Undersized Reloading Dies from EGW ??

[dad23honu]

Has anyone ever used one of these from EGW? In another post, we've been comiserating over loading 40S&W. I'd like to see what you guys think before plunking 22 bucks plus shipping.

I'm currently using RCBS and Lee dies for 40S&W and 10mm for my Glock 20 and the 40S&W conversion barrel.

[918v]

They size the case more. If your current dies size the case to your satisfaction, there is no reason to switch.

[dad23honu]

That's why I'm looking in to these. Because I'm not happy with my current dies.

[918v]

The U dies will size your brass another .001" tighter, and should remove most of that ugly bulge.

[WESHOOT2]

I like 'em; have about eight. Some size tighter than -.001".

[Jim Watson]

I have one in .45 ACP, I use it mostly to get enough bullet pull on 185 gr JHPs with their short bearing surface.
I don't load .40.
I have a 9mm RCBS sizing die that is appreciably tighter than the Dillon but I only use it when I have accumulated some of the occasional thin-walled pieces of brass.

[dad23honu]

I shoot a Glock so sizing all the way down is my biggest problem. Yesterday, I had two "failures to go into battery." I stuck a pencil (eraser end) into the barrel and with a little tap, the cartridge popped out. Out of about 300 reloaded rounds, I had two of these.

I'm definitely using factory ammo for home defense, so don't any of you worry about that.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

Still curious about how many guys out there are using these dies and what they think.

[eerw]

I have the die in 9mm, 9x21 and 40..great product..does a nice job of taking care of the bulges

[dad23honu]

Thanks guys.
Not as big a pool of users as I had hoped for. I wanted to get a larger sampling but it looks like there's not a whole lot of guys using these. I'll probably buy one and check it out. Thirty bucks won't kill me.

[Shoney]

dad23honu said

Thirty bucks won't kill me.

It might!

I am not a proponent of overworking brass. If your current dies size the cases so that they fit nicely into the chamber of your Glock, why would you wish to size smaller, causing the the brass to expand more upon firing, over and over again. It would cause me to have concern for premature catatstophic failure of the brass.

[WESHOOT2]

IF your current die produces correctly-sized ammo you'll be fine.

I use my dies for specific needs.....

[benedict1]

Get a Lee FC die, put in the last stage, it will give a perfect taper crimp and post size the case. It WILL chamber!

Whatever dies you use you can get one and use it. It is carbide and is a must in my setup--I load 9mm, 38 Spec. and 45 ACP and have FC dies for all. No bulged cases.

[HSMITH]

I use the U-die in a couple calibers, they WORK.

I do not recommend the FC die, it isn't needed or beneficial if everything leading up to it is done right.

My current die setup for 40 is as good as it gets IMO. U-die, 9mm funnel in the Dillon powder measure, Redding Competition Seating Die, and a Lee standard crimp die in station 4. I have tried literally a dozen different configurations, and the setup I have now produces the most consistent and accurate ammunition I have been able to make in 40. It is also nearly impossible to set a bullet back in the case, the margin of safety with this setup is fantastic.

[car-zone]

I would loose about 5-6 rounds due to the dies not going down far enough. I lose a lot of time checking my finished cartridges through my case gauge.

After about a year of owning the .38 undersized die and still checking all of my cartridges with my case guage, I am happy to report only 1 cartridge not going through the gauge. That is only because this one was bent in the middle of the case after dropping a bullet improperly on the reloader.

I am so CONFIDENT of this EGW die that I have decided not to check my practice cartridge anymore! Since I have dropped close to 5,000 rounds last year in my case gauge with NO problems (the bent cartridge would not fit in my ammo box) I am confident that no bulge cases would ever pass through the dies, ever again. That would cut my total time reloading and more time for other things.

[bhawkeye]

If you have a Glock - these are mandatory. Even if you don't have a Glock (I use the EGW undersize sizing die for my 1911) I'd recommend them. If you're like me & pick up range brass - and want them all to have adequate case tension on the bullet, the EGW is the answer. It won't correct the Glock bulge (near the base) in really bad cases - but you should probably trash these anyway.

[bamacisa]

I have EGW "U" dies for 9mm and 40S&W. They work great! I would not want to be without them,,,,especially in the 40S&W Try them, you will not be disappointed.

[rg1]

Bought one for 45ACP because sometimes I run into brass with thinner walls and my regular sizing die doesn't size the thinner brass enough to hold the bullets as tightly as I want. If your expander isn't doing "any" expanding on certain brands of brass then the Lee Undersized die will help.

[Nnobby45]

Dies are made to certain tolerances for a reason. The smaller dies are for special purposes and thin walled brass seems to be one of those.

I personally have never had a problem with it, but apparantly, some have. I suppose, since I use different varieties of range brass for practice, that I've loaded up some thin brass without knowing it.

If the brass is too thin, the outside diameter is sized to the proper spec, but the inside diameter is still too big to hold the bullet. It's that inside diameter that's critical.

Where rifles are concerned, small base dies are used mostly to achieve reliable feeding in some semi-autos, and is a different issue.

I know most of you guys already know what I've stated, but I tossed some extra info in for the newbies.

[Bullet94]

I use the Undersized Reloading Dies from EGW for all my semi-auto handguns. I like the extra neck tension which helps prevent bullet setback.

[The_Vigilante]

Just like to give you guys who load .40 S&W a new option for sizing those bulged .40 cases. Redding now makes the G-Rx Push Thru Base Sizing Die which sizes the entire case back to original specs. The case is pushed thru the die from the bottom and then comes out the top of the die completely sized-has to be used on a single stage press tho. I was able to get one from a friend, tried it out, and it really works good. Check the Redding website for more details, etc.