lyman ideal full length shell resizer question

[nitro-express]

I started collecting, and sometimes using Tru-Line Jr and 310 dies. Some came with the Ideal Shell Resizer.

Some of the replies above hit the mark dead on.

" In the early 60s I got a Lee Loader hammer style for my 222 which only neck sizes. After about 4 or 5 loadings I needed to full length size so I bought one of the ideal hammer in full length sizers as you describe which came with its own knock out rod. My first attempt at hammering a case in I discovered ain't no way. I told my uncle and he told me to bring it and my cases over to his place. We lubed the cases and used his arbor press seating them flush to the end of the die almost effortlessly. It did a good job but bumped the head space just a little too much for my rifle. After that I used a shim to keep the press from pushing the case in all the way and I was in business with full length sized cases. Its probably almost 50 years now since I used it last but at the time it did a good job for me. Thank goodness for the fine equipment we enjoy today. "

These work nicely with an arbor press. I drilled a hole in one of the wings of the plate to make it easier to eject the sized shell. Don't over lube the cases as there is no vent hole as in modern 7/8-14 sizing dies. Go slow to allow air to escape. I have a 35 Remington die that needed to be shimmed, I used several layers of silver air conditioning tape. Hammering without a wooden buffer will shorten the die over time, more so for rimless cases.

The next quote is important:

" These dies were intended to complement the 310 tong tool and dies which could only neck size and not full length resize. When cases needed resizing they used this Lyman Shell Resizer. Like any full length resizer the cases are not ready to be loaded without expanding the inside of the neck to receive the bullet. One of the dies in the 310 set was for doing this.

So, if you are trying to load cases directly from this Lyman FL size die, you are skipping a very important step and yes it does matter. Anytime you shave material (lead or metal jacket) from the bullet you are damaging the accuracy of the bullet and round. "

I have a 1939 vintage 141 in 35 Remington and was having a chambering issue. Because the 35 Remington went through a slight change in specs (SAAMI) sometime after 1937, I got out the Ideal Shell Resizer. I checked the resized shell in my Wilson gauge, Wilson still used the 1937 spec for this tool, and it was a fit, max length. Next step was expanding the neck with my 310 Expanding die.

FYI: A new factory round is over max in the Wilson, so headspace was one of the specs changed. I asked Wilson to make me a gauge based on the new SAAMI specs, they politely told me to take a hike. For an outfit known for precision, not impressed. Still using the 1937 specs, refusing to update, perplexing to say the least.

Conclusion, the Ideal Shell Resizer can be useful, but as a main use tool, it's time is done. A press and a FL die is the way to go. i can see a niche for them, for a minimalist reloading outfit, a Tru-Line Jr and an arbor press, with a bunch of 310 dies, and a handful of Shell Resizers, and you'd be good to go. 310 dies have the advantage of being smaller, take up way less room.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

A long time ago when I first started out with a 310 tool I had one of these Lyman FL resizers and knockout rod. I used it in a vise because I didn't like hammering the case into the die. If course the case had to be lubed and the die worked well, but it was slow going. Those were the days when everything went slow anyways in comparison to now. The cases had to be cleaned off too before continuing. Doing a run of 50 cases was a lot of work. I used the resizer a lot for a few years and it never showed signs of wear. LLS