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October 18, 2013, 05:31 PM
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#1 |
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Member
Join Date: June 18, 2005
Location: amelia island, florida
Posts: 73
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38 dies for 357 ?
Can I use my Lee carbide .38 dies for .357?
Thanks |
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October 18, 2013, 05:37 PM
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#2 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: March 21, 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 5,522
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Yes
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Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association |
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October 18, 2013, 06:11 PM
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#3 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
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"Can I use my Lee carbide .38 dies for .357?"
The problem is not with the sizing die, it is with the seating die, the 357 Mag die is too tall to crimp the 38 Special, the nice thing, the 38 Special seating die can be used to crimp 375 Magnum cases by adjusting the die up. I have Lee dies, I do not use them. I n the big inning RCBS made 38 Special dies, then when the 357 Magnum came available RCBS made a set if dies for the 357 Magnum, after that? They made a set of dies that would both the 38 Special and 357 Magnum with a shim to raise the seating die. They were not through, they also made a set of dies for the 44 Special, then they made a set for the 44 Remington Mag, and then? They made a set of dies that would load both the 44 Special and 44 Remington Mag, they added a shim to raise the seating die. F. Guffey |
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October 18, 2013, 07:01 PM
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#4 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: March 21, 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 5,522
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I have the RCBS 38/357 dies - with the .135 shim
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Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association |
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October 18, 2013, 07:29 PM
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#5 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: January 27, 2013
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 553
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Yes you can
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October 18, 2013, 07:35 PM
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#6 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: March 6, 2013
Posts: 640
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Just curious... do the Lee dies adjust up enough for .357?
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October 18, 2013, 07:53 PM
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: September 1, 2011
Posts: 32
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I've been using my Lee 38spcl dies for .357 for 25 years. Recently, I discovered the .135 sizer rings/shims so that adjustments are kept to a minimum when switching between 38 and .357.
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October 18, 2013, 08:29 PM
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#8 | |
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Senior Member
Join Date: October 12, 2002
Location: The same state as Mordor.
Posts: 5,568
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Quote:
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"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. " |
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October 21, 2013, 06:22 PM
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#9 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: September 29, 2013
Location: North Central Pennsyltucky
Posts: 749
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Got the RCBS dies for .357 & .38, that use a shim, and they have served me very well for the past three decades+!
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October 21, 2013, 08:07 PM
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#10 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: December 1, 2002
Posts: 2,832
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"Just curious... do the Lee dies adjust up enough for .357?"
Yes. |
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October 23, 2013, 12:22 PM
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#11 | |
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Senior Member
Join Date: June 20, 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,185
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Quote:
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This is my gun. There are many like her, but this one is mine. I'm not old. I'm CLASSIC! |
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October 23, 2013, 07:58 PM
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#12 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: October 24, 2009
Posts: 280
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Absolutely can be done, my Lee dies are labeled .38special/.357magnum! The problem is the instructions do not show how to set up for .357mag.
You either have to research the method or trial and error, or have the shim like RCBS. The latter is what I plan to get, I hate having to readjust(which is what I have been doing), and I hate the thought of purchasing another set of the same dies.
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When seconds count, why is help minutes away? |
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October 24, 2013, 06:25 AM
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#13 |
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Junior Member
Join Date: July 15, 2012
Posts: 4
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Lee dies
I use the Lee 4 die set 38/357 - with the .135 shim works great using the same type of bullet
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October 24, 2013, 09:29 AM
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#14 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: March 8, 2013
Location: Rittman, Ohio
Posts: 2,074
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I didnt even realize they made separate ide sets for .38/.357. I bought Lyman carbide dies in the 80's labeled for 38/357 and 44Mag/Spl and just assumed they were all that way. I just have to readjust from one to the other. Also when I bought my .454 Casull in the 80's nobody had Casull dies, so I boght and have used Hornady 45LC carbide dies since then. Its hard for me to imagine any dies for these cartidges not having the range to accomodate both, but I guess I have leraned something.
I've not yet seen issues with true squared straight wall pistol catridges, but I've never seen it work with tapered cartridges like most semi-auto rounds such as 9mm/.380 or a .45ACP in a LC die. |
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October 24, 2013, 07:24 PM
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#15 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: December 14, 2012
Location: Southern Appalachian Mtns
Posts: 1,520
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My Lee dies have "38spl/.357 mag/.357 max" on the instructions so...yeah you should be ok
I use the same factory crimp die for .38 spl and .357 mag. I much prefer that as opposed to using the seating die to crimp
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DEO VINDICE |
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October 24, 2013, 08:51 PM
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#16 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: November 19, 2009
Posts: 3,287
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I have the Lee 4 die set - you'd think that Lee would offer the shim as it makes sense that it would be an easy set-up if you're using the same bullet to just shim the die. I'm planning on ordering a few of the shims to use on my Lee turret just to eliminate having to set up for the 357.
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