Old RCBS Dies

[joem1945]

"I'd have to agree--Stuck cases are almost always caused by NO lube. "


I was given some .223 cases about 400 of them. I noted that the rim thickness and diameter was smaller than all my other cases. Didn't matter how much lube was on them the rim ripped off every time. Even decaped with a universal decap die and tried them in a Dillon size/trim die. Same results.

 

[mikemyers]

.....See this about photos.....

Sorry - I made the width 600, but that made the height quite a bit more. In the future I'll use 600 maximum for any dimension. It comes from Photoshop, so I can easily make them any size people here prefer.



UPDATE - I didn't know about the "resize" command when posting photos. The image is now displayed at a more reasonable size. Thanks rcmodel!

 

[mikemyers]

Did I miss something here - I didn't say anything about stuck cases, and I do have a lube pad with a bottle of RCBS lube to use on it. That's the next step, once I'm sure I have the resizing die set u properly.

If I buy new Dies, they'll be carbide, but back in the 1980's, I just used the lube pad, and never had a problem. I know there were discussions earlier about lube, but if I use all the stuff from RCBS, I don't anticipate any problems.....

As long as I'm asking, I assume I just spread the RCBS lube all over the pad, then put down five or so cases, and roll them back and forth. I think that's what I did long ago.



Added later - I did write " I got stuck", but that was ME, not the case. Maybe that was the wrong word to use. I should have written "stumped" or something..... sorry.....

 

[rcmodel]

RCBS lube = A little goes a very long ways on the pad.

Put a little on the pad and rub it totally into the pad with your fingers.

You only want enough on the pad to leave a very thin film on the cases when you roll them back & forth.

Any more then that, is too much, and you will be getting case shoulder oil dents during sizing..

rc

 

[gamestalker]

I sold my steel .357 and 44 die's a couple years ago. I was actually surprised at how fast they sold, I mean considering they're steel.

GS

 

[mikemyers]

If I were just starting out, I guess I would buy carbide dies, as so many people like them, and I haven't yet read about anyone not liking them. In this case, I see no reason to make any changes until after I'm actually reloading on a weekly basis, the way things were for me in the 1980's.

If that ever happens, I'll be posting a thread here asking which Dies are the best - is there anything preferable to RCBS. But that's a long ways off.


Does anyone here have any comments regarding "taking up the slack" in the press? The instructions specifically say to do so, but the RCBS technician said that this wording is mostly for rifle reloading, and for my handgun rounds I should NOT do so - just lock the Die in place where it is just touching the shell holder. Is he saying that only because I have the spring-loaded shell holder you see in the photo up above?

 

[fguffey]

Does anyone here have any comments regarding "taking up the slack" in the press? The instructions specifically say to do so, but the RCBS technician said that this wording is mostly for rifle reloading, and for my handgun rounds I should NOT do so - just lock the Die in place where it is just touching the shell holder. Is he saying that only because I have the spring-loaded shell holder you see in the photo up above?

Take up slack? I do not have slack, if I was lazy and or bored when answering questions about adjusting the die to the shell holder I would use the term "take up the slack". There are options when adjusting the die to, or off, or below the shell holder. Problem: reloaders want to start reloading in a dead run. I suggest practice to gain experience, and above all avoid willing reloaders that want to help but are opinionated.

F. Guffey

 

[mikemyers]

Take up slack? I do not have slack, ......

Sorry for using the word "slack"; I thought people would know what I meant. Here is the line from the instruction booklet, that the person at RCBS told me NOT to do:

"Be sure all play is removed from the press leverage system. To do this adjust the Die as above, lower the Shell Holder and set the Die 1/8 of a turn lower. Set the large lock ring securely against the face of the press."​

I can follow the written instructions, but decided I would do things the way the technician told me to do.... until/unless I'm convinced that he was wrong and the booklet is correct.

'fguffey', I think you saw what you thought I wrote, and not what/why I was asking the question. Also, I don't think the technician was lazy or bored either, as he explained everything in great detail, and told me a lot more, until he was satisfied that everything would go well.


