New to 45 ACP. Recommend a die set please

[THG]

Got a good deal on a Glock 30SF. I've never loaded 45 ACP. Those of you that load for 45 ACP is there a preferred die set? Is there anything I should steer clear of?
Thank you for your time.

[dverna]

I like the Dillon pistol dies as the seating die is easy to clean

[TNsailorman]

I have a Redding Carbide set in .45ACP and a RCBS standard steel set in .45ACP. Both work just fine and I can recommend them both. If you don't like applying lube to cases, then the carbide dies are the way to go. It never hurts to lightly lube the case even when using carbide dies. Don't overwork the cases by flaring the mouth too much. Just enough to allow the bullet to start is all you need. If you are using a semi-auto like the Glock, you need to taper crimp, not roll crimp the mouths. I would suggest you trim the cases the first time you load them to the proper uniform length. From there on, you should not have to ever trim them again. I have never loaded for a Glock so I am not going to make recommendations on that pistol, I load for the 1911 and revolvers in .45ACP / AR.

[1hole]

'Suppose there may be a half dozen "best". That's because all of them work very well. But, IMHO, Lyman and Redding dies ARE, by a small margin, the overall best functioning handgun dies for single stage and turret presses. And you'll probably be happier with Dillon dies in a progressive press. IF money is a problem Lee's aren't very pretty but many of us know they do load excellent ammo.

(Telling anyone buying new dies to chose "carbide" dies is redundant, no one has made plain steel pistol sizers in decades.)

[Char-Gar]

RCBS or Redding

[jaguarxk120]

RCBS or Redding.

[Dekota56]

I have RCBS, Just loaded 185 rounds , 230 grain hollow points.

[Baltimoreed]

Make sure it has a carbide sizer die so you don’t have to lubricate cases. The .45acp is a pretty foolproof cartridge so and brand would work. My personal preference is RCBS.

[Mk42gunner]

Right now? Whatever you can find.

If you have a choice: RCBS, Redding, Lyman, whatever, then Lee (Idon't like jerking the case off the powder through expander they supply) although they do work.

Robert

[JeffG]

RCBS or Redding

[CPTCUFFS]

You may also want to pick up a taper crimp die. My first factory set would not crimp quite good enough. That solved my issues with chambering.

[QuackAttack24]

RCBS and Redding- all I have used for pistol calibers. Can't comment on others, but I can tell you that the ones I do own have functioned flawlessly. The only Lee dies I have used are the Lee factory crimp dies which I really like for crimping 38 Sp and 357 Mag. You shouldn't need a separate taper crimp die with RCBS carbide die sets. All of the RCBS carbide die sets I own came with a taper crimp die and say TC on the label, except for the 44 SP/Mag die set, which came with a roll crimp die. With RCBS, if it doesn't say TC on the label, it's a roll crimp.

[JimB..]

Today it’s what you can find!
I prefer Dillon on the progressive but also have and use RCBS, Redding and Hornady. I had Lee but I gave them away to a new reloader. They all work.

[Dave W.]

I have used most brands, they will work. Dillon's are my favorite, now that is almost all I use.

[jim147]

I've been using Lee dies in 45 ACP for over 30 years. I have several other brands but all of them are made to work.

[Rockzilla]

What ever you can get your hands on at this time.
Carbide Sizers, brands... RCBS, Redding, Dillon, CH Tool, Mighty Armory.
Lyman 'M" Die, CH Tool Taper Crimp Die

-Rock

[smithnframe]

I have both Lyman and RCBS…….they both work fine for me in 45 acp and 45 ar.

[Rich/WIS]

Have used LEE, RCBS and currently use Hornady, all worked as designed. Whatever brand you find by all means get a taper crimp die and seat and crimp as a separate operations.

[Blindshooter]

I mix and match to get what I need done. Dillon, Lee, RCBS and Redding.

I think if I had to have one set it would be Dillon.

