Lee 45 colt die set

[Ohio3Wheels]

Probably if the dent isn't too deep. I've done with 6.5/06 cases that got slight dents before I started using Imperial.

Make smoke,

[NavyDoc76-80]

Doc,

What do you mean that if you had been using an RCBS carbide die for belling, you would not have had this problem??? Does RCBS use a carbide expander? That would be NICE.......if it was the correct size!

Don,
Previous to purchasing this Lee die set, all my dies are carbide RSBS. I have used there expanders in new Starline brass in 357 and 44 and never gave lubrication a thought. And of course I have reloaded probably about 8-10k rounds over the last two years, (.32,9mm,38sp,.357,.44rem mag) majority once fired (assuming) range brass, near 3k of that new Starline and a mix of Winchester and Magnus new brass. Never felt the need to lube the case mouth for expanding. So now you understand my surprise and disappointment when this arose and why I started this post to begin with. I was trying to save a buck and get the FCD at the same time, as far as I'm concerned, that decision has bitten me in my gluteus maximus. You asked if the expanders are carbide, I really can't say, I just know they work without lube.

[NavyDoc76-80]

Doc,
I must have missed it, but what is the problem with the LilGun powder?

Don,
Good question. It all depends on who you ask. I had a post here about the use of Lil'Gun, most of it is me rambling on about some help with starter loads and then all the talk (rambling) about its destructive nature. Not one positive review from anyone here either. Then my conversation with Hodgdon kinda sealed it for me. He confirmed for me, this is not a plinking powder to use. And what I mean by that is, should you want to put say 30 rounds down field in close succession is a major no-no. As the tech rep said, no more then 10 rounds at a time, clean the bore and let it cool down. Given its ballistics, I could see it being a good hunting round/powder in the 45. But the rep said his recommendation was for extending the life of the barrel. So I thought I would bring a few toys to the range, do five round strings with the 45, while its cooling down, play with the 44 or 357, come back to the 45,repeat. Kill the first pound, and move on.

[donhuff]

QUESTION: Can they be fire-formed back to shape (just a few) ??


GG,

Yes (I guess). I would not call it fire forming as that is usually a separate step to do nothing but fire forming.

Just load them as usual and act like they are NOT dented, and they will blow back out. That is for a couple of small dents like one usually gets. If you collapse the whole shoulder or make some really big dents. Then I would do a separate FFing load.

[donhuff]

Doc,

What do you mean that if you had been using an RCBS carbide die for belling, you would not have had this problem??? Does RCBS use a carbide expander? That would be NICE.......if it was the correct size!

Don,
Previous to purchasing this Lee die set, all my dies are carbide RSBS. I have used there expanders in new Starline brass in 357 and 44 and never gave lubrication a thought. And of course I have reloaded probably about 8-10k rounds over the last two years, (.32,9mm,38sp,.357,.44rem mag) majority once fired (assuming) range brass, near 3k of that new Starline and a mix of Winchester and Magnus new brass. Never felt the need to lube the case mouth for expanding. So now you understand my surprise and disappointment when this arose and why I started this post to begin with. I was trying to save a buck and get the FCD at the same time, as far as I'm concerned, that decision has bitten me in my gluteus maximus. You asked if the expanders are carbide, I really can't say, I just know they work without lube.

Makes me wonder if Starline has changed something in the formula lately. Cause like you, I have never had this much of a problem with it before. It's like they have added "super glue" to the brass formula!
I was shocked that no matter what I tried, I could not make it stop sticking.

I have a couple hundred once fired 360s that I'll be sizing today. I'm curious to see if they still do it.


You now have me wondering about getting some RCBS dies. I had though about getting another set of 357 dies for loading this 360 because It's aggravating to have to reset the dies from 357 to 360 length, and then back again, every time I turn around. I already have another set for 38 special because of that same thing. I load so few 357 Maximums that it's not worth getting a set for that size. Once I got a 357 Herrett barrel for the contender, the max is like shooting a BB gun

[donhuff]

Good question. It all depends on who you ask. I had a post here about the use of Lil'Gun, most of it is me rambling on about some help with starter loads and then all the talk (rambling) about its destructive nature. Not one positive review from anyone here either. Then my conversation with Hodgdon kinda sealed it for me. He confirmed for me, this is not a plinking powder to use. And what I mean by that is, should you want to put say 30 rounds down field in close succession is a major no-no. As the tech rep said, no more then 10 rounds at a time, clean the bore and let it cool down. Given its ballistics, I could see it being a good hunting round/powder in the 45. But the rep said his recommendation was for extending the life of the barrel. So I thought I would bring a few toys to the range, do five round strings with the 45, while its cooling down, play with the 44 or 357, come back to the 45,repeat. Kill the first pound, and move on.


