handgun dies

[buggybuilder]

First off, I've reloaded rifle shells for 35+ years, both cast and J-word. I an VERY new to reloading for a handgun.
I purchased a S&W .38 Special handgun to shoot cast bullets because .22 rf are hard to find for my K-22.
I was given a set of .38 dies. I have a FL die w/o an expander plug, an "M" die to bell the case mouth for cast bullets, and a seating die. Am I missing any parts? Shouldn't there be and expander for the FL die?
Please help
Thanks

[Poygan]

I think you have everything you need to load. Personally, I like to use two dies for the boolit seating, one to seat it to the correct depth in the case and the second one to do the roll crimp. However, one die to seat and crimp will work. I like the M dies to flair cases so that is a plus.

[cheese1566]

nope.
Expansion and belling are done with the second die in 38 loading and most other straight walled handgun.

[dbosman]

What cheese1566 said.
It can look very odd when you have a sizing die that is threaded for an insert stem and no insert is present or available.
You may find that you need or want multiple seating inserts for round nose, semi-wad cutter, or flat nose boolits.

[beemer]

Different brands of dies are sometimes set up a little different. You didn't mention if one of your dies had a depriming punch. A Lyman M die doesn't have one, maybe the sizing die takes one.

Dave

[BCB]

If it is a standard 3-die set, your sizing die should have a depriming pin and nothing else—no expander plug…

The second die, you call an “M” die should have the expander/belling stem. It is not a true “M” die as you mentioned…

The third die will seat and crimp the boolit…

Good-luck…BCB

[Firebricker]

There are some early sets of handgun dies that have a FL sizing die that only resizes and nothing else it has no stem of any kind. It sounds like you may have one of these. Like BCB stated if it is a standard 3-die set the first die resizes and removes fired primer second die flares the case mouth to except new bullet. On some sets like Lee the second die also allows powder charging through expander. Third die seats and crimps. If you have a picture of your die set we can get it cleared up. Hope this helps,FB

[Green Frog]

Buggybuilder,

If you have all that experience with rifle cartridges (getting shoulders right, etc) 38 Special will be a walk in the park for you. Your FL sizer is probably also Carbide or some variant thereof, so you just need to clean your brass... no lube. If not, the amount of case lube you will need will be about equal to the very lightest you use with your rifle brass... straight cases size easily. If that FL sizer die doesn't have a decapping stem, it may be possible to add one, or you can use a separate die that just does that one function. (But you knew you had to change the primer, didn't you. ;) )

The next step, belling the case mouth, is a little different from what you did with those J-word rifle bullets that frequently have a tapered base anyway. My rule of thumb is "Less is more." Just bell the mouth enough to start the bullet you wish to use with some small amount of friction... then stop! You just want to keep from shaving lead. If the resizing die has brought the diameter down too small for the seater to push the bullet in smoothly now without shaving or squeezing down, you'll want a different sizer or smaller bullet.

As stated, the crimp is the final step and may be done by the seating die or with a separate die... I've never found the latter to be needed for normal 38 Special use, but for some target pistol rounds, I like a separate "Factory" or "Taper" crimp applied with a final die. Your call as needed! It sounds a lot more difficult than it is, and as I said, your rifle loading experience will stand you in good stead.

Froggie

PS I saw some sizing dies that had the expander plug built in, but that was about 30 years or so ago. It's better to size the cylindrical case all the way then just open the mouth (bell it) enough to start the bullet. Once you try it, you'll see how logical this is.

[BCB]

[QUOTE=PS I saw some sizing dies that had the expander plug built in, but that was about 30 years or so ago. It's better to size the cylindrical case all the way then just open the mouth (bell it) enough to start the bullet. Once you try it, you'll see how logical this is.[/QUOTE]

I wonder how that could possibly work?...

The belled mouth would be resized back down as the case was pulled from the sizing die...

BCB

[Harter66]

CH built dies that have the decapper pin in a flairing ball. The 2nd die removed the flair sized the case body,seated the bullet and dependant on adjustment roll crimped . Mine was adjusted way out so as not to swage the boolits.
These are ok w/1 gun or jackets.

[Green Frog]

I wonder how that could possibly work?...

The belled mouth would be resized back down as the case was pulled from the sizing die...

BCB

IIRC, you had a die to FL size, then the next die decapped and flared the case at the same time with a stem shaped sorta like the inside of the case, so it was length specific... not too good for 38/357 or 44 Spl/Mag, so they went away pretty quickly. I seem to recall a 44 cal set from RCBS, but got rid of it so I could do Spl & Mag cases with the same set.

Froggie

[BCB]

IIRC, you had a die to FL size, then the next die decapped and flared the case at the same time with a stem shaped sorta like the inside of the case, so it was length specific... not too good for 38/357 or 44 Spl/Mag, so they went away pretty quickly. I seem to recall a 44 cal set from RCBS, but got rid of it so I could do Spl & Mag cases with the same set.

Froggie

Yea, that was sort of my point a couple of posts back...

It would seem, as explained, that the sizing die and belling die would have to be seperate dies...

Decapping can be done anytime...

Thanks...BCB