Which Dies

G

Grits

New member
I have reloaded in the past but it has been long time ago. I still have the equipment and am in the process of ordering dies for 9 mm. I have never reloaded and 9mm or .45 and I am not sure about the dies I need.

I see a carbide 4 die set by Lee with shell holder included and a 3 die set by RCBS and I think I will have to buy the shell holder separate. The Lee is actually cheaper from Cabelas. Which set should I buy and why the 4 die versus the 3 die. Does the Lee do something extra ??

Thanks
 
I have 9 different sets of Lee dies and I have no complaints. I can't give you a comparison as I only own Lee dies. You are probably going to get a lot of different opinions and comments, but as far as I am concerned the Lee dies are a good value and get the job done well. You can spend more money and for some, maybe it is justified for a particular reason. The Lee four die handgun die set includes the factory crimp die which allows you to crimp in a separate step from the bullet seating step.
 
I make fantastic ammo with nothing but lee dies. You can't beat the value, and their dies make the same dimensions as anyone else's. I would only consider more expensive dies if making ranged match ammo, not for pistol and def not for 9mm.

I only have the 3 die set for 9mm. I have not felt the need to crimp seperate from the crimp the seating die already gives. But I could see situations where it could come in handy. Since the cost difference in minimal, if I could go back I would get a 4 die set
 
Lee 4 die set gets my vote, the 4th die is a separate taper crimp die/chamber gauge. Other die sets are good too, but Lee includes a shell holder ($8.00)
value from others. Lee is great value and quality too.
 
Fsreloading.com is my go-to lee store. The website can be a bit of a maze, but I haven't found cheaper with decent shipping on lee stuff.
 
I spent quiet a bit of research on my equipment prior purchase. I tried to find the best dies possible without considering the price. My conclusion consists of all Redding Pro Completion dies with Hornady lock rings. The Hornady locks don't screw up the die threads and can be tighten with a wrench.

If you go the budget route with LEE dies I still suggest having a look at the Hornady lock rings. The LEE rubber ring locks are a PITA (IMO).
 
Thanks for all the input. I may need some more help when the dies get here. I ordered the 4 die set from Lee.
 
I prefer lee dies for pistol but RCBS dies for rifle. The RCBS pistol dies just didn't work as well as the lee for me plus lee has the powder through die that expands the case mouth
 
I am in agreement with the Lee dies, their lock rings will drive you crazy at first, but after you learn how to use them properly, they work well. now I prefer them. I do suggest cleaning the dies well with brake cleaner, dissemble them, check for any machining debris, then go to town with them.

BTW, I use RCBS dies often also, like one poster, mostly for rifle, but have seen no difference between the RCBS and Lee dies in what quality of ammunition they turn out. RCBS has better customer service IMHO

David
 
I spent quiet a bit of research on my equipment prior purchase. I tried to find the best dies possible without considering the price. My conclusion consists of all Redding Pro Completion dies with Hornady lock rings. The Hornady locks don't screw up the die threads and can be tighten with a wrench.

If you go the budget route with LEE dies I still suggest having a look at the Hornady lock rings. The LEE rubber ring locks are a PITA (IMO).
Click to expand...

A couple of things to mention, no real bad advice, just to point out that the Hornady lock rings won't work on a lee turret. Not enough room. They are excellent rings, I use them on the dillon tool heads, and on the single stage Lee classic cast.

The Lee rubber "O" rings are a clever solution to the conventional set screws on most other dies. As David said, once you learn how they work, they work well.

The concept is that once the die is in it's proper position, just run the lock ring down snug against the top of the press. WHILE HOLDING THE DIE IN POSITION. Now when removing the die, turn the whole die AND the lock ring out of the press--tool head--or bushing as a unit. You will notice the "O" ring now has a firm grip on the die. It will go back to the same setting IF you turn the die and lock ring together when re-inserting it into the threads. Pretty clever, but that is what makes Lee the leader with new ideas at good prices.
 
What snuffy said ^^

Like most lee gear it is genius in simplicity. You could tack-weld the thing on, but why bother when a simple rubber O suffices?? No need to over complicate a simple thing
 
A couple of things to mention, no real bad advice, just to point out that the Hornady lock rings won't work on a lee turret. Not enough room.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Not enough room on the head.. just another reason why LEE isn't for me.


The Lee rubber "O" rings are a clever solution to the conventional set screws on most other dies. As David said, once you learn how they work, they work well.

The concept is that once the die is in it's proper position, just run the lock ring down snug against the top of the press. WHILE HOLDING THE DIE IN POSITION. Now when removing the die, turn the whole die AND the lock ring out of the press--tool head--or bushing as a unit. You will notice the "O" ring now has a firm grip on the die. It will go back to the same setting IF you turn the die and lock ring together when re-inserting it into the threads. Pretty clever, but that is what makes Lee the leader with new ideas at good prices.
Click to expand...

When I load .32 S&W long, .32 H&R Mag and .327 FedMag all on the same die set I have to back them out. That's when you learn that the LEE rubber ring lock is super annoying to work with. That's not innovative, that's just cheap.
 
I use Dillon dies. I really see no difference in any of the die sets among the various manufacturers, quality-wise or performance-wise. They break just as often as other die sets, especially the decapping pin. Dillon has replaced my decapping when on the three occasions when I had a rock the was inside the brass and bent the pin. Other than that I'll use anything.
 
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