Well......then I did a "major no no" yesterday. I shot a lot of LilGun loads, and while I did not shoot them one right after the other, I would shoot a string of 5 over the chrono. Write down all the info, gather the brass and look at the primers, and then go to the next 5 right away. Getting the info would take maybe a minute, gathering looking and then loading the next 5 took maybe one or two more???? And for one bullet powder combo that amounted to 50 rounds as I worked my way up the load ladder.

The barrel did get hot but did it get any hotter with the lilgun loads????? I wanted to say YES, but I tend to be more realistic about things like that so........damn if I know! I think it was all in my head because of what I have read about lilgun being so hot. As I think about it now, I do remember that when shooting the lilgun loads, I would shoot some and feel of the barrel. When I shot 300MP and H110 loads. I just banged away and never gave it a second thought Real scientific methods, right?

And the only time it really concerned me was once when looking down the sights, I had to wait a minute for the heat waves to clear, so the sights would be still and not move around in the "mirage". I gave it a few minutes after that volley, to cool down. Don't remember what powder I was using at the time though. I shot 3 cylinders full through the blackhawk, then jumped right back on the rossi.

In the pic below. The big pile at bottom left was all LilGun 360 loads, to the right is 357/LG loads. The top piles are H110 and 300MP loads. About 280 total rounds all shot within three and a half hours.

If you cant tell, I think all the hype about LilGun being "too" hot, is a bunch of BS.

[NavyDoc76-80]

Well......then I did a "major no no" yesterday. I shot a lot of LilGun loads...


If you cant tell, I think all the hype about LilGun being "too" hot, is a bunch of BS.

Initially, that was exactly my thoughts, though I think I used the word malarky, though Barbara Streisand works for me! Don, thanks for your input, I know this is off topic so I'll add my own experience down the road in the Lil'Gun post. Might need to start a Lil'Gun only loading thread/post.

[Archer]

One of the early reloading compendiums stated that RCBS dies were the smoothest and best finished of any on the market. That book is at least 20 years old and probably written 30 to 40 years ago.

I do not think that RCBS uses carbide in their expanders. I know some vendors use a carbide expander in certain of their rifle dies and you can get a carbide bead to upgrade Redding dies and possibly RCBS dies.

I will say that although I've used quite a few manufacturer's dies without having any issues I have noticed that certain dies seem a bit rougher than others. Lyman and Lee are sometimes a bit rough but mostly I've noticed this on the outside not the inside. Redding seem to be about the best finished on the exterior out of any of the manufacturers. Hornady have been ok but in recent years it seems they've been trying some new things to cut production costs and it hasn't always worked out. Dillon dies also seem to be very well finished and they seem to work pretty well but if you are using them in a traditional press, or even another brand's progressive you have to add an expander since they use the powder funnel in the conversion kit for their presses as an expander and do not include one with their die sets.

Only a very thin layer of Imperial lube should be applied. IF you are getting dings in the shoulder you aren't doing it right. Those dings are however one of the reasons I've not been overly fond of the Dillon lanolin lubricant. Although there are a number of folks who swear by it on many forums and youtube I have not had much luck with it and after finding Hornady One Shot had no interest in going back and experimenting. IF their claim that it will not contaminate powder or primers is correct I'll rarely if ever use anything else. I did pick up the Imperial for specific sizing operations, in particular sizing military brass for use in my Garand and M1A weapons. Other than that or IF I were to attempt some forming operation I think I'm golden with the Hornady stuff.

[GasGuzzler]

Can't remember if I posted that I helped a kid at work remove a .223 stuck in a new RCBS die lubed with One Shot two weeks ago. I had to make due with available tools for that one AND the .222 I stuck in the vintage RCBS trim die I got from Don I used Imperial on.

It happens I guess. My bottleneck experience is low but growing quickly.

[Okie44]

I think the key to One Shot is to let it dry before sizing.