[DocSavage]

You may also want to pick up a taper crimp die. My first factory set would not crimp quite good enough. That solved my issues with chambering.
Separate taper crimp die is the way to go, it will make life a whole lot easier. I have Dillon,RCBS and Redding carbide. Redding's titanium carbide seems to be a bit "slippier" is the sizing department than tungsten carbide but you'll never wear the die out.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I've used Lee, RCBS, Redding, Herter's. I use the Lee in my Loadmaster progressive work just fine. Redding are nicest, but cartridges produced from Lee or Redding both function the same. A carbide sizer is pretty much standard since Lee brought price down 30 plus years ago. I seat and crimp separately, with a very light crimp with a standard die or a taper crimp die. I do not use the Lee 'Factory Crimp Die' for the 45 ACP, it does get mixed reviews. Lee's neck expander that allows powder to charge the case while expanding works well for me. No real tricks to 45 ACP, setting bullet seating depth/cartridge overall length to work in YOUR pistol is probably the most important step.

[Burnt Fingers]

I used to be one of those guys that said any set will work.

Then I broke down and bought a set of Dillon 9mm dies. I've since switched possible handgun cartridges over to Dillon dies.

It might not matter on a single stage or turret press but they make a big difference on a progressive.

One plus is they come with separate seat and crimp dies. The other advantage is you can swap the seating stem from round nose to flat nose without messing with the seating depth. If you're loading SWC bullets there are SWC seating plugs available that index off the shoulder of the boolit.

I can load anything from 155 gr to 225 gr SWC boolits in 45 ACP and never have to touch the seating die.

[starnbar]

You might want to pick up a bulge buster die too some G locks do that too.

[Targa]

Titan reloading has Lee dies for a good price, they work exactly the way dies should work. https://www.titanreloading.com/-45-acp-lee-pistol-carbide-3-die-set- ..:bigsmyl2:

[wv109323]

I think any of the major brands will work.
1.) get a carbide sizing die
2.) Make sure the neck expander opens the case mouth enough so that you do not size down your bullet when seating.
3.) use a taper crimp die

[zarrinvz24]

You might want to pick up a bulge buster die too some G locks do that too.

That’s only an issue with .40 and really only in Gen 1 and 2 guns. 45 is so low pressure it shouldn’t be an issue at all.

To the OP, Redding. Some will say to buy the economy die sets, eventually you’ll be at Redding or RCBS. I prefer Redding as the die is entirely steel, and they have better lock rings. The few RCBS products that Redding doesn’t offer I’ve put Redding lock rings on. CH-4D is also top tieir excellent and there is a good chance they’ve got a set of 45ACP dies sitting on the shelf. Give them a call and see what they say!

[1hole]

Some will say to buy the economy die sets, eventually you’ll be at Redding or RCBS

Why?

I mean, I have good die sets from more than a dozen brands, some long gone from the market, and, by brand, I've found no functional difference in any of them.

Manufacturing tolerances being what they are I've measured and found as much difference between individual dies made by the same brand as between brands - including Lee's and Reddings. RCBS ... well, their externals sure are pretty.

There are some important differences in the basic design of a couple of rifle seaters; on average, Redding and Forster BR seaters are very good. All of the other "Competition" dies are sloppy fitting jokes; they're all costly and there is no automatic accuracy difference. And no .45 ACP - nor any other handgun - dies will ever need BR seaters.

Some folk always jump in saying be sure to get carbide dies but if anyone still makes steel sizers for common handgun dies I don't know it and I've been doing this stuff since 1965. ALL brands have only made carbide sizers for some 30 years now, ever since Lee started making them so inexpensively the other makers had to follow or die. (Like Lee or not, they have kept the other makers more honest and that's saved us all a lot of money.)

Bottom line, the skill of a reloader counts for much more than the brand or price of his dies. Great tools don't suddenly make bad reloaders good. IMHO of course. :)

[PhilC]

Use RCBS for almost everything with a few Lyman from my early days.

