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Thread: 6.5 x 55 "mystery" die......?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master



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    6.5 x 55 "mystery" die......?

    I haven't reloaded for my 6.5 Swede in many years, but the time had come. So, I hauled out my set of Lee dies.......still in the old round plastic container......and was mystified by THREE dies instead of the expected two. I have the usual sizing/depriming die, bullet seating die and the third is marked "Lee 6.5 x 55 B1". It has a high polish inside and the upper end is threaded as if it should accept an expanding plug, or something similar. It's NOT a collet die.......those hadn't been invented when I bought this set......so what the heck do I have here??

    Note: I may have loaned the set out to someone in the past, can't remember. Maybe they gifted me with the mystery?

  2. #2
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    An neck expanding die for cast bullets I'd say!

  3. #3
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    A neck only sizing die?

    Who knows what you have. I know I also have a neck only sizing die I bought separate for my 6.5.55, so I have three dies

    6.5x55 , one of my favorite cartridges and rifles. I have a Win. model 70 and several mauser 6.5 swede rifles
    Last edited by GSP7; 04-04-2020 at 08:10 AM.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master



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    Since I'm forming 6.5 from 30-06, I might try it as an initial sizing die and then open the neck back up with an expanding die in my 310 tool. The first case I ran into the ordinary sizing die wrinkled badly at the shoulder, despite Imperial sizing wax, so a "pre-anneal" might be in order too.

    Ah, the 6.5 Swedes......when they were first imported back in the late eighties, I grabbed a $79 "good condition" m96. When it arrived via UPS and I opened the box, I immediately realized that they were something very special. For a "good condition" rifle, it had a beautiful bore, gorgeous bluing, very nice wood with only a couple of rack marks and everything matched! I should have floated a loan or sold the (ex) wife and bought at least ten more.....I can only imagine how nice the "very good to excellent" rifles were. Sigh.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master 44magLeo's Avatar
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    You could always do a chamber cast of the die to measure.
    Leo

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    I have Norma and Lapua 6.5x55 brass .... Probably loaded some of them 15-25 times or more, neck size them only with a neck die. I anneal the necks every 3 or 4 or so loads. Its worth it to get the good stuff

  7. #7
    Boolit Mold dartem's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GSP7 View Post
    I have Norma and Lapua 6.5x55 brass .... Probably loaded some of them 15-25 times or more, neck size them only with a neck die. I anneal the necks every 3 or 4 or so loads. Its worth it to get the good stuff
    May I ask whose neck die you are using?
    Looking for aperture sights and a front sight cover for my Swedish M96...

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    You could always do a chamber cast of the die to measure.
    Leo
    What method and or technique do you use and or recommend? I do not know of a reloader/smith that does not use the default method meaning that is the only method they know about. Last month I gave a short run down on the number of reloaders/smiths that do not use the default method, it was as thought members scorned the day they ever learned to read; so I will omit the part where it says there are only two.

    F. Guffey

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    Again, I was at a gun show looking for hidden and obscure bargains. My friend ahead of me was digging through two boxes of dies and reloading equipment, the dealer wanted $10 each for the 2 20 pound box of dies each. My friend had a RCBS collet bullet puller with a .30 cal. collet in his hand, he thought $20 was too much for the box of dies; and then? He placed the collet bullet puller back in the box.

    I purchased both boxes, after purchasing the two boxed I started sorting the dies, I removed all of the lee dies and then made an attempt to give them back to the dealer. He would not have no part in the deal; he insisted I purchased all of the dies. I had no interest in hauling those 2 heavy boxes through the parking lot or to the exit door. Arrangements were made.

    The two boxes looked like grave yards for Lee dies, when I pick up a die I want to know who made it and I want to know the caliber and having the year stamped on it does not hurt. So I wondered how all of those dies made it into those two boxes, and then I thought those dies got loose and could not find their way back. It has nothing to do with me not liking Lee dies, I have lots of Lee dies, I do not use them because of the markings. I know there are powder dies, trim dies etc.. and dies that have a position on a turret/processive. When I align dies on a progressive press there has to be room for the powder lock out, that means something gets left out or something or the other has to move over, so if the information Lee put on his dies was important I would not have come home with a small pile of Lee dies with no place to go.

    F. Guffey

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    That third die might be a factory crimp die if it's not a neck sizing die .
    Gary
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  11. #11
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    What Gary said.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by dartem View Post
    May I ask whose neck die you are using?
    Im using lee dies.

    All my rifle dies are lee except 9.3x57 and that is modified/shortened RCBS 9.3x62 neck die set
    Last edited by GSP7; 04-10-2020 at 05:29 PM.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by 3006guns View Post
    Since I'm forming 6.5 from 30-06, I might try it as an initial sizing die and then open the neck back up with an expanding die in my 310 tool. The first case I ran into the ordinary sizing die wrinkled badly at the shoulder, despite Imperial sizing wax, so a "pre-anneal" might be in order too.

    Ah, the 6.5 Swedes......when they were first imported back in the late eighties, I grabbed a $79 "good condition" m96. When it arrived via UPS and I opened the box, I immediately realized that they were something very special. For a "good condition" rifle, it had a beautiful bore, gorgeous bluing, very nice wood with only a couple of rack marks and everything matched! I should have floated a loan or sold the (ex) wife and bought at least ten more.....I can only imagine how nice the "very good to excellent" rifles were. Sigh.
    I have one from that era. My now ex-wife worked in a gun and scuba shop and went through a shipment so I got 'pick of the litter.' It's a very nice rifle. The Swedish Mausers are probably the best made battle rifles ever. The machine work and quality of steel is superb. I don't shoot it much because I built a '98 into a 6.5x55 hunting rifle but it's an awesome shooter.
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Must corect one statement. Swedish Mausers were imported in the late 50s /early 60s. Brother and I each got mountain carbines about the time I got out of high school, 1960. Shot my first deer with mine. Father and an uncle decided that I probably couldn't get ammo in California so after college they sent me off with a sporterized 03A3. Don't know what happened to my gun. Traded my brother for his. It has been restocked and has had assorted sights on it. I recently had an older Weaver installed on it. Due to a gun smithing problem with the scope safety and COVID-19 I have not been able to sight it in. Soon we will be back to normal and I will be able to see how it shoots.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master BigEyeBob's Avatar
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    I have Swedish Mauser made by Luwig Lowe in Germany ,its an excellent shooter , the original stock has a pistiol grip inletted and has hand cut chequer on the fore end and pistol grip .Its my go to rifle for most of the hunting I do here in Australia .It was rebarreled and chambered in 303/25 back in the late 40's or early 50's due to some states stupid legislation regarding military calibers in the public's hands.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Is it a crimp die. Mine are RCBS, so no extra die.

    SShiloh
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