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Thread: Cleaning up 310 tool and dies

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
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    You can make a Kake Kutter by sawing the base off of a fired .30-06 shell and chamfering the case mouth.

    If you really have to have one, the 310 Tool boolit sizing chambers come up pretty often on the auction sites. The most common are 0.311" and 0.358" (nominal). These were designed for plain base boolits, or, at most, gas-check designs with the slip-on Ideal gas checks. I don't know how they would work with the newer Hornady crimp-on type. They are pretty much for the subsistence reloader, who loads a box of shells a year; kind of tedious for the typical modern reloader who wants a reasonable number of reloads for the time expended, but the "experience" is always interesting, of course.

    You might also look for a replacement 0.311" expander plug for your expander die; it should have a belling flare at the top which might make seating the cast boolits easier at the next step. The 0.308" expander, as you say, is for jacketed bullets.

    The dies don't have to screw all the way to the bottom of the spigot on the tong tool. Screw the muzzle resizer in until the neck is reduced to the depth of the seated boolit and lock it there. Lock the expander die just at the point the case mouth is slightly flared, and make up a dummy cartridge and set the seater die and seating screw accordingly and lock them in.

    You should have no problem using the tool if you can find dies for the .270 Win, the .280 Rem and other shells similar in length to the .30-06. Shorter, like the ,250 Savage or .243 Win, might or might not work, depending on how long the spigot on the tongs is and how deep you can screw the dies in. It's just a matter of trial and error.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by DonMountain View Post
    Ok, I finished cleaning up the entire set of dies and the tongs, and got all of the parts to unscrew and the threads all cleaned up so all the dies will screw at least part of the way into the tongs. On the one die with the damaged threads on the tip, I took a thread file for a 32 thread-per-inch spacing and just used the first two lines of the file to straighten up the threads on the edge. And the lock ring then screwed right off with no resistance, and back on again. I tried screwing each die into the tongs and they don't go all the way to the bottom, so either the threads on the tongs are tight at some point or the location where the lock screw in the lock ring had damaged the threads on the die has made it hard to turn all the way into the tongs. But they may not need to go that far in order to actually reload a cartridge? And another question. On the side of the tongs is stamped 30-06, so I assume that only 310 tool dies for certain cartridges will work with these tongs? Since a 30-06 casing just fits into the hole on the tongs? (And also 308 and 243 and 358?) Or if I buy a smaller casing set of dies, like maybe a 223 that would fit? But a 30-40 Krag wouldn't fit due to the larger base rim?
    If all else fails, send me the tong tool and I'll run a tap through the threads to clean them up.

    Thanks
    Scott
    Last edited by dsh1106; 02-06-2017 at 12:42 PM.
    Scott

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  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by dsh1106 View Post
    If all else fails, send me the tongue tool and I'll run a tap through the threads to clean them up.

    Thanks
    Scott
    Well thank you for your offer Scott. After playing with it some more the dies now seem to go in plenty far enough to actually reload a cartridge. So now I am ready to reload some 30-06 cases. Or at least I thought. After looking at and reading the set of 310 tool directions, and reading up on reloading in my No. 39 Lyman Handloading Manual with the 310 tool, it became apparent that all those once fired 30-06 cases my brother gave me a couple years ago could not be fired in my rifle after just being neck sized in the 310 tool dies. So, should I just go back to my ordinary single stage press with the full length resizing die to start with? That seemed to destroy the whole emotional feeling of reloading on a 310 tool. So, I had to take the suggestion in the instructions of the Lyman No. 39 reloading manual and get on our favorite bidding site and purchase an old fashioned resizing die complete with the drive out rod so I will have a complete reloading set for the 30-06 to include cases not fired in my rifle. So now I am waiting for that to complete the outfit and set up and adjust the 310 dies to load this box of Sierra jacketed bullets that I have.

  4. #24
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    Full length resizing is done with a die and rod. Drive the case into the die and push it out with the rod. Brass hammer or large vice works. The size dies do turn up on eBay ocasionally as Lyman made them well into the 1950's. It's all about simple, and the 310 is that.

    Ken

  5. #25
    Boolit Buddy
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    Put a # 8 lead shot under the setscrew in the lock ring. Keeps the setscrew from burring the die threads.

  6. #26
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    Full length resizing is done with a die and rod. Drive the case into the die and push it out with the rod. Brass hammer or large vice works. The size dies do turn up on eBay ocasionally as Lyman made them well into the 1950's. It's all about simple, and the 310 is that.

    Ken

    ^^^This^^^

    Fortunately, it seems that the push through dies are most commonly found in 30-06, so that should be an easy pick up for you. I like to use a vise to push the brass in smoothly rather than pounding it, and some Imperial Die Wax™ or just a thin touch of lanolin to make it even smoother. BTW, if your original 30-06 dies don't clean up well, they too are very easy to find... the 311 case mouth expander not so much, but they are out there. As for other calibers, ANY of the regular rifle calibers should be load-able with that tong set since they say right on the directions "Use Large Handles" or words to that effect. This would include the 243/308 length cartridges. Welcome to the madness, the pain only lasts a short time until you are fully absorbed into the collective!

