Help ID sizer dies, Potter? Herter's? ??

[JBMauser]

I picked up a bunch of old neat herters dies to play with. In the deal were three lube sizer dies that I know are not Star or Saeco. they have no flange on top but they are stepped. the top half is .722 and the bottom half is .702. each die has 4 sets of 4 holes and the two small dies. .222 and .264 actually have a thin rim of the ram post that would hold a gas check bullet square. My Saeco's don't have such a neat feature! they are all flat. they all have a groove cut about 1/8 down form the top. I think the set screw is supposed to seat there. No O ring, no threads and NO MARKINGS AT ALL! Any of you have anything like this in your collection of oldies? Some one on the Yahoo CB board thought it may be very early lyman?? I don't have a clue. thanks in advance for any brain cells you may destroy in this quest. I love a quest!!! JB

[454PB]

Sounds like some old Lyman sizing dies. Do you have a picture or a way to take one for us to see?

[Bent Ramrod]

I second 454PB. However, Lyman or Ideal dies were always marked on top with the nominal sizing diameter. If they're old, they will have no provision for the O-ring (just the groove for the set screw) and a slight step inside. (Is that the gas check seat you are talking about?) The complaint about that design was that an oversize bullet or badly started one would get shaved off-center. Later they went for a gradual taper that swaged the bullet to a diameter.

If the dies are really old, the diameter numbers will be in serif numerals (like the serial numbers on old 1903 Springfields) rather than the plain ones.