[Kevin Rohrer]

All modern die sets are fine; otherwise they would not be on the market.

[1hole]

All modern die sets are fine; otherwise they would not be on the market.

And THAT'S the truth! And, from my own experience with all reloading brands, modern die sets (7/8" x 14) include virtually everything made since at least as far back as 1965.

With very few mistakes, they all make ammo to SAAMI specifications IF they're used correctly. Blind brand loyalty about anything gets funny at times. Seems the less hands-on experience some people have with different brands the more certain they are that their choices must be "best" ... often because that's about all they've ever really tried! ???

[lightman]

Like the others have said, any brand should work fine. Just for the record, all of my pistol dies are either Dillon or RCBS.

[THG]

Ok gents, my son-in-law showed up on Sunday with a nice set of RCBS dies including the taper crimp die, four dies in all. They were used, but cleaned up quickly and nicely. I'm off and running as soon as I get the boolits one good CB member mailed out to me today.
All suggestions and comments above are appreciated.

[Eddie1971]

Im the biggest RCBS fan but if you plan on shooting cast I would go with Lee 4 die set. I found they seat and with the FCD die mesh perfect for cast.

[robg]

lee would be my choice .never had any problems and cheap.

[Liberty1776]

You might want to pick up a bulge buster die too some G locks do that too.

I agree you may need to size the .45ACP case all the way down, using a Lee Bulge Buster.

https://leeprecision.com/case-conditioning-tools/lee-bulge-buster-kit/

Comes in two parts: 1) the Bulge Buster adapter and ram; and 2) a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die, which provides the sizer you push the round through to smooth out any deformity that may happen around the base of the shell because of the shell not being fully supported above the feed ramp in the barrel when it's fired.

[Burnt Fingers]

I agree you may need to size the .45ACP case all the way down, using a Lee Bulge Buster.

https://leeprecision.com/case-conditioning-tools/lee-bulge-buster-kit/

Comes in two parts: 1) the Bulge Buster adapter and ram; and 2) a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die, which provides the sizer you push the round through to smooth out any deformity that may happen around the base of the shell because of the shell not being fully supported above the feed ramp in the barrel when it's fired.

I've sized 10's of thousands of 45 ACP brass and never had to use a bulge buster. Nor do I think that 45 ACP Glock pistols had a buldge problem. It was more of a 9mm, 40 Short and Weak, and 10mm problem on the first two generations of "perfection".

I won't go into my feelings on the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die other than to say it's a crutch.

[Ranger 7]

Have been reloading for 39 years now. Started with HORNADY right off!
Carbide three die seta. With the 5 station Progressive Press, Data manual., Balance Beam Scale, But switched to a Lyman 1200 Powder dispenser/Scale. (has been is use for 11 years), still going!
NEVER had a problem! With Hornady, OR Lyman, OR RCBS!

[Liberty1776]

I've sized 10's of thousands of 45 ACP brass and never had to use a bulge buster.

It's not specifically about a "bulge." It's about getting reloaded ammo back to true factory spec.

I check every reloaded round, no matter the caliber, in a case gauge. It's how I spot split necks, bad primer seating and mis-fed bullets.

Really precision case gauges reveal a dimensional difference between factory and reloaded ammo. Especially in 9mm, but also with .45ACP.

The picture below shows reloaded 9mm (Dillon dies) fitting acceptably in a Lyman case checker, but standing proud in a USA-made Shooters Box stainless, precision-machined case gauge. (Both rounds fit the Lyman; both rounds don't fit the Shooters Box, and factory 9mm fits the Shooters Box perfectly.)

I think the only real way to resize fired brass to full factory spec is to roll-size it between two plates. The sizer die simply cannot resize the brass all the way down. https://www.rollsizer.com/


The bulge buster is an attempt to size all the way down. Whether it works or not is still a question. And with the 9mm's tapered case, it's almost impossible to get perfect. I bulge-bust .45 ACP that won't fit in the Lyman case checker. It helps, but doesn't guarantee it will fit in a Shooters Box checker.

