Old/ New RCBS dies

[abunaitoo]

What is the difference between the old dies and new?????
New ones look the same as the old ones.

[Ickisrulz]

If you go back far enough the decappers were on the expander dies. RCBS stamps their dies with the date they are made too.

[L Erie Caster]

Also, old dies came with split lock rings, not the set screw type they do now.

[tranders]

I wish they would go back to the split lock rings.

[lightman]

The newer dies also have more of a radius cut into the mouth of the die. I'm not sure when this started. Probably due to the popularity of progressive loading presses.

[EDG]

You might want to define your terms because there are a number of subtle differences over the years.

Bought new today the dies have a satin grey etched or blasted finish. They are marked for caliber on the groove between the knurled surface and the threads. These dies have black oxide hex nuts with a brass set screw.

The earliest pistol dies I own had the decapper on the end of the expander. The dies work fine but I got rid of that expander and installed a Lyman M die expander. The rifle dies had normal decapping in the sizer and the decapping rod was held in place by a bushing that may be any where from 1/2-20 to 3/8 24 depending on the caliber. These dies are equipped with a knurled aluminum ring and locked with a set screw on top of a lead shot.

From about 1982 to about 1988 the dies all had the really nice split rings. Many ham handed reloaders broke the screw by over tightening the rings. I guess RCBS had to replace too many of them so they went to the black hex nuts.

Some time in the 1980s all dies had the bushings deleted from the sizer dies. They went to a closed top die with no bushings. The new version has the 1/4-28 thread tapped into the die body. I think this particular change sucked because it makes the die body more difficult to measure, inspect and clean.
In addition if you are trying to form a long case in a short die the top of the case will hit the inside of the die. RCBS is not the only one to make this mistake. Another company uses a 1/8-27 pipe thread in the top of their dies. If you have one of their .30 Herrett dies you will find that the neck of a 30-30 case hits the pipe thread. So you have to cut off the cases first then form.
Or if you need the longer neck you can not use the close top dies to form your cases.

My recommendations

Buy dies made between about 1982 and 1988 with the split lock ring. Be sure to pick dies that have the largest possible bushing in the top of the FL sizer die.


What is the difference between the old dies and new?????
New ones look the same as the old ones.

[GONRA]

GONRA has both "new" and "olde" RCBS dies and agrees with lightman.

"... newer (RCBS) dies also have more of a radius cut into the mouth of the die"
so will certainly operate smoother in progressive presses,
but then won't size the case "all the way down" as well.

[retread]

When I first started reloading in 1960 RCBS dies had the aluminum knurled lock net with a set screw with lead underneath bearing against the die threads. The split ring came later.

[TNsailorman]

I had a couple of RCBS sets from the 50's, both rifle dies. They came in cardboard boxes and had a little wire loop that went up thru a slit in the top of the 2 piece box that could be bent over to keep the top of the box on. Also the dies were little heavier, much like the old Hollywood dies. I preferred them to the later dies. Just one of my personal preferences. james