The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Problems with RCBS 30-06 Dies

F. Guffey · April 13, 2013, 11:55 AM

#1
TACKLEMAN24
Member

Join Date: March 8, 2009
Posts: 35 Problems with RCBS 30-06 Dies

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I had an old used set of 30-06 dies that I had been using and worked ok in my M1 Garand. I however found that they ended up being out of tolerance due to the dies being very worn. I went and bought a new set of dies, RCBS Short Base Dies, I have been unable to use them for fear of causing damage to my equipment. I then went out and bought another set of RCBS Full Length Dies and have had the same problem. When I attempt to use the 1st die to expand and de-cap the brass the brass gets stuck in the die. I have taken the decaping unit out of the die and the expander ball part of that mechanism goes right through the case mouths without force, it does not fall right through but I can put it through by hand without any force. Now when I go to put the die in the press without the decapping unit in place and run the fired brass up into the die with the press I can not even get it to go all the way without putting extreme force on the lever. I then play H*L* getting the brass to come back out of the die. I can believe that one set of dies is possibly defective in the die being machined to an in-correct size. On the other hand I can not believe that 2 different die sets, 1 FL and 1 Short Base purchased from 2 different stores being both defective. I am currious if anyone has had a similar problem before either with the dies themselves or with reloading M1 Garand 30-06 Brass. Thanks in advance for your input.

Same question, different dates, nothing has changed.

I would not clean the die with a brake shoe/backing plate/drum degreaser, again, I clean dies with a towel on a dowel. I will assume the OP purchased a small base die, my opinion, before purchasing a small base die the reloader should first be able to determine if a small base die is necessary, when responding to a question of this nature I would think the most important consideration should be the case, AFTER ALL! it is the case that refuses to be sized. Does the case have more resistance to being sized than the press can overcome, again, it is not me that claims the case must be fired 5 times before it it is fully grown, I am the fan of not allowing the case to mature and grown up to become fully grown, still there is that story about firing the case to form then fire it 5 times by neck sizing then to start over by full length sizing, all of that sounds like a bad habit (to me).

One more time, I form cases for short chambers, I ream chambers short, I use formed cases to determine the length of a chamber from the shoulder back to the face bolt, if I need a small base die I know I need a small base die.

In the big inning the M1 Garand had a chamber that accommodated ammo that was designed for the 03 Springfiled and the M1917 Enfield, all three, the 03, M1917 and the M1 used the same ammo, the difference in chambers between the M1 and the 03 and M1917 was .00025.

Another quote of the quote: “I can not even get it to go all the way without putting extreme force on the lever. I then play H*L* getting the brass to come back out of the die” The small base die is smaller than the standard full length sizer die, The OP could have cases that are whipping his press, when a case whips my press(es) I know it, case lube, for the toughest of cases to size I have a lube I can not brag about, it is not on the list approved lubes. Imperial is not on my list of the best, I have friends that turn blue in the face trying to make that stuff look good, they struggle with raising the ram, lowering the ram and then they do not know if the case is is going to be released before braking something like the neck expander assemble. When working with them I insist on changing methods and techniques such as cleaning etc..

F. Guffey

April 13, 2013, 11:55 AM	#16
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	#1 TACKLEMAN24 Member Join Date: March 8, 2009 Posts: 35 Problems with RCBS 30-06 Dies -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had an old used set of 30-06 dies that I had been using and worked ok in my M1 Garand. I however found that they ended up being out of tolerance due to the dies being very worn. I went and bought a new set of dies, RCBS Short Base Dies, I have been unable to use them for fear of causing damage to my equipment. I then went out and bought another set of RCBS Full Length Dies and have had the same problem. When I attempt to use the 1st die to expand and de-cap the brass the brass gets stuck in the die. I have taken the decaping unit out of the die and the expander ball part of that mechanism goes right through the case mouths without force, it does not fall right through but I can put it through by hand without any force. Now when I go to put the die in the press without the decapping unit in place and run the fired brass up into the die with the press I can not even get it to go all the way without putting extreme force on the lever. I then play HL getting the brass to come back out of the die. I can believe that one set of dies is possibly defective in the die being machined to an in-correct size. On the other hand I can not believe that 2 different die sets, 1 FL and 1 Short Base purchased from 2 different stores being both defective. I am currious if anyone has had a similar problem before either with the dies themselves or with reloading M1 Garand 30-06 Brass. Thanks in advance for your input. Same question, different dates, nothing has changed. I would not clean the die with a brake shoe/backing plate/drum degreaser, again, I clean dies with a towel on a dowel. I will assume the OP purchased a small base die, my opinion, before purchasing a small base die the reloader should first be able to determine if a small base die is necessary, when responding to a question of this nature I would think the most important consideration should be the case, AFTER ALL! it is the case that refuses to be sized. Does the case have more resistance to being sized than the press can overcome, again, it is not me that claims the case must be fired 5 times before it it is fully grown, I am the fan of not allowing the case to mature and grown up to become fully grown, still there is that story about firing the case to form then fire it 5 times by neck sizing then to start over by full length sizing, all of that sounds like a bad habit (to me). One more time, I form cases for short chambers, I ream chambers short, I use formed cases to determine the length of a chamber from the shoulder back to the face bolt, if I need a small base die I know I need a small base die. In the big inning the M1 Garand had a chamber that accommodated ammo that was designed for the 03 Springfiled and the M1917 Enfield, all three, the 03, M1917 and the M1 used the same ammo, the difference in chambers between the M1 and the 03 and M1917 was .00025. Another quote of the quote: “I can not even get it to go all the way without putting extreme force on the lever. I then play HL getting the brass to come back out of the die” The small base die is smaller than the standard full length sizer die, The OP could have cases that are whipping his press, when a case whips my press(es) I know it, case lube, for the toughest of cases to size I have a lube I can not brag about, it is not on the list approved lubes. Imperial is not on my list of the best, I have friends that turn blue in the face trying to make that stuff look good, they struggle with raising the ram, lowering the ram and then they do not know if the case is is going to be released before braking something like the neck expander assemble. When working with them I insist on changing methods and techniques such as cleaning etc.. F. Guffey