Which dies?

Stu 2 · December 13, 2000, 06:44 PM

I have been reloading 28 guage shotgun shells with a MEC progressive reloader for some time, but I am still in the investigation/education phase for reloading pistol ammunition (and maybe some rifle ammo in the future). I am considering a manual indexing Dillion progressive press or the RCBS Pro 2000. (My shotshell reloader is manually indexed and I am accustomed to that method.) However, I am having a hard time deciding which dies to select. Initially, I plan on reloading .38 special/.357 magnums and later for my .40 cal. Glock (although I am not positive about that as I have seen some troubling threads regarding reloading .40 ammo for Glocks.)

I have the following questions: (1) Which dies should I consider choosing and why; and (2) Are dies "press sensitive" (i.e. do some dies perform superbly in one manufacturer's press but perform poorly in another manufacturer's press)? I believe I read somewhere that some non-Dillon dies do not work as well in the Dillion presses. I have heard some people use dies from different companines while loading the same caliber. Just in case it makes a difference for your reccomendations, I am planning on using the RCBS lockout die to help protect against double charges and there is a difference in the number of die stations on the Dillion and RCBS units. In responding to these questions, don't worry about rifle reloading. All I am concerned about is reloading for the .38 and .40 calibers.

Any guidance/experience you can provide will be greatly appreciated by this newbie!

December 13, 2000, 06:44 PM	#1
Stu 2 Junior Member Join Date: December 13, 2000 Posts: 1	I have been reloading 28 guage shotgun shells with a MEC progressive reloader for some time, but I am still in the investigation/education phase for reloading pistol ammunition (and maybe some rifle ammo in the future). I am considering a manual indexing Dillion progressive press or the RCBS Pro 2000. (My shotshell reloader is manually indexed and I am accustomed to that method.) However, I am having a hard time deciding which dies to select. Initially, I plan on reloading .38 special/.357 magnums and later for my .40 cal. Glock (although I am not positive about that as I have seen some troubling threads regarding reloading .40 ammo for Glocks.) I have the following questions: (1) Which dies should I consider choosing and why; and (2) Are dies "press sensitive" (i.e. do some dies perform superbly in one manufacturer's press but perform poorly in another manufacturer's press)? I believe I read somewhere that some non-Dillon dies do not work as well in the Dillion presses. I have heard some people use dies from different companines while loading the same caliber. Just in case it makes a difference for your reccomendations, I am planning on using the RCBS lockout die to help protect against double charges and there is a difference in the number of die stations on the Dillion and RCBS units. In responding to these questions, don't worry about rifle reloading. All I am concerned about is reloading for the .38 and .40 calibers. Any guidance/experience you can provide will be greatly appreciated by this newbie!