Merry Christmas to me...

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
Wow, what presents. Three dies sets, or just the sizer die? We await their comparison results with bated breaths.
 

Ian

Notorious member
So, close but still had to fix the .45 Colt die. The bottom ring is ok, sizes Starline fired brass (.480"+ if the New Vaquero has fired it) down to .475-6" on the body. The neck, however, was sizing the outside to .467" and about .447" on the ID. Even my Lee carbide die only sizes the neck to .470".

So an hour later, working with diamond abrasive, a split dowel, and emery paper, I got the top ring polished to where it's sizing necks about .471" on the OD, which leaves me 2.5 thousandths interference fit with a .452" bullet and obviously a bit more with a .4525" which is what I shoot uncoated. At LAST, problem solved..

Oh, and I can definitely confirm other's complaints that these dies come pre-rusted in the space between the carbide rings, which will cause scratched cases. Also, the Titanium Carbide rings themselves seem to have tiny burrs on them, so a quick polish with some very fine emery cloth and a split dowel is in order even if you don't cut the top ring .003" larger.

The .45 ACP is next, but I don't anticipate having to modify it other than a polish due to me using .4515" powder coated bullets exclusively and that's pretty close to jacketed size. Why did I get a .45 ACP die also you ask? Because most of the chambers I have are tapered pretty severely and loose in the back, and my RCBS and LEE carbide dies both size the area in front of the rim so small the cartridges literally rattle in the chambers.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
hmm,, makes me wonder what their neck opener spud measures.
speaking of which i actually seen a number of RCBS dies on the shelf today.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Ians report makes me wonder- Considering we have SAAMI/Industry specs on nominal chambers dimensions and have had for a good 20 years, and yet we still see people having to modify name brand dies to fit name brand chambers, is it any wonder that 2, 3, 4 decades ago we had a harder time making things work, more brass dying an early death, more issues in general trying to get our ducks in a row? It amazes me we did as well as we did!
 

Ian

Notorious member
Drill press at 600 RPM. Working for a solid half hour with tight-fitting 180 Emery paper fortified with 220 valve lapping paste didn’t faze the carbide ring, had to move up to 800 diamond grit and grease to make a lapping paste. Progress checked with minus pin gauges.