Learned something about .22 Hornet 310 die set today.

Much as I appreciate the Lyman 310 dies I must admit that I don't often prime using the 310 priming chamber but today I couldn't locate either the small pin for my RCBS APS strip loader or the #20 shell holder for my Lee hand primer so I decided to use the #4 priming chamber. I discovered that the drive pin of the #4 PC is too large to pass through either the #4 adapter in my aluminum 310 handles or the steel .22 Hornet handles!
I certainly need to organize my shop better so I can find these small parts when I need them, one of the hazards of spending time in two different locations for much of the year, dividing time between Florida and North Carolina, what I need is often in the other location! But I cannot understand how the drive pin of the correct #4 PC doesn't clear the #4 adapter or a set of steel .22 Hornet handles. I pretty much learn something new every time I use these 310 dies! :)

I recently loaded a few boxes of .22 Hornet with my steel 310 .22 Hornet set. Enough to know that yes it is a viable loading option, but no it will never be my favorite way to load.

I have two sets of 310 dies for the Hornet, one that came as a unit with the steel .22 Hornet marked handles, and one set of four dies. Imagine my surprise when I found that not only was the seating stem different, but the expander plug was different also, one .223 one .224??? Neither one made it easy to start a flat based jacket bullet into the case mouth.

Robert

Old Hornets had a .223 bore and used j-words of .223 and real boolits of .224 so the use of two plug sizes. Usually, the expanding plug has a step or raised portion that you can feel "pop" just a bit when the die is correctly adjusted to flair the case mouth just a bit, it is a critical adjustment! For boolits, the expanding plugs of the 310 dies are usually the best expanders for boolits but I swear, if Ideal/Lyman had a standard dimentions, threads and shank sizes they kept it from the workers!

Trooperdan should clean out his PM's. He can find my message in the 310 swap que.
Pepe Ray

Hi again guys, This is the first time since the server upgrade that I've been able to log in, long story but back in the fold now. Pepe Ray, thanks for the info, I'll be on the lookout for suggested pc.

A light pass with a reamer on the edge of the neck before flaring can make a no go actually slide right in.