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  7. #27
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    I once took all of my 310 die stuff to my shooting buddy machinist and we sat down one afternoon and measured every different die, seating screw, expander plug as to thread size. Thinking myself smart, I decided I'd buy a set of taps and dies to cover the entire spectrum. Now, he's a master machinist and did it right and handed me the list and I went happily off with visions of procurement. In about two hours, I quickly discovered that the task I had set for myself quickly assumed a cost in the vicinity of the amplitude of the national debt so I bought several of the more common sizes and assumed the task of chasing threads with a swiss file like the rest of you guys./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by beagle View Post
    I once took all of my 310 die stuff to my shooting buddy machinist and we sat down one afternoon and measured every different die, seating screw, expander plug as to thread size. Thinking myself smart, I decided I'd buy a set of taps and dies to cover the entire spectrum. . . . . and assumed the task of chasing threads with a swiss file like the rest of you guys./beagle
    The exterior threads I have been able to straighten up with files ok. The internal threads inside the handles have been harder to clean out and I wonder if it would work to take one of those spare dies that I only paid a couple of dollars for just to get the internal bullet seating stems, and grind slots in the threads extending down the barrel to look like a threading die, and use that to clean out the threads in the handles. Has anybody tried that to see how it would work?

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by DonMountain View Post
    The exterior threads I have been able to straighten up with files ok. The internal threads inside the handles have been harder to clean out and I wonder if it would work to take one of those spare dies that I only paid a couple of dollars for just to get the internal bullet seating stems, and grind slots in the threads extending down the barrel to look like a threading die, and use that to clean out the threads in the handles. Has anybody tried that to see how it would work?
    Don
    That might work for the aluminum handles, but you may run into some issues with the steel handles.

    Worst case, if you can't get the ID threads cleaned up, let me know.
    I have a .609/.610 - 30 tap that I bought just for these parts. I'm sure we can work something out.

    Scott
    Scott

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  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by dsh1106 View Post
    Don
    That might work for the aluminum handles, but you may run into some issues with the steel handles.

    Worst case, if you can't get the ID threads cleaned up, let me know.
    I have a .609/.610 - 30 tap that I bought just for these parts. I'm sure we can work something out.

    Scott
    Thank you for your offer Scott. Just this morning I fired 3 cases loaded with 44.0 grains of IMR-4320 and Sierra #2275 Hollow Point Boat Tail jacketed bullets in new Winchester 30-06 cases with WLR primers. I only seated the bullets in the cases using the 310 tool and dies. These fired well in my 03A3 rifle. So now I am going to increase the load to 46.0 grains of IMR-4320 and shoot 3 more. The object to look for good groups and then completely reload these new cases using the 310 dies from start to finish. And see how well all the dies seat in the 310 tool. So far the priming tool and the bullet seating/crimping tool screw into the correct depth ok. I haven't set the lock rings yet and put a piece of lead shot under the locking screws to keep from damaging the threads. But thats my next step in setting all of this up.

  11. #31
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    One more question about cleaning up these steel 310 dies and tool handles. Should I put any sort of lubrication on the die threads so they will screw in and out of the steel handles a little more easily? Graphite? Grease? Oil? Motor Mica?

  12. #32
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    One drop of gun oil at the bottom of the die will coat the threads as you thread the die into the handles. From the old Brylcream ad, a little dab will do ya.
    Ken

  13. #33
    Boolit Master


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    http://www.victornet.com/tools/Speci...-Dies/402.html

    Scroll down 5/8 x 30 die 19 bucks!

  14. #34
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    The 310 threads are not 5/8", though we commonly call them that. If I recall correctly they are .603" therefore they require a special, and costly, tap and die.

    Ken

  15. #35
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pressman View Post
    The 310 threads are not 5/8", though we commonly call them that. If I recall correctly they are .603" therefore they require a special, and costly, tap and die.

    Ken
    What Ken said.

    I paid big $ for the tap I have.

    My tap measures. 609 / .610 x 30

    Scott
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  16. #36
    Boolit Master


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    Anyone try fitting the die by closing it all the way and then removing a bit between the halve so it goes tighter? Just asking As I am cheap type old garage machinist.

    .010 is not that much remember that is times 2. for a die it may work.

    I agree not for a tap

  17. #37
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    I didn't do it in this case but once cranked on that little screw to open up a standard die as wide as possible, in order to put the proper threads on a single-shot lever pin. I just got to the end of the threaded section when there was a loud "pop!" and the two halves of the die fell out of the holder.

    One die, one job. You might be able to pull it off, but prepare to sacrifice.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check