I have a friend that wants to get into reloading. I see a kit for sale at Mid Way that is slightly less than $100 made by Lee. I use almost exclusively RCBS dies and recommended to him to use the same. Can you use RCBS dies in this single stage Lee device. I have a Lyman that I use my RCBS dies in but just wondering if RCBS dies will work in most manufacturers equipment. Thanks in advance for info.
Reloading dies in different manufacturer equipment
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Grandpa Shooter
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Yes you can (he can). RCBS are some of the best dies sets made.
Long time ago...
Lyman took over ideal and continued the hand tool dies. 310 tool. "Nutcracker." Haven't looked to see if still made for some time. And Lyman offerred a press for this tool/dies. I think the die diameter was 3/4. I just barely remember these presses available when I was young 50 years ago. Lyman offers/ed an insert for other presses so they could use these smaller body dies... I still have some in the plastic, somewhere...
Since, 7/8 has been standardized. Unless you are looking shotgun or .50 Cal Browning... then you might see some 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 dies. That is why there is a bushing in the Rockchucker Press and some others. Lachmiller used to offer shotgun dies... Slow... but they work.
So, if you are talking standard dies in standard presses, yes, they pretty much interchange. If you wander off to play with a .50 Cal... ask carefully. It is available, but costs alot more and does not interchange. happy holidays.
Lyman took over ideal and continued the hand tool dies. 310 tool. "Nutcracker." Haven't looked to see if still made for some time. And Lyman offerred a press for this tool/dies. I think the die diameter was 3/4. I just barely remember these presses available when I was young 50 years ago. Lyman offers/ed an insert for other presses so they could use these smaller body dies... I still have some in the plastic, somewhere...
Since, 7/8 has been standardized. Unless you are looking shotgun or .50 Cal Browning... then you might see some 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 dies. That is why there is a bushing in the Rockchucker Press and some others. Lachmiller used to offer shotgun dies... Slow... but they work.
So, if you are talking standard dies in standard presses, yes, they pretty much interchange. If you wander off to play with a .50 Cal... ask carefully. It is available, but costs alot more and does not interchange. happy holidays.
lee n. field
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The Lyman tong tool and Dillon Square Deal B are the only ones I know of that use proprietary dies, that would not be able to use your RCBS dies in.
rcmodel
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Threads are not the problem.
The thing to worry about is the shell holders.
At least in the not to distant past, some brands of shell holders were enough different in thickness to cause headspace problems in bottleneck rifle cases if you mixed & matched shell holders & dies from different manufactures.
I think it is pretty much standardized now, but I still try to use RCBS shell holders with RCBS dies, Lee shell holders with Lee dies, etc.
rcmodel
The thing to worry about is the shell holders.
At least in the not to distant past, some brands of shell holders were enough different in thickness to cause headspace problems in bottleneck rifle cases if you mixed & matched shell holders & dies from different manufactures.
I think it is pretty much standardized now, but I still try to use RCBS shell holders with RCBS dies, Lee shell holders with Lee dies, etc.
rcmodel
I suggest he step up to a LEE Classic Turrent 4 hole press. You can single stage it for depriming, Slip the rod back in for rapid production and replace turrents and dies for caliber change. I got mine for 89.00. Lot quicker than a single stage. You don't have to mess with dies so much.
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