I got a few dies the other day and am unable to identify these two. They were in a box labeled 6.5 TCU. My observations are listed below.
- They have no labels or maker ID's.
- I think the chrome or polished die is a neck sizer. A fired 6.5 TCU case fits loosely in the body and the neck gets sized down for about half of its length. The sized neck diameter is .283". For comparison, my fired cases measure .2895" and the same cases sized in my RCBS 6.5 TCU neck sizer come out at .279" (with the whole length of neck being sized).
- I think the darker die (on the left) is a seater. A 6.5 TCU case fits, the body fits loosely and the die sizes about one quarter of the neck when a cartridge is run up with the shellholder just touching the die. The "sized" case neck measures .289". I think the slight sizing I'm seeing is just a seater die that's been run down too far and the crimp is slightly resizing the top of the case.
- Both dies can accept a stem from a Redding die, i.e. same thread pitch as Redding seating/decapping stems. My RCBS dies have a different thread pitch.
- Neither die had lock rings which may not have helped ID them, anyway.
- One gentlemen I asked said he thought maybe Bonanza but I own no Bonanza dies to compare them to.
I realize ID'ing the cartridge over the internet is challenging, but can anyone possibly at least ID the maker of these?