What Lyman "M" die for 7.62 x 54R?

[dmftoy1]

I've been playing with my 31M (long) and I'm not sure if it's doing what it should to reload a Mosin with .312 cast boolits. Does anyone have any experience with the Lyman's or do I have to go to a lee universal expander for these?

Regards,
Dave

[Ricochet]

I don't know that I'd say "have to go to the Lee Universal Expanding Die" like it's something bad. I use that die and am quite happy with it.

[RayinNH]

I use the 30 Long for the 7.62x54. I'm seating boolits that go .314...Ray

[grumpy one]

I've been playing with my 31M (long) and I'm not sure if it's doing what it should to reload a Mosin with .312 cast boolits. Does anyone have any experience with the Lyman's or do I have to go to a lee universal expander for these?

Regards,
Dave

I use Lyman 30R spuds with M dies for rifles requiring both 0.311 sizing and 0.312 sizing. I'm not entirely clear on what you mean by 31M, but it sounds as if you may be using a 31R sizing spud rather than a 30R, and I'd have thought you'd end up with very little neck tension. I push the 30R spud the whole way down the case neck until the step at the end of the spud enters the case mouth just far enough to let the whole gas check be pushed in by hand, to start the bullet. It then takes a firm push with the seating die to push the 311 or 312 bullet into the case mouth. If I then pull the bullet and reseat it, it takes noticeably less force the second time, so the case neck is being permanently expanded when I seat the bullet. I don't think my 14 BHN bullets are being sized down when I seat them - as far as I can tell, the annealed case necks give way much more easily than the bullet does.

This technique seems to work for gas check bullets. It doesn't work for plain-base bullets of the same hardness - I have to bell the case mouth slightly larger than the last step on the 30R spud. I do this with a home-made spud as an extra operation, because I only want to be able to start the base without cutting the periphery of it - I don't want to loosen the whole case neck, which is what would happen if I used a 31R spud.

[robertbank]

Nothing wrong with the Lee Universal Expanding die. Saves money when you load cast for five different calibers.

Take Care

Bob

[mike in co]

in addition to using an M die, make sure you bevel the inside of the necks......a lot less shaving of lead with a smooth entry.

mike in co

[dmftoy1]

Thanks guys! No offense intended to the Lee Die user's . ..I'm just cheap and was hoping to avoid buying another die! :)

I resized my new brass with a set of Lee 7.62 x 54R dies that I picked up and it appears that the neck is sized for .308 bullets. The 31M die is one I picked up on Midway for .311 cast bullets. I finally got it dialed in right and it seems like there'll be plenty of neck tension for my .312's. (I hope) It's putting a barely noticeable bell (visually) on the case and the gas check will just go into the neck.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this setup will work well. I"d hate to spend more on reloading tools then I spent on the rifle. :)

Have a good one,
Dave

[Larry Gibson]

Thanks guys! No offense intended to the Lee Die user's . ..I'm just cheap and was hoping to avoid buying another die! :)

I resized my new brass with a set of Lee 7.62 x 54R dies that I picked up and it appears that the neck is sized for .308 bullets. The 31M die is one I picked up on Midway for .311 cast bullets. I finally got it dialed in right and it seems like there'll be plenty of neck tension for my .312's. (I hope) It's putting a barely noticeable bell (visually) on the case and the gas check will just go into the neck.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this setup will work well. I"d hate to spend more on reloading tools then I spent on the rifle. :)

Have a good one,
Dave

I use the 31 M die for cast bullets of .311 and larger. It expands the case mouth so there is .002+" tension on the bullets depending on their diameter. Bells thecase mouths just as you say. Should work fine for you too.

Larry Gibson

[beemer]

My shoot'in buddy uses the 31 M die for the 7.62x54R with good results. I made my own out of an old .357 expander.I think most brands size the neck for .308 dia. bullets, I know Lee and Lyman does. Lee ofers an expander for the 303 Brit. so you can change them out. When I didn't expand the neck on sized cases it would deform when a .314 boolit was seated.

beemer

[verney]

I think most brands size the neck for .308 dia. bullets, I know Lee and Lyman does.
RCBS dies come with both .308 and .311 expanders.

[DanM]

I am using the 30 short M die for 7.64x54 and .303. Works fine with proper adjustment.

Edit: sorry, this M die is marked '30R'. Works great for .308-.314".