M Expander/Powder dies for Dillon

[L Ross]

I saw a small ad in Hand Loader from LousGunWork.com for a M die style expander powder through stem to replace Dillon's expander/powder die stem. I looked it up on his web site and after kicking it around in my head for a couple of weeks ordered one each in 38/357 and 45. I have had trouble with my cast bullets not being aligned straight when moving to the seating station in my Dillon 550. Having to hold the bullet straight with my fingers to enter the seating die without shaving lead really slowed down the whole point of having a Dillon.
The stems arrived quickly and looked to be of very high quality. Lou's die stem works perfectly, creating a flare just like a Lyman M die that holds the bullet straight and allows seating without scraping or shaving. I highly recommend this product.

 

[Brad]

Got a mic? And camera?
Would be interested in seeing what they look like and what they measure at a few different points.

 

[fiver]

cost?..or link
I'm doing okay but could maybe use a couple if they measured out properly.

 

[Pistolero]

Hmm. I have loaded a LOT of .45 ACP and .38 Super ammo on D550s, never had that issue.
Sounds like a good thing to have, but I never felt the need myself.

BIll

 

[CZ93X62]

cost?..or link
I'm doing okay but could maybe use a couple if they measured out properly.

Google Lou's Gun Work, the site has a chart showing spud diameters by caliber.

I REALLY like the Lyman Multi-Charge expander die and its spuds. It saves a die step on my P-W P-200 Metalmatic.

 

[Brad]

Yikes. $68 each.

Interesting idea, I may try making one and see. I generally don’t have a problem, I just adjust to get enough flare to let the bullet easily sit on the case mouth.

 

[L Ross]

Yikes. $68 each.

Interesting idea, I may try making one and see. I generally don’t have a problem, I just adjust to get enough flare to let the bullet easily sit on the case mouth.

$68 each was the reason I pondered it for awhile before I ordered. But then I looked at the complexity of the stem and contemplated the degree of machining steps required and asked myself why the guy should work for nothing.

 

[Brad]

I suppose it depends on how many he has made? For a guy with the right setup, like Keith, it is a simple enough part to make. For a guy making them on a manual lathe it will take some time and time costs money.

 

[Ian]

Aside from my acquired distaste for anything "Lymanesque" with regard to stepped expanding spuds, sounds like it solved your problem. I've loaded tens of thousands of rounds of flat-based cast bullets with a Lee progressive and Lee seating die with epoxy-filled, fired/unsized .44 Magnum case for a seating plug customized for each bullet shape and a normal, single step and flare expander and the bullets get themselves straight before going in.

For bottle-necked calibers the Forster Benchrest in-line seating die takes care of the problem without having to use a tool that ruins half the neck tension.

 

[462]

". . . without having to use a tool that ruins half the neck tension."

After many years of reading why you don't like "Lymanesque" expander plugs I finally understand.

I've too much invested in custom-made M-die expander plugs to eliminate them completely, but it does give food for thoughtful consideration.

I was fortunate to buy an almost new Forester Ultra Micrometer in-line seating die for $10, and use it for the 03A3 and jacketed bullets. Also, have six, or so, of the long discontinued Lyman Precision Alignment in-line seaters -- they are not the easiest to set up, but I like the idea.

 

[Ian]

The concept of the stepped expander is somewhat sound.....IF (and there's the rub) the thing is made correctly. Lyman generally makes the difference too large between the two sizes, and makes the larger-diameter part too long before the flare shoulder. They can be fixed if what you have is large enough to begin with. Does it matter? Obviously not to everyone, but when chasing runout and sub-moa groups (particularly at HV where neck tension becomes a huge factor regardless of what the folks at the CBA will try to tell you), I quickly found the standard M-dies to be very much the wrong tools for my needs.

 

[462]

My custom-made plugs -- Buckshot and a machinist neighbor, and NOE that use the Lee die body -- are all dimensioned to give no more than . 002" neck tension and a mouth .001" larger than bullet diameter.

My vision and iron-sighted rifles, except the scouterized Swede and the Ruger 10/22, preclude me chasing sub-MOA groups and high velocities, much to my misgivings. However, if I were to engage in such, reckon that my thought process and approach would be much different.

 

[CZ93X62]

The Multi-Charge die is for handguns only. The rifle-caliber M-dies aren't used to "flare" case mouths for me--their .004"-larger portion sent in a very short distance suffices to get the bullet started into the case, and the main spud shank is .0015"-.002" under the bullet diameter......or I had Buckshot turn me one to those specs.