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Thread: Expander needed

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    4

    Expander needed

    Hello
    I am in need of a .454” - .464” expander for my ribs dies.
    They are on back order from Buffalo arms for quite some time now,
    and I tried messaging RCBS to see if I could order from them, and never got
    an answer. Does anyone know of where else I might be able to get this expander ?...Jim

    Kodiak54@verizon.net

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    222
    Track of the Wolf sells Lee Thru powder dies with expander they make. Have many different dia and cheap. Someone with a lathe and a piece of 5/8 steel rod can make any dia you need.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    over the hill, out in the woods and far away
    Posts
    10,158
    Erik at www.hollowpointmold.com can custom-make one for you. Not sure of current cost, but he has done that for me.

    Would be least expensive if you already had one a bit larger than needed, so that he didn't have to fabricate the entire threaded shaft and plug, but just grind down one to fit.

    Ideally you want the cylindrical pilot 0.002" less than bullet diameter and of length to approximate base to crimp groove length of bullet, with 15 degree bevel above the pilot to short cylinder 0.05" long which is 0.002" over bullet diameter ending with 30 degree flare section. RCBS used to make them that way 50 years ago before the bean counters got involved.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    Chad5005's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Buena Vista GA
    Posts
    715
    i just bought one from midway

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    216
    I've used the ones that NOE sells, fit in a LEE die and they are excellent and relatively inexpensive.

    http://noebulletmolds.com/smf/index.php?topic=1795.0

    https://noebulletmolds.com/site/prod...gory/expanders

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    760
    Midsouth Shooting Supplies used to sell the Lyman "M" dies separate from the sets and had a table where you could look it up maybe online.
    1-800-272-3000
    The lady could look it up for you if you call. They have treated me very good.
    They are in Tennessee.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master


    stubshaft's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Southernmost State of the Union
    Posts
    5,854
    +1 for NOE expanders.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  8. #8
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Perryville, Ky,USA
    Posts
    4,513
    When all else fails, go to Ace Hardware and buy a bolt that fits the die thread and work it down with an electric drill and a flat file. It's slow work and a lathe is better but I don't have one. It works though and I have made several when the urge to load was upon me and I didn't want to wait./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    OKC , Oklahoma
    Posts
    3,384
    Noe may be backed up like every one else I have 2 on order that showed in stock since 3-10-21 .

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check