nettlle
Contributing Member
I recently purchased a M1A and will start reloading soon for it. I purchased a new die set with a FL sizing die. Will I need to buy a small base die also?
The best answer is to spend your hard earned greenbacks on imi or ppu brass for a semiautomatic. A die trying to fix an out of spec case will never be better than a new one fired in your gun. You may even check starline I hear there rifle trends to the military thickness.This is getting a little complicated. If I purchase once fired Lake City brass due to it's reputation for longer brass life I will then have to buy a small base die and shorten the brass life of the Lake City brass? Wouldn't I be better off staying away from the military brass altogether?
I agree.The best answer is to spend your hard earned greenbacks on imi or ppu brass for a semiautomatic. A die trying to fix an out of spec case will never be better than a new one fired in your gun. You may even check starline I hear there rifle trends to the military thickness.
The best answer is to spend your hard earned greenbacks on imi or ppu brass for a semiautomatic. A die trying to fix an out of spec case will never be better than a new one fired in your gun. You may even check starline I hear there rifle trends to the military thickness.
Ppu and imi are well respected military brass that handle semi abuse. My plug for starline was based on JRBs testing. I'm 100 on the first two an 80 on the third.What makes those 2 companys better? Thickness?
When using LC brass for 308, I had problems with my M14 chambering brass. My 700 milspec had hard bolt closing. SB fixed that. Like it was said earlier, if you have the problem, you’ll know soon enough.
I don't believe there is an industry standard. The only die I've seen with published numbers are forester in the match 308 line of products.Someone tell me how much a small base die reduces the body diameter at the .200 line compared to a standard full length sizing die.
In thousandths …
I don't believe there is an industry standard. The only die I've seen with published numbers are forester in the match 308 line of products.
It depends on how much sizing your die is producing, you need to measure the brass to know for sure.I recently purchased a M1A and will start reloading soon for it. I purchased a new die set with a FL sizing die. Will I need to buy a small base die also?
Once a brass case enters and exits the chamber ok, making it smaller only creates a situation where it can be worked more.
For me “under” dies are not something I would consider.
If I had one rifle that would not run on factory ammunition, I would fix it. Who knows I might want to run factory ammunition sometime.
If I had a size die that could not return a case to factory dimensions, I would replace it.
At least that’s how I have avoided needing a special die for standard calibers.