Dies

[jetinteriorguy]

I’ve been using my Lee 9mm sizing die on my 550B and it’s just barely enough to work. The locking nut doesn’t need a lot of thread to work, it isn’t under any real stress it just needs to handle finger tightening to allow the O-ring to snug down.

[44 AMP]

I used RCBS 9mm dies in my Dillon 450 (plus a Dillon 9mm taper crimp die) back when I was running it. NO issue with die body length there.

[Nathan]

The Universal Decapping die (LEE) pin/mandrel does NOT BREAK

Huh! I broke one and chased another all over in that collet with some heavy crimp 5.56. The Mighty Armory has been rock solid.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by ghbucky

How would different die manufacturers change impact on target for 9mm at less than 50yds? I have a hard time believing that would really make any noticeable difference.

You make a good point. In terms of accuracy you should not be able to see what dies loaded it.

Now, consider your set up time….Lee uses “non-locking” lock rings where everyone else’s hold their adjustment. So, they need setup every time. Just takes time.

When you run higher volumes, it seems like you would get more stuff building up inside of rougher dies. So, will you stick more cases? Not sure….

On RCBS seaters with cast bullets, the bullet lube builds up and cases oal to vary which causes crimp variation. Does it show on the target, maybe. It shows in my Quality checks, then I’m cleaning a die.

Seat/Crimp die setup is easy enough on Lee, most others, but creates a few just not quite right rounds. Essentially scrap. Well, Hornady has a double thread system that makes it possible to get it right in fewer rounds. Yes you can go to a separate crimp die, but that is more cost which is why we buy cheap stuff….to avoid cost!

Things like the factory crimp die seem great until you realize you are sizing the bullet and loosening neck tension with the carbide ring. Got rid of those and all my neck tension issues vanished.

Good luck and like all these things. Try something, figure out what you struggle with and try to improve that. I did. Now I use like 90% Hornady dies, a couple Redding, a few Forster, a Lyman set, and so on.

[Metal god]

Yeah I’ve broke the tip off of a few decapping pins on the Lee universal die . Usually an obstruction does it . I’ve pierced through several 22lr cases that were inside other cases . Had one stuck on the pin one time that caused failure to deprime every 3rd or 4th try . Tried going through a rock one time , nope . They break for sure , not sure I ever broke one on a primer though. I use the after market hardened ones now .

[Marco Califo]

Now, consider your set up time….Lee uses “non-locking” lock rings where everyone else’s hold their adjustment. So, they need setup every time. Just takes time.

News Flash from ZNN:
Those Lee rings, that everyone is whining about, are REMOVABLE (just unscrew them all the way) and can be REPLACED with any other die rings. Loose RCBS lock rings are $2.40 each in the 5 pack. The black one pictured is a Lyman ring. Lee also makes locking rings.
In other news, Lee includes a shell-holder with their dies. You do not have to use those either.

I use some locking rings. I successfully use the Lee rings with the rubber O-rings often. I check adjustments every time I set up a die on a press.

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by Marco Califo

News Flash from ZNN:
Those Lee rings, that everyone is whining about, are REMOVABLE (just unscrew them all the way) and can be REPLACED with any other die rings. Loose RCBS lock rings are $2.40 each in the 5 pack. The black one pictured is a Lyman ring. Lee also makes locking rings.
In other news, Lee includes a shell-holder with their dies. You do not have to use those either.

I use some locking rings. I successfully use the Lee rings with the rubber O-rings often. I check adjustments every time I set up a die on a press.

My issue is lee, aside from having to buy new locking rings, is that with my progressive press, there are simply not enough threads on the die body. I might get 1 thread, 2 if I'm lucky.

[jetinteriorguy]

Originally Posted by Shadow9mm

My issue is lee, aside from having to buy new locking rings, is that with my progressive press, there are simply not enough threads on the die body. I might get 1 thread, 2 if I'm lucky.

I’m getting about 2 threads on mine with a 550B and have loaded a few thousand rounds with no issues. The only stress on these threads is the amount you finger tighten it down with. I actually have the little tool from Titan and use it to snug the lock rings with, but I don’t reef down on it, just nice and snug.

[Nathan]

My issue is lee, aside from having to buy new locking rings, is that with my progressive press, there are simply not enough threads on the die body.

Hornady LNL, right? I wonder if that is a Lee issue or Hornady??

[zeke]

I will not use a rifle die that "locks" the expanding button into position. Anytime am using a die with an expanding button, the button is allowed to "float". Either through the design of the button itself, or by loosening the locking ring on the decapper or both.

[Nathan]

I will not use a rifle die that "locks" the expanding button into position.

Which ones don’t?

[zeke]

All the redding/RCBS rifle dies being used have the carbide (or whatever) replacement button assembly. The carbide button is floating by design.

When the original expanding button/decapping assembly was being used, it was set up by being loose until in the middle of expanding the neck (after the case was sized) , then tightened. Or the assembly was just left slightly loose. But am not using a progressive press.

Most of the rifle rifle loading accuracy problems i encountered were due to the neck being pulled off slightly, by not squaring the die to the force sizing it or not squaring up the seating die.

[Nathan]

When the original expanding button/decapping assembly was being used, it was set up by being loose until in the middle of expanding the neck (after the case was sized) , then tightened.

Tightening on the first downstroke is a great tip! I do the same. It can make good improvements on neck Concentricity. Good tip for all dies.

Forster does a cool thing. They place the expander so high, the neck is still held by the die while the expander is starting in the bottom of the neck. Another cool thing about Forster are the variety of expander ball sizes!

Whidden let’s you tune ball and bushing sizes, great!

[mkl]

Just to point our that the 9mm is not a straight wall case and that all the "modern" die sets using carbide rings are not sizing the case back to original specifications. Steel dies will do that and not leave a "sizing ring" on the case which may very well be the first failure point of the case.