Die Spacer

[floydster]

If you like to seat and crimp in two steps these spacers I made work great, install the spacer, seat the bullet, remove spacer and crimp. Made from 1/8" plexi.
No need to reset die for a particular load you like, just back off the seating stem when you crimp.
I use these when I batch load.

 

[rcmodel]

Yep!

You can also buy a 7/8" flat washer at the hardware store if you don't have the means to drill big holes.

rc

 

[fguffey]

Adjusting dies, as we all know Skip sells shims, not a problem but to use Skip’s shims the die must be removed from the press to add a shim. I do not use shims between the locking nut and press, I do not secure the lock ring to the die, by not securing the lock ring I am allowed to adjust the die without removing the die from the press, I secure the die to the press with the lock ring, and as we all know I adjust my dies to the shell holder with the feeler gage, or I use the dial caliper to adjust the height of the die above the press, or I use a height gage.

Spacers? RCBS, in the old days, sold two sets of dies, one for the 38 Special and another for the 357 Magnum, because? reloaders were sold on the ideal of adjusting the die then secure the lock ring to the die, then! came the spacer for the seater/crimp die, and I adjust my dies every time I install them.

F. Guffey

 

[snuffy]

Get ya some of these shims for adjusting dies;

http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Arbor-Assortment-1008-1010-Chemistry/dp/B002BXRDKY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323494786&sr=8-2

The range of thicknesses lets you adjust seating/crimping dies from one press to another. Like from a lee turret to a dillon 650.

 

[Curt Blunt]

On my single stage I would adjust the die for the crimp I wanted then put two pennies, at 180 degrees to one another to seat the bullets and remove them and back out seating stem to crimp. Seemed to work ok.

 

[Striker Fired]

Redding sells spacers also,so does Mcmaster or Fastenal

 

[Seedtick]

I was thinking about recommending a shim die for jobs like this and I wanted a reference so everyone would know what I was talking about. So I googled it.

Now, a shim die is as handy as an extra pocket on a shirt but for Pete's sake I didn't think they were gonna be this expensive. And this is only a 4 piece set. If you want you can pick up the smaller diameter set for only an extra $130.98 though.

Shim Die Set = $394.98

They are nice to have around and all........but they ain't that nice.

I'm fixing to bring mine in and put it in the safe.

Seedtick

 

[floydster]

I have been reloading for 59 years, and I have come to the conclusion 75% of the stuff the companys offer , you don't need I started reloading on a Dunlap drill press.
And it doesn't make you a better reloader.
Flame away.

 

[Walkalong]

I have and use spacers just like the ones snuffy linked to. I adjust my crimp dies for a heavy crimp, and then use spacers to get light, medium etc crimps. I record whatever spacers/s I use. That way I can get the same exact crimp later. I never have to adjust the lock ring.

Flame away.

Nah. Your right.

Now let me tell a story on myself.

The other day I ordered some .458 brass, bullets, dies, & shell plate. Got ready to load a few and dang it, I realized I had forgotten the shell holder for my hand primer. Arghh.

Since I had no clue where the primer seaters for my LNL were, I clamped a 3/8 rod in the vice, dropped the brass over it, used a tiny ball peen and hammered the primers in flush, and then used a punch to knock them slightly below flush.

For the record, I do NOT recommend this method of priming. I am just saying, it can be done, it has been done before. Primers are fairly tough. I DO recommend wearing safety glasses when handling primers roughly. But mostly I recommend you use a proper priming tool.


Flame away.


Yea, yea, the shell holder came today.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Walkalong,

That's nothing new at all. Lee did that with their original reloading kit for both shotgun shells and metallic cartridges. You punched out the old primer with a punch and hammer, then seated the new primer with a punch and hammer. There was no press involved, just the assorted dies, punches and you provided the hammer. I still have the kit in 12 gauge that I bought sometime way back in the 1960's.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Sport45]

If you like to seat and crimp in two steps these spacers I made work great, install the spacer, seat the bullet, remove spacer and crimp.

