the firm closed its doors, a victim of the Great Depression.

An early 1905 Franklin Model A Runabout. The car has a transversely mounted air cooled inline four cylinder engine.

The H.H. Franklin Club, founded in 1951, aimed to preserve the legacy of these automobiles. Approximately 3700 Franklins survive.

The Franklin Automobile Museum came to be as a result of the late Thomas Hubbard, a Tucson businessman. Hubbard was born in New York but raised by his aunt and in Tucson. Hubbard’s parents owned a Franklin. They visited Thomas in Tucson every year, driving the Franklin from New York to Arizona. Hubbard was impressed by his parent’s annual road trips, and he bought his first Franklin in 1953. It was the first of many. Hubbard opened the Franklin Automobile Museum in Tucson in 1962.

A 1931 Franklin 153 DeLuxe Phaeton, with a custom body by the Merrimac Body Company. This Franklin has the 274 cubic inch air cooled straight six engine. This car’s original price was $6,500, a heady sum in 1931!

A 1932 Franklin Series 16 Pursuit Phaeton, with the original factory body style and colors. This car has the same 274 cubic inch straight six air cooled engine. It was the first year of the synchronized transmission.

The Franklin Museum is tucked away in northeast Tucson’s Richland Heights area at 1405 East Kleindale Road. It’s not a place you would just stumble on to or notice from the street. If you use a nav system to find your way to the address (a highly recommended to get there), don’t be surprised when you enter the neighborhood: Even though the Museum is in a major American city, the roads in this area are dirt. And even though the address is on East Kleindale, the Museum entrance is on Vine (just around the corner).

The Franklin Automobile Museum is open mid-October to Memorial Day, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $12, with discounts available for senior citizens and students. I’d give the place two thumbs up, and that’s only because I don’t have three thumbs. It’s well worth a visit.

A special thanks for Tony Warren of the Franklin Automobile Museum for the photos you see here.

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Mustang Reborn: California Scooter Company

It was a bad one as motorcycles accidents go, and my recovery was a lengthy one. A friend contacted me and asked if (while I was recovering) I’d like to write Internet responses to the keyboard commandos badmouthing a company making a new Mustang motorcycle. Would I ever…and that’s how I hooked up with CSC Motorcycles and the modern Mustang. The story is fascinating. Here’s a bit of it, which appeared as a sidebar to my Motorcycle Classics Mustang article.

Ed Seidner founded one of the largest motorcycle superstores in the country, Bert’s Mega Mall in Covina, California, which today sells new Hondas, Ducatis, Triumphs and more. Son Steve ran that operation until he branched out on his own, starting motorcycle accessory company Pro-One Performance Manufacturing.

Ed never had a Mustang, but his friend Billy Buster had one when they were kids and Ed always wanted one. Steve grew up hearing stories about Billy Buster and his Mustang, so he decided to do something about it. He bought an unrestored 1954 Mustang on eBay and took it home to the Pro-One production facility to restore it, a surprise gift for Ed. Steve quickly discovered three things: Customers walked right past ultra-sleek Pro-One V-twins for a better look at the unrestored Mustang, the Mustang was
a simple design, and the little bike was solid. In fact, after Steve drained the stale gas, cleaned the fuel lines and filled the bike’s peanut tank, the old Mustang started on the first kick.

A 1954 unrestored Mustang with a new CSC-150 California Scooter.

Steve’s response was swift. With the 56-year-old Mustang as a template, he started California Scooter Company (www.californiascooterco.com), making the bikes he believes Mustang would build today. The new CSC motorcycles are EPA and CARB approved with modern amenities like electric start, turn signals, speedometer, hydraulic disc brakes, etc.

The bikes are built in La Verne, California, about 30 miles from the original Mustang factory, while the engines are sourced from Asia. Three years after introducing the 150cc CSC 150, CSC introduced the 250cc P51, taking the P51 designation from the World War II Mustang airplane. With its larger 250cc counterbalanced single overhead cam engine, the P51 absolutely rips. The Mustang formula — short wheelbase, light weight and 12-inch wheels — still works.

CSC-150 Mustang Replicas in Baja. That’s the Sea of Cortez in the background. We were at the Tropic of Cancer when I snapped this photo. We rode our CSC-150s all the way down to Cabo San Lucas and back without a single breakdown.

