.30 Carbine dies

Walkalong said:

Do they have a carbide insert? Is it tapered? Does it leave cases looking like factory?

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I think there is a visable ring, I do not know if it is tapered or not. I would have to look when I get home in a few hours.
After FL sizing the cases look like they should, no wasping or the like…they look like the new brass from Starline, just not as shiny...

ETA: The website states that the carbide rifle dies are "full-length carbide" if that answers the taper question.....

The LEE Dies that I have do not have a Ring.
They are Carbide from Stem to Stern.

I can't speak for the Taper vs Wasp Waist right now.
All of my reloads have been unloaded. I should have some sized brass out in the shop.
I'll try to get out there later.
I can say that my loads function great in two different rifles.

It's below freezing here and everything is covered in ice!!!
Has been for two days. The good news is.... We have more Ice Storms coming.

I know that's common for some folks, but NOT in Arlington Texas!!! LOL

I'll see about getting some brass pics later.

The 30 carbine set I have is from RCBS made in the 60's. It's all steel, requires lube but has never failed.

Walkalong said:

Same question, is the carbide insert tapered? Does it "wasp waist" the case down low?

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I believe its tapered. I don't have a good way to measure it. I just resized a hand full of cases to check and mine does not leave the case with a wasp-waist.

I use Lee dies. However, FYI if you try to order the special-order .30 Carbine powder through charging die, it doesn't work. At least mine doesn't. The internal sleeve or activator is too short and doesn't move the Lee powder measure far enough. I haven't bothered to send it back yet.

Walkalong said:

Fixed it.

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Thank You!

I believe the Lee dies are a Carbide insert ring. RCBS are FL Carbide die.

My .30 Carbine do NOT show a ring or wasp waist.

My old, feeble memory is saying my .41 and .45 ACP carbide dies are Lee. .357 are Dillon.
.44, .45C and .30Carbine are RCBS.

I use RCBS steel from the mid '70s. They work great. Lubing isn't a big deal

I have an old steel set from RCBS that I bought used. They are unusual, to me at least, in that the sizing die only sizes, you decap and bell together on the second die. Seat and crimp on the third as is typical.

The sizer must be tapered as there is no wasp waist. In fact, less so than a factory Aguila, my load on left, Aguila on right. Excuse the crummy lighting.



LC brass with a GI pulldown bullet.

I have a set of Dillons in waiting but haven't set them up yet. I think that the entire inside of the die is carbide, not just a ring. There is a quite severe warning about lubing cases on the box!

A potential problem with a die with a long tapered carbide insert is what to do if it is of too small diameter for the brass you use. It's easier to enlarge a steel die.
On the other hand, if I could be sure the carbide die would correctly size the brand brass case that I was going to use, I would prefer that. I think that's the whole point of Walkalong's post here.

The results on LC brass above using RCBS carbide die look good.

These were sized on my Lee Carbide Dies.

Most, if not all the manufacturers of carbide 30 Carbine dies recommend lubing the cases.

Some folks do not use lube and get good results.

I lube mine.

I have no idea how long the carbide insert is.

Walkalong said:

Do they have a carbide insert? Is it tapered? Does it leave cases looking like factory? Does it "wasp waist" the case down low?

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You be the judge:

Walkalong said:

RCBS has steel and carbide, Lee has carbide, not sure if the Hornady set is nitrided or not, Redding appears to be steel, Lyman appears to be steel......

What would you recommend and why?

What dies do you use, and what do you like or dislike about them?

Are either of the carbide inserts for Lee or RCBS long and tapered?

I'll be loading for my sons rifle. I have the shell plate, 100 Remington bullets from years gone by, and have ordered 500 more from RMR, just need dies.

Thanks

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I use a hodgepodge of dies. The sizer is a new-ish RCBS carbide die for sizing (Note- case lube is best used with the .30 Carbine, even with carbide dies), a Redding for belling the mouth, some '60's vintage for seating and a Redding for the taper crimp.

They all work fine.

35W

Walkalong said:

Those look nice, you can see where the sizer stops, but it's minor.

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Here is a pic of the Dillon size die...



Here is the brass: New Starline on the left, and fired and sized on the right....

I use Lee carbide dies. Mine look like the one Dredd pictures. I also lube with lanolin to reduce the force needed to size. The lee shellholder came apart on me so I purchased a RCBS as a replacement. This has worked well for 20 years or so.

I use the Lee dies and the sizer is tapered carbide. I do the sizing in one step, because I have found the bullet seating is more precise that way. I do lube the cases beforehand. So, my stages are:
1) Deprime, steel pin tumble clean
2) Lube and size
3) Trim to length (1.680) (Franklin Arsenal case trimmer)
4) Prime, dispense powder with a .308 case mouth sizer inserted in the powder dispenser
5) Place and seat bullet.

I did get the RCBS Tapered shell crimp die, but set correctly it never crimped one round. The Lee seater die (adjusted per instructions) gave plenty of neck tension to hold the projectile.

H110 is supposedly the be all, end all powder. I have been loving it myself.

That being said.... AA#9 is supposed to be another well liked powder.
I think you will find good data for it and produce good rounds.