Interestingly, my 8-caliber Lyman ammo checker is pretty forgiving, and most reloads plunk into it without issue.

Other, more precision SAAMI-strict checkers have tighter tolerances.

Of course, I still reload almost all my ammo, and have since 1978. And it fires reliably, round after round. But it's not factory perfect.

285073

[Baltimoreed]

A bulge buster is handy if you also shoot a pcc. My .45 acp carbines beat brass up pretty good and the buster gets the base where a die can’t reach.

[David2011]

They’re spendy but for handgun calibers I really like Dillon dies for two reasons. One is the sizing/decapping die. The decapping pin is spring loaded and more positively ejects the spent primer than fixed decapping pins. The other is the seating die, especially for loading lubed cast boolits. The Dillon die can be disassembled very quickly and easily for cleaning without disturbing the adjustment. They also has a single reversible no tools required seating plug for round nose and SWC. I only have them for my high volume rounds; 9mm, .40 and .45 ACP that are loaded on progressive presses but I like them very much.

[Pete44mag]

I load all of my pistol rounds on a Dillion. Of course use Dillion dies, have loaded well over 100 thousand rounds and never once had a problem with them. My rifle rounds are different, I load for the accuracy of each different gun and find that Redding Compition dies work best for me. YMMV. Some people like Chevy's, some like Ford's.

[1hole]

I won't go into my feelings on the Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die other than to say it's a crutch.

I've often read that but never with a reasonable explanation of what it means. I find the FCDs are just another tool to be used if needed but they aren't magic and they aren't always needed. Used properly - and when needed - they work very well for me and a LOT of others so I have to wonder, what do you feel them to be a "crutch" for?

[1hole]

NEVER had a problem! With Hornady, OR Lyman, OR RCBS!

I can say "Amen!" to that! And add Pacific, and Herter's, and White, and Eagle, and Dillon, and Forster/Bonanza, and Redding, and Wilson, and a few other brands. Including Lee. I really respect ALL of our reloading tool makers, I believe they do a great job.

[Burnt Fingers]

I've often read that but never with a reasonable explanation of what it means. I find the FCDs are just another tool to be used if needed but they aren't magic and they aren't always needed. Used properly - and when needed - they work very well for me and a LOT of others so I have to wonder, what do you feel them to be a "crutch" for?

IMHO they hide bad loading practices. Instead of solving the problem you just cover it up.

[1hole]

IMHO they hide bad loading practices. Instead of solving the problem you just cover it up.

That's another response without any useful justification for your common Lee FCD accusation. Did you say what you actually believe, and can justify, or did you just parrot what you've repeatedly read? You confidently say FCDs are a crutch for bad reloading practice and stop. I wonder, what do you think FCDs are actually made to do?

FCDs are very simple devices; what reloading errors do you think they can possibly cover up? I mean, you've told us your bottom line, now I ask you to tell us specifically what "bad loading practices" you think our FCDs are covering up? And then, if you're actually serious, explain to us how those bad loading practices can properly be "solved" in the first place.

Is it unfair of those of us who happily use FCDs to ask you how, without a shred of justification, you can confidently tell us that you believe FCDs are our crutch for "bad loading practices". You don't know us so how can you possibly say that without blushing?

[Burnt Fingers]

That's another response without any useful justification for your common Lee FCD accusation. Did you say what you actually believe, and can justify, or did you just parrot what you've repeatedly read? You confidently say FCDs are a crutch for bad reloading practice and stop. I wonder, what do you think FCDs are actually made to do?

FCDs are very simple devices; what reloading errors do you think they can possibly cover up? I mean, you've told us your bottom line, now I ask you to tell us specifically what "bad loading practices" you think our FCDs are covering up? And then, if you're actually serious, explain to us how those bad loading practices can properly be "solved" in the first place.