So how does the new compare to the old? Fully broken in, my 150cc red CSC Classic tops out at about 66mph. With their 320cc engines, the original Mustangs were crazy fast. My geezer buddies tell me a stock Mustang would do 70mph (how they knew that is beyond me, as Mustangs didn’t get speedometers until the late 1950s). I’ve touched 80mph on the new P51.

I’ve ridden vintage Mustangs, but because of their value I was afraid to push them too hard. The old Mustangs feel a little wobbly to me, but of course they have old forks and old tires. The new bikes benefit from more than 50 years of advancements in technology. When I take my CSC on Glendora Ridge Road, the bike is light, tight and an absolute delight through the twisties. Which bike is faster or better is moot. Both are awesome, and each offers a riding experience like no other. There’s one fact, though, that riders of vintage Mustangs and new California Scooters both have to accept:
You can’t go anywhere without drawing a smiling crowd. — Joe Berk

As I mentioned in the prelude to this blog, when I wrote the Mustang story for Motorcycle Classics magazine I was also a consultant to CSC Motorcycles. CSC Motorcycles stopped producing Mustang replicas a few years ago (around the same they started importing the advernture touring RX3), so there are no more new California Scooter Mustang replicas. But the modern Mustangs do come up for sale now and then, and the best way to find one is by contacting CSC directly. If you’d like to know more about CSC, their Mustang replicas, and how the company became the North American importer of Zongshen motorcycles, you should pick up a copy of 5000 Miles At 8000 RPM.

Would you like to know about our CSC Mustang ride through Baja, as well other forays into Baja? It’s all right here, in full color, in Moto Baja!

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Joe Gresh’s Tinfiny Toys

A recent road trip took us to New Mexico, and that meant a stop at Joe Gresh’s Tinfiny Ranch. The word “ranch” has a nice ring to it, but Joe’s ranch is more of a cool toys repository than a place where cattle range freely (the toys more than make up for the missing cattle…the stories they hold are better than any Bonanza episode).

When walking up the hill from Joe’s home to his shop, you can’t miss his powder blue MGB GT. The MG came with the property. At one point Joe was going to get it running again and he started a resurrection blog series on it. He’s now thinking he may sell it. I’d like to see him finish this one for a lot of reasons, mostly centered around my belief that any British motor vehicle is inherently cool and there would be interesting blog content accompanying the effort. Time will tell. And so will we.

As you can see from the above photo, it was raining a bit when we visited. The rain gave the MGB a nice look, a hint of what it would be if it was running again with the original paint buffed out. The MG would be a cool resurrection project. If you agree, leave a comment here on the blog. I’m trying to start a “Keep the MG” movement.

Joe has a bunch of equipment in his Tinfiny Ranch shop, including a sandblast cabinet, a drill press, all manner of hand and power tools, and a lathe. “You can make anything with a lathe…you can even make another lathe,” Joe once said. You can read more about that here.

The photo at the top of this blog is Zed, Joe’s original 900cc Kawasaki, and it is the first resurrection story Joe wrote for ExNotes. In my opinion, this is the coolest bike on the planet. I especially like the original paint. The patina is priceless.

Joe had Zed’s carbs off the bike when we visited. Zed needs Joe, and I think Joe needs Zed. He’s talked about selling it; I hope he doesn’t. If you agree, leave a comment here on the blog. You know the drill.

Joe’s well worn Zed shop manual.

One of Joe’s more famous vintage bikes is Godzilla, a Yamaha 360 he rode on the Trans America Trail. It’s a delightfully original machine with a lot of stories, a few of which have appeared here on ExNotes.

I wish Yamaha still made these bikes. I always wanted one, but I’ve never ridden one. Someday.

Joe is one of two guys I know with a Kawasaki KLR 250 (the other guy is also named Joe, but it’s not me). Joe has a few stories about the KLR 250 here on ExNotes.

When I first met Joe on our CSC Motorcycles 5000-mile ride through the American Southwest (with our friends from China and Colombia), Joe told me he would really love to install the 250cc RX3 engine in his KLR 250. Joe is thinking about selling his KLR. I get it; I sold my KLR a few years ago. But I regretted it. KLRs are great bikes.

I have one of these decals on my motorcycle, too.

