.30 carbine die set mystery

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barnfrog

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So among the die sets I picked up at a recent estate sale is a .30 carbine set that has me baffled, partly because I don't reload this caliber and partly because of the dies themselves. The box says it's a 3-die set, but there are four dies in the box. Here are pictures of the box, both ends of all four dies, and the decapping rod from the far left die.

20210812_193744.jpg 20210812_193524.jpg 20210812_193715.jpg 20210812_201230.jpg

Obviously the sizing die on the far right is missing the decapping/sizing rod, so that needs to be replaced. And the decapping rod from the die on the far left is different from any I've seen before. Looking at the lettering on all four, there aren't three that look like they go together. I have no idea what I have here. I've written to RCBS and tried to describe the dies, but the email function won't let me send pics, the auto response says it may take up to 10 days for them to get back to me, and my curiosity is driving me nuts. I'm looking to sell these for below market value because I got them very cheap, but I have no idea what that is, and the rules of the Trading Post forums say "best offer" threads are verboten.

Any help out there? Thanks heaps.
 
I'd call it a decap and flare die, used after sizing, like you'd need to load cast bullets.
 
When I was tooling up, some decades ago, RCBS put the decapping pin on the expander plug.
So your original set was, counting left to right,
Die 4. Resize only.
Die 1. Decap, neck expand, mouth flare.
Die 3. Seat and probably crimp.

Die 2 is the later and current type, resize and decap.

I don't know why there are two sizing dies of different type and vintage.
 
For some reason, the owner added a steel sizing die three years after buying the carbide die set. The carbide set is 1980 while the steel sizing die is 1983. I would guess he didn’t like the looks of his loaded rounds from the carbide sizing die. The carbine case is tapered and the carbide die cannot duplicate the case taper like the steel die can. Either die requires the cases to be lubricated so the carbide doesn’t really save any time.
 
All good answers above. If you bought some of my die sets you would be just as confused. I sometimes change the FL sizing die or add a die to the set. To me it looks like the previous owner customized the die set to what he likes or thought would work best for him.
 
In the older dies sets the deprimer was a separate die that did the flaring too. Very common for taper cases, since your unable to flare and size at the same time. My set of 30 carbine is from the 70's, 3 die set, non carbide. Sizing (FL), deprime & flare, bullet seater.
 
So was there anything that threaded into the top of the sizing die?

On the old die sets they did have internal threads, but I never tried to figure out what they were for. As received in the RCBS box, the sizing die just sized. I have a couple of sets in .38 special.
 
On the old die sets they did have internal threads, but I never tried to figure out what they were for. As received in the RCBS box, the sizing die just sized. I have a couple of sets in .38 special.
Thank you all VERY much. Now I at least know that I am selling a complete set of dies that is not missing any parts.
 
When I was tooling up, some decades ago, RCBS put the decapping pin on the expander plug.
So your original set was, counting left to right,
Die 4. Resize only.
Die 1. Decap, neck expand, mouth flare.
Die 3. Seat and probably crimp.

I bought a used set like those. It took me awhile to figure out what was what. They work fine.
 
I believe that all the sizing dies were made from a standard blank. That blank was always threaded. At least all my older RCBS die sets that are non carbide were set up that way. Other brands also did it that way years ago as well.
 
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