Lyman carbide expander/decap rod?

[yoter]

Does anyone have any experience with this upgrade in Lyman or RCBS dies?

Are they really an improvement over the standard Lyman decapping rod assembly?

Link: http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/d...rbidedecap.php

[Minerat]

I hate to dig up this old of a thread, but since there was no response I'm curious too. I just stuck a 223 case (got lazy with the lube) as I was just finishing a batch of them. (5 left out of 200) I then proceed to trash the expander and pin as well as completely gall the threads on the bottom third of the RCBS stuck case screw by not checking to see why it was so hard to tighten. Turns out the case was unstuck well before I bottomed the screw out.

With that sad story out of the way. I need to decided on whether to order a new expander button and some pins or go to the new carbide setup. I would appreciate your input and just think you might get to be a thread killer with your answer.

[Minerat]

Minerat, They work great and now come with an adapter so you can use it it your RCBS same caliber dies if you want. I'm thinking of your 22-250. It is sweet, with little or no resistance felt as it comes out of the case and you can adjust the height of the button on the stem, too. I suspect this will lessen the stretching of the 223 brass during full case sizing.

Ya I got a little desperate for information on this tool and decided to pull the plug and get one. Glad I did and felt that some one should leave a legacy review so some future sole could find the review that is stored for prosperity in the Forums Archives. Also, I work by my self and am used to talking to myself, but this is the first time I got an answer!

[farmerjim]

Thanks for the review.

[n.h.schmidt]

I have the carbide expander for both 30 cal and 22. I have the 30 on lyman 30-06 die from 40 years ago. The 22 expander in on a RCBS 223 die I use in a turret press. In use the pull through is easy, about what you get with neck lubing and a regular expander. The good part is no lube to remove. Worth it just for that.
n.h.schmidt

[Unclenick]

These are excellent additions to your dies. Redding also makes them. I've had one in a .30-06 Redding die for 25 years and added one to my .223 die when I got an AR target rifle in about 2000. I additionally use graphite inside-neck dry lube (Imperial neck lube) even with the carbide, to get even less resistance. It cuts way down on the tendency of expanders to pull necks off-axis (as demonstrated here with a Hornady die) which makes it easier to get a low bullet runout cartridge. High bullet runout, IME, can grow jacketed bullet groups by around an MOA, as was illustrated by A. A. Abatiello in the Rifleman long ago (60's or 70's, IIRC), though the effect varies with bullet shape. With lead, which can deform more as it enters the bore, the effects are worse. I have even seen it in .45 Auto, opening 50 foot groups with BHN 12 185 grain wadcutters (old RCBS mold) from about 1.0" to about 1.4", or about a 2 moa increase. IME, the softer the bullet, the more important to accuracy it is to align it well with the bore. But that's nothing new. Harry Pope knew that.