Mould Handle Interchangeability

[Kraschenbirn]

Hokay, I'm about ready to purchase my first Saeco mould(s) but don't have a set of handles labled "SAECO." What I have are RCBS (large & small), Lyman (small), and Ohaus (small). I'm looking at two Saecos...a new double-cavity and a used single-cavity...do I need to buy Saeco handles or will something I've already got work?

Bill

[ChuckS1]

Well, tell you what I did. I bought a SAECO mold and though it fits the RCBS handles, the attachment screws that came with the mold were an RCH bigger than the holes in the handles. I fixed it by tapping the holes with a 10-32 tap. Works great now.

[Kraschenbirn]

Thnaks, Chuck...

I was more concerned with a possible difference in the thickness of the handles but knowing that RCBS handles fit the grooves in SAECO blocks, I'm certain that hole size/placement can be readily dealt with.

Bill

[GabbyM]

My RCBS handles measure .295" thick. Saeco jaws measure .308". Slots in the Saeco blocks are .318" wide.

[azrednek]

I've used Lee handles on my Saeco single and double cavity molds. It has been a few years. I had to open the screw hole slightly on the Lee handles but I can't recall if it was for the Saeco or another brand of molds.

The two Saeco moulds I have are top quality and I'm surprised they are not more popular.

[Red River Rick]

This may help, the info was originally posted by Beau Cassidy a while ago:


RCBS- 0.300. Very consistant amond different molds.

H&G- 0.258, 0.255, 0.264 both 2 and 4 cavity.

Lyman 4 cav.- 0.248, 0.250

Lyman 1 cav.- 0.318 consistant for several molds.

Cramer- 0.315 only one on hand that I can find in my stash.

Saeco- 0.315 and 0.312 One each very old and fairly new mold.

Mountain Mold- 0.327, 0.310 suprise, suprise. I should have measured the rest. I would have expected more consistancy. The .327 dia. was a large block .500

NEI- 0.315, 0.310, 0.262 (old 5 cavity)- Can't find handles for this one.

Ohaus- 0.313. Only one in house. 2 cav.

Ballisticast- 0.320. Consistant among several 2 and 4 cav.

The handles, as expected, correspoded with their respective molds.


RRR

[compass will]

I just received a RCBS 32-170-FN. I had to make my lee 6 hole mold handles a little thinner before I could use them on the RCBS. Easy enough to do if you have a large bench grinder.