Pistol dies - what do i buy ?

[tmc-okc]

I have been reloading for over 35 years but never have reloaded for auto cartridges and now have found I need a set of dies for 9mm Luger & 40 S&W but I dont know what brand I should get. I know these cartridges headspace on the case mouth and that demands a taper crimp. This is going to be a new learning experience - lol..
What brands are the best in your opinon & why..

Thanks for your fine forum. The info available here is great.

Ron

[Bohica793]

Lee 4-die sets are reasonably priced and work well.

[OuchHot!]

I use Lee, Redding, and RCBS and am happy with all. I really like the lee disc powder measures for lots of my handgun loading on progressives so I always wind up with one of their powder thru dies when I use the other brands.

[357mags]

Buy the Lees. You won't regret it!

[monadnock#5]

My own order of preference would be: RCBS; Lyman; Redding and Lee. RCBS gets pole position for the warranty.
Quite frankly though, it's what the dealer has in stock these days that carries a lot more weight than my own personal preferences.

[LUBEDUDE]

I use most brands. However, if you are using a progressive press, there an advantage to the Dillon dies. The openings are chamfered for smoother entry. This helps prevent "nicking and catching" the case as you move a little faster. And the dies have easy access for cleaning too!

Definitely worth the money!

[lightman]

With those two calibers, go with the carbide sizer. Well worth the extra expense. I've always bought RCBS pistol dies except for the stuff that I load on the Dillon. I use Dillon dies on my 550, but they will work in any other press. Really no wrong answer here. Lightman

[Bonz]

I am currently upgrading my Lee carbide dies to Redding Pro Series dies. Just like anything else, you get what you pay for. My Lee carbide dies have done a good job just upgrading to improve the quality of the reloads. The Redding Pro Series dies are made with titanium carbide and the wide openings for the cases, perfect for progressive loaders. Also, the sizing ring on the sizing die gets down closer to the rim of the cartridge, a big plus on 38/357 reloads.

[DCM]

Lee carbide dies work very well, Dillon dies are very easy to completely clean without losing your settings, they need different lock rings if they are not mated to a tool head though.

[Wayne Smith]

Frankly, I doubt you will find a set that won't work. We all have our likes and dislikes, sounds like it is time for you to develop your own!

[462]

Hornady, because of their sliding sleeve. Lyman, because they come with multiple seater stems. RCBS, because of their warranty.

Got rid of all the Lee handgun dies.

[MtGun44]

+1 on Hornady sliding boolit alignment sleeve - great idea, and
at the std price. All others double the price for this in their
"benchrest dies".

Bill

[kryogen]

my lee dies work.

[joelitespeed]

I started with Lee and still use them in my hornady press. you didnt mention which press you have.

[dragon813gt]

The correct answer is any brand that is Carbide. They all do the job so buy what you can afford. Or buy ones w/ the options you want. I have all brands of dies but the majority of them are Lee. The ones that aren't Lee is because Lee doesn't make one(M Dies).

[sirgknight]

The correct answer is any brand that is Carbide. They all do the job so buy what you can afford. Or buy ones w/ the options you want. I have all brands of dies but the majority of them are Lee. The ones that aren't Lee is because Lee doesn't make one(M Dies).

+1. The key word here is CARBIDE, rather than steel dies. Carbide dies do not require case lube.

[Bonz]

+1 On Carbide Dies But besides that, opinions will vary. And it all comes down to a personal preference. Myself, I absolutely do not like die sets that seat the bullet and taper/roll crimp with the same die, I want a separate die for each task. The Lee Factory Crimp Die works great on hard copper plated or jacketed bullets =but= will squish cast bullets unless they are very hard. The Lee dies also seem to resize my brass too small. My main press is the Hornady LNL Progressive and the Redding Pro Series dies are made for progressive presses and do a great job on my press. They are expensive dies, about $85 a set =but= in my humble opinion, the dies are an important part of any press just like the powder measure.

[Firebricker]

Lee is a lot of die for the money but for those particular two calibers I would recommend a die with a spring loaded decapping pin. I was having minor problems with the depriming and bought the spring loaded decapping pin for my RCBS and problem solved. FB

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I have been reloading for over 35 years but never have reloaded for auto cartridges and now have found I need a set of dies for 9mm Luger & 40 S&W but I dont know what brand I should get. I know these cartridges headspace on the case mouth and that demands a taper crimp. This is going to be a new learning experience - lol..
What brands are the best in your opinon & why..

Thanks for your fine forum. The info available here is great.

Ron

Ron,

There's a couple things to consider when you're selecting dies for reloading pistol.