I may be missing something here, but won't that seat the bullet another 1/8" when you remove the spacer? So you wind up adjusting the seating stem and die every time anyway. It would be easier to set it up for crimping and put and index mark on the lock ring and die body.

Turn the lock ring down one turn for seating, up one turn for crimping. Back out the seating stem 3 or 4 rounds before crimping.

 

[Walkalong]

I am only using the spacer system on crimp only dies crimping seated rounds.

For some lead revolver rounds with a good crimp groove I use a preset seat/crimp die which I do not change. I just stick with the same bullet.

I used to go through the trouble of re-adjusting the crimp and seater stem when changing bullets, but never liked the fact that I may not be recreating the same crimp when going back to a bullet. I started buying separate crimp dies or using extra seaters to crimp, and using spaces to adjust the crimp. I like this system. It is no more or less trouble, but more consistent.

 

[fguffey]

quote:_________________________________________________________________
If you like to seat and crimp in two steps these spacers I made work great, install the spacer, seat the bullet, remove spacer and crimp

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sport45, I knew I was wasting my time explaining the use of shims when I failed to convince anyone the die had to be indexed (.000-zeroed) first, I gave up when the concept if raising and or lowering the die was solely dependent on where the shim was placed. Again, RCBS sold 38 Special dies, then they sold 357 Magnum dies, after that they sold the same set of dies with a spacer that worked if the rleoader added the shim between the press and locking ring, that worked if they did not adjust the die every time they used it, like me, I do not secure the lock ring to the die, I secure the die to the press with the lock ring.

Dillon started the seat on one and crimp on the other, there is a conflict when crimping while the seating, the bullet is moving down while the bullet is closing in around the bullet, in the perfect world of ‘all cases being the same length’ that works, maybe. I am not a fan of removing the die to add a shim, and I am not an easy sale.

I have a Dillon 550B, I seat and crimp with one die, I use a powder lock out die, I could seat then crimp on a single stage press, but that is not Walkalong said he does, I did say I have a 45 ACP that likes new, store bought, factory ammo or ammo I load and crimp with a full length sizer die, not all of the case just enough of the case to improve the appearance, to improve the appearance I remove the bulge, the bulge that makes the case look like it swallowed the bullet.

seating, crimping and adding shims, taking shims out and then there is the ‘where to place the shims’, requires keeping up with more than one thought at a time, Sprots45, you are correct, the crimp is adjusted first then the seater stem/plug is adjusted, not the other way around.

F. Guffey

 

[Walkalong]

Since I do not use a powder cop die, I can seat in station four and crimp in station five, which is what I do for most pistol rounds, although for some I seat and crimp in the same step.

I seat and crimp almost all rifle in one step, but many pistol rounds in a second step, because I use different crimps in the same caliber, depending on the bullet, power level, etc. when loading some pistol calibers.

 

[fguffey]

If I am using a Dillon 550B with a 4 position tool head I use a lock out die or a powder die, that means I must seat and crimp on one position, or, seat first then crimp in a separate operation. With a press with 5 positions as your press seating on one position and crimping on another is prefect for the lock out die and or powder die.

F. Guffey

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, but I set up my Redding 10X and BR-30 to work automatically in station three, so I only have two left after powder dump. I guess I could have set them up in station two, but did not. Not a problem for me. Instead of the powder cop, I see each powder charge in the case. The position in the LNL allows me to do that easily.

 

[gamestalker]

Wow, too much work for me. I just seat and crimp in one step and am a happy camper. Once I have adjusted the die to seat and crimp the first round, every round after that comes out about as close to the same as I'll ever need +/- .003" for my wheel gun cartridges.

And since I don't load lead, I don't have a need to crimp my AL cases, ever. And I'll bet some are wondering how I seat my AL cases without belling the mouths? I lightly ream and chamfer after trimming, yes, I trim them, and then the bullet will set straight and starts straight, and I don't have to deal with split mouths from being over worked. I started doing it this way when I first started reloading way back when, and haven't found a reason to change.