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Thread: Help picking a NOE expander plug

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    462

    Help picking a NOE expander plug

    Hey guys I was wondering if you could help me understand what expander plug I want to buy.

    First of all, are they compatible with a Lee auto disk powder measure? I see some are listed as powder-through, and some aren't. For the non-powder through, what die does it go in?

    I want a deeper expander for 45 colt bullets up to around 300 grain, and I want an expander for flush seated 148 grain wadcutters in 38/357. My 9mm dies are already running the 38 S&W expander from Lee.

    At the same time, my problems could be solved with a looser full length resizer/decapper die, but I do not know of a source for that. Thanks for the help.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    The NOE expanders are solid, so no wont work with a powder measure.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Central Iowa
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    I use my NOE expanders with the Lee Universal expander.

    I use older RCBS steel resizing dies for a lot of my handgun resizing dies. These dies are typically larger diameter than the Lee die I started with. For example the 38 special lee die sized my brass .372 and the RCBS die does .375. The SAAMI spec for the loaded round is .379. The Lee at .372 might work fine for jacketed bullets but for lead I don't want something so tight.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Oct 2010
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    The solid ones go in the Lee universal expander die, as mentioned. The powder-through ones go in the Lee powder-through expander dies, I believe.

    I have the 35F for the .38 wadcutter application. I can't find it, so maybe they changed the name. Shoot Al a line. Can't speak to the .45.
    -BE

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    The NOE expander really wont work in the universal expander, its made for rifles, so the expander wont go deep enough for a pistol. Im gonna mod one on the lathe at some point. I just accept the extra step for proper expanding w cast.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master
    Shiloh's Avatar
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    I have three NOE expanders I like them better than the Lyman M die.
    Shiloh
    Je suis Charlie

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  7. #7
    Boolit Master

    fatelvis's Avatar
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    The NOE expander really wont work in the universal expander, its made for rifles, so the expander wont go deep enough for a pistol.
    Just throw the stock Lee expander in on top of the NOE expander before you thread the adjustment screw in place. This will allow a shorter cartridge (like a 38/357 mag) to work with the setup.
    I shoot so that I can handload.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Yeah, you can workaround the short cartridge thing,
    throw a nut in the die body if it comes to it.
    I do know what you're talking about, though.

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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