Compression dies.

[gpidaho]

I'm very new to black powder loading but I have a few rifles I believe I could use for that purpose. For starters, Handi rifles in 357mag, 444 Marlin and 45-70 Gov. For cartridge reloading, how important is it to use compression dies? If you believe them to be a plus, do you think a NOE expansion plug just smaller than your neck expansion would work for this. 6 or seven dollars for the plugs is much cheaper than expansion dies. Advice welcome. Gp

[Hanz]

My expansion plugs have rounded shoulders while my compression insert is square shouldered. If I compress the powder with an expander it leaves a ring of powder that's taller around the inside circumference of the case. If the bullet seats on the ring it will leave a small air gap under it. I don't know if it's enough to ring a chamber. I do know my compression insert doesn't do that.

[country gent]

A quick way to compress is make a dummy bullet to match the one your loading from brass, aluminum, or hardwood ( hard maple does well) get it as close as possible to shape and .010 under on dia. then use your bullet seater to compress. If the bullet is close then you shouldnt even have to reset the seater. Being undersized it comes out easily by hand. It an be smooth sided as grease grooves arnt needed either. You can turn form it up in a lathe or files and a drill press working by hand.

1) turn dia .010 undersized
2) form nose as close as possible to the one your using
3) cut to length +.050-.100
4) test on a case and trim base to length
5) if you used hard wood then you need to finish it recommended is a log cure epoxy that soaks in and fills the grains making a harder surface. but it will require sanding back to size. If using hard wood its easier to leave the "bullet on the dowel and just under cut it at base leaving attached the you can epoxy finish it and sand down in the lathe or drill press cutting it off and sizing it then finish just the base.
I have modified Lee seater dies to compression dies with a new stem added. In a pinch wrap exisiting seater stem in masking tape, 14"-3/8" long and fill with JB weld epoxy. file down outside to fit and file flat and square.

[Chill Wills]

I'm very new to black powder loading but I have a few rifles I believe I could use for that purpose. For starters, Handi rifles in 357mag, 444 Marlin and 45-70 Gov. For cartridge reloading, how important is it to use compression dies? If you believe them to be a plus, do you think a NOE expansion plug just smaller than your neck expansion would work for this. 6 or seven dollars for the plugs is much cheaper than expansion dies. Advice welcome. Gp

Depending on the powder brand, compression and a die to do it is helpful.
Some of the better powders shoot well uncompressed and a die is not needed.

Don't try to save money - a few bucks will get you exactly what you need.
here is a link to a reasonably priced compression die insert
https://www.buffaloarms.com/45-cal-rifle-compression-plug-for-lyman-rcbs-expander-die-body-van45rcp

If you had the ability to turn on a lathe, you would just make one of these and be done with it. No lathe? $20 gets you one and move on to fun stuff, like shooting[smilie=l:

[MT Chambers]

For the 45/70 I use a .44 mag. exp. die.

[greenjoytj]

You only need to buy a powder compression plug to install into your expander die body.
Call Buffalo Arms and order a plug. I had them custom make one to fit my Redding expander die threads and sized for 45 Colt instead of 45 rifle dia. Get the correct tool you’ll be glad you did.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

My powder compression "dies" are made of industrial nylon and suit the seating depth of the boolit.

https://i.imgur.com/umI4a0y.jpg

[Wayne Smith]

Only one I currently use is for the 44-40 and it is a loose (not part of a set) 44 seat die with the seat stem filled with hot melt glue and smoothed.

[wills]

You can buy a plug separately and install and uninstall it, but eventually you will wish you had just bought the dedicated die and plug/

[country gent]

I have converted extra seaters and or belling dies to compression die with JB weld epoxy also. Wrap the seater stem or expander stem with several wraps of tape. You want it round and fairly stiff walled. I normally use regular masking tape for this. Roughen surface of the stem ( seater portion or end) with 60-80 grit sand paper removing finish and roughening it for glue to bond to). Mix JB weld according to instructions. mix well and thoroughly. ( if you happen to have some steel or aluminum filings these can be added to help harden the end) Pour the epoxy into the tube and let settle. you need to add a little length to the stem to allow for the depth it goes into the case. Let cure for 24 hours. Remove tape and clean up with a file.

[rfd]

i use a BACO compression plug of the appropriate cartridge type diameter in a lyman "M" die body - no muss, no fuss.

[OD#3]

In the 44-40, for example, I just took a spare 44 mag RCBS seating stem I had and chucked it into the drill press. Then, using the drill press as a poor man's lathe, I held a file against the spinning head until I'd removed the bullet-nose-shaped cavity, leaving the nose flat. I could have stopped there, but I did follow that up with some smooth sandpaper and then a felt polishing wheel on a dremel until it was nice an smooth. Took only a few minutes to make a very cheap homemade .44 compression die that way. You don't really even need a drill press. An electric hand drill clamped into a vice works well as a "poor man's lathe" for these small projects too. Since I'm frequently having to rob a die from one caliber to complete some load in another caliber anyway, it's no big deal to screw this seating stem into a .45 ACP seat/crimp die whenever I need a dedicated .44 compression die during a reloading session. There's plenty of room between the .427-ish compression die and the walls of a .45 ACP die for the neck of the .44-40 (or .44 spl., .44 russian, .44 Colt...).

But if you're wanting to use a spare expansion plug instead, just do the "poor man's lathe" trick to it first and make it flat and square on the bottom so your powder column is flat. It does help to have a spare die body on hand to use it in though, and sometimes one of your other caliber dies will work here. Otherwise, you can just single-stage everything, removing your expander after expanding all of the case necks and then replacing it with your homemade compression die when it is time to compress the powder.