Is it unfair of those of us who happily use FCDs to ask you how, without a shred of justification, you can confidently tell us that you believe FCDs are our crutch for "bad loading practices". You don't know us so how can you possibly say that without blushing?

Crooked bullet seating.

I loaded over 30K rounds last year with out a Lee CFCD. I don't see the need for one. Anyone that MUST have one is covering up for something. I also don't need my fat boolits sized down to j-word diameters.

[1hole]

Burnt, social work with a defense gun is not a precision Bench Shooters game.

The single purpose of Lee's "after-seating sizer ring" in their FCD is to make sure every round chambers and function without fail - and it works. Thus, the only people who "need" it are those who put certainty of reliability above any tiny difference in absolute accuracy; that would include me.

If you don't even know that reliable chambering is the FCD's purpose or how it works then don't use it but don't jump on the basher's bandwagon to slam what you don't even understand.

Crooked bullet seating usually comes from a failure to campher case mouths and/or failure to expand case mouths enough to let bullets sit up in a case so they can start straight. But Lee's FCD plays no causative part in any of that.

People with fat chambers won't need an FCD no matter how many thousands of rounds they shoot. In fact, if your firearms didn't have fat chambers you sure wouldn't need fat bullets! But, overly fat bullets jammed into tight chambers will indeed need to be squeezed down if they are to feed properly.

In spite of conventional Lee bashing/web guru "wisdom", there's no ignorant user "crutch" in any of that and no amount of expert playing with die adjustments will make those tight fitting chamber and overly fat bullet realities go away. The FCD is only a tool and not everyone needs it; IF you don't need it then don't use it but don't slam it when you don't even know its purpose.

You should understand that not everyone has fat chambers or loads fat bullets or even needs 100% feeding reliability to effectively defend against rabid paper targets at a range.

I don't know or care what your shooting priorities are but those of us with different end goals know what we're doing and we're quite willing to use our FCDs as they were intended. And we're happy with that.

[THG]

I started this thread seeking suggestions on 45 ACP dies. I did note above that my son in law brought me a set of RCBS dies. I’ve set them up on a 550 and have been cranking out test loads and competition loads for a couple of weeks now.
I’m surprised to see this thread has continued. Since it has continued I will comment on the Lee Factory Crimp die. I use the 9mm FCD to iron out my failures. Any cartridges that won’t “plunk” get run through the FCD and go in the practice pile. I don’t have many that fail to plunk, but the ones that do get redeemed with a stroke on my single stage. For me it is useful.

[1hole]

I will comment on the Lee Factory Crimp die. I use the 9mm FCD to iron out my failures. Any cartridges that won’t “plunk” get run through the FCD and go in the practice pile. I don’t have many that fail to plunk, but the ones that do get redeemed with a stroke on my single stage. For me it is useful.

You are a wise man with your head on straight, but I wonder about your few "failures" to chamber. Were they YOUR failures or just the occasional coincidence of fat bullets in a random uncommonly thick wall case? And it would be interesting to hear about an accuracy test between your normal ammo vs. your culls.

[Burnt Fingers]

Burnt, social work with a defense gun is not a precision Bench Shooters game.

The single purpose of Lee's "after-seating sizer ring" in their FCD is to make sure every round chambers and function without fail - and it works. Thus, the only people who "need" it are those who put certainty of reliability above any tiny difference in absolute accuracy; that would include me.

If you don't even know that reliable chambering is the FCD's purpose or how it works then don't use it but don't jump on the basher's bandwagon to slam what you don't even understand.

Crooked bullet seating usually comes from a failure to campher case mouths and/or failure to expand case mouths enough to let bullets sit up in a case so they can start straight. But Lee's FCD plays no causative part in any of that.

People with fat chambers won't need an FCD no matter how many thousands of rounds they shoot. In fact, if your firearms didn't have fat chambers you sure wouldn't need fat bullets! But, overly fat bullets jammed into tight chambers will indeed need to be squeezed down if they are to feed properly.

