RCBS die changes

[MtGun44]

Can anyone tell me about when RCBS chanced from the straight in setscrews
for their die lock rings to the tangential clamping screw with a split ring? I am
guessing that the straight in type is on older die sets, but am not 100% sure of
that, really. Both have aluminum rings.

Trying to reconstruction which dies are older and roughly by how much.

Thanks.

[Char-Gar]

RCBS dies from 1961 are dated with a two digit number stamped on top. i.e. 78 equals 1978. Prior to 1961 RCBS used a letter code with A being 1949, B being 1950 and so on.

[lpspinner]

I'm almost sure that the older dies had the split-ring clamp and the newer dies have the hex set screw. (I could be wrong)

[MtGun44]

HMM. Can't look directly at the dies (online) so that doesn't help, just
trying to figure based on locking ring config.

How about when did they start with the dark green plastic boxes? All
mine have been in those boxes - and I first bought an RCBS die set in about
1976 or 77.

[Bullwolf]

I'm almost sure that the older dies had the split-ring clamp and the newer dies have the hex set screw. (I could be wrong)

I'd agree, unless I unknowingly purchased a lot of old stock RCBS die sets.


RCBS dies from 1961 are dated with a two digit number stamped on top. i.e. 78 equals 1978. Prior to 1961 RCBS used a letter code with A being 1949, B being 1950 and so on.

What Char-Gar said about the date codes really helps pin the year down.

My earlier (older) RCBS dies had the split knurled aluminum lock rings. The boxes were green still then, but had a yellow label. Like my 44 Special/Magnum dies marked '87

My later purchased RCBS dies like my 45 ACP dies were marked '89 and has the hex set screw, as well as a green box with a white label.

So possibly they transitioned somewhere between 1987-1989, unless RCBS had a lot of older rings in stock, and continued to use them up at random on some die sets.

All of my later ('90's) to recently purchased RCBS dies have the hex rings, and the white labels.

I don't seem to have any 1960's, or earlier RCBS dies in my collection. Most of the RCBS dies I've purchased are in the above configuration, except for RCBS carbide dies that come in a silver colored box instead of green, and RCBS X die sets in the black boxes.

Dunno if that helps much.



- Bullwolf

[lpspinner]

I'm not around to look, but also some of the dies came in cardboard boxes. Those could be the 60's era. I can double check mine for you later.

[MtGun44]

The rings I am thinking of are knurled aluminum like the right hand split ring, but have
a setscrew straight it. I think they are older.

Thanks for the info guys, just an interesting easter egg hunt.

[Char-Gar]

I don't know about others, but dies, rings and boxes in my possession, get mismatched all to often to serve as dating points. If would be important to a collector to have the right rings on the right dies in the right box, but I don't know how many of those there are.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I think (just a guess) RCBS started out using the screw in set screws, then switched to the clamp type, and then back to the screw in type. I am sure Pressman may come by and have all the info you are looking for. Unfortunately I can't tell you any dates when the changes occurred.

[Jim_P]

I know the Dies I purchased 30 years ago have the split ring type Aluminum jam nut, and those I've purchased in the last 3 years have the black steel with the straight in set screw.

I like the Aluminum one's because the don't damage the die threads. Yup, I know about using a lead pellet.

I like the steel ones ability to use a wrench on when the get too tight.

Now if they could only marry those two features....

[Hardcast416taylor]

As I recall the dies that came in the 2 piece cardboard boxes had the set screw thru the ring with a piece of lead birdshot underneath to save the die thread. I always liked the split ring for setting a die depth over the set screw method.Robert

[FLHTC]

I had several of the rings with the set screw straight in against a lead insert but they were from old Lyman dies, not RCBS.

[TNsailorman]

My memory also is that RCBS came in cardboard boxes in the 50's and into 60's. The rings were large round, knurled, with set screws early; then they switched to the angle locking screw rings, and then back to the set screw but with a smooth hexagon ring. I don't remember when they went to plastic boxes. james

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Here is a picture, and in the order I believe they were used.

131314

[TNsailorman]

Great picture and yes, that's the way I remember them. james

[lightman]

Thats the way I remember them, too. I don't remember the years. In the 70's, carbide pistol dies came in the green box with a blue label. Later on that changed to the silver box. The competition dies came in a cool looking wooden box back then.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

OK, I went down in the basement and looked through some of my dies. I have them catalogued by years. BUT, the lock rings may have been swapped from set to set. But here is what I came up with. It looks like RCBS used their original style lock ring up until sometime around '75-'77. It was around this time they switched to the clamp style lock ring. They used this style up to '88. In my collection it seems '88 is the first year they started using the modern black rings with the brass setscrew.

This is what I have gathered from my collection. This has the potential to be 100% incorrect. LOL. As I said before, lock rings are often scavenged and swapped from set to set. Hope this helps and I hope others can confirm or deny my findings.

[AZ Pete]

I bought my 38 spl. Dies in 1967, they were in a cardboard box. don't know exactly when plastic started, but after then.

[lpspinner]

I looked at the 2 cardboard box ones I have. One is a 30-06 with an "L" date code and an 8x57 with a "68" date.

[EDG]

I have a lot of RCBS dies
My latest dies in the paper box are dated 1965. Those of you with dies dated 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 might check to see if you have a paper or plastic box.
I have a set of 1968 dies and they are in the round corner plastic box with the white paper top label. This box is plastic but is not silk screened.

The box label for the round cornered plastic boxes usually has a crypto date code. The date code was 2 numbers reversed compared to the date. Look in a box at the die date codes and it will read 72 on at least one of the dies usually the sizer. The bottom right hand corner of the box will read 27. This is commonly found for example 1981 will be 18 etc.

My earliest tangent clamping rings on a die set are dated 1972 and are a slow moving Cal 35 Rem.
I also have .222 Rem mag with clamping ring dated 1974.

My latest aluminum rings with set screw are dated 1977. These dies sets are basically still new and unused so I know the rings have not been swapped. I will investigate these numbers more and revise this if I find more definitive information.

There were two versions of the split side clamping ring. The early ones have a common filister head screw for a screw driver. After a few years this screw was changed to a hex socket head.

The plastic boxes have gone through several different iterations.

Round corners and full width ring support saddles from the beginning to about 1976. I do not yet know the start year for the plastic boxes. More to come here.
In 1977 the support saddles were reduced to free standing tabs.

There were 3 different logos on the "T" lock boxes so far as I know.
1. Straight silkscreened logo seems to have ended in 1976 or 77.
2. Slanted razor blade silkscreen logo. Started in 1976 or 77 over laps at least one year with #1
3. White stick on label with the logo and text in black. I only have one of these.

I will check to determine when the square boxes came about.

Keep in mind these are manufacturing dates or assembly dates (box)
When you buy the dies may not be a good indicator of when they were made. I think I bought my 222 dies in 1970 but they were dated 1969 because they were on the shelf in the store a few years.

[lpspinner]

I have a lot of RCBS dies
Those of you with dies dated 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968 might check to see if you have a paper or plastic box.


My 68' 8x57 dies have a dark green cardboard box and round rings with a set screw.

[MtGun44]

Thanks, that helps verify that these are at least from the 1960s. I think they
may be from the late 50s based on Char-Gar's info.