Loose Die Locking Rings or Nuts

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G

GunAdmirer

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I'm sorta new to reloading but have had good luck so far.

I have several sets of RCBS dies. I've assumed the large locking rings or nuts are used to keep a die's setting after removal. That's what the instructions indicate. However, the RCBS rings easily come loose even with the lead shot trick.

Are the rings really to keep a particular setting or just to keep a die moving in the press once the die is set each time? Are other brands' locking rings better? I noticed that other companies have rings that seem to clamp more securely.

I hate having to reset a die each time I use it. It takes time. I started marking the dies with a sharpie to speed up the process. Any other advice?
 
If you tighten the set screw good and snug while the lock ring is fully tighened down, it doesn't tend to be tight enough... when you loosen the lock ring to remove the die, the lock ring will turn without grabbing the die. Right?

What I do is to screw the die into the press until it's about 1/8 turn away from where I want it, then screw the lock ring down until it's just barely touching the press, then tighten the set screw until it's snug. Then I take my die wrench and give the lock ring that last 1/8 turn to snug the die down. I can then remove the die with the die wrench and the lock ring won't be loose.

I also found that with lead shot under the set screw, I had to use more torque on the set screw to get a solid lock.
 
Wayne's method works for me as well. A better ring IMO is a split one with the screw pulling the split together, clamping the ring on the die. I can't recall who all makes them. Hornady? Lyman?
 
I just got some of the split ring types from Lyman. Seem to work fine. You'll find them on their web site. Something between $3 and $4 each.
 
Wayne's method works for me as well. A better ring IMO is a split one with the screw pulling the split together, clamping the ring on the die. I can't recall who all makes them. Hornady? Lyman?
Click to expand...

Forster Products sells lock rings like this.
 
Does anyone sell split rings with wrench flats? The only split rings I've had are the old RCBS style, which are round and knurled. I'd sure like to be able to use a die wrench and not a pipe wrench, which is why I keep using the non-split rings.
 
WayneConrad

I think your suggestion will work. I'll give it a try next time I get to do some reloading. Not much time lately. :(

I want to try those split ring nuts. The ones I've seen have a screw to adjust the tension. That's gotta be better than the RCBS design to keep it snug.
 
I've always done fine with the Lee rings with just the o-rings in them. Seems like it wouldn't be secure, but it's always worked for me.
 
I use the split rings. The RCBS locking rings are crap sinch they changed over to using a brass screw about 15 years ago. Its impossible to get the screw tight enough to hold, split shot added or not, without stripping out the head of the screw.
 
Rings of power

I like RCBS dies myself, but have often had trouble with the lock rings. The Hornady lock rings, with an allen-head tightening screw, solved the problem for me.
 
I tried to adjust some of the RCBS locking rings again tonight. No luck. They still worked themselves loose. I could make it work if I were into die adjusting instead of reloading and shooting. I think it is a poor design. To RCBS' credit, they sent me additional brass screws and a spoonful of lead shot for free.

I'm going to try the Hornady split ring.
 
GA,
The Hornady split rings do have wrench flats. You might consider going to the Hornady Lock 'N Load system. Once you have your dies dialed in, they stay that way. One drawback is you have to either have the Hornady Lock 'N Load press, or a press that can be converted using the Hornady conversion bushing, such as the RCBS Rockchucker or Redding Ultra Mag. Another drawback is my Redding dies don't fit into the die boxes with the Lock 'N Load bushing on them, altho I have heard they will fit into Hornady die boxes.
 
I've never used a wrench on the locking rings before. Is that necessary? I use a single stage press and simply tighten the nuts firmly by hand. I haven't had a problem.
 
A wrenching thought

Gun Admirer & Bushmaster--I used to hand tighten my die lock rings, too. Then one day I was busily running off a batch of ammo, and discovered wide variations in the OAL. The hand-tightened lock ring on my seating die had worked loose, and the die was seating the bullets to whatever depth it pleased!

So now I keep a dedicated wrench on my loading bench (A neat old monkey wrench that was my grandfather's!) just for snugging down the die lock ring on whatever die I'm using. I snug down Lee dies, too, O-ring or no O-ring. Round-to-round uniformity in the ammo is a Good Thing.

Actually I have 2 wrenches, one for the die lock rings, and one for the smaller lock ring for the bullet seater die on my .357 die set. For the second wrench, I found my grandfather's wrench's little brother, so they are a nice set.
 
Handtightening is plenty good enough if you don't mind resetting the dies every time you remove them from the press and use them again.

If they are loosening on you, you are probably setting them up wrong. To set up a die properly, you need to have pressure on the bottom of the die from the ram or if you are only partially FL sizing, have a stack of washers on on the shellholder to put pressure on the bottom of the die. This will take up the slack in the threads and allow the lock ring to lock the die down tight, more importantly, it sets the die square with the shellholder.
 
I have 5 turrets with the dies mounted and hand tight. They are never moved and I trim my cases to a uniform length. I just change turrets in my Lee turret press for each calibre. I have very rarely had to readjust the dies.
 
Lock rings

I have about 35 die sets, about 25 are Lee, all the rest I have turned a recess in the lock nuts for o-rings, I have no problem with any die moving on me . :D
 
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