In spite of conventional Lee bashing/web guru "wisdom", there's no ignorant user "crutch" in any of that and no amount of expert playing with die adjustments will make those tight fitting chamber and overly fat bullet realities go away. The FCD is only a tool and not everyone needs it; IF you don't need it then don't use it but don't slam it when you don't even know its purpose.

You should understand that not everyone has fat chambers or loads fat bullets or even needs 100% feeding reliability to effectively defend against rabid paper targets at a range.

I don't know or care what your shooting priorities are but those of us with different end goals know what we're doing and we're quite willing to use our FCDs as they were intended. And we're happy with that.

30,000+ rounds loaded and shot last year. All of them chambered in every firearm I used.

There's no need for the Lee CFCD if your equipment is up to snuff.

If you require a Lee CFCD to get your rounds to chamber then your equipment is not up to snuff.

[1hole]

If you require a Lee CFCD to get your rounds to chamber then your equipment is not up to snuff.

You just don't get it.

Cast bullets are often sized and loaded oversized and some case walls are made somewhat thicker than others; those are facts. And factory tolerances accept that some chambers are bored on the large side of the tolerance range and some are smaller; that's a fact. Loading fat bullets into thick wall cases and fed into minimum sized chambers are prone to jamming; that's a fact. Lee's post seating sizer ring simply insures the finished ammo is NOT larger than SAAMI tolerance allows and therefore won't jam; those are facts. But you loaded 30,000 rounds last year without a jam so you're are still stuck on your blind opinion of LCDs --- and the supposed lack of skill by its happy users --- is fact? Okay, it's a free world, you may freely think anything you wish. :)

Fingers, I will say that IF you've actually cast, loaded and fired 30,000 rounds of anything in the past year I'm truly impressed. But, ... 30,000 rounds? Man, that's a LOT of casting, sizing, reloading and shooting each week!

My simple minded OPINION is that volumes of experience stops meaning anything when learning stops. ???

[Burnt Fingers]

You just don't get it.

Cast bullets are often sized and loaded oversized and some case walls are made somewhat thicker than others; those are facts. And factory tolerances accept that some chambers are bored on the large side of the tolerance range and some are smaller; that's a fact. Loading fat bullets into thick wall cases and fed into minimum sized chambers are prone to jamming; that's a fact. Lee's post seating sizer ring simply insures the finished ammo is NOT larger than SAAMI tolerance allows and therefore won't jam; those are facts. But you loaded 30,000 rounds last year without a jam so you're are still stuck on your blind opinion of LCDs --- and the supposed lack of skill by its happy users --- is fact? Okay, it's a free world, you may freely think anything you wish. :)

Fingers, I will say that IF you've actually cast, loaded and fired 30,000 rounds of anything in the past year I'm truly impressed. But, ... 30,000 rounds? Man, that's a LOT of casting, sizing, reloading and shooting each week!

My simple minded OPINION is that volumes of experience stops meaning anything when learning stops. ???

So you're loading a fat boolit then sizing it down. Makes no sense to me. If I'm loading a fat boolit I want it to stay fat.

I have multiple 9mm firearms. The 9mm loads coming off my 650 could be shot in any of more than two dozen firearms. They work in them all.

I know a double Distinguished Master shooter who tells me that the 9mm I load is the most accurate 9mm he's ever seen.

Shooting 30k a year isn't that hard...as long as ya have the primers. 500 rounds a week gets ya to 26K.

I'm retired and try and hit the range a couple times a week. I use an eight cavity MP mold for the 9mm boolits and can cast over 1000 in less than two hours. I'm usually casting and coating at the same time.

I run the coated boolits though a Star and load on a 650. Many times I have a minion sizing boolits while I'm loading.

A couple days a month casting. 3-4 days a month loading and sizing. It leaves a lot of time to shoot during the week.