Dies for .45 ACP?
- Thread starter Buck13
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Otto
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- May 14, 2007
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Sizer….Redding or RCBS. (Steel dies will size further down on the case).
Expander….Lyman M die.
Seater….Dillion with a custom seating plug.
Crimp….I barely crimp the cartridge, so any TC die will suffice. Sometimes I just use a regular sizing die as an alternative.
My case gage failure rate is less than 1% and I check everyone before they’re boxed.
Expander….Lyman M die.
Seater….Dillion with a custom seating plug.
Crimp….I barely crimp the cartridge, so any TC die will suffice. Sometimes I just use a regular sizing die as an alternative.
My case gage failure rate is less than 1% and I check everyone before they’re boxed.
I've been happy with RCBS pistol dies. I hate using dies with floating expanders, which includes Lee and some Hornady pistol die sets. I also don't like the one-piece (non-removable) expanders of some Hornady pistol die sets. I've not used any other pistol dies, except for single (non-set) Lyman M-type expander dies which work great.
I started with an RCBS .45 ACP die set. The sizer was a bit large and wouldn't size RP cases enough, so I called RCBS and they sent me another sizer. Well, it sure would size cases down, talk about bottle necked all to heck, so I continued to use the other sizer and avoid RP cases for awhile. Then I ordered a Redding sizer and it was perfect, but the carbide ring came out, I put it back in and it lasted for awhile, but came out again. I called Redding and they sent me another sizer, but it scraped/gouged cases where the case entered the ring. I called them and they basically told me I didn't know how to use a sizer. Sigh, so I bought a Lyman sizer, and it's near perfect. I replaced the expander with a Redding "M-Die" type expander (Before RCBS started doing it as well), and since I was using so many different .45 ACP bullets, I bought a Redding Competition seater so it was easy to dial back and forth between bullets. I then bought a Redding taper crimp die to crimp after sating with the Competition seater.
That's where my .45 ACP die set stands today.
Needless to say, it's hard for me to buy Redding anymore, despite the fact they make very good stuff.
That's where my .45 ACP die set stands today.
Needless to say, it's hard for me to buy Redding anymore, despite the fact they make very good stuff.
lordpaxman
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I recommend carbide dies only, and also seat and crimp in separate steps. As you’ve read, any brand will get the job done. I’m just amazed Dillon hasn’t been mentioned yet…. They make a decent set of dies as well, you’ll get a resizer, seater and crimp die. The resizer has a spring loaded decap pin to help push out the spent primer if you’re on a progressive, if that’s a consideration. I believe someone else makes an aftermarket decap pin like this as well.
They make a decent set of dies as well, you’ll get a resizer, seater and crimp die. The resizer has a spring loaded decap pin to help push out the spent primer if you’re on a progressive, if that’s a consideration. I believe someone else makes an aftermarket decap pin like this as well.
Soonerpesek
Member
I’m just amazed Dillon hasn’t been mentioned yet….
Oh Boy...........Here we go.......................................!................
I agree on the quality and the "extras" the dies have.
Spring decap, ability to take the seating and crimping dies apart without removing the body, ability to "custom" the seating stem to your specific needs fairly simply.
I'm a fan and user also.......................
Mighty Armory makes a nice product.............
Many years ago my Hornady 9MM nitrided sizer had all the coating wear off in less than 1K rounds and was useless, so I bought a carbide replacement, but I have seen this posted a few times, so they must have gotten it figured out or I just had a bad die. Since first seeing this here, I've been meaning to buy one to try them out again for years now, but haven't gotten around to it.
Wildbillz
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- Apr 10, 2010
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- 1,024
Soonerpesek
Member
CQB45ACP
Member
Yeah and, besides me, who admitted a “cool” look was a reason?
Hornady sizing and seating die
Lyman M-die for expansion
Lee FCD with the carbide ring removed
GeoDudeFlorida
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I don’t think Markie-Mark has chimed in yet but no doubt he will. The coolness factor has to be considered.
Soonerpesek
Member
Now we're INVITING him to join in......................?!?!............................
Redding dies are my first choice but I'll buy RCBS in a heart beat if I cannot find a Redding set.
I have a few Lyman die sets, bought when I could not find Redding or RCBS. They work fine.
I've had some issues with a Hornady sizer die (did not size the case enough) and a Hornady expander (expanded the case mouth too much and I could not remove the expander ball). I do not buy Hornady dies anymore although their seater dies have a feature where you can swap out the seating stem for one with a micrometer.
I stopped buying lee dies because I prefer the storage boxes that RCBS, Lyman, or Redding dies come in and I do n ot lkike the o-ring die lock rings on the Lee dies. At the time, the 1990's the price difference between Lee dies and RCBS dis was such after i got finished buying new lock rings and a new storage box for the Lee dies, I was spending more than if I bought the RCBS dies to begin with.