Personally, I don't like fuzzy answers. Either the booklet posted up above is correct (take up the play/slack by lowering the die 1/8 turn after the Die hits the shell holder), OR the technician is right and the booklet is wrong (only lower the Die until it touches the shell holder, and no more.

 

[witchhunter]

Mike, this is the correct way to adjust pistol dies, you want a "cam-over" to size all of the case so it will function correctly. Rifle dies should be adjusted to the rifle's chamber, this is a different procedure to get it sized right.

 

[fguffey]

I thought you said he said, I went back and sure enough you said he said. If I adjust a die down to the shell holder and make an additional 1/4 turn after contact I am sizing a case to minimum length (also knows as) full length sizing. If I am successful in sizing the case to minimum length and the chamber is the perfect 30/06 go-gage length my cases will be shorter than the length of the chamber by .005" when measured from the usual places.

F. Guffey

 

[mikemyers]

Hi.... I'm not sure where the confusion is. Here is what I wrote, and it is exactly what I meant:

"......I called RCBS to verify what I thought I was supposed to do. The technician told me NOT to follow those instructions, as I'm loading for a handgun, not a rifle, but to adjust the Die JUST TOUCHES the shell holder, and to disregard the instructions about taking up any extra play."


He told me NOT to do what you guys are recommending. Maybe you're right, and the RCBS technician is wrong, or vice versa. There was/is no confusion. I read the instructions to him, and told him I thought I should do what you're now telling me is correct, and he specifically told me NOT to do that.

(By the way, the booklet says 1/8 turn, not 1/4 turn.)

F. Guffey, I suspect that you may be right, and this particular technician was wrong, so I guess I will call RCBS back on Monday to find out why they're telling me that. I'm not even sure if it makes any difference - using my digital calipers, the OD of the case towards the bottom is not any larger than what it is slightly higher up.

 

[Magnum Shooter]

Try it both ways, set the die to just touch the shell holder and size a case. Then with another case try it with the die set to cam over (1/8 extra turn). And see if you can find any difference in the two cases. I think you will find it doesn’t make any difference.

 

[mikemyers]

Mike & others ... I have Instructions for the dies ... I will scan and post shortly ........I also have a set of Lyman .44 SP&Mag(197?) that is a four die set pretty much like the .45 dies you have ...

JimKirk, thank you for all the help, and sorry for the long delay - I needed to leave on a trip to India. I'm back, and have decided to start with 45ACP as I need those the most right now.

Your instructions were SO helpful!!! Just about all my confusion was resolved.

I now have the RESIZER die set up and tested.

The EXPANDER die is also set - the minimum expansion to allow a bullet to drop slightly into the case.

I stopped last night while working on the SEATER die. As soon as I can confirm that the distance between the bottom of the die and the shell holder is 1/16", I'll lock that die in place.

I have one question on the CRIMPER die - the last sentence on the instruction sheet you sent me says "After you are satisfied with the crimp, set the large lock ring".

I don't know enough to say I'm satisfied or not with the crimp - anything special I should be paying attention to?​

I took the drawing you sent me for 4-die sets, and removed the example that was not representative of the dies I have. Here's the revised sheet, only showing the dies I actually have. The last sentence is what I'm asking about.

 

[mikemyers]

Assuming that there should be very little crimp, I set mine as following:
Bullets are Hornady #4518 45 Cal .230gr .451 FMJ-FP

• Diameter of finished case: 0.470"
• Diameter of crimped end of case: 0.465"
• Finished bullet length is 1.200

The latest Hornady Reloading Handbook has data for bullets #451871 (not #4518)




I made three test bullets, no primer, no powder. They all cycle through the gun perfectly. If all the above is acceptable, I move on to setting the powder dispenser, and pressing in the primers.

These are only for punching holes in paper targets; I am using the lowest figure for how much Unique powder to use, 5.2 gr Back in the 1990's, when I last did this, my old notes say that I used to use 5.3 gr of Unique.

From back in the 1990's, I have three boxes of 100 of FMJ-FP and three more of FMJ-RN. Anyone here know why one would select FP vs. RN for target shooting?

 

[Walkalong]

I'm not sure where the confusion is

I am not either. Just follow the instructions per RCBS.