Carbide dies

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gamestalker

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I realize how stupid this must sound comming from a long time hand loader of nearly 30 yrs, but I'm also the guy who doesn't hardly know how to use a computer beyond using this site, and sending an e-mail.
I use a neck die for all my high powered rifle cartridges, and have a question about using a carbide die for this. Is there any such thing as a carbide neck size die? I figure since resizing the neck is really no different than sizing a straight walled case, they probably exist, no? It's not that it is all that time consuming to lube the necks, but it would obviously eliminate that extra step of having to deal with wiping the lube off, and the expense of buying lube.
Once again ya all, thanks for accomodating this old man and his dinosaur age perspectives and concepts. You all are so good to me and so patient. You all really makes me feel welcome and comfortable expressing my ideas and questions, which I have no doubt are sometimes out there.
Thanks from the bottom of my old heart!
 
Hornady sells carbide neck expander stems in rifle calibers. Would eliminate the tedious [to me at lest] chore of removing lube inside the neck. Not sure I would even worry about the outside of a neck as far as removing lube, just a quick twist with a paper towel.
 
Quote: Never seen or needed one myself....I necksize only using a Lee Collet die. I don't lube them.

+1

Or use graphite on the inside of the case neck. Frankly, in 35 years of reloading with a lot of neck sizing I've never cleaned the inside of the neck after slightly lubing it, and in those same 35 years this practice has never caused a problem, not even once.
 
Redding bushing dies have a titanium nitride coated bushing option for the bushings. Might be what you are looking for.

Redding also has carbide sizer buttons for some calibers but I find a little lubricant is still helpful.

I have done neck sizing with steel dies using a dry lubricant like mica. It works pretty.

Wilson makes carbide bushings that fit Wilson and Redding dies. Not sure how broad a range of diameters are available. Sinclair only lists 6 sizes from .2570" to .2795".
 
Whitetail Design used to make carbide bushings. I have some for 6 PPC. I do not know if they are still around. I also have their PP uniforming tool made of carbide. They are, or were, pricey. I have some of the Redding coated bushings and they work well. The RCBS coated bushings claim to be even more slippery, but I have not tried one.

I use the Redding carbide expander buttons everywhere I can. They worked on the old style RCBS dies and will work on the new ones with an easy mod.
 
I use a neck die for all my high powered rifle cartridges, and have a question about using a carbide die for this. Is there any such thing as a carbide neck size die? I figure since resizing the neck is really no different than sizing a straight walled case, they probably exist, no? It's not that it is all that time consuming to lube the necks, but it would obviously eliminate that extra step of having to deal with wiping the lube off, and the expense of buying lube.
Click to expand...

If you notice, carbide dies are all in straight walled cartridges. Ninety nine percent of them are pistol.

Regardless of die material, you are going to have to lubricate a bottlenecked cartridge or it will get stuck.

I was curious to know if anyone made bottleneck carbide dies, I was told that probably for commercial ammunition factories. I assume the cost is horrific as I don't know how you would cut carbide. I suspect they are ground out.
 
Another vote for the Lee collet neck sizing die. It does not overwork your brass by sizing too small and running back over a expander. No lube needed either!
 
+3 on the Lee Collet neck die. No lube and makes a straighter neck than a bushing die.
 
Mr. Lee's invention...

Yet another +1 here for the Lee Collet Neck Sizing Die--They work SLICK! So much so that back when the .300 WSM was brand-new, and I got one, I had Lee custom-make me a LCNS die for it--cost a bunch but it too works slick. Now Lee has that die in their catalogue--If I'd only waited!

Gamestalker--I'm an old dinosaur myself--Have appreciated for years the patience and expertise of the folks who populate THR. Glad to have the chance occasionally to contribute an opinion.
 
+4 (or +5 ?) on lee.

Guys over there really do have everything, huh ?

I full length resize everything, so I'll never get the luxury of avoiding case lube....but good to know that the tech is out there !

Besides, stalker : Old dogs can learn new tricks- and you teach us young dogs new tricks all the time....usually ones involving crushing recoil and earsplitting sonic booms, but new tricks none-the-less :) Don't go nowhere :)
 
I full length resize everything, so I'll never get the luxury of avoiding case lube....
Click to expand...

Wrong. The Redding Type S bushing die is a full length sizing die. All you need to do is wipe a little Imperial about halfway down the case.

Don
 
Quote:
I full length resize everything, so I'll never get the luxury of avoiding case lube....
Wrong. The Redding Type S bushing die is a full length sizing die. All you need to do is wipe a little Imperial about halfway down the case.

Don
__________________

Wrong.

Imperial is a case lube. Even though its a wax.
 
You guys that are using the Lee Collet dies; are you getting consistant neck tension?

SlamFire: Dillon makes carbide small base dies for a few bottle necks rifles. You still have to lube before sizing. They seem to size with a little less force. Dillon claims they last longer than steel. They cost about twice as much.
 
USSR said:
Wrong. The Redding Type S bushing die is a full length sizing die. All you need to do is wipe a little Imperial about halfway down the case.

Don
Click to expand...

Redding makes the Type S bushing die in full length resize and neck size.

The full length size die would need some lubricant on the body of the case.

The neck size die with the titanium nitride coated would probably not require any lubricant.
 
Joker, there is no sense in just saying it doesn't exist. Especially since it was pointed out that they do exist in a form. Carbide would work great as gamestalker posted, for neck sizing only. For FL sizing, forget about it (at least cheap dies lol).

I have to put in a vote for a collet die setup. Although I have yet to use them, the concept is sound and requires no lube.
 
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Quote:
I full length resize everything, so I'll never get the luxury of avoiding case lube....
Wrong. The Redding Type S bushing die is a full length sizing die. All you need to do is wipe a little Imperial about halfway down the case.

You were wrong in suggesting that I could avoid lube by using lube..... :)
 
I was curious to know if anyone made bottleneck carbide dies, I was told that probably for commercial ammunition factories. I assume the cost is horrific as I don't know how you would cut carbide. I suspect they are ground out.
Click to expand...

Dillon sells full length carbide dies for 223, 308, 50 BMG.
The cost is horrific and you still have to lube them. About $120 for the small ones and and just a TICK under $800 for BMG. Way out of my range.
 
You were wrong in suggesting that I could avoid lube by using lube.....
Click to expand...

blarby,

The OP was concerning doing away with lube on the neck. You stated "I full length resize everything, so I'll never get the luxury of avoiding case lube....", and I simply stated that you could full length resize and still avoid the lube on the neck by using full length bushing dies, and "All you need to do is wipe a little Imperial about halfway down the case". Don't know how much clearer a man can be.

Don
 
NO such thing

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carbides are PISTOL ONLY!
Click to expand...

Dillon sells full length carbide dies for 223, 308, 50 BMG.
The cost is horrific and you still have to lube them. About $120 for the small ones and and just a TICK under $800 for BMG. Way out of my range.
Click to expand...

Ever notice how blanket statements end badly?

But wait, maybe that was a blanket question.
 
Reloading .30-06, 9mm, and .280 with a Lee Turret Press. I would prefer to use a lube for a very good reason. Since the turret press won't cycle the .30-06 I have to break up the steps starting with cleaning, then de-priming before trimming and repriming. Those additional steps, plus adding the lube by hand allow me several passes to inspect each cartridge for splits and general cartridge integrity before I charge them and set/crimp. By handling so much I feel that I have a good base for loading.
 
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