lee n. field
New member
Nothing wrong, as long as they're in good shape, and use the standard threads.
Used die sets
- Thread starter talkglock
- Start date
Nothing wrong, as long as they're in good shape, and use the standard threads.
FrankenMauser
New member
I generally try to buy new, but I have picked up a few sets of used dies, over the years.
If I have a chance to inspect them, then there's very little risk.
If I don't have a chance to inspect them, then the price has to be low enough for the risk to be worthwhile. (Which it never is, in my opinion, on auction sites.)
About 5 years ago, I bought two sets of .223 Remington dies from a local guy that kept getting cases stuck so hard in the sizing die that he couldn't get anything to pull (or push) them back out. Before committing to the deal, I already knew that he had taken a torch to one of the dies, in an attempt to "solder" the stuck case to another piece of brass (to pull it out with pliers
). In doing so, he just filled the die up with solder and semi-permanently fixed the case and expander in place.
But, had it been a sight-unseen purchase, I would have been EXTREMELY mad if a die advertised as having a stuck case turned out to be a die with a case soldered in place. ...Even at $15 total for both sets of dies.
(I got one case out with barely any effort. The one full of solder got sent to RCBS with the $7 'stuck case' fee and a note explaining exactly what had been done. They kept the check, but sent me a new die and extra storage box.
)
There's always some risk with used dies. Even if you can inspect them before buying, you may later discover that the .270 Winchester sizing die actually has a .25 caliber expander in it. Or, the dies might look great, but end up scratching your brass.
You never know.
But, if the price is right, it's a risk that I'm willing to take. ...Except with Lee dies. Their warranty is crap, and most of their dies are bad when they leave the factory.
(The usual suspects will now jump all over that and call me a snob, but that opinion is based on experience with Lee dies - not an unfounded desire to pay more for a tool, as the "anti-snob" crowd loves to accuse.)
If I have a chance to inspect them, then there's very little risk.
If I don't have a chance to inspect them, then the price has to be low enough for the risk to be worthwhile. (Which it never is, in my opinion, on auction sites.)
About 5 years ago, I bought two sets of .223 Remington dies from a local guy that kept getting cases stuck so hard in the sizing die that he couldn't get anything to pull (or push) them back out. Before committing to the deal, I already knew that he had taken a torch to one of the dies, in an attempt to "solder" the stuck case to another piece of brass (to pull it out with pliers
). In doing so, he just filled the die up with solder and semi-permanently fixed the case and expander in place.But, had it been a sight-unseen purchase, I would have been EXTREMELY mad if a die advertised as having a stuck case turned out to be a die with a case soldered in place. ...Even at $15 total for both sets of dies.
(I got one case out with barely any effort. The one full of solder got sent to RCBS with the $7 'stuck case' fee and a note explaining exactly what had been done. They kept the check, but sent me a new die and extra storage box.
)There's always some risk with used dies. Even if you can inspect them before buying, you may later discover that the .270 Winchester sizing die actually has a .25 caliber expander in it. Or, the dies might look great, but end up scratching your brass.
You never know.
But, if the price is right, it's a risk that I'm willing to take. ...Except with Lee dies. Their warranty is crap, and most of their dies are bad when they leave the factory.
(The usual suspects will now jump all over that and call me a snob, but that opinion is based on experience with Lee dies - not an unfounded desire to pay more for a tool, as the "anti-snob" crowd loves to accuse.)
Rottweiler
New member
Asking if there is anything wrong with purchasing used die sets is like asking iv there is anything wrong with buying a used car. You take your chances.
Dies are much simpler than automobiles and much less likely to have issues.
ALSO, you will get better product support from any die manufacturer than you will from any car manufacturer if you do have an issue with their product, new or used.
Dies are much simpler than automobiles and much less likely to have issues.
ALSO, you will get better product support from any die manufacturer than you will from any car manufacturer if you do have an issue with their product, new or used.
"Do dies wear out?"
After several lifetimes of hard use!
Dies don't wear out (brass is softer than steel) but they can be damaged or ruined by neglect or abuse.
I suppose it was abuse(I possibly didn't get the brass as clean as it might have been) but I've "worn out" two .223 sizer dies. They were replaced but I already had a lot of ammo loaded with the improperly sized cases before I found the problem. One would think that 3 hours in a tumbler would clean the cases adequately even though they weren't super shiny.
For a while, I was sizing brass in 50# lots so maybe a couple of months is a lifetime.
After several lifetimes of hard use!
Dies don't wear out (brass is softer than steel) but they can be damaged or ruined by neglect or abuse.
I suppose it was abuse(I possibly didn't get the brass as clean as it might have been) but I've "worn out" two .223 sizer dies. They were replaced but I already had a lot of ammo loaded with the improperly sized cases before I found the problem. One would think that 3 hours in a tumbler would clean the cases adequately even though they weren't super shiny.
For a while, I was sizing brass in 50# lots so maybe a couple of months is a lifetime.
Bucksnort1
New member
Talkglock,
TimW77 wrote about the expense of buying on eBay, at times, because of shipping. When I buy anything on eBay, I never buy by bidding instead, I narrow my search, after going to the product in which I'm interested, to "buy it now" and then "free shipping." It narrows your choices but sometimes, works out in your favor.
Just like shopping anywhere, you need to know what you want to pay and what is a good price. I have very good luck with this method but it doesn't always work out in my favor. I have purchased, with no shipping or bidding, Lee four hole turrets for fewer dollars than Cabela's.
TimW77 wrote about the expense of buying on eBay, at times, because of shipping. When I buy anything on eBay, I never buy by bidding instead, I narrow my search, after going to the product in which I'm interested, to "buy it now" and then "free shipping." It narrows your choices but sometimes, works out in your favor.
Just like shopping anywhere, you need to know what you want to pay and what is a good price. I have very good luck with this method but it doesn't always work out in my favor. I have purchased, with no shipping or bidding, Lee four hole turrets for fewer dollars than Cabela's.
Geezerbiker
New member
I've bought a few used die sets over the years but unless they're in good shape and a good deal, I'd just as soon buy new. It's not like new dies are prohibitive expensive....
Tony
Tony