Lyman M die

Status
Not open for further replies.
PWC

PWC

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2018
Messages
1,814
Location
Central AZ
Does it require 1 die per cal, or can you buy different expanders for the die body?

I'm having problems with shaving lead with my current 38 spl 357 lead set up. Seat and crimp in 2 steps.
 
I just ordered the Lyman M die for 45ACP , every once an while I was getting a bulge on one side of the case at the base of the bullet . I position the bullet on top of the case as straight as possible , want them to be as perfect as possible . Also went with the Hornady sleeved seating die .
 
M dies are not that expensive... I would just order them in the diameters you need and leave it at that. Never had to use them in handgun cartridges, I just adjusted the case mouth flare a little more for cast bullets, but the M Die is essential for loading cast in rifle cartridges. Now that I think about it, I could see where replacing the case flare die with the M die might be beneficial, my only concern would be losing some amount of case tension on the bullet, probably not that big of a deal in a lower velocity handgun cartridge.
 
The "cup/seat" created by the M die isn't enough to cause an issue...the bullet is seated past that depth.

What I've done to address bullet shaving is:
1. Trim cases
2. Chamfer case mouths
3. Use M die
4. Use Redding Competition Seating die

I'm loading on a LNL AP and the seat allows the bullet to remain stable while moving between stations
 
If you are thinking about purchasing the Lyman M die pretty soon, I'd recommend looking at the Redding version.

The Redding Expander (non-Premium) die is currently on Clearance at Midway and is a much nicer die for the same price.
 
If you are looking to expand the body of the case to cast bullet diameter, get the Lyman die/expander insert to match.
Lee's allow you to buy/control body diameter expansion in your choice of thousandths.
 
9mmepiphany said:
You can buy different expander plug/inserts for the same die body, but you'll lose your settings when you change them.

I have them for 38AP, 38R, 45AP, 45R, and 44R
Click to expand...

Yup, I buy one for every caliber I shoot, rifle and pistol. They are a God send for getting flat based bullets started straight for rifle too.

I don't want to change the settings on them with every caliber swap, so I just buy one for each caliber. Set it and forget it.
 
9mmepiphany said:
What Lee dies don't offer is the "seat/cup" with parallel sides to align/stabilize the bullet as it enters the seating die
Click to expand...
I'll admit that I prefer the full-length/fully-uniform/straight-sided shank expansion of the floating plug.
Straight bullet I insure by manual alignment in a nicely belled case mouth just to a 1/2-dime's depth.


post: the straight shank/body of the plug for my 458 Win/45-70 is 0.4575"
That has a short transition to another straight 0.463" for 3/32 at the top.
Perfect for the required graduated "bell" needed in plain-base bullets
 
Last edited:
I bought the Lyman "M" die about 6 months ago and was so unhappy with the basic quality and component fit that I didn't even put it in my 550 and try it. I will pull t out tomorrow and post what I disliked about mit the most.
 
The M die has been around forever. NOE offers expander plugs that go into the Lee Universal Expander. These plugs come with way more choices that the M dies. For example, I ordered .309, .310 and .311 for 308's with lead bullets. Also, I have an additional M die bodies and stems collected over time. These die bodies are M1 and M2 or long and short. I find it easier to use the Lee Expander across the board for small batches of rifle cartridges. It does not take that long to adjust expanders outside of those on the 550.
 
One M die per caliber.
But NOE has a nifty little altenative. You purchase a Lee Universal Case Flaring Die (which only bells cases) and then get the NOE inserts that are made just like a M die. Not only is the insert cheaper but you can get them in a large variety of diameters to fit your cast bullet.... This set up rocks !
Gary
 
The Lyman "M" die came highly recommended to me also. In addition to the threads being as coarse as a rasp file & a few burrs & sharp edges when I screwed the stem into the die it had way too much thread clearance to my liking & if you turned the assembly upside down you could see how non-aligned the assy was.when turned upside down. When you screwed down the lock nut it appeared to kick the die out of alignment. In addition to needing a new hole for the powder drop when using it. there are some very good expander powder drops out there on the aftermarket that simplify and improve the loading process. Also some very good shoulder bullet seating dies. Is that monstrosity even stainless, or is it non-stainless steel waiting to corrode?
 
FWIW & IMHO a aftermarket expander powder drop & a shoulder seating die/stem are a much better set-up.
 
I can testify that the NOE plugs give a gentle flare-no trumpet-mouth for me. The bullets starts into the case easily. The case and bullet seater have a bunch to do with how concentric the round turns out. I like the floating bullet seating plug in the Lee seater die that goes with the collet sizer sets. For me the NOE plugs just work better in the Lee Universal Expander than the Lyman M die. I find that Lyman dies are much better finished now that when I started reloading. Don't toss those M dies. You'll need the for something three days later-a rule of reloading.
 
For those who have cited examples of the use of the M die in rifle cartridges.

While informative, bear in mind that the OP is asking about the use of the die in pistol cases.
 
Mowgli Terry said:
the NOE plugs give a gentle flare-no trumpet-mouth for me
Click to expand...
That is what I would have expected from a quality product...I've found that "trumpet flare" very irritating.

I set my die deep enough so that when I place a bullet in the mouth it doesn't fall out when I tilt the case. If I pick out the bullet, there should be a slight pull of the sides of the mouth clinging to the bullet shank...often I'll get a slight "vacuum pop"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

V
  • Locked
Compatability with Lyman M die and Lee seating die
Replies
3
Views
661
243winxb
243winxb
L
  • Locked
LYMAN M DIE ?
2
Replies
25
Views
3K
lonewolf5347
L
O
Is Lyman "M" expanding die a part of their Premium Carbide 3 Die Set?
Replies
23
Views
587
Onty
O
R
  • Locked
Lyman M Die
Replies
7
Views
2K
brickeyee
B
P
  • Locked
Lyman "M" die? Your thoughts?
Replies
4
Views
674
CMcDermott
C
Back
Top