Who makes.410 ga. dies ?

[oldsalt444]

I know RCBS makes dies for 12 ga. but nowhere can I find 7/8 - 14 dies for the lowly 410 ga. It doesn't seem like much of a stretch being similar to a 444 Marlin or 45-70. You can use a 7.62x54R shell holder. I'd buy a Lee Load All II if they made one in 410. For the life of me, I can't understand why they don't make one, yet they make 16 ga. which is less common than 410 these days. It seems like the only option is the Lane Hand Reloader. I'm not interested in buying a whole new press for $200+. I'm not a skeet shooter, just want to reload the occasional box now and then and taylor the loads. Any ideas?

[country gent]

I would have to do some measuring to be sure but I'm thinking you might get away with loading them with a 444 die to size or possibly a 40-65. A compression die to seat wad and provide wad pressure. The issue is if you want a star crimp on the shells then a die has to be made for this. ( possibly modify a seater to use a mec crimp form). The other issue will be length of the shells 2 1/2 is going to "push the 444 or 40-65 dies somewhat. The crimp could be gotten around by loading like an all brass case and seat wad, drop shot charge and a card wad lightly glued in to hold shot. A snug fitting wad cut from poster board or cereal boxes for a snug fit in the cases. ( A punch could be made to cut these wads out)

Years ago I made a set of 7/8 14 dies for .410 for a guy at work to load for his 3 sons .410s. ( 3 boys 3 .410 pumps goe thru a lot of ammo). These were made from round stock and lathe bored to what was needed to size the head. seat the wads. ( dies pusher was spring loaded to provide consistant pressure on the wads seating them) and a crimp insert fitted from a mec press.

Using the over shot wad a 2 1/2" shell will be a full 2 1/2" shell but the crimp will need to be ironed out to a pretty smooth tube. Shells length is measured in crimped. So the star crimp may shorten the .410 by .200 - .250 forming the crimp. Another plus to the overshot wad is there is no crimps to wear out or crack, where most plastic shells fail first.

There are some making all brass .410a from 303s I think it is. anneal and fire form to straight case and load You might be able to make a 2 step expander to expand to straight wall in a press. a heavy tapered punch to open from .312 to 41 and a rounded end punch to get where the taper didn't. I'm planning on making some here shortly for an old .410 I inherited recently, so I can shoot it and to see how hard it is to do.

[skeettx]

https://www.buffaloarms.com/reloadin...4-thread-4d410

https://www.ch4d.com/products/dies/c...lter=shotshell

[dbosman]

Some years back there was a company that made .410 shot shell dies for standard presses. They were out of business the last time I looked into them, several years back. You -might- try a history search on that big auction site to see if any have been listed in the last year.

[rbuck351]

I'm using 444Marlin cases for my 410s. 44cal gas check upside down over powder then a cereal box wad, shot and another cereal box wad glued on top. They don't even need to be resized and the brass lasts forever. I only use them in single shot guns so I don't know how they would feed in a pump or lever gun.

[John Boy]

Reloading Shot Shells Without a Reloading Press

http://www.surplusfirearm.com/2011/1...loading-press/

[flashhole]

Good thread. I tried the hand tool method. Had a primer go off. Put an end to that adventure.

Has anyone actually used the dies linked in post #3?

I use the overshot card with a drop of glue. Works well but you have to cut the shell case down to length. I hit on a method to do that in a drill press with a single edge razor blade. Very clean and efficient.

I even bought a shot dripper to make shot. Haven't mastered that yet, my shot comes out shaped like a teardrop. Loads still function and with the wife needing 3 or 4 shots to shoot a critter or an old hen that no longer lays eggs it beats the heck out of buying expensive factory ammo.

[flashhole]

I found the rim on the 444 cases too thick for my single shot 410. The action would not close. Same thing with 303 British cases.

[rbuck351]

If you have a friend with a lathe, have them turn a bit off the front of the rim on twenty or thirty cases. They will last forever.

[oldsalt444]

Interesting posts, and I thank you all for the input. Glue on the overshot card - I never heard of that. For now, I'm using plastic 410 hulls. I just ordered the Lane Hand Reloader Tool Set, and will see how that goes. http://www.lanesreloading.com/410.html
I like the brass case ideas posted here which show a lot of ingenuity. My gun is a Chiappa 22/410 O/U, so the brass 444 Marlin or Magtech 410 brass hulls would be a good option.

[flashhole]

Can someone with both 444 brass and brass 410 hulls measure the thickness of the rim?

[rbuck351]

Hornady 444brass is .055, Win3" superX .050, Rem3" express .050, Federal 3" .043. Wouldn't take much to make them fit. I have two 410s a Savage 24 and a Savage 219 and the 444s fit in both.

[brass410]

I've bee making 410 3inch from 9.3x74r brass works great, a little spendy at the out set but paid for 2nd time reloading, depending on whose brass you use sometimes need to thin head of case just like 303 or 444 marlin. It's really not a big deal a couple of wipes with a new flat file in x pattern and your done no worries have done this for years works great all my shooting friends have brass 2" and 3" 410 now. The cost of 410 shells is astronomical to buy and not reload.You can buy wads and such at circle fly

[bstone5]

Use the 444 Marlin brass for 410 loads in a S&W Govenor and a H&R Handi Rifle. The Handi Rifle closes on the 444 Marlin brass without any problems. As others have said the brass will last a very old time. Load 4 #4 buck shot with 7 1/2 shot between the #4 buck shot balls. Also load with 7 1/2 shot for snake shooters. Have a of Lee 444 Marlin dies if the brass is ever too large in diameter. My grandson shots the Handi Rifle a lot, he has shot doves with the 410.

[flashhole]

brass410, any pics?

[Eddie Southgate]

Ballistic Products has 2 1/2" Magtech brass .410 cases ready made .

Eddie

[GhostHawk]

Magtech brass runs around a buck a piece. .444marlin brass can run higher than that.

.303 british works but takes some work. I had to spin them, thin down the rim a bit. But then fireformed they work fine.

As to dies, I don't try to resize mine. You can make a simple set of tools for decapping, priming, dowel for inserting wads, etc. Its not hard.

[flashhole]

I'm working on a priming system for regular hulls. I will post pics when I get done. Some stuff is on order and will take a week or more to arrive.

[donparadowski]

I've bee making 410 3inch from 9.3x74r brass works great, a little spendy at the out set but paid for 2nd time reloading, depending on whose brass you use sometimes need to thin head of case just like 303 or 444 marlin. It's really not a big deal a couple of wipes with a new flat file in x pattern and your done no worries have done this for years works great all my shooting friends have brass 2" and 3" 410 now. The cost of 410 shells is astronomical to buy and not reload.You can buy wads and such at circle fly

What holds everything in the 444 martins?

[rbuck351]

A wad cut from cereal box glued in as an over shot wad works well in single shot guns to hold everything in. Don't know how well it will work in a pump or lever gun.