RCBS vs. Pacific old steel sizing dies

[Petrol & Powder]

All good info and thanks to those that added to the discussion.

I started off years ago with steel dies because they were less expensive and I was poor. When carbide dies became available at prices I could sort of afford, I went with carbide dies for all of my handgun cartridges and never looked back.

I don't disagree with Char-Gar and he makes some valid points. However we don't place empty brass in revolver cylinders, we use cartridges that have bullets seated in them. That bullet is generally at least starting to occupy the throat ahead of the chamber, so I'm not sure how much an undersized casing affects the alignment of the bullet in the throat. In any event, by the time the bullet exits the throat on its way to the forcing cone, it's going to be about as well centered in that throat as it ever will be, regardless of any slight misalignment before it left the casing.

I'll also add that when the firing pin strikes the primer, the casing will be pushed forward and the rim will headspace the cartridge. When the pressure builds the casing will be pushed back into the recoil shield and the walls of the casing will expand against the chamber walls. At that point any slight misalignment will be null as the bullet is driven through the throat on its way out of the cylinder.

There's also varying wall thickness of the casing, varying amounts of "spring back" after sizing, different diameter and length expanders (a big factor in my opinion) and different bullet configurations. So while the sizing die certainly has some effect on the final outcome, it is only one of many factors.

Because dies are long life tools, I tend to adhere to the school of, "cry once and get it over with" when it comes to spending that money.

[onelight]

Out of curiosity I checked a few from some of my carbide sizers .
I started with starline 45 colt cases , they were fired in my SS Blackhawk convertible with 6.8 grains of red dot , 200 grain rnfp .
Before sizing
Head .476
Mid .477
Mouth .474
Lee 45 carbide sizer
Head .467
Mid. .467
Mouth .466
Hornady carbide sizer
Head .472
Mid .469
Mouth .466
I backed off the crimp ring in a Lee 45 acp factory crimp die it sized
Head .474
Mid .474
Mouth .474
Better than the Hornady and Lee sizer dies.
The Lee 45 colt factory crimp with the crimp backed of does not touch fired case so I can't measure what it would size to.
Don't know if this info has any value other than confirming the information on the steel sizer .
But I may try my Lee 45 acp factory crimp die to size my next batch of colts. If the mouth is tight enough to hold on to my cast boolits

[Alferd Packer]

I agree about the steel dies .
I have some 45 Colt cases been reloaded over twenty times with medium loads. The primer pockets are still tight and they were annealed in hot lead every five reloads. I don't need them, but just cause I can.
I keep using them and keeping a record.
Steel only sizing. The case walls are paper thin. They are being shot in an old Ruger flat top from 1970.A convertible with both cylinders. 45acp and 45 LC. I know its not Long Colt but I say it to differentiate from 45 acp. I have carbide also but that coke bottle shape it puts on a case just looks wrong.So I went back to the steel and used STP for lube.
Many of boxes of those 45 LC cases are also from the 1970s too.
The lube and steel dies along with the moderate loads make em last longer.
I also have two 454 Casulls that I bought the RCBS special sizing die for.Much tighter tolerances and a world of difference in the cases, bullets and powder charges and primers. The moderate charges are relaxing to shoot. Scarcity of lead also makes a difference.
I shoot more .32s now and found they are better about the sizing dies.
Still , you have to match the sizing to your chamber in revolver for a gain in accuracy.
The carbide and the steel 32 dies are more closely matched to the pistol chambers, but :hey all have that measurable difference between the carbide and steel. With the steel the 32 long cases seem to be everlasting, but the carbide dies severely work the brass causing the cases to split lengthwise.
Found the same issues with 38/357 and 44/44 mag.The steel dies are best for your cases.