OT: reloading dies

[MikeS.]

Bear with me here guys, Talking pistol reloading here.
In carbide die sets is only the sizer die carbide?
The deprimer and sizer are together?
The bullet seating die, different ones for different style bullets, like RN, SWC and WC? I see some advertised as for RN.

[JReed]

Yes only the Sizer/Deprimer die is carbide. It is the only stage that needs the reduced friction.

Yes you need different seater plugs for the different noses. Fn,RN, SP,

[claybob86]

Yep, only the sizer is carbide.

The sizer has a depriming pin.

They do have different seating punches for different bullets. Some of the manufacturers will make custom seating punches if one of their standard ones doesn't fit the bullet you're using.

[MikeS.]

1 more question, are RCBS and Lee dies interchangeable?

[Buffboy]

Most die sets you buy now have the decapping pin in the sizing die. The older RCBS pistol dies(some others too, like Micro-Precision) had the decapping pin in the belling die.

The sizing die will be the only die with a carbide insert.

I've used my Lee 357 dies to load everything including full wadcutters without changing the seating punch with no problems. The round nose seating punch will do SWC but the other way around can be a problem sometimes. That was always an older RCBS die thing mostly because the punch screw was a little weak, the punch didn't float so it was prone to bending without changing them. The newer RCBS dies don't require changing out the seating punch because they do float.

Edit: For the second question, All the reloading dies use the same 7/8" threads unless you're talking 50BMG or some lyman tong dies.

[Chuck 100 yd]

They both will fit your press and both will do the same job but the parts will not interchange from one mfg. to another.
All the carbide sizer dies normaly sold have a carbide ring in the bottom opening to size the case. The rest of the die is steel or aluminum depending on brand.
Straight case pistol calibers require a 3 die set. Resize die, Expander die and a Bullet Seating die. Different seater plugs are made for the nose shape of the bullets you will be using.
RCBS dies come with flat and round nose seating plugs.

[MikeS.]

Thanks guys, I'm buying some dies off of the auction sites. Want to make sure I get what I need.

[1886]

I beleive the Lee pistol FCD features a carbide ring as well. No? 1886.

[J Miller]

1886, you are correct the Lee FCD does indeed have a carbide ring in it. However it's much over sized compared to the regular carbide dies. It's purpose is to iron out over sized cartridges, not size them down.

Joe

[1886]

I believe the Lee Pistol FCD will size loaded ammo. It states this clearly in their literature or at the very least used to state this. Something about reliable functioning...I loaded some .44 Mag. ammo with .433" bullets. After running this loaded ammo through the FCD I found the projectiles were swaged to .431". Regards. 1886.

[Rusty]

The standard thread size for almost all dies is 7/8th X 14.

The Lyman 310 tong tool has different sized dies.

Rusty <><