310 die mysteries [Archive]

dualsport

12-21-2009, 04:11 PM

Among other things I collect 310 tools, like a lot of people. I have some die sets that I haven't identified yet, bought here and there. Some look like bullet sizing dies. Anybody have a guess? Where is a good place to learn more about the 310? Thanks.

scrapcan

12-21-2009, 04:16 PM

What you got? I can help I think. If not there are a few other members of Antique Reloading Tool Collectors Association that can.

Another place is The 310 Shop.

Again post what you got and we will see if there is help. PM sent also.

Pressman

12-21-2009, 08:36 PM

I have all the 310 die charts from the various Lyman catalogs. With the numbers i can help you sort out what you have. Collecting 310 dies can get to be a BIG project as there are many, many variations from Lyman/Ideal in addition to the Redhead dies from CC Johnson. you will need to learn how to spot them as they are not marked with a name either.
Ken

dualsport

12-21-2009, 11:07 PM

Thanks guys, I'll pull 'em out and find some numbers. Was there a bullet sizing die? Also, one oddball I picked up is a Lyman .32 WS sizer die that's like the Lee Loader die, only bigger. You beat the fired case into the die. If I hadn't found that I'd never known Lyman made this type.

Green Frog

12-22-2009, 10:01 AM

Dualsport, I posted an offer to send my list of the 310 die code numbers to anyone who needed it, and it has since been posted on this website if you know how to navigate to it. The RedHead dies mentioned by Pressman were marked by caliber, so they should be no problem.

As for the other things you mentioned, the bullet sizing dies were available pretty much by thousandths for any caliber you could have loaded on the Tru-Line Jr press or 310 too. They came equipped with a matched plunger to push the bullet through the die. I have a variety of them, and they can be used easily with the TL Jr press, not so easily, but just as well with the 310 tool. I only dislike them because you have to prelube the bullets before sizing. The case sizing dies you mention were also available for a wide variety of calibers and since both the TL Jr and 310 lacked the leverage for heavy duty sizing, could be used periodically when brass needed full length sizing. I prefer to use mine with an arbor press, but a hammer will work. Don't forget to lube those cases before sizing!!

One other thing you might look for is the "Kake Kutter" to get the bullets out of the lube block when you pan lube them... together, these items made it possible to go from a fresh cast bullet to a loaded round, when added to your .310 or TL Jr set.

Regards,
Froggie

Pressman

12-22-2009, 02:25 PM

Froggie, I have a few Red head dies along with four presses and a Printz press all left over from a project Floodgate and I worked on a year ago.
Some of the Red Head sizers are marked by caliber and some are marked with a chart number. Some are marked on the die body while others are marked on the head of the decapping rod.
None of the seaters are marked by caliber, rather all are marked by chart number.
I will have to take some side by side comparison pics of the Red Head and Lyman dies for ID purposes.

Ken

Green Frog

12-22-2009, 02:45 PM

I bow to your superior knowledge on the RedHeads, Pressman. I only have been able to buy a single press with (marked 30-06 dies) and a matching (but coded) shell holder. Other than that there is the NOS tool head and a few extra shell holders gifted to me by CC's grandson and a little of the old literature. I must admit that the dies have pretty much eluded me and I have been going from the list Jerry Johnson gave me and my one die set, so I jumped to the wrong conclusion. :oops:

Froggie

Pressman

12-22-2009, 05:55 PM

Froggie, have you talked to Jerry lately? I tried to email him last month and recieved a box full notice.

I would like to see what literature you have. Jerry was going to send me a piece he has but it never arrived. Floodgate and I have most of the shop drawings for the Red Head press, thanks to Jerry.

herters@netins.net is the best way to reach me.
Ken

beagle

12-23-2009, 01:08 PM

There are sizing dies for the 310 tool that were provided by diameter and also the punches that could be ordered by TP number to fit the various bullets. This were used with the Kake Cutter and pan lubing.

The FL sizer dies were not used with the 310 tool but had to be used with a vise or arbor press and tapped out after the sizing operation.

Primer punches were provided both in round and flat configurations as at one time, rounded primers were offered seperately./beagle

Green Frog

12-23-2009, 01:36 PM

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned that the straight walled pistol die sets for the TL Jr did come with full length sizers, but that little Jr press just didn't have the beef to FL size the larger, bottle necked cases, hence the need for the other series of "push-through" sizing dies. As I said, I really like to use them with a little arbor press that I made up for that purpose. :)

The points that Beagle made about specific primer punches and bullet nose punches were spot on... I have to admit that I don't use the bullet sizers enough for the former to be a concern, and since the older primers are so seldom used the latter is something I had frankly forgotten about. Oh, and another thing, at least some of the pushout rods for the sizing die have a recess for the old balloon head cases. You don't want to crush them inside! :roll:

Regards,
Froggie :mrgreen:

What Cheer

12-23-2009, 04:32 PM

Green Frog,

Could you tell me where your 310 die list is posted on this website?

Thank you.

What Cheer

Green Frog

12-23-2009, 06:23 PM

[QUOTE=What Cheer;755025]Green Frog,

Could you tell me where your 310 die list is posted on this website?

Thank you.

