41LC help please

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Smcx

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I'm at the point where I have everything ready to reload 41LC.

200gr heel base bullets from Jetbullets. Pan lubed by me.
New 41LC starline brass
CCI small pistol primers
Old Eynsford FFFg
A measure for 21gr of black powder
A press...

The dies I have are RCBS made in 1975. It looks like the size die goes first (and has no insert). The decapper is next, and it does double duty as the expanding die. Bullet seating/crimping die is last. Looks like I'll be doing this single stage lol.

Here's the problem. I think the decapping/expanding insert is too long? the decapping pin bottoms out inside the case before the expander section reaches the brass. Anyone have any idea of what I'm doing wrong? Do I decap and then remove the decapping pin before proceeding?

Thx!
 
Not real sure, but I think heeled bullets require a crimping tool? The bullets are about .410 in the forward section, correct?
I always went with HB bullets myself, so I'm not really an expert on heeled ones. Someone sent me a bag but my dies wouldn't work with the heeled ones.
My dies fit over the undersize