Need help identifying these 30-06 dies

[strangwn]

I need help with identifying the manufacturer of this 30-06 2-die set. I have only one photo to show you at the moment, but hopefully will be able to upload 2 more in the next few minutes. The only markings are "30-06 Size" and "30-06 Seat". They are all steel, heavier than most dies like this, and very well made. I have some Herter's dies that are not labelled Herter's, but these do not appear to be at all like the Herter's that I have seen. If you know who made them, I would also like to hear comments about the quality of these dies versus RCBS, Lyman, etc. I have not yet used this set, but may decide to sell the RCBS I have been using and keep these.

[462]

Interesting lock rings, but possibly cumbersome to set. Other that that, they look very similar to older Lyman dies.

[beemer]

I have a set of Herter's 30-06 dies that look exactly like that except for the lock rings. They are marked 30-06 U.S. sizer and 30-06 U.S. seater with the CH trademark, the H is inside the C. The dies are not marked Herter's but are in a Herter's box. I did not buy them new but the seller had a set of 243 Win dies marked and packaged the same. Herter's manufactured nothing but a lot of wild claims, on the other hand some of their stuff was very good quality. I have used some of their reloading tools for 37 years.

I have seen those type of rings on older dies, Pacific comes to mind.

Wish I had one of those pre-68 catalogs that I wore out.

Dave

[azshtr]

I have a set of .270 Winchester dies which look similar to your photographs. I have had them many years probably from the '60-'70's, the box they came in when I received them is factory printed with Hollywood.

They have a pair of thin lock rings and once the die is set I and tightened down I just run the top ring down and tighten the small set screw on the upper ring. It has always worked very well and I have never had the die's move/loosen while sizing or seating, works well and doesn't leave any burr's on the die threads.

Might be what you have.

[stubshaft]

I was thinking CH dies also. They were one of the few makers that had a bleed hole in the sizer for loob to exit.

[Buckshot]

................I don't have a definate answer either, however due to the overall appearence of the die (quality of the overall finish, threading and knurling) makes me want to say Redding. However that's a guess.

................Buckshot

[seagiant]

Hi Gentlemen,
From the knurling and stamping style I would have to go with CH,but mine have the little CH logo stamped on them also???

[doubs43]

I was thinking CH dies also. They were one of the few makers that had a bleed hole in the sizer for loob to exit.

I once had a set of RCBS dies in a caliber I no longer needed so I tried to trade them to a dealer in El Paso, TX. He pointed out a hole in the sizer die and commented that the die was defective. I told him that it was manufactured that way and the look he gave me clearly indicated that he knew it and was trying to get my dies for nothing. I never went into his store again.

[Shepherd2]

I have a set of Pacific dies that have the double locking rings but they are marked Pacific Durachrome and the rings are blued not plated.

[mtgrs737]

I once had a set of RCBS dies in a caliber I no longer needed so I tried to trade them to a dealer in El Paso, TX. He pointed out a hole in the sizer die and commented that the die was defective. I told him that it was manufactured that way and the look he gave me clearly indicated that he knew it and was trying to get my dies for nothing. I never went into his store again.

Good for you! Scoundrels like him should be run out of business! :drinks:

[strangwn]

Thanks guys for all the input so far. I have some CH, Pacific, and Hollywood dies and will try to make a better side-by-side comparison to them. Another feature that I forgot to mention is that the decapping rod is longer than any that I have seen. It just barely will fit into the older RCBS plastic box. I will get a measurement and report back on all this.

[1hole]

Dies are NOT hard to make nor are there any secrets to it. Most well equiped machine shops can do it easily. There was a virtual explosion of small die makers from maybe 1960 to the late 70s. And, since they all got reamers from the same few producers, the dies they made tended to be as good - usually - as any others, including the big makers.

Most of those smaller makers labled their products but a few obviously didn't bother. Companies such as Herter's made nothing, they ordered things by lots from small makers and had their lable stamped or printed on the items, just as Sear's does.

Over their production runs many details of the small makers would change. Attempts to identify anything now by various lock rings, knurling, surface finish or small changes in shape, stem lengths, etc, is virtually hopeless. And, point of fact, it really doesn't matter who made what. They all died off or sold to larger makers, so all that matters now is how well any given set was made.

Only using the dies and miking the result can tell you if your dies correctly match SAAMI specs - and they probably do. Then, if your's matches your chamber, you have a "good" set. That match is pure luck with any die set, old or new, no matter the brand. Many non-machinests among us presume the "specs" are a target size but it is not, the specs are a range runing from maximum to minumum for each dimension and anything within that range IS in tolerance. Any given die dimension - body/neck length, body/neck diameter, shoulder angle, etc. - may be max while the next may be minimum. Thus, no specific dimension tells us a thing about any other dimension on the same die! But, we can be sure that any die that IS within specifications WILL work as well, on average, as any other.

[pdawg_shooter]

Looks like a set of Wells dies I had years ago. Come with a wells press and a screw on shell holder. The threads on the shell holder were 7/8 14 and it could be screwed on top for priming.

[Storydude]

I have a set of Wells/herters marked dies that look EXACTLY like those...aside from the 2 piece lockrings.

Great dies, but they leave the tiniest amount of a ding in the shoulder where the lube bleed hole is.

[Pressman]

With the two piece lock rings they are C-H. Ch was also a custom die/reloading tool maker for the industry so there are a lot of tools out there that look like C-H but with someone elses name on them.
Ken

[shotman]

C-H made them but they made dies for many companies Hollywood was one and the 2 rings were for top and bottom . Dont know why but that is in the info sheet

[TAWILDCATT]

all my herters have the expander just like that.C&H made herters dies.and some where along the line Pacific and Wells and Hornady were involved.the swaging press was C&H.I had the whole setup the press dies universal dies and many shell holders.powder measure and bullet puller and powder scale.the powder scale and redding are the same.

[stephen perry]

If no name probably them.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR :brokenima