Hey All,
Asking in case anyone is familiar with old RCBS 38 Special 3-die sets.
This one was sent to me by accident, I had actually purchased a set of 357 mag dies from an individual on a forum. No instructions.
What arrived is a green "3-Die Set 38 Spec WC" Part number 18306 by RCBS.
What confuses me is the setup.
The first die looks to be decapping only, and appears to have an expander ball in the middle. There is a knurled portion that holds a removable short decapping pin in. Perhaps a case flare? The walls to the die are way too wide to squeeze down a 38 case from the outside.
The second die is a seater only, with a wad cutter stem on top.
The third die says 38 SP SIZE #1 74 RCBS. There's no adjustable lock ring or stem. Just a hollow hole through with a very gradual shelf about the width of 1.5-2 sheets of paper thick. It's not enough for a roll crimp. Maybe taper crimp or just literally resizing? Do 38 specials not require resizing along the length of the case? It's been a few years since I've loaded 38 special.
I'm used to Lee die setups where the flaring doesn't happen until the powder charge. Can I make this setup work for a dedicated 357 toolhead on a Dillon 650 with a Dillon Powder measure/powder check die? If not I may send it back to the guy and ask for the 357 mag dies I paid for.
Asking in case anyone is familiar with old RCBS 38 Special 3-die sets.
This one was sent to me by accident, I had actually purchased a set of 357 mag dies from an individual on a forum. No instructions.
What arrived is a green "3-Die Set 38 Spec WC" Part number 18306 by RCBS.
What confuses me is the setup.
The first die looks to be decapping only, and appears to have an expander ball in the middle. There is a knurled portion that holds a removable short decapping pin in. Perhaps a case flare? The walls to the die are way too wide to squeeze down a 38 case from the outside.
The second die is a seater only, with a wad cutter stem on top.
The third die says 38 SP SIZE #1 74 RCBS. There's no adjustable lock ring or stem. Just a hollow hole through with a very gradual shelf about the width of 1.5-2 sheets of paper thick. It's not enough for a roll crimp. Maybe taper crimp or just literally resizing? Do 38 specials not require resizing along the length of the case? It's been a few years since I've loaded 38 special.
I'm used to Lee die setups where the flaring doesn't happen until the powder charge. Can I make this setup work for a dedicated 357 toolhead on a Dillon 650 with a Dillon Powder measure/powder check die? If not I may send it back to the guy and ask for the 357 mag dies I paid for.