Load DataMidSouth Shooters SupplyLee PrecisionWideners
Inline FabricationRepackboxTitan ReloadingReloading Everything
RotoMetals2
Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: dies

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Posts
    100

    dies

    I have come into possession of older reloading dies. Herter, Lachmiller, and Bair. Are these any good, and how do they compare to what is made today?
    They all appear to be well made, at least as good as some of the current made dies.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Southern Arizona
    Posts
    4,284
    Bair bought out Pacific in the ‘80s, IIRC. For a while it was a Bair-Pacific, then just Bair. The paint jobs and logos changed, but the quality stayed high. Pacific invented the modern C press and the 7/8” x 14 reloading die set.

    Lachmiller Engineering made a full line of casting and reloading equipment. RCBS bought them out and only continued the lubrisizer in production, painted green rather than blue. Lachmiller’s stuff was as good as anyone else’s. I have a couple sets of Lachmiller loading dies, and the lubrisizer, and use them regularly.

    Herter’s dies were made to a price. For a while, I think they were made for Herter’s by C-H, which went through an uncomfortable period quality-wise after the founder, Charles Heckman, died in an auto accident. They should be OK, but they are definitely the Low-Priced Spread. As one reviewer of the time wrote, “Herter’s stuff doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to, but it sure is cheap!”

    On the other hand, George L. Herter said that Herter’s products were made of the finest materials on the most modern production equipment by the most highly skilled craftsmen, and sold at fair prices, unlike the overpriced, shoddy rubbish that everybody else was foisting off on the hapless, ignorant reloading public.

    So I guess you’ll just have to try the Herter’s dies and see how they do.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    South Western NC
    Posts
    3,820
    Quote Originally Posted by Bent Ramrod View Post
    Herter’s dies were made to a price. For a while, I think they were made for Herter’s by C-H, which went through an uncomfortable period quality-wise after the founder, Charles Heckman, died in an auto accident. They should be OK, but they are definitely the Low-Priced Spread.

    Mr. Charles Heckman was a craftsman who made some great reloading tools and some of it went to Herter's. His heirs were NOT craftsmen and really didn't want to fool with making stuff. No surprise, they didn't last long and the business was eventually sold to become CH4D; now they are maintaining the custom build quality started by Charles.

    Next, there never was any the Herter's dies because Herter didn't make anything. He contracted to buy dies (and presses, scales, etc.) from several makers at the same time to provide his catalogs the widest variety of design features on the market. To the best of my experience (and the experience of everyone else who actually knew what they were doing) Herter's least costly tools worked as well as those with much higher price tags.

    As one reviewer of the time wrote, “Herter’s stuff doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to, but it sure is cheap!”
    Yeah. Same as, "Every web reloading guru in the know knows Lee's dies are too cheep to be any good", right? Except ... it ain't true! I've made chamber casts and gage tested a lot of dies from a lot of makers for a very long time. I found as much average internal variation between dies of the same brand as between different brands --- including Herter's ... and Lee's!

    I started reloading as a tool brand snob, I just knew "my" favorite brand was "best"! But, I've used a lot of Lee and Herter's tools and dies since 1965 (and many other brands as well), and - when used correctly - every one of them has performed as well as I could ask. (And I haven't been a brand snob in decades! )

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Central VA
    Posts
    5,513
    ^^^ What he said! ^^^
    "It's a poor workman who blames his tools!"
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  5. #5
    Boolit Master


    Walks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    3,028
    My Dad gave Me a set of Herters dies in .303British, back about 1985ish. I've probably loaded 1,000rds or more. Never had any kind of problem. They are as well made as anything out there.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy WarEagleEd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    152
    Pacific was bought out by Hornady in the 1980s. Bair made some of Pacific's products until they had some sort of falling out. Then Bair starting marketing their own stuff. Or, Bair started selling reloading equipment with their name and that led to the falling out. I think there was a lawsuit between the two companies and that might have led to the demise of the Bair brand, but I can't remember for sure. Some of the Bair presses are the spitting image of Pacific presses.

    I have a set of Bair .30-06 dies. They've worked fine so far, though I haven't used them that much.

    Lachmiller is good stuff. I would like to have a one of the Lachmiller 707 Olympian reloading presses.

    Sent from my T799B using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    East TN
    Posts
    1,264
    And speaking about the Lachmiller line of tools I have a few of their boolit molds along with a lube-sizer (blue, of course). All of these are quality tools that would be among the last to leave if I should have to reduce my tool inventory. Love them!

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy eastbank's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Posts
    303
    i started loading in 1958(sporterized o3a3 springfield in 3006) and a friend of my dad sold me a set of very old hollywood 3006 dies and a single stage pacific press for 5.00 and said fill the case up to the neck with 4831 surpluse powder and a 150 gr bullet. since then the rifle and press have gone, but i still use the hollywood dies.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Outside Rolla, Missouri
    Posts
    2,170
    The first.....and only set....of 38/357 dies I've used is an old Herters set, I guess from the 60's as I bought them used sometime in the early 70's. Seems there's a different step with them from the mainstream dies. Maybe they bell the case when you resize? It's been so long since I used them I forget.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

    NRA Benefactor 2008

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    pworley1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Mississippi
    Posts
    3,252
    I still use all mine. I think they are as good as any you can get today.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    120 miles North of Texarkana 9 miles from OK in the green hell
    Posts
    5,347
    Dad left a press he bought in 74' the frame says Pacific but it's Hornady red and came in a Hornady Pacific box .

    Dies and moulds on my bench from Bonanza , CH , Cramer , Forester , H&G , Herters , Hornady , Lachmiller , Lyman , LBT , MEC , NOE , Ohaus , Pacific , RCBS , and Redding from 1935 through 2016 ....... Unless you count the new H&I and push through sizer from Ammohead and the 10 Ga roll crimp tool then the stuff spans a whole century or close to it .

    Yes I have a preferred brand I buy new dies and yeah the 15+ bucks is difference in price is worth it and unless a particular bullet is perfect for the application I have a preferred brand there as well .
    In the time of darkest defeat,our victory may be nearest. Wm. McKinley.

    I was young and stupid then I'm older now. Me 1992 .

    Richard Lee Hart 6/29/39-7/25/18


    Without trial we cannot learn and grow . It is through our stuggles that we become stronger .
    Brother I'm going to be Pythagerus , DiVinci , and Atlas all rolled into one soon .

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check