Ian
Notorious member
I have six .38 Special sixing dies and they ALL are awful.
Two Lee carbide dies both size .374" on the outside which gives. 352" on the ID where the bullet goes. Do we REALLY need .006" of neck tension for a revolver?
1966 RCBS die needed a polish, did that and it sizes .378" tapering to .375".....AND THEN STEPS TO .371"!!! .349" Neck ID. If I only put the case in until the mouth is at the step, brass fired in sloppy chambers won't meet spec.
1976 RCBS die also has a step and I get .378X.372".
1991 die that I bought new and had rusted due to long storage after using RCBS case lube 2 got pulled out and given a thorough polish from 320 through 1500 and then rouged. It came out really nice and is slick as a whistle. No step. Tapers from .376" to .373", giving .354" ID. Wish it was .379X.375", it would be perfect. I've been messing with this for four hours and am NOT in the mood to spend the rest of the night polishing this thing out, although at this point that is my only option usingbwhat I got. If I do that, I won't have to make another Lee-style PTE spud that is long enough and the right size to expand the over-worked cases so they don't crush my bullets.
My Lee .38 Super carbide die makes the cases a nice .378" the whole length.....but a .3585" bullet is a slip fit.
GRRRRR.
Two Lee carbide dies both size .374" on the outside which gives. 352" on the ID where the bullet goes. Do we REALLY need .006" of neck tension for a revolver?
1966 RCBS die needed a polish, did that and it sizes .378" tapering to .375".....AND THEN STEPS TO .371"!!! .349" Neck ID. If I only put the case in until the mouth is at the step, brass fired in sloppy chambers won't meet spec.
1976 RCBS die also has a step and I get .378X.372".
1991 die that I bought new and had rusted due to long storage after using RCBS case lube 2 got pulled out and given a thorough polish from 320 through 1500 and then rouged. It came out really nice and is slick as a whistle. No step. Tapers from .376" to .373", giving .354" ID. Wish it was .379X.375", it would be perfect. I've been messing with this for four hours and am NOT in the mood to spend the rest of the night polishing this thing out, although at this point that is my only option usingbwhat I got. If I do that, I won't have to make another Lee-style PTE spud that is long enough and the right size to expand the over-worked cases so they don't crush my bullets.
My Lee .38 Super carbide die makes the cases a nice .378" the whole length.....but a .3585" bullet is a slip fit.
GRRRRR.