50-45-400 crimp die

[Lostinidaho]

I have a rolling block carbine that shoot 50-45-400. Its a real hoot to shoot.

Its a 50-70 case cut down from 44 to 37 mm in length.

My RCBS seating and crimp die wont crimp because it is too long. RCBS will make a custom die for $200 plus.

A machinist friend said that he could probably cut the die down in length on his lathe. Would that work because aren't the dies hardened?

I can buy a Lee 50 S&W MAG collet crimp die but the case is 41mm long.

Thoughts, help, opinions, worthless free advice are all accepted.

Thanks

[country gent]

The RCBS die can be cut down they are tough but not super hard ( a file will cut most dies) with carbide tooling it wont take long. You don't want to just cut down but need to recut the radious on the moth of the die and re polish the face and radious. It can be done in the lathe ( Probably the easiest ), mill in a vee block or rotary table ( harder to redo the radious here but that can be done with a ball and lapping compound) or grinder Surface or O.D. again recutting the radious is harder here. Taking 7MM+ from the bottom of the die you may need to also recut the thread chamfer and outside nose of the die. Again in the lathe not a big issue.

[Chill Wills]

Here is a not so tidy option. Country Gent give you the best way but, what follows is quick and dirty.

Many decades ago I wanted to necksize only my 338-06 brass. A custom die was a lot of $$$.
So.... Me, being me, and A younger version on top of that, I bolted an 8" metal cut off wheel into my skill saw. Put a RCBS 338 Win mag FL sizing die in the vice and eyeballed some off.

Worked fine. I have a neck sizer that I use to this day.
The new base of the die was surprisingly clean and no need to clean it up further. In your case, a small half round file might be needed to open and clean up the edge. 5 minutes tops.

Seating dies have case clearance in it but it might be closer than large Mag brass to the smaller 06 brass conversion that I did.

[Chill Wills]

Your 50 sounds fun.
I just started a 50 cal on a Remington Roller project myself. And I agree - a 50 is a hoot!

[missionary5155]

Greetings
This past summer was shooting our 50-45 with 3F up in ILLinois. If you shoot BP you do not need to crimp.. just bump the loaded case into the sizer (remove the de primer) as far as you need to in order to snug the case mouth around the soft cast. Do not resize the bullet base.

But...Yes the RCBS seat/crimp can be cut down for smokeless. We used a torch to take the harness out of the bottom 1/3 and hack sawed it off. Then filed it flat and square. Cut a slight bevel on the new opening so cases did not "clunk" on insertion. Buffed the threads with a wire wheel to remove any burrs. Check the Bid sights as there are dies for sale as sets or loose ones.

We also shoot 50-95 with a 350 grainer and that is what we use in the carbine also. Less recoil and a bit more 3F space. Would be a fine corn cruncher basher down in the river bottoms I hunt.
Mike in Peru

[Lostinidaho]

just bump the loaded case into the sizer (remove the de primer) as far as you need to in order to snug the case mouth around the soft cast. Do not resize the bullet base.

Just looking for clarification....When you say do not resize the bullet base. Are you saying not to full resize the case or not to squeeze the top of the case too much and change the shape of the bullet base.

Thanks

[Howie405]

I also have a 50-45 rolling block and had the same problem I solve it by buying a 56-50 Spencer seating die that one of the major mail order houses had on sale.Worked like a charm.

[17nut]

What boolit are you shooting?

I got a bad shoulder and full power recoil was to much so i cut my 515-450 Lee mould down a lubegroove to 378grains.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Til%20andre/IMG_00531_zps5wfnvg60.jpg (http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Chickenthief/media/Skydning/Til%20andre/IMG_00531_zps5wfnvg60.jpg.html)
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Til%20andre/IMG_00551_zpstroo4qob.jpg (http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Chickenthief/media/Skydning/Til%20andre/IMG_00551_zpstroo4qob.jpg.html)

[Lostinidaho]

I have two different bullets I shoot.

One is a .515 400 gr round nose. The mold is owned by a friend
The other is a cut down Lee .515-450 to about 380 gr. Like your. There is a definite difference in the kick between these two bullets even with powder loads being the same.