About RCBS 45-70 dies..??

[catkiller45]

I am thinking of getting one of the case stretching gizmos that Buffalo Arms is selling...They claim it goes into a sizing die...But they advertize it as being 1/4 inch..
The decaping stem on my RCBS dies is not 1/4 inch...

Is there a new set of dies out that have the 1/4 stem ...? Something new and improved....I tried to call BACO but to no avail....Thanks John

[sffar]

I just picked up a used set of RCBS 45-70 #20904 3 die set that looks pretty new. stem in sizer measures .238 across threads. Plenty of wiggle in it until the nut gets tightened.
Hope that helps.
Sam

[catkiller45]

Sam,,,,,,,You have just want I need....Apperantly RCBS has changed thing since I got
my dies...I will have to see if I can get the sizing die from the 20904 set...Thanks....John

[sffar]

John,
You're welcome. I looking forward to hearing about how that stretching gadget works out.
Sam

[Dan Cash]

If your die is dedicated to stretching, modify the part the decaping rod goes in. I am using a Redding die with no issued. Sure had to heat the plug that holds the stem in order to drill and tap. Sucker was harder than wood pecker lips.

As far as the stretcher goes, aneal and lube the case well and advance the stretching plug slowly. I am able to stretch Starline brass from 1.85 to 2.15 by anealing twice. Stretching surely solved a lot of leading problems.
Dan

[montana_charlie]

As far as the stretcher goes, aneal and lube the case well and advance the stretching plug slowly. I am able to stretch Starline brass from 1.85 to 2.15 by anealing twice. Stretching surely solved a lot of leading problems.

I suggest you check the numbers you posted.

The Smith-Lyons tool only works the top end of the case. You are saying it 'stole' enough brass from the 'neck' area to increase case length by three tenths of an inch.
If true, that neck metal would be so thin you could see through it.

You state your starting length as 1.85" while 45/70 brass is supposed to be 2.1"
You are saying your cases start out a full quarter inch shorter than they should be. Are you SURE of that?

Are they perhaps 2.085" ... which would be fifteen thousandths under ... and you stretch them to 2.105 ... which would be five thousandths over ... for a total length increase of 0.030" or thirty thousandths?

If you really could draw three tenths with the Smith-Lyons tool, you could make 45/90 cases out of 45/70 brass.

CM

[texasmac]

catkiller45

The RCBS set I have has a 1/4" stem (actually 0.248"). And the stem on the stretcher is 0.245. So it is made for a die that will handle a 1/4" stem.

By the way, if you are interested in more details see my article on stretching brass.
http://www.texas-mac.com/Stretching_...R_Chamber.html

Wayne

[gunplumber]

i have one of those streachers from BACO that i streached all my remington brass to match a highwall chamber. it was easy to take the brass from 2.095 to 2.105. if i remember correctly the stem is 1/4 28, i have a new set of dies that i went to use it in and it was too tight in the threads, i had to run a die down the stem and chase the threads. after that i worked fine. there is also a video of how to use it on you tube that helps get you started

[EDG]

I have RCBS with both stem sizes.
One is what I call an open top die with threads of about 7/16 -18 or 1/2-20 (too lazy to go look)
The other set has a 1/4-20 decapping rod in what I call a closed top die

[Dan Cash]

I suggest you check the numbers you posted.

The Smith-Lyons tool only works the top end of the case. You are saying it 'stole' enough brass from the 'neck' area to increase case length by three tenths of an inch.
If true, that neck metal would be so thin you could see through it.

You state your starting length as 1.85" while 45/70 brass is supposed to be 2.1"
You are saying your cases start out a full quarter inch shorter than they should be. Are you SURE of that?

Are they perhaps 2.085" ... which would be fifteen thousandths under ... and you stretch them to 2.105 ... which would be five thousandths over ... for a total length increase of 0.030" or thirty thousandths?

If you really could draw three tenths with the Smith-Lyons tool, you could make 45/90 cases out of 45/70 brass.

CM

Thank you for correcting my typo, Charlie. I did mean 2.85 to start.

[catkiller45]

catkiller45

The RCBS set I have has a 1/4" stem (actually 0.248"). And the stem on the stretcher is 0.245. So it is made for a die that will handle a 1/4" stem.

By the way, if you are interested in more details see my article on stretching brass.
http://www.texas-mac.com/Stretching_...R_Chamber.html

Wayne

I read your page a few days ago and also watched the video maybe 3 times....Looks interesting...Must be my die set is an older one...I tried to talk to someone at RCBS and that had no idea what I was talking about and I guess to lazy to go check on it..I don't really want to buy the complete set unless I have to...Fields are pretty wet so I would have a day or so to try it..But I need the die first...lol Thanks for the info...I did get some 45-90 and one guuy sent me 4 45-100 to cut down to what I believe I need..Thanks again...John

[montana_charlie]

I read your page a few days ago and also watched the video maybe 3 times....Looks interesting...Must be my die set is an older one...I tried to talk to someone at RCBS and that had no idea what I was talking about and I guess to lazy to go check on it..I don't really want to buy the complete set unless I have to...Fields are pretty wet so I would have a day or so to try it..But I need the die first...lol Thanks for the info...I did get some 45-90 and one guuy sent me 4 45-100 to cut down to what I believe I need..Thanks again...John

John,
Use one of those 45/100 cases to measure the depth of your chamber.
Run it into your 45/70 resizing die to get it squeezed down so it will chamber easily.
Then, expand the mouth to an outside dimension of .482"

Slip the case in until it hits just touches the restriction at the mouth end of the chamber.
Mark the brass with a sharp blade, right at the back end of the barrel.
Use a blade. A pencil is not exact enough.

Measure from the 'scratch' to the case mouth to get chamber depth.

This does not work if you don't expand the case mouth before inserting into the chamber.

CM

[Tatume]

are they perhaps 2.085" ... Which would be fifteen thousandths under ... And you stretch them to 2.105 ... Which would be five thousandths over ... For a total length increase of 0.030" or thirty thousandths?

Thank you for correcting my typo, charlie. I did mean 2.85 to start.

2.105 - 2.085 = 0.020

[catkiller45]

My brass was 2.100 and I am going to try 2.162 inch to see how that works out....I love this trial and error stuff...Fun fun fun....Now to order another 25 lbs of 1F

[montana_charlie]

2.105 - 2.085 = 0.020

Uhh ... you're right. I was stuck on '3' as in '3 tenths' of an inch.
CM

[TXGunNut]

I knew what you meant. Pesky zeros!

[EDG]

>>>My brass was 2.100 and I am going to try 2.162 inch to see how that works out<<<

Expand the over length case about into a bugle shape with a 30/06 case or magnum case or some such.
Push it into the chamber with just your thumb and the chamber will squeeze it down.
If it does not go all the way trim it, expand it again and keep trying until it fits.

When you fire your newly made cases they will shrink undersize. You have to judge if you want to start out with cases that are actually .005 to.010 too long and have them pull back to the right lenght when fired.
You can get into trouble if you do not understand how this works.