.30 Herrett setup help

Y

Yankee_geezer

Inactive
I have resurrected all my reloading paraphernalia after mothballing it in '75. Just started to take stock and see I need .30 Herrett reloads. Tried to set up the dies (Lyman All American) and cannot get the decapping/FL sizing die set up. The brass is once fired WW, and last 3/16" of case needs Arnold Scwarzneggar to pull that handle. Broke the neck clean off the only shell I proved strong enough for and didn't knock the primer all the way out. Help.
 
Yes i'm lubing the cases, but I never thought about the die internals, i'll check for rust. The case that had its neck torn off showed no scratches or gouges or dents that i could see.
 
If the cases have been fire formed in your chamber, then all you need to do is neck size...

At least that is all I ever did once my brass was fire formed in my Contender...
 
Doesn't the pin have an adjustment?

All of my dies do...

You set the die body so that it only sizes the neck and leaves the shoulder alone, and then you adjust the pin in (down) so that it decaps reliably...
 
"...then all you need to do is neck size..." Until FL sizing is required, eventually. Neck sizing doesn't go on forever.
"...How do I set the die to..." You fiddle with the die body, up or down, until it neck sizes only. Or try a find a .30 Herrett neck sizer. Hate to think what that'd cost. .30 Herrett stuff won't be everywhere.
 
It's been 20+ years since I sold off the Contender and barrels, but IIRC, after fire forming I do not recall ever needing to full length resize .30 or .357 Herrett again...

I do remember trimming once in a while, but that was after many loadings...
 
1) Take the decapping rod out of the die.
2) Inspect the die body for 40 year old petrified crud.
3) Clean the die with carb cleaner or something that will remove the petrified lube.
4) Screw the die body into the press and work the die down in increments inspecting the case to the point where the neck is sized but the shoulder isn't touched. You can easily see the necking process as it moves along.
5) Set the locking ring.
6) Remove the die and add the decapping rod.
7) Put the die back in the press.
8) Have fun.
 
Perhaps a silly question, but were the necks reamed? Making .30 Herrett brass was the biggest PITA I've ever dealt with in reloading. IIRC, the steps with virgin 30-30 brass were: push shoulder back (in stages); trim in trimming die; chamfer neck inside and out; ream with reamer and die. I will never do that stuff again. Making 25-20 from 32-20 is as far as I go these days. Thankyou Starline!
 
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