A couple questions on Herters dies (44 mag in particular)

[bedbugbilly]

Drats! This hobby is getting more and more addicting! Probably a good thing I shot BP so many years and didn't start reloading the new fangled cartridges until I was "old". :-)

I'm hoping someone can answer a couple questions on Herters Dies - in particular - a set of 44 Mag. dies. I know there's a lot of fellows here who have been reloading many more years than I so hopefully someone can answer my questions?

1. Who made dies for Herters? Am I correct that it was Lyman?

2. I'm looking at a set of Herters dies for 44 Mag. These of course are a three die set where there is a "sizing die", a "de-capping / expanding die" and a "seating/crimp die". Will a set of Herters 44 Mag. dies also work for re-loading 44 Spl. and 44 Russian?

The sizing die would of course be no problem for the Spl/Rusian/Mag. I'm thinking that the de-capping die stem would be long enough for the 44 Mag, maybe the 44 Spl. but probably not for the 44 Russian due to it being much shorter? or not? The same with the seating/crimp - would the seating stem be long enough to seat a lead boolit (RN or SWC) in a 44 Special or 44 Russian casing?

I'm thinking the seating/crimp die would probably not put a crimp on a 44 Spl. or 44 Russian casing - but I have another seating/crimping die that would work for that.

I find myself collecting some die sets of companies no longer in existence such as CH and Lachmiller. I don't have set of Herters and the 44 mag set I'm looking at is like new but I'll probably never reload 44 Mag . . . .but possibly 44 Spl. and 44 Russian in the not too distant future. I am going to make a nicely finished die rack to display these older die sets in above the bench and while I probably won't use them a lot, I'd still like to be able to use them once in a while. Even if the Herter set of 44 Mag would do the 44 Spl., I'd be happy.

I so well remember waiting for the Herter's "wish book" when I was a kid and although I never ordered re-loading stuff from them, I did order quite a few game calls and hunting equipment.

If anybody can answer my questions on the Herter 44 Mag dies, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, does anyone know what year Herter's ceased operations? When I settled my parent's estate about 10 years ago, I remember running across one of our old Herters catalogs - I believe it was from the early '60s - wished now I had kept it.

Thanks.

Jim

[Pressman]

CH made all of Herter's dies after 1960. Who made them prior to that I don't know. They are identical to other brands in function and what caliber they will work with.
Herters@netins.net


Herters. Closed their doors for the last time in march 1981.

[gwpercle]

My 1968 Herter's catalog shows a different product number for 44 Magnum dies and 44 special dies.
Not only that but a different product number for a 44 magnum for jacketed bullets and another for lead boolits. Same for 44 special, a number for jacketed and another for lead.
So it appears they are magnum and special dies, specific to each. If you had 44 special dies you could do magnums but not the other way around.
You could also order RN or flat nosed seating stem.
These three die sets went for $6.49. They are chrome plated, could be CH but the plating isn't typical of CH dies. I have several sets of Herter's dies but no real knowledge as to maker. My 41 magnum dies were ordered from Herters when I got the model 58 S&W in my avatar. I miss Herter's and thier catalogs!
Gary

[salpal48]

I have some Herters Die set That have Interchange parts with Lyman. and some that change with older CH. .also Pacific De capper rods will work in some. . Guessing where ever the Cheapest price came in That who made them.
My herters set In 44 spl and mag will work for either . I tried using for 44 russian. They will size and decap. . It will not expand well nor will it seat and crimp. Case is too short. . That the set I have . I,m not speaking all of the manufacturer , Or of others

[Rustyleee]

My first reloading set from Herters about 1974. Mine was a kit that included press, dies, scale, and powder measure. I remember the press seemed massive and was an ugly brown color but boy did it work.

[TNsailorman]

Herter's was forced into bankruptcy by the U.S. Government in a series of court actions over---are you ready for this---selling feathers for flie tying that the government claimed were illegal but turned out not to be. Yeah, our government protecting us. I'm with most people in that I miss them, bought quite a few items from them. Including some of the feathers that were "illegal". From the time I was 12 years old, dad and me were tying our own flies, carving our own fishing plugs. Our duck decoys came from Herter's also. All our supplies came from Herter's starting in the mid 50's. I still have a couple of their old catalogs.

[bedbugbilly]

A big "thank you" to you all for the great information.

I figured the dies would not work for the 44 Russian but wasn't sure on the 44 spl. I didn't realize that thee was a number of different sets for each caliber but it makes sense. Since I'm probably never going to load 44 mag. I'm going to pass not the set I was looking at. Others will come along that I know I will be able to use as well as display.

TNsailorman - you brought back some memories! My brother used to tie flies when we were kids and he got all of his supplies from Herter's. When I cleaned out my mother's house after her death all that stuff was in a box and he took it home with him. As you say, another example of the "guv'mt" protecting us . . gee, thanks! Their catalog certainly was like a "candy store" and a kid (big or small) could spend hours looking at every item. I guess the modern day equal would be Cabellas or Bass Pro Shop but it still isn't the same. I can remember buying calls - crow, fox, squirrel, etc. from them but they are long gone, lost in the shuffle of life - but the good memories are still there!

Thanks again for the info - very helpful!

Jim