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9x19 Dies

5301 Views 31 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  gunman42782, 
R
Until last month, all my reloading was done in the 60's, 70's and 80's. I just got geared up again, but I've added a couple of new calibers and didn't have dies for them. Most of my old dies are RCBS and others are Lyman. Recently I bought a set of Lee Deluxe dies for the .40 S&W. They're kind of different, but so far no problems. My son bought me a set of 9mm Lee dies for Christmas. The paper in the box says Deluxe Die set, but it is a 3 instead of 4 die set. Somehow I think they got marked wrong or something. I assumed it has a carbide resizer, but something isn't right. It takes more effort to resize a puny little 9mm case than it does any of my other calibers. (.44 Mag, .357 Mag, .41 Mag, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .32 H&R, .38 Spec, .40 S&W) I'm afraid if I continue to use it I'll have a stuck case. I tried using just a little case lube and they run through pretty slick. What's the deal? Do they even make pistol dies any more that aren't carbide and why should I have to lube the cases if it is? Anyway, I got hot and ordered a Lyman 4 die set.
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I use a lot of Lee's products and have never had any problems, but it is nice to know they are responsive.
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R
Sent the dies back to Lee today. We'll see what happens. In the mean time, the Lyman dies are working great. I like them so well, I ordered a set for the .40 S&W also. The Lee .40 die set works fine, but I like the Lyman better. I still might use the factory crimp die from the Lee set though. I kind of like it.
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B
I have mostly Lee dies and really like the factory crimp die. I got some Lee Deluxe Collet dies for 22-250 and discovered there is no factory crimp die with the set, so I ordered one. I also ordered a factory crimp die to go with all my RCBS dies, too. Lee doesn’t offer dies for .270 Weatherby magnum but you can order them custom made. I have the dies by RCBS but no factory crimp die. I just might order one of those too.
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quote:Originally posted by bunzo351

I have mostly Lee dies and really like the factory crimp die. I got some Lee Deluxe Collet dies for 22-250 and discovered there is no factory crimp die with the set, so I ordered one. I also ordered a factory crimp die to go with all my RCBS dies, too. Lee doesn’t offer dies for .270 Weatherby magnum but you can order them custom made. I have the dies by RCBS but no factory crimp die. I just might order one of those too.
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Why can't you crimp the rifle rounds with a standard 2 die set?
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Iowegan
bunzo351, Why in the world do you want to crimp a 22-250 or any other rifle cartridge not intended for a tube-fed gun or a semi-auto? If your dies are working right and your brass isn't worn out, neck tension is all you need to hold the bullet in place. The only cartridges I crimp are 30-30 and occasionally 223 Rem or 308 Win when loading for a semi-auto. Crimps in rifle cartridges do bad things such as shortening case life and distorting bullets.

2400, The bullet seating die in a rifle set is not intended to crimp. If you adjust your die too short, it will mash the case instead of crimping.

If you really want good rifle dies, try Redding. Without a doubt, they are the smoothest, most concentric, and most precision rifle dies on the market.
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quote:Originally posted by Iowegan

2400, The bullet seating die in a rifle set is not intended to crimp. If you adjust your die too short, it will mash the case instead of crimping.
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Pacific, Hornady and RCBS all have info on how to crimp with their 2 die rifle sets. If you adjust any die too short it will crush or mangle the brass.
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B
Why don’t I go with the crimp from a 2-die set?

I was just never happy with the crimp I got with a 2-die set.

I like a crimp. I have always had slightly better accuracy with crimped bullets than with un-crimped bullets. I have never gone to the trouble to do any actual comparisons; it’s mostly a seat-of-the-pants theory with a little experience thrown in.

If I knew I could seat a bullet so it just barely made contact with the rifling every single time, I guess I probably wouldn’t bother. It is my belief that crimping reduces the wobble on the rear of the bullet before it contacts the rifling.

That raises the question, how do I know the rear of the bullet wobbles before it reaches the rifling, and even if it does, doesn’t it straighten out before it gets out of the end of the barrel?

I believe the powder doesn’t burn in precisely the same pattern each and every time and causes the bullet to wobble as it leaves the case. And maybe the bullet does straighten out before it gets out of the end of the barrel, but even if it does, it is my further belief that it produces fewer, less severe, and more consistent harmonics. Fewer and less severe harmonics means better accuracy.

I managed to find this picture comparing crimps.


I anyone has some evidence to positively refute my thinking, I’m all ears.
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B
I just did a search with Good Search instead of Google, and this fella claims a 10% better accuracy rate with crimped ammo using a Lee Factory Crimp Die.

http://www.accuratereloading.com/crimping.html
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R
quote:Originally posted by rman

Sent the dies back to Lee today.
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I kind of forgot about the Lee 9mm dies...been kind of busy lately. Yesterday when I got home there was a box on my front porch containing a brand new Lee Deluxe 4 die set and a new Lee catalog. That's darn good customer service if you ask me. They just took my word for the fact the the set wasn't all there when I received it. I'm going to have to drop them an email.
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B
Hey rman, I use almost exclusively Lee dies, occasionally Redding or RCBS, but mostly Lee. If you have problems with any of the Lee dies, just mail the die to Lee with a short letter of explanation, and they will replace it free - pronto. Usually takes about 10 days turn around time, including the mail service both ways. Incidentally, with the carbide pistol dies, I apply a very small amount of Redding Imperial Sizing die to my thumb and forefinger and rub it on about every tenth case going through the die. That keeps things smooth and easy.
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B
I like these sizing dies –

http://egw-guns.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=40&osCsid=f7af6a5a0091bea32b4d67ed7c3c89ac

They also help prevent bullet setback.
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gunman42782
I will second the use of Lee dies. I have used them exclusively for 20 years and have had zero problems with them. You can buy two die sets for what one of any other brand costs, and I have been 100% happy with them.
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