Poll: Dies, lock rings, and settings

[ATLDave]

Flawed poll - does not provide options for us Coax users... my rings hold all of the time, the dies are not screwed in and bushing systems are not used.

So the relevant question for Co-Ax users is whether you trust the ring to hold position in between uses. Do you fool with the ring every time you get set to use it, or do you set it and forget it (subject to basic confirmation)?

 

[JimKirk]

See post #27 ... I have got dies that have not moved in 25+ years ... these are cross bolt Forster type lock rings used in the CoAx press ...

So set them and forget it ...

 

[mcb]

Not sure lock rings that don't move would do me any good. Despite having 6 tool heads from my 650XL I change bullets, tweak loads, mix and match dies to load weird cartridges, etc so much I am not sure any of my dies go more than a few month before I am adjusting them for one reason or another.

 

[RealGun]

My Lee rings hold their setting through countless on-and-offs. Yours don't? Mine have been so consistent about holding their settings I never even bothered with the whole spare turret thing for my LCT.

The problem with that for me is that the Lee does not actually lock, so I have to trust that it didn't move or I wind up rechecking everything. A lock is a lock and is a different thing than a Lee.

 

[ATLDave]

After tens of thousands of rounds made on dies put into my LCT without "rechecking" (other than measuring and case-gauging the final results), I guess I've gotten to the point where I'm willing to trust.

Who knows, maybe the fact that I basically never tear my dies all the way down to clean them keeps them dirty enough to keep the ring from turning freely without some deliberate force being applied!

 

[JimKirk]

Not sure lock rings that don't move would do me any good.

Since your post follows mine I assume you are referring to my lock rings that don't move ...

My lock rings move WHEN I want them to move ... not during the act of putting them in and out of the press ...

 

[mcb]

Since your post follows mine I assume you are referring to my lock rings that don't move ...

My lock rings move WHEN I want them to move ... not during the act of putting them in and out of the press ...

It was more in response to you saying you have dies that have not moved in +25 years. I figured they would move it you had wanted them too. Yourself and several other posters seem to come to a setup you like a run with it for considerable time. For me I am loading so many different loads even within one set of dies I would be unlocking the lock rings constantly as I made my adjustments. The only set of dies I have that came with locking rings are my 38 Auto dies and my 450 Bushmaster dies All the rest of my die sets just have jam nuts. And the only lock ring I actually lock is the one on the 450BM sizing die. 450 BM is the only cartridge I am loading presently that I size and de-prime the cases separately before I load them. So when I do load them I back the sizing die out of the tool head so as to reduce the effort to run the press. Everything else goes in the case feeder and through my 650XL in one continuous operation.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I use RCBS rings, if I buy a set of dies and don't have enough Hornady rings on hand. I throw Lee rings away immediately. I've never had the Hornady rings mess up and the only time I have to adjust them is going from my single stage without bushings to my LNL with bushings.

 

[lightman]

I've never had dies to change adjustment because of the lock ring. I've owned dies from Bonanza, Dillon, Herters, Lyman, RCBS and Redding. I don't tighten the set screw on a few rifle dies where I have multiple guns in the same caliber. I prefer the split ring type to all others but I won't buy $10 or $15 worth of rings everytime I buy a die set.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the only time I have to adjust them is going from my single stage without bushings to my LNL with bushings.

It is well worth converting your single stage press to use the LNL bushings to make it easy transitioning between the LNL and the SS. You will have to calibrate the presses to each other, but that isn't very difficult either

 

[KansasSasquatch]

It is well worth converting your single stage press to use the LNL bushings to make it easy transitioning between the LNL and the SS. You will have to calibrate the presses to each other, but that isn't very difficult either

Yeah, but that will have to wait until I get a new SS. My RCBS Partner press won't accept a conversion bushing. Since moving a while back I haven't had my LNL set up, so all of my reloading has been on the SS since then. It's been way too long since I've had to adjust lock rings.

 

[cfullgraf]

Even so rings will often bind a die in the press when you tighten the lock/set screw.

Right.

When I'm installing a die in a bushing or tool head, I'll adjust the die, tighten the lock ring, then tighten the set screw. The die and bushing are locked in position.

If I plan on unscrewing the die such as when set up for a single stage press, I adjust the die and set the lock ring in place. I then back the die/lock ring off being careful to not change the adjustment. Then, I tighten the set screw on the lock ring. The die can then be screwed in and out of the press and the lock ring maintains position. Sometimes this takes a couple tries if the lock ring moves as I am backing the die off the press.

The problem with that for me is that the Lee does not actually lock, so you have to trust that it didn't move or you wind up rechecking everything. A lock is a lock and is a different thing than a Lee.

When I was still using Lee dies and did not have any set screw or split lock rings on hand to replace the Lee o-ring lock rings, I had been known to use two Lee lock rings and jam them together to create a positive locked setting. Worked well but not all of the dies in those days were long enough for two Lee rings to fit. Not as easy to adjust for final position as a locking lock ring either.

 

[Walkalong]

I take the die out, make the adjustment on the lock ring, tighten the lock ring, then screw it back into the bushing. Fortunately once done it is rare to have to change it.