Shell holder interchangeability ? ? ?

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R00KIE

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I am 98% sure I will be ordering a Hornady L-N-L classic kit
I want to start buying some shell holders off fleabay.

I am finding that the RCBS shellholders and LEE are the same shellholder numbers. . . does that mean they will both work in my press?

Or do I Have to get the Hornady ones?
 
Mr. Rook -

There are at least 3 numbering systems for shell holders that I'm aware of. Those numbers refer to the case size the press is holding. Such as, the shell holder for a 9mm Luger is usually the same as a 40 S&W. So if your Hornady press is already set up for 9mm, then no shell holder changes are required to reload 40 S&W in the same press.

However, in my limited experience, each brand of multi-stage press will use their own unique shell holder design. I.e. the shell holder from a Dillon 550 will not fit a Lee Pro-1000.

The only shell holders that will be interchangeable are the older single stage presses.

Hope this helps!
 
R00KIE, numbering system does not make the shell holder unteachable, design makes shell holders interchangeable, and yes, the major manufacturers make shell holders that fit most presses, in the old days shell holders were brand specific, I have C&H shell holder that bolt on with a nut, Herters that are held with set screws and Lyman that were held with a sit screw, right or left, but not like the Herters, then Herters changed to the RCBS style, an adapter was required when using the RCBS style shell holders in an older press, avoid tightening more than necessary, still there are difference, I will not give up my Herters shell or C&H shell holders because of the difference.

I had a chance to exchange my older RCBS shell holders, there are things I can do with the older holders that I may not be able to do with the newer ones. I do not grind shell holders or dies to change their effect on sizing.

F. Guffey
 
Such as, the shell holder for a 9mm Luger is usually the same as a 40 S&W.
Click to expand...
Not in my books!

The 9mm Luger rim is .394" and the .40 S&W is .424".

Lee, RCBS, Hornady, and Lyman all list different shell holders for the two very different cartridges.

If you try to use a .40 shell holder with 9mm brass, you will very likely pull the rim off a case & stick it in the sizing die!

rcmodel
 
rcmodel said:
Lee, RCBS, Hornady, and Lyman all list different shell holders for the two very different cartridges.
Click to expand...
RC,

You're correct to the best of my knowledge regarding single stage shell holders but that's not always the case with progressive presses. The Lee LoadMaster uses the same shell plate for 9mm Luger, 40 S&W and 38 Super; #19s 90920. With certain military 9mm on my Hornady AP I will use my 40 S&W shell plate because the dwell on the web is less and the cases will not fit into the 9mm shell plate smoothly and then they hang up on that wonderful wire ejector system.

oops, my bad, the OP wasn't referring to the AP. Never mind what I wrote I was thinking we were discussing shell plates for progressives presses.
 
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The T-slot shellholders are generally interchangeable between makes of loading press. The numbers do not agree, you must look them up by caliber or head diameter.

Trivia: The T-slot shellholder and the 7/8"x14 die thread were both introduced by the old Pacific company, and eventually adopted by nearly everybody else. Pacific was taken over by Hornady some years ago.

A friend got a great deal on an early RCBS press, but he complained that the ram would not accept standard shellholders, the slot was too small. It was small, all right, it came from a day in which the shellholder was milled into the ram itself and you had to change rams to change calibers.
 
So in general the shellholders themselves should fit between RCBS and Hornady . . . they might just have to be different numbers.
 
Yep.

Lee, RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, and others are all the same except the size numbers are different.

Be aware that Lee makes a Red box set that only fits the auto-prime tool.

The Green box set fits all modern reloading presses.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...l holder sets&cm_ite=netcon&rid=0180101070502

Well worth the investment, so you always have the shell holder you need at midnight on Friday night!!

rcmodel
 
OK, I think my question has been answered. I was about to post a question asking that if I buy a RCBS hand primer will my Lee shell holders work. From what I'm reading, yes. I'm talking about the shell holders that I use on my press. I don't have any for the Lee hand primer. Am I correct?
 
Shell holders and Shell plates Specifications

The should all measure around .125" from where the case head sits to when a full lengnt sizing die would make contact. This .125" is needed to get the correct sizing on bottle neck type cases when full lenght resizing. I just found a bad Dillon shell plate that is out of specification. So always check a new shell holder/plate.
 
"I'm talking about the shell holders that I use on my press. I don't have any for the Lee hand primer. Am I correct?"

You are correct.
 
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