What Cheer[/QUOTE

What Cheer,

I just looked for it and couldn't find it myself. :???: I sent it to one of the administrators of this or a related site and it was posted (I saw it at the time but never book marked it because I didn't need it ;-) )

Anyway, if you'll send me a PM with your e-mail address in it, I'll be happy to send the whole schmeer to you as Word files. :brokenima

Froggie

PS Somebody may see this and tell both of us where to find it! :coffeecom

Pressman

12-23-2009, 09:13 PM

Tuesday I took all the Lyman die and mold charts to the printer for conversion to PDF files. They will be available on Monday.
Ken

What Cheer

12-24-2009, 05:57 AM

Green Frog,

PM sent with my Email address, thank you.

What Cheer

woody1

12-24-2009, 10:13 AM

Green Frog

12-24-2009, 10:54 AM

Thanks, Woody! I knew somebody would help me out with my CRS! :confused:

To all who read the page Woody reminded us of, and to all who have received this info from me personally, if you can fill in any of the "holes" in the chart, you are invited to contact me directly by PM, or e-mail to help close the gaps. This is an ongoing project with me. :coffeecom The chart and explanation as they appear on the Castpics page were part of an article that I had published in the Journal of the American Single Shot Rifle Association, a group that is very familiar with cast boolits! :coffee:

Merry Christmas to all!
Green Frog

What Cheer

12-26-2009, 02:42 AM

Green Frog,

Thanks for sending the list, I had no idea the 310 sets were made for so many calibers.

Best Regards,

What Cheer

TAWILDCATT

12-26-2009, 08:32 PM

the old sizing dies were first used with the ideal tools.I got one before WW2 for my win tong tool in 32/20 still have it.and the win tool and mold.I got the 310 die list from lyman with a call they copied from a lyman catalog.I have 5 truline and a bunch of dies.a tru line was my second press.around 1956?I use one to load 30/06 with lead. one for 32 long and another for expanding 41 swiss.I dont remember any other turrets.

matrics631

10-02-2011, 10:02 PM

Is this a 310 Lyman tool? I think it is but the box is too worn to read if it said 310 on it or not.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/302603_558757200457_152600384_31370184_2400772_n.j pg

My other boxes says 310. I don't know which box is the older set of dies.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/310908_558757250357_152600384_31370187_6196672_n.j pg

BWelch47

10-03-2011, 03:25 PM

Matrics631,

Yes that is a 310 tool. Idea was the original manufacturer of the 310. Note that the word Ideal is mentioned on the lower box.

beagle

10-03-2011, 08:07 PM

You guys run into any extra parts, post on teh swapping and selling section. I think all of us that mess with 310 have some orphan parts floating around. I know I do.

Maybe we can get 'em together and make complete sets./beagle

floodgate

10-03-2011, 08:32 PM

Matrics631:

It is the first version of the 310 tool made by Lyman, cut for a specific case head diameter, with steel handles. If stamped with the caliber, it is the earliest version; if that "14" is stamped on the side of the lower handle, is is a fairly scarce variant, made for only a brief period, cut for the .41 Long Colt case (.44 Spl. would show either a caliber stamp or a "7").

If you will send me a PM on the exact markings present on both tool and dies, I can provide more information. Made about 1946-7.

If used much, there will be wear on the knuckle that pushes the case into the dies; later versions, and the current alloy-handled ones, have a steel "wear plate" screwed down over the knuckle to take the pressure, and also have interchangeable case head bushings and an adjusting screw to fit the extractor to the case in use. The 310 was a melding of the older Ideal and Lyman No. 3 (for rimmed cases) and No.10 (with a clip to catch rimless cases by the extractor groove) tools.

Lyman took over the Ideal operation, after a gap of several years, in 1925, and has been making them ever since.

floodgate

uscra112

10-03-2011, 11:44 PM

Those are mighty handy tools. I use a .38 Special one with a universal decapping die to decap almost all my small cases - .22 Hornet to .357 Max. Mine also has the hole and the post for recapping without changing dies, which is awful handy when there's just a few cases to do. My only complaint, if there be one, is that the dies are not hardened, and they also tend to rust.

matrics631

10-06-2011, 10:48 PM

Thanks Floodgate. It is good to date the tool. The "44 SPE" is the stamp on the handle. The 14 is just my numbering system of pieces.

I count five dies with my set but I am unsure if one of the pieces is actually two or if I am missing a piece. Can anyone tell from the picture if one of the dies is missing or just two of them connected. I tried looking at them and couldn't tell which was which.

Bent Ramrod

10-07-2011, 03:58 PM

Matrics631,

You should have five dies: A decapper, a muzzle resizer, a neck expander, a bullet seater and a priming chamber.

matrics631

10-07-2011, 10:25 PM

Thanks Bent Ramrod. I'll pull the set out this weekend and see if I have all the right pieces. I have also found out that each piece is marked with numbers, so I can be sure that all the pieces go together.

trooperdan

10-08-2011, 02:30 PM

Matrics, a set doesn't have all the same numbers! You'll go nuts trying to make a set that way! You have to look up the number to find what it is for and make up a set that way.

matrics631

10-08-2011, 03:04 PM

Matrics, a set doesn't have all the same numbers! You'll go nuts trying to make a set that way! You have to look up the number to find what it is for and make up a set that way.

Thanks Trooperdan. It looks like there are several resources on different threads that might give the lists to identify the different numbers.