I think the price difference has grown these days so my reasoning is not as valid any more. Lee dies work fine and have some interesting features.
I taper crimp 45 ACP in a separate step from seating. Actually, I crimp all handgun rounds separate from seating. Not a necessity but my preference.
I have a few Lyman die sets, bought when I could not find Redding or RCBS. They work fine.
I've had some issues with a Hornady sizer die (did not size the case enough) and a Hornady expander (expanded the case mouth too much and I could not remove the expander ball). I do not buy Hornady dies anymore although their seater dies have a feature where you can swap out the seating stem for one with a micrometer.
I stopped buying lee dies because I prefer the storage boxes that RCBS, Lyman, or Redding dies come in and I do n ot lkike the o-ring die lock rings on the Lee dies. At the time, the 1990's the price difference between Lee dies and RCBS dis was such after i got finished buying new lock rings and a new storage box for the Lee dies, I was spending more than if I bought the RCBS dies to begin with.
I think the price difference has grown these days so my reasoning is not as valid any more. Lee dies work fine and have some interesting features.
I taper crimp 45 ACP in a separate step from seating. Actually, I crimp all handgun rounds separate from seating. Not a necessity but my preference.
GeoDudeFlorida
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Well, I didn’t turn on the Bat Signal or anything but... sure! Why not! I miss reading barely legible garbled responses that avoid answering the actual question. Just like I miss having a three-year-old running around underfoot.Now we're INVITING him to join in......................?!?!............................
The interesting thing is how many of us use mixed sets. The only one I really don’t see the point of is the spring-loaded decapping rod. I guess I’ve never needed one because I’m not a Progressive?
Soonerpesek
Member
I am not opposed to mix n match at all, find out what works best for you......
As far as the spring loaded decapper, I have plenty of Dillon brand that have it, and I did get the Mighty Armory brand for the LEE APP....
...............................and yes, I also have grown sorta fond of @Mark_Mark and his antics...........
I haven’t found Dillon dies anything special except that they charge a lot for pretty plain dies. I’ve heard, more than once, that Dillon dies were made for them by Lee. I’ve never bothered to verify it, but the finish and feel are very similar.I’m just amazed Dillon hasn’t been mentioned yet….
2ndtimer
Member
FWIW, I used a 3 die set by Lee with carbide sizer for years. Didn’t shoot that much .45 ACP, and they seemed to work okay. But got a deal on some Wolf 230 gr FMJ bullets and decided to load some up and had a problem with bullet setback even after taper crimping. Finally stumbled on a deal for the RCBS set, and the bullet setback issue went away. The RCBS sizing die clearly sizes the cases more than the Lee die. Let me know if you would like a slightly used Lee set for cheap!
ballman6711
Member
I also mix and match. I have one set of Lee dies given to me by a friend that reloads, and I just don't care for them. Not bashing Lee, I just like my Hornady and RCBS dies better.
I generally use:
RCBS for sizing, it seems to size a bit under what's needed, giving good neck tension on the finished round.
RCBS for expanding, for me it's easy to adjust for a .451 bullet or a .452 bullet, and seems to work better than the Hornady non-adjustable expander.
Hornady for seating, I like the sleeve, it seems to help me seat my bullets straighter, although that could just be in my mind.
RCBS for crimping, again it's easy for me to adjust and just seems to work well.
I would like to try the M-style expanders, as well as a set of "premium" dies, but I can't justify spending the money when what I have works as well as it does.
To quote @CQB45ACP , there's more than one way to skin a cat. My opinion is if it works for you, then it works.
chris
CQB45ACP
Member
What I didn’t realize until I bought Redding micrometer adjustable dies is how fine the threads were as compared to Lees. This of course permits far more precise/incremental/minor adjustments.
So to again underscore the mix & match approach, while I like Lee’s dies, had I known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have bought the full 4 die set rather only those specific dies I needed like the FCD which I really like.
So to again underscore the mix & match approach, while I like Lee’s dies, had I known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have bought the full 4 die set rather only those specific dies I needed like the FCD which I really like.
Sometimes "works well" keeps you from trying something which works optimally
I went with the Lyman M-die because I liked the way it created a "cup" to hold bullets straighter and kept them from tipping when moving between die stations.
The Redding Competition Seating die has a sleeve which looks a lot like that on the Hornady, but internally is a bit better at keeping the bullet and case aligned. Also the floating ram contacts the bullet nose at the ogive rather than the nose. The biggest advantage are the fine threads in the Redding, compared to the Lee or Dillon (which are horrible), which allows COL adjustments of .001" per tick on the micrometer...making adjustments less guess work and more measurable
ballman6711
Member
If I were to try an "M" die, any recommendations? I am open to suggestions.
FWIW I load on a single stage, but would still like to try an M die.
chris
Ive run the Lyman for about 8 years now. Started with just a 9mm die as a test, and not I dont own a caliber that doesnt either use a Lyman M-die or a mandrel of some sort.
