Which 45 colt dies?

So, I am looking for a blackhawk and want to get ready to start reloading and casting for it.

I reload boolits for 44 mag and use a lee 3 die set with a RCBS seating die to seat with the flat stem and roll crimp with the lee seating die. I really like seating and crimping in separate stages on my lee classic 4 hole turret press. I also like the RCBS flat seating stem for flat nosed cast boolits.

I don't want to have to buy two separate die sets as I cant find a seating die available separately. Will any of the various lee crimp dies that are sold separately or with the deluxe set work as the only crimp for a cast boolit?

Is one set better for cast 45 colt than another? It looks like I can find the lyman carbide 3 die, rcbs carbine 3 die, lee carbine 3 and 4 die, and redding titanium carbine 3 die sets in stock.

I have the 4pc set of lee dies for my 45 colt and am quite happy with them. Many do not like the factory crimp die but i think most problems are found in auto loaders. I just use a very light crimp anyways for target shooting.

I use the RCBS Cowboy die set and have been happy with it. Add a separate .45 AR roll crimp seater and appropriate shellholder or ACP in my revolvers, then don't need. 45 ACP die set, as I don't do M1911s, onlt wheelguns in ACP.

I use nothing but Hornady dies now. I bought a separate Redding crimp die but I don't use it except for jacketed, some of my boolits are too large to go through it.
I seat and crimp in one operation, always did and always will, it matters NOT.

I have Lee 3 die set, RCBS 3 die set and the RCBS Cowboy dies all in 45 Colt. Now for standard sized cast or jacketed bullets I use the Lee with the Ranch Dog version of the FCD (collet type). Now the Cowboy dies I use for over sized are WFN loads exclusively with a Lee Powder thru die. I rarely use the Standard RCBS die set other than the expansion die which I like much better than Lee's expansion setup. I also have the Redding Profile crimp die but use it only on 454 Casull and max load 45 Colt. I like the Lee dies a lot however I like the cowboy dies when available better but as I said I still use the powder thru die from Lee.

I have an old set of lyman dies I got for $25 fr this site and they work fine for me

If you are buying a new set of dies to load cast bullets for the 45 Colt, the RCBS Cowboy dies are your best bet as Outpost75 suggests. They are far and away the best choice of currently produced dies for several reasons.

If you are willing to hunt up used dies on Ebay, then there is another alternative. The older steel dies have a taper to them and work the brass less that the current dies with a single carbide ring. This allows the loaded case to be a better fit in the generous charge holes, providing better alignment and accuracy. I use RCBS dies from the early 1960s. Ammo produced with these old dies are dimensionally the same as factory ammo in all regards.

For SWC and WC bullets, I take the seating stem and turn it flat in my lathe. I do this for all calibers. I often pick up used seating dies on Ebay just for this purpose and then use the seating die that came with the die set to crimp, after removing the seating stem.

Like Outpost75, I also from time to time, size 45 ACP/AR cases in the 45 Colt die. I have three ACP sizing dies as well (carbide and steel) and the 45 Colt dies size the ACP cases only .001 larger. This gives a tad bit better fit in sixgun charge holes and in all truth doesn't hurt a thing for function in a 1911 pistol. Rounds sized in a 45 Colt die feed and function in my three 1911s just fine.

When I buy used dies, they are RCBS, so I can't comment on any other make. I also polish the insides of used steel dies to remove any stuff that will scratch cases. A die so polished with produces cases as burnished as if they came out of a carbide die.

It doesn't hurt to seat and crimp in the same motion IF you are seating into a generous crimp groove where case mouth won't scrape the sides of the bullet as it moves the last smidge to crimp. If you have a bullet with no crimp groove or a small one, then seating and crimping in different operations is indeed a good idea.

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i have lee 3 die set, rcbs 3 die set and the rcbs cowboy dies all in 45 colt. Now for standard sized cast or jacketed bullets i use the lee with the ranch dog version of the fcd (collet type). Now the cowboy dies i use for over sized are wfn loads exclusively with a lee powder thru die. I rarely use the standard rcbs die set other than the expansion die which i like much better than lee's expansion setup. I also have the redding profile crimp die but use it only on 454 casull and max load 45 colt. I like the lee dies a lot however i like the cowboy dies when available better but as i said i still use the powder thru die from lee.

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what ?

Do you have to lube the cases if you use the older tapered steel dies?

I use the RCBS Cowboy die set and they work well. I crimp and seat the original type 45 Colt bullet, mine being Lyman's 454190 with no crimp groove, and have never had any issues.

Yep, you sure do.

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Originally Posted by '74 sharps

I use the RCBS Cowboy die set and they work well. I crimp and seat the original type 45 Colt bullet, mine being Lyman's 454190 with no crimp groove, and have never had any issues.

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If you are seating that bullet correctly, you are crimping just over the ogive, which means no scraping of lead on the side of the bullet.

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Originally Posted by ValorsMinion

Do you have to lube the cases if you use the older tapered steel dies?

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Yes. the first time I use them I use wax. Afterwards I put them in a baggy and give them a shot of One Shot. I dont shoot a ton at a time so the steel works fine but if I was cowboy action I would go with the rcbs carbide cowboy as others have suggested

Thanks for the help everyone. I think I am gonna pick up a set of the rcbs cowboy dies and keep an eye out for a second seating/roll crimp die.

The only suggestion I would make is to spring for the carbide sizing die. Its worth it to me, even if only loading small batches. I like the Dillon dies for use on my Dillon press, but other than that any brand will work fine. Most of my pistol dies are RCBS carbide sets. Lightman

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Originally Posted by gray wolf

what ?

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I left out the word the a typo but should of still been easy to understand. However maybe this will help. I also don't use one brand of dies but mix them to get the results best suited to the bullet I'm loading for.

"i have the lee 3 die set, the rcbs 3 die set and the rcbs cowboy dies all in 45 colt."

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Originally Posted by ValorsMinion

Thanks for the help everyone. I think I am gonna pick up a set of the rcbs cowboy dies and keep an eye out for a second seating/roll crimp die.

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Try the die included with the RCBS Cowboy set first. You may not find the need to buy the additional die. I've loaded about 10,000 with RCBS dies.

I have dies from all current large names and several small, both current and obsolete manufacturers... I'm solidly sold on Dillon, but my handgun loading is almost exclusively on progressive machines except for some single-shots.