Incidentally, if you want to know more about the RX3 and our ride with the Chinese on it through the American Southwest, you might consider picking up a copy of 5000 Miles At 8000 RPM.

Here’s Joe’s mini-bike. He’s owned this one a long time.

Joe’s famous Husky…with the engine out. Joe is rebuilding the transmission on this motorcycle. He’s blogged about it; watch ExNotes for future updates. I know Joe will have it on the road again.

Joe’s Kawi 1100 hasn’t been started in a decade or two. He’s thinking about getting it on the road again. That will make for a bunch of great blogs.

Joe’s most recent acquisition is this stellar Yamaha RD 350. Joe’s written about it here on ExNotes.

Joe explaining the RD’s merits to Susie.

Joe started the RD 350 for us. It sounded great.

It was a good visit. There’s a lot going on at Tinfiny Ranch (living off the grid stuff, concrete stories, tractors, implements, the water wars, vintage motorcycles, and more), and you can read about it here on ExNotes. Stay tuned, my friends.

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Nobody Puts Baby In A Box: Tractor Supply Box Blade Review

Most people think of New Mexico as a barren, desert state. Much of it consists of broad expanses of high, scrabbly bush land. But that’s not nearly all there is here. New Mexico has two mountain ranges running north to south dividing the land into separate areas each with their own style of terrain, east of the Pecos River you’ll find the flat, oil-rich Permian Basin. This area is New Mexico’s Golden Goose that never seems to run out of eggs. The Permian Basin pays a huge amount of taxes to the state coffers. The odor of salt water mixed with oil is everywhere. It makes me a little homesick for the bilges of boats I used to build and repair in Florida.

Moving west from the Pecos River you come to my mountains, the Sacramento Mountains. Tinfiny Ranch lies on the western foothills of the Sacramento Mountains looking out over the Tularosa Valley. At 6000 feet Tinfiny Ranch is both wetter and cooler than the small towns down in the flat lands of the valley 1500 feet below.

Tinfiny Ranch has small trees, maybe 20 feet high and all of the plant life is larger and happier than the small shrubs you find at lower elevations. Within Tinfiny Ranch there are two different ecosystems: the relatively damper lower arroyo area where some idiot decided to put the shack we live in and the higher, just slightly more arid upper area where the off-grid trophy shed sits. The elevation change is only 50 feet but the trees are noticeably larger and the undergrowth denser down by the Arroyo. There’s even a little grassy lawn struggling to survive in the lower reaches.

The upper and lower areas are connected by a steep dirt road that is always in need of repair. Whenever it rains the water cuts deep ruts across and parallel to the road. Monsoon season makes the road 4-wheel drive only. UPS and FedX stop delivering when the road gets too bad. They leave packages by the entrance gate instead of at our door.

Tractor Supply’s County Line Box Blade is just the ticket for grading and smoothing out the ruts in our driveway. Five feet wide, the box blade connects to the 3-point hitch on the back of standard tractors and comes mostly assembled except for a few thick bars of steel that make up the top mount. It’s a heavy chunk of steel and I can only lift one side at a time to move it.

Five depth-adjustable scarifying teeth mounted ahead of the leveling blade allow the box blade to break up hard ground. These teeth will catch roots and rocks and rip them out of the ground making it easier for the following blade to level the area. If you didn’t have the scarifying teeth the blade would just bounce over some obstacles leaving behind an uneven grade.

Tinfiny Ranch has a lot of big rocks from softball size to larger than a shopping cart. Running over one of these big boys will kick the box blade into the air with a loud crash. Some rocks you’ll want to dig out of the ground with a pick and pry bar instead of beating up the box blade.

With the box blade it took just a few hours to straighten out the road leading to the upper level. I’ll need to do some more work on it to fill in some low spots and cut down some high spots but it’s still raining so I don’t get too excited about making it perfect. At some point we will either asphalt the road or pave it with concrete. I’m leaning towards asphalt since I won’t have to do it.

I give the Tractor Supply box blade high marks for its low-ish $1000 price tag and high quality. That seems like a lot of money but try to find a used one. If you manage to it will be a wreck and cost $500. This County Line unit is a well built, heavy tool that will last your lifetime and maybe more. Once you get a box blade you’ll start finding all sort of areas that need leveling. Soon there won’t be a plant standing and your yard will be a broad, featureless plain, like some areas of New Mexico.

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