Small base dies

[LHSmith]

Not familiar with a ring die? What actually does it do?

A special body die that is supposed to size the case all the way to the extraction groove-usually custom sized and available through limited sources = expensive. IIRC, one would run you around the same cost of a Whidden FL die...that is if you get lucky and get the ring die maker to respond to your request.

 

[Milo 2.0]

Do small base dies set head space or just the FL small base dies? Need to size base on my .280 A.I. and can't find an SB die for it that won't set shoulder back

PM your address and I'll send you a small base 243 die with the shoulder bored out, it'll do what you need. Need it back though.

 

[muleman69]

PM your address and I'll send you a small base 243 die with the shoulder bored out, it'll do what you need. Need it back though.

thank you ,might take you up on that.I will try some other things and get more info first. Did you bore it out and if so how hard was it? Hard as in tinsel strength.Was yours a full length die?

 

[muleman69]

I did not know typing speed (WPM) had any relation to what was actually being written. Trust me on this.....I type really slow and it never improves a thought I am trying to convey.

I could not agree more

 

[Milo 2.0]

thank you ,might take you up on that.I will try some other things and get more info first. Did you bore it out and if so how hard was it? Hard as in tinsel strength.Was yours a full length die?

It was a reg fl die, small base, just had a smith bore the top out with an end mill. 2 ways to do this, cheaper way is a body die with shoulder removed(right one), or bore the top out, the one on the right will only work in a coax press, unless you have the extended shellholder, not enough threads for an O style press.

 

[Milo 2.0]

Just pm if you want it, walk you through it, one time fix if your chamber is not oversize.

 

[dkhunt14]

Muleman69, The case does not have head space. And then there is only one reloader that understand the other part of your question. Most reloaders believe the small base die sizes the base of the case, I find that impossible because of the deck height of my shell holders meaning nothing on the base of the case gets sized below .125" + the radius.

F. Guffey

I hate to tell you Mr Guffey, but I will bet you any any amount of money you want that I can size a case all the way to the extractor groove with a shell holder in place. It might only be .0001 but i can move it. Matt

 

[retired]

does the once fired brass fit in the chamber( as is, not resized) ?
if it does then your sizing process is the problem, not the chamber.
if you do not know mr tooley is a shooter gunsmith well worth listening to.

fix the problem, do not put band-aids on the symptom.

 

[Bart B.]

I have never cut a top off, were do you make the cut? Just below the shoulder bump area?

Yes, just short of the shoulder-body junction; 1/4" or so.

50 years ago, that, and cutting 1/4th inch off the bottom end was done, on belted case full length sizing die. It was a body die to size the last several thousandths of the case next to the belt. That area expands at peak pressure as the belt is some thousandths back from the chamber's headspace ridge.

If that ridge isn't sized back down, it interferes with the chamber ridge causing accuracy problems visible in quality match rifles.

 

[muleman69]

Yes, just short of the shoulder-body junction; 1/4" or so.

50 years ago, that, and cutting 1/4th inch off the bottom end was done, on belted case full length sizing die. It was a body die to size the last several thousandths of the case next to the belt. That area expands at peak pressure as the belt is some thousandths back from the chamber's headspace ridge.

If that ridge isn't sized back down, it interferes with the chamber ridge causing accuracy problems visible in quality match rifles.

Wow, good info

 

[Dusty Stevens]

A ring die comes with a special shell holder that lets you size all the way to the groove. @fguffey wouldnt need his feeler gages or his .125 shellholders to run these. Hammonds and pbike57 makes these dies

 

[Bart B.]

A ring die comes with a special shell holder that lets you size all the way to the groove. @fguffey wouldnt need his feeler gages or his .125 shellholders to run these. Hammonds and pbike57 makes these dies

Some folks have put case heads in collet type bullet pullers squeezing them down to make primer pockets hold primers again.