1. The pistol you'll be firing the cartridges in. If it's a Glock, there's a thing called the "Glock bulge" that you must taken into account and dealt with. This is especially true with their .40 S&W offerings. If your pistols are Glocks, you might want to google "glock bulge" and do some reading/research. Lot of information there.

2. The press you're using the dies on. If you're loading progressively, you'll want to look at brands that are designed for progressives. If you're loading single stage, you can look at other brands of dies not designed for single stage.

3. The types of bullets/boolits you'll be loading. Cast lead boolits require a different set of reloading parameters and slightly different dies to be loaded for their premium performance than do J-word bullets. This is a consideration.

4. Quantity - if you're loading a small quantity, you could probably get by with steel dies (but most likely if it's a pistol, you're not loading small quantities). If it's any volume at all, you must get carbide dies to eliminate having to lubricate the cases.

As far as brands go, I like them all and use a mix of brands for each cartridge I am loading for. I do this both for improved loading experience and quality of cartridge loaded. So in some cases, I load with Lee dies, as they are all I need for that cartridge and in other cases, I load a mix of Lee, Dillon, RCBS, Redding and Hornady, depending on what I need.

One of the best things you can do is start with your cartridge, find out what it require to get loaded, then go to the various manufacturer's websites and read up on their offerings. After you've read up, come back and ask some questions to get an idea if the dies you're interested in provide the performance they advertise or are they hyped. This has worked well for me in the past with rifle die setups on a progressive reloader.

[silverado]

+1 On Carbide Dies But besides that, opinions will vary. And it all comes down to a personal preference. Myself, I absolutely do not like die sets that seat the bullet and taper/roll crimp with the same die, I want a separate die for each task. The Lee Factory Crimp Die works great on hard copper plated or jacketed bullets =but= will squish cast bullets unless they are very hard. The Lee dies also seem to resize my brass too small. My main press is the Hornady LNL Progressive and the Redding Pro Series dies are made for progressive presses and do a great job on my press. They are expensive dies, about $85 a set =but= in my humble opinion, the dies are an important part of any press just like the powder measure.

+1 on fcd sizing cast bullets

[Vulcan Bob]

I have had excellent results with the Lyman four die M type set. The case expander also works well with .358" dia cast lead bullets and will not swage the bullet down when seating.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Another vote for Lee dies at least for pistol calibers. I just wish Lee would make a normal expander die. Their current "powder thru die" shakes the snot out of a reloading bench. Back when everything wasn't back ordered I would buy the Lee sizer and seater die separately and order an RCBS expander.

[bedbugbilly]

Can't speak for the 40ACP but I'm using the Lee 4 die set for 9mm Luger - works just fine and does a good job. I'm getting ready to get set up for .380 ACP and based on my experiences with what I'm using now, will get Lee dies for that caliber as well. While I'm sure you'll use the "plunk test" on your handgun - I fine it helpful to also have a "cartridge gauge" on the bench and check each round as I finish them. I've got one for the 9mm and one of the .380 as well.

2ndAmendmentNut - just curious (not debating or questioning - just curious) why is your expanding/powder thru die causing you problems? Mine works smoothly (on both my 9mm and 38/357) and I've never noticed any issues. I'm using a 4 hole Lee classic turret. When loading my pistol cartridges, I have an adapter that slides in to the top of the powder thru die that my Lee Perfect Powder Measure screws on to. It works slick and I don't get any vibration etc. when the expander goes in to the case and out. I'm only loading cast and bell them the bare minimum required for my lead slug to sit for seating. I'm using the Lee 356-120-TC. Does the expander possibly have a rough spot on it or what is your "take" on why it "shakes" things up?

[MTtimberline]

Can't speak for the 40ACP either...
I always find myself upgrading to the Redding so now I just try to go for them first depending on availability. For .40 S&W, I finally went with the Redding Pro Series set and added a Lyman M die for using on single stage press. I am really impressed with this set-up. Redding has just been the best route for me especially on autos. I like using RCBS Cowboy dies for some of my revolver cartridges using cast.

[Garyshome]

Carbide is good and now is a good time to get a good price on some used stuff!

[Bonz]

Another option for you would be to post in the "Want To Buy" thread that you are looking for used carbide dies in both 9mm Luger and 40 S&W. I seriously doubt that any of our members would sell you junk. And, because you "should" be offered a price lower than new, you may want to purchase a couple of sets to get experience with different manufacturers. I have die sets in RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady and Lee and after loading a lot of rounds with them, I have made a decision on which I prefer using the experience that I gained. Food for thought...

[gunoil]

The Lee bb kit and especially the cartridge gage taught me how to have great ammo no matter which dies.

