Extra carbide die?

[onegunred]

44 mag is the one caliber that I load the most of. I have been wondering if having an extra carbide die on hand just in case is necessary ? I have the RCBS set but a Lee carbide die is affordable. Thanks

[GRUMPA]

I have a 44mag carbide RCBS die, and to be honest it's been around for awhile. I've done countless operations with it with absolutely no signs of wear at all, and I use it to case form 308's into 35Rem cases as well. If your the "Better to have it and not need it crowd" I would go ahead and get a back up. But the die itself (for me anyway) is rather stout and puts up with a lot of use to the point it's going to be awhile till mine either wears out or breaks.

[mdi]

If yer talking about the Lee Factory Crimp Die, with carbide insert, don't bother. If you mean a regular carbide sizing die, why? The RCBS should last a lifetime of reloading unless you drop it and it just happens to land on the carbide ring and cracks it...

[OuchHot!]

I reload quite a lot of calibers with carbide dies from lee rcbs redding and lyman. In decades,the only problem I have had is some nickel fouling of one die that was easily cleaned with a bore brush. I have never broken one. I heard of one person that had a carbide ring break but it hasn't happened to me.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

44 mag is the one caliber that I load the most of. I have been wondering if having an extra carbide die on hand just in case is necessary ? I have the RCBS set but a Lee carbide die is affordable. Thanks
I also struggle with the malady of "I need a spare, just in case"

I usually justify something like you ask by the fact that quality tools rarely lose value, so what's the difference if I have money in the bank or an extra tool on the shelf.

Do you need a spare? I doubt it.
Jon

[EDG]

My RCBS .44 Mag carbide die is close to 40 years old. My Lyman .44 Mag carbide die was bought for $5 at a gun shop.
The shop owner does not reload and knows little about it and he had the used but like new die priced so low because he thought the TC meant Thompson-Center. Anyway the Lyman die does not size my cases as much as the RCBS so I use it and the RCBS die is now the spare.

[GRUMPA]

Well.......as much as I hate to admit it mine just went CRUNCH and the carbide ring is fractured. Called RCBS and I have to send them my old 1 and according to them they're going to send the replacement. Don't know what's worse, me being slightly red-faced or having to wait for a replacement die.

[onegunred]

Well.......as much as I hate to admit it mine just went CRUNCH and the carbide ring is fractured. Called RCBS and I have to send them my old 1 and according to them they're going to send the replacement. Don't know what's worse, me being slightly red-faced or having to wait for a replacement die.GRUMPA, I learned at a very young age to never say "never". Is RCBS doing this on warranty? Well, I guess that a Lee carbide is on my grocery list for this week. It will be about $27 to my door. Good luck and thanks to all that responded.

[jmort]

As they say in the survival world, "two is one, and one is none."

[GRUMPA]

And now you know why I posted in the WTB section for another sizer die. I'll send this 1 back and according to them they'll send me a new 1 but it's the utter lack of production I'm faced with..

[troyboy]

Why? Use the money to buy more components, tooling or firearms. I am sure the situation is not so desperate that waiting a few days for a possible problem, that more than likley won't happen is a serious issue. It is a hobby not a life and death situation. Your money your choice.

[nicholst55]

GRUMPA, I learned at a very young age to never say "never". Is RCBS doing this on warranty? Well, I guess that a Lee carbide is on my grocery list for this week. It will be about $27 to my door. Good luck and thanks to all that responded.

I look at it this way; if a sizing die is going to cost me $27 to my door, how much more would a complete die set cost? Probably an additional $10, max. I'd buy a complete die set.

[onegunred]

I look at it this way; if a sizing die is going to cost me $27 to my door, how much more would a complete die set cost? Probably an additional $10, max. I'd buy a complete die set. My local WalMart has a RCBS carbide set for $46 or so and I have $20 in WalMart gift cards, hmmmm.

[bobthenailer]

I personaly have extra TC sizers for 9mm , 38 super, 38/357. 44 mag, 45 acp & 454 casull !

Mostly because i bought used die sets to get a extra seating or crimp die which was usually cheaper than jut buying one new die.

[bedbugbilly]

I'm like you . . . I worry about "what if" at times. Example - I bought 3 spare decamping pins for my Lee universal de-priming die - just in case! :-)

Here's one thing you might consider - I de-prime on a single stage with a Lee universal de-priming die for all of my brass. On my Lee 4 hole turret - my sizing dies have the de-priming pin removed - I use them only for sizing. I believe you can just get the sizing die shell with the carbide insert - it would be cheaper than buying the die with the pin, etc. Then you could have it for a back-up "just in case".

Check with Titan Reloading who is a vendor on here - they offer great service and prices on Lee stuff.

[gwpercle]

My Dad was one of the " might as well buy two " group. He never bought just one of anything,
Bless his heart!
Gary

[onegunred]

My Dad was one of the " might as well buy two " group. He never bought just one of anything,
Bless his heart!
GaryThis reminds me of when my son was growing up. He is 40 now, when I would buy fishing gear I always bought three of each. 1 for me, 2nd for him to hang up on the bottom and the 3rd for him to try it again.