Die Detective Work, Help w/ ID

[mtnman31]

I got a few dies the other day and am unable to identify these two. They were in a box labeled 6.5 TCU. My observations are listed below.
- They have no labels or maker ID's.
- I think the chrome or polished die is a neck sizer. A fired 6.5 TCU case fits loosely in the body and the neck gets sized down for about half of its length. The sized neck diameter is .283". For comparison, my fired cases measure .2895" and the same cases sized in my RCBS 6.5 TCU neck sizer come out at .279" (with the whole length of neck being sized).
- I think the darker die (on the left) is a seater. A 6.5 TCU case fits, the body fits loosely and the die sizes about one quarter of the neck when a cartridge is run up with the shellholder just touching the die. The "sized" case neck measures .289". I think the slight sizing I'm seeing is just a seater die that's been run down too far and the crimp is slightly resizing the top of the case.
- Both dies can accept a stem from a Redding die, i.e. same thread pitch as Redding seating/decapping stems. My RCBS dies have a different thread pitch.
- Neither die had lock rings which may not have helped ID them, anyway.
- One gentlemen I asked said he thought maybe Bonanza but I own no Bonanza dies to compare them to.

I realize ID'ing the cartridge over the internet is challenging, but can anyone possibly at least ID the maker of these?


https://i.postimg.cc/zf07nT5V/Unknown-Dies.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mc174zPs)

[Czech_too]

Addressing the die on the left,
of the dies that I checked, only the CH and Lyman have a double knurled ring on them. They are both marked between the knurling though and don't appear to be identical to what you have.
The Texan dies are similar in color but that's where it ends. I don't believe that it's a Pacific.

[georgerkahn]

I have zero idea whom the maker is. However, I have a quite old two-die set which came in a wooden box, complete with a well-crafted sliding wooden lid, made by or labeled as "Bonanza". Note I picked up the box/dies at a gun show 35+ years ago, and while -- again -- the BOX is labeled "Bonanza" -- there's absolutely -- like yours -- no markings on the dies, albeit their knurling is very much like yours.
A suggestion might be to research old Shooter Bible publications, where many have the reloading products du jour pictured and described in pages near each book's back.
Good luck -- hope this sort of helped.
geo (aka, Jiri -- also Czech)

[gwpercle]

I have zero idea whom the maker is. However, I have a quite old two-die set which came in a wooden box, complete with a well-crafted sliding wooden lid, made by or labeled as "Bonanza". Note I picked up the box/dies at a gun show 35+ years ago, and while -- again -- the BOX is labeled "Bonanza" -- there's absolutely -- like yours -- no markings on the dies, albeit their knurling is very much like yours.
A suggestion might be to research old Shooter Bible publications, where many have the reloading products du jour pictured and described in pages near each book's back.
Good luck -- hope this sort of helped.
geo (aka, Jiri -- also Czech)

Old Handloader Digest's books are a good source of info . Since the Hanloader Digest only deals with reloading stuff they have lots more photo's .
The trouble is , over the years the makers dies change .

[Moleman-]

Gunsmith made?

[Pressman]

Gunsmith made?

This is likely the correct answer, at least for the die on the left. I have several that are identical to the one on the right that I have not made a positive ID on. It is more likely a larger, named manufacture.

Ken

[mtnman31]

Gunsmith made was in the back of my mind.
Thanks for the replies.

[44magLeo]

They could both be neck size dies. This would give you two options on neck size, such as might be needed with cast boolits. .
Leo