C. gage:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/744135/egw-4-hole-chamber-checker-max-cartridge-gage-9mm-luger-38-super-40-s-and-w-45-acp

Or redding's brass base swage kit:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231187/redding-g-rx-carbide-base-sizing-die-kit-40-s-and-w-357-sig-10mm-auto?cm_vc=ProductFinding

[6bg6ga]

So far this thread has a number of people telling you Lee or Dillon,RCBS, Hornady and so on and the smart people are telling you anything thats carbide. I have a selection of RCBS and Dillon dies and a 650 Dillon as well as a Lyman T-Mag turret press. I have a majority of RCBS dies simply because when I started reloading 40 years ago I bought RCBS. I've never regretted buying the RCBS simply because they stand 100% behind their product. They have sent me replacement parts for die sets that they weren't able to look up. I simply told them for example the hole size and thread size in the case of a fl die and they sent me out a decapping assembly for it at N/C. I use mostly Dillon on the 650 and RCBS on the LYMAN turret. As some have said buy carbide. About anything works well now days.

[Sig]

I have RCBS, Redding & Hornady in carbide for pistol. All have performed to my satisfaction. Hornady gets the edge for me because of their split lock rings that come with them. I can't stand that stupid set screw that RCBS & Redding still use(yes I put a piece of lead shot behind the set screw).

[silverado]

From what I have noticed between lee, hornady, and rcbs, it's like chicken vs steak vs lobster. Chicken works. Lobster works. I like the rcbs dies because of the different seating stems, I like lee because of the cost. Nothing wrong with a chicken dinner. Although hornady will give you hollowpoints for buying their dies, so they have that going for them

[Bonz]

The Lee bb kit and especially the cartridge gage taught me how to have great ammo no matter which dies.

C. gage:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/744135/egw-4-hole-chamber-checker-max-cartridge-gage-9mm-luger-38-super-40-s-and-w-45-acp

Or redding's brass base swage kit:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/231187/redding-g-rx-carbide-base-sizing-die-kit-40-s-and-w-357-sig-10mm-auto?cm_vc=ProductFinding

+1 on the Redding G-RX Carbide Base Sizing Die Kit 40 S&W. It's an absolute necessity to "safely" remove the bulge and resize the 40 S&W cases to proper dimensions. A step up from this is the "roll sizer" which brings the bottom half of the case (rim, extractor groove & web) back to factory/SAAMI specifications

[UNIQUEDOT]

As mentioned several times... any set with a carbide sizer will work well. Just stay away from hornady dies! BTW hornady doesn't manufacture or sell carbide dies, but rather TINI coated sizers which wear off and their expanders are pure garbage!, but the seater works o.k. if you buy custom sleeves for it, but Lee seaters work better in pistol calibers as is. I like Lee sizers, seaters, and crimp dies Of all three sorts depending on what I'm needing to do, but I dislike their expanders and aluminum adjustment knobs. RCBS, Lyman, and Redding are dies that have alwys performed well for me also. The only dies I wouldn't reccomend is hornady, but I will be trying their cowboy expander as soon as I can talk myself into ordering it.

[r1kk1]

I have Hornady in proprietary pistol cartridges and they work well. Funny thing is I have old and new versions of Hornady and like the newer die sets.

I don't have any in mainstream pistol/revolver cartridges. I do have a set of CH4D dies that are TiN coated and they work well.

Take care

r1kk1

[max range]

I reload a dozen different calibers and have done so for a long time. I have Hornady, Redding, Lee, RCBS, CH, Herters and Dillon as well as variations that they made over the years. Some of which are quite embarassing to the original mfg. I like Dillon's quality control and ease of use. But for bubbafied warraunty, RCBS and LEE have a great warraunty. But my head & heart lies with LEE.

Reverse to 1974. The north county hills of San Diego. Me stationed at Camp Pendleton shooting a S&W Victory Special and loading the empties on the tailgate of my 1964 c10. Using a Lee loader and a block of wood. A hot, lazy summer afternoon with pals and their girls. Sitting in the shade of a eucalyptus. Sipping cold beer. We used Unique and cast bootitz pan lubed beforehand.

I invite you to find a more pleasing cast boolit to shoot than a 38 special on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

[SeabeeMan]

I've always been happy with Lee dies with 2 exceptions:

- Hornady has better boxes, IMHO. I can leave my LNL AP bushing on and still close the lids. You can also buy these separately for a few bucks.

- Lee FCD dies contact the LNL AP ejector wire. No biggie since I prefer to grab each by hand and inspect a few things anyways. If you don't run that press, no worries.

As far as price, Lee's 4 die carbide set is an incredible value, but Hornady has their j-word rebate going. $40 on a set of new dimension dies, get a box of bullets free...if you swing towards the j-words occasionally, that is and they have a variety you want on the rebate.

[MtGun44]

I forgot to mention that the Hornady pistol dies have a titanium
nitride sizer ring which literally polishes the cases as they are
sized, kind of amazing when you first see it.

Bill

[kryogen]

Another vote for Lee dies at least for pistol calibers. I just wish Lee would make a normal expander die. Their current "powder thru die" shakes the snot out of a reloading bench. Back when everything wasn't back ordered I would buy the Lee sizer and seater die separately and order an RCBS expander.

For some reason I had a 38 spl case get stuck in that powder through expanding die tonight. Had to pull on the press like a mad guy to get it out, case was all belled and scrap. *** happened? disassembles the die to clean it, had some brass shavings in it... no clue.

[ACrowe25]

I use lee or Dillon. Both allow the shooting of top quality, accurate, ammo if I do my job. Pick either according to current budget.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Another option for you would be to post in the "Want To Buy" thread that you are looking for used carbide dies in both 9mm Luger and 40 S&W. I seriously doubt that any of our members would sell you junk. And, because you "should" be offered a price lower than new, you may want to purchase a couple of sets to get experience with different manufacturers. I have die sets in RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady and Lee and after loading a lot of rounds with them, I have made a decision on which I prefer using the experience that I gained. Food for thought...

This is real good advice.

[pastor]

i have used RCBS dies for 45acp and 9mm and they are great and the warrenty is the best should you need it

[warf73]

+1 on Hornady sliding boolit alignment sleeve - great idea, and
at the std price. All others double the price for this in their
"benchrest dies".

Bill

I agree 100% with Bill.
I now by Hornday, then RCBS exspecialy in handgun calibers.

[robg]

i started with lyman ,now use lee

[JimA]

I used to use mostly Lee dies. Never had any trouble with them, they made great ammo. Now I have a mixture of Lyman, Hornady, RCBS, and Lee. I just like to tinker with things that ain't broke. All of those dies have things I like and things I don't care for. The lock rings from Hornady are on all my dies for instance. I load most (by volume) on a Hornady Lock-N Load progressive. All those dies work on my progressive just fine. They also work on my Lee Classic Turret and Classic Cast single stage. Buy what you can afford. They will work fine.

[silverado]

I used to use mostly Lee dies. Never had any trouble with them, they made great ammo. Now I have a mixture of Lyman, Hornady, RCBS, and Lee. I just like to tinker with things that ain't broke. All of those dies have things I like and things I don't care for. The lock rings from Hornady are on all my dies for instance. I load most (by volume) on a Hornady Lock-N Load progressive. All those dies work on my progressive just fine. They also work on my Lee Classic Turret and Classic Cast single stage. Buy what you can afford. They will work fine.

on my lee turret my hornady 223 dies have a little trouble with the lock rings. I believe the effective circumference of the Hornady lock rings is a tad bigger so I have to get them just right to fit using lee universal charging die and fcd with hornady 2 piece set. They work but are a little harder to set because of that

[JimA]

on my lee turret my hornady 223 dies have a little trouble with the lock rings. I believe the effective circumference of the Hornady lock rings is a tad bigger so I have to get them just right to fit using lee universal charging die and fcd with hornady 2 piece set. They work but are a little harder to set because of that

You are right. I have Lee lock rings and dies in my turret press. They stay put in their own turret so I don't need to take them out. All my other dies are in Hornady bushings for quick change and use the Hornady lock rings. My single stage is converted to use lock-N-Load bushings too.

If you would like some Lee lock rings to make the Hornady 223 dies fit better on your turret I could send you some.

[silverado]

You are right. I have Lee lock rings and dies in my turret press. They stay put in their own turret so I don't need to take them out. All my other dies are in Hornady bushings for quick change and use the Hornady lock rings. My single stage is converted to use lock-N-Load bushings too.

If you would like some Lee lock rings to make the Hornady 223 dies fit better on your turret I could send you some.

I already have a spare set of lee lock rings from putting lee lock bushings on some 270 dies, I just didn't think to use them at the time and have them set now so no worries, just a little bit of extra fidgeting and they are good
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/19/3yhu5a3u.jpg

[JimA]

I can see that your top two dies might have been a pain to adjust... Oh well, you got-r-done.

[r1kk1]

I use Dillon for common cartridges then a mixture of CH4D, Redding, RCBS, Hornady in that order for proprietary or wildcat pistol stuff.

Some of my die heads hold two or three different companies stuff in it.

Hardly any Lee pistol other than 500 S&W which came with a barrel.

Take care

r1kk1

[wrongway]

I am new to reloading after 30 + years but I did buy 2 sets of Lee carbide dies a 3 die set of 9's and 40 at Cabelas and they were $33.99