So I have a set of redding 44 mag dies but I shoot more 44 special than I do mags. The only issue with them is I can not roll crimp special cases as the die is is too deep. Im thinking of using my lathe to cut enough of the bottom of the die off so a special case can be crimped. This wouldn't keep me from crimping mag cases so... .any reason not ti aside from "Just buy a special crimp die?"
Shortening Redding die?
- Thread starter Chainsaw.
- Start date
JT-AR-MG42
New member
Most all of my handgun calibers have shortened seat/crimp dies for use with the
shorter calibers like 44 Colt, 45 Schofield, 45-60, and others that share a common sizer.
I did not want to bother my pal (with his lathe) on such a project, so I
clamped the die down, used a cut-off wheel/peanut grinder on the plugged up die, and
finished the die throat leade with a tapered stone in a drill and a dremel on the threads.
Found the spare seating/crimp dies at shows either loose or in an older steel sizing die set that kept cost down.
These extra dies allow me to have a 550 toolhead set-up minus the sizing die
already set-up for the shorter cases.
JT
shorter calibers like 44 Colt, 45 Schofield, 45-60, and others that share a common sizer.
I did not want to bother my pal (with his lathe) on such a project, so I
clamped the die down, used a cut-off wheel/peanut grinder on the plugged up die, and
finished the die throat leade with a tapered stone in a drill and a dremel on the threads.
Found the spare seating/crimp dies at shows either loose or in an older steel sizing die set that kept cost down.
These extra dies allow me to have a 550 toolhead set-up minus the sizing die
already set-up for the shorter cases.
JT
It seems reloaders wake up everyday in a new world. I am the only reloader that has tools designed to shorten a round piece of stock, I do not shorten round pieces of stock but I have three grinders that are designed for that purpose; again I do not use them for that purpose but I have the tools JIC.
And then there is that part reloaders can not keep up with; that would be the big inning, in the big inning there was the 38 Special die set. And then (there is always a 'and then) came the 357 Magnum. Most reloaders purchased 357 Magnum dies because they were not like me; I have threads on my dies and presses meaning all I had to do to seat bullets for the 357 Magnum was to adjust the die to crimp by raising it. And then 'again' die manufacturers figured it out, they made one set to do both cases (the 38 Special and 357 Magnum) by adding a round spacer. The thickness of the round spacer is the difference in length between the two cases.
And then came the 44 Special, and then the 44 Remington Mag, same thing. The manufacturers made two sets of dies before they figured one die set would do both cases.
And then they had to start over when they went to progressive presses because the put the primer punch on the expander die instead of the sizing die and then they had to do it again because the old sizing dies were not threaded for a primer punch.
For those keeping up manufacturers made 5 sets of dies for the 38 Special before they got it so it would work.
Back to my grinders, they will grind angles, they will grind tappers, they will grind to length as in butt grinding and they will grind pilots. My grinders will grind head space gages.
F. Guffey
At one time I shortened the seating die on a set of RCBS .444 Marlin dies to allow for seating in the crimp groove of a Lyman 429421 Keith-type bullet so that it would work through the action of a Marlin .444 lever gun. The die was hardened, and resisted cutting in the lathe, but as I remember, I used a brazed-on Carbide cutter to get it done. Another time, when I was inturned as a novice machinist, I observed the Plant Engineer turn up the speed on a lathe very high and reduced the diameter of a hardened part using the same process...the chips were coming off the part in a Red-hot, nearly molten state. So, cutting hardened steel on a lathe can be done, but it borders on abuse of the equipment.
Got it done today, mounted up a grinder with a flappy sanding disk. Worked like butter. Used a stone to reflare the mouth of the die then polished. Cleaned it thoroughly, put it back together and crimped and seated about 200 44special cases on my rebuilt bonanza coaxlepress. 