dies for Pedersoli 38-55

[barnabus]

i purchased a Pedersoli high wall in 38-55 which requires a .380 cast bullet. I want to use RCBS dies but they offer standard and cowboy and i was wondering what is the difference between the two and which one would best meet my needs? Would i need to have a custom expander made and if so who does something like that?

[gandydancer]

You got me thinking about the 38/55 RCBS dies. I have not loaded any 38/55 ammo in over 20 years and I have three rifles in said caliber. I will check the dies out & mic up the expander and do some reloading its a great caliber.

[barnabus]

let me know what size the expander might be

[EDG]

I have 3 sets of .38-55 dies. LEE, RCBS Cowboy and an older set of RCBS standard dies.
Only the RCBS Cowboy seating die will be large enough internally for your bullet. The Lee die can be opened up without too much work.

None of the expanders are large enough. You will need a custom expander from Track of the Wolf or other supplier.

[barnabus]

do you know what size the cowboy expander die actually measures?

[Kraschenbirn]

'Standard' RCBS dies will be just fine but you may need an oversize 'M' die to expand your cases for a .380 boolit. I'm using RCBS, myself, for an Uberti Highwall and several years ago had a member here make up a 'custom' expander that allows me to load 'as cast' (.380/.381) 20/1 alloy without squeezing down the drive bands. Unfortunately, I understand that he no longer does custom die/sizer work.

Bill

[richhodg66]

My .38-55 shot badly using the RCBS standard dies my Dad gave me. I was shooting the Lee bullet unsized and lubed with LLA. I bought a set of the cowboy dies with the bigger expander plug and the groups with the exact same bullets and charges shrank by about 2/3rds immediately. I'm pretty sure I was squeezing down the bullets seating them in cases that hadn't been expanded enough in the old dies. If it were me, I'd buy those cowboys dies and not look back.

[barnabus]

My .38-55 shot badly using the RCBS standard dies my Dad gave me. I was shooting the Lee bullet unsized and lubed with LLA. I bought a set of the cowboy dies with the bigger expander plug and the groups with the exact same bullets and charges shrank by about 2/3rds immediately. I'm pretty sure I was squeezing down the bullets seating them in cases that hadn't been expanded enough in the old dies. If it were me, I'd buy those cowboys dies and not look back.

the thing is ...if the cowboy expander dies is say .377 it will size my bullet down too much like yours did.nobody seems to know what it actually measures.in my pedersoli high i must have .380 according to them.

[TGM]

The RCBS cowboy dies have two expanders. One is .376 and the other .379

[barnabus]

if it is .379 that would prolly swage my 380 bullet down too small then dont u think

[Bohica793]

NOE makes expander pins to fit in Lee expander dies. I have several including a .381 and they work very well.

[garandsrus]

if it is .379 that would prolly swage my 380 bullet down too small then dont u think

It should be fine. You want some neck tension. I use the RCBS Cowboy dies in 38-55 also.

[barnabus]

What rifle u use them in?

[Chill Wills]

barnabus, you are correct for concern and I agree with everything you have stated.

Go to Buffalo Arms Co and they can provide any size you want with any size mouth flare. They are cheap and will screw into your current Lyman or RCBS die body working as a replacement. They are threaded 9/16th-18 if I remember right.

I make my own (metal lathe) and I have found that an expander plug the SAME size or at most 0.001" smaller is the way to go!
If you are going to shoot 0.380" diameter bullets, order a 0.379" - 0.383" plug OR go 0.380" - 0.384" You wont be sorry.

[EDG]

No
.379 should be ok with thin .38-55 brass but only in a single shot.
I think it might require more grip in a tubular magazine rifle.

if it is .379 that would prolly swage my 380 bullet down too small then dont u think

[beemer]

A buddy of mine bought a Taylors Hi Wall in 38-55 and the RCBS Cowboy dies. We had to open a Lee mold up to .383 to get the rifle to shoot. I don't remember what the expander size was but I had to make a larger one. It was even to small for a .379 bullet, even the sizer was tight.

I wondered if the dies are made to 375 specs. I think something is lost in translation between the old specs and the new components and tooling. If the bullet had been much bigger the brass would not have chambered.

It turned out to be a nice shooter but he's still playing with the powder charge.

[EDG]

That is a problem with the SAAMI standard chamber.
The standard chamber can be too small for a cast bullet in the maximum size bore. This makes it almost impossible for die makers to fit all rifles.

I have an NEF/H&R Target Model in 38-55 with such a chamber.
The problem is not the dies but rather the lack of engineering skill at NEF. To fix this problem the groove diameter needs to be smaller or the chamber needs to be larger because a groove diameter plus .001 bullet will not chamber even if the dies are perfect.

A buddy of mine bought a Taylors Hi Wall in 38-55 and the RCBS Cowboy dies. We had to open a Lee mold up to .383 to get the rifle to shoot. I don't remember what the expander size was but I had to make a larger one. It was even to small for a .379 bullet, even the sizer was tight.

I wondered if the dies are made to 375 specs. I think something is lost in translation between the old specs and the new components and tooling. If the bullet had been much bigger the brass would not have chambered.

It turned out to be a nice shooter but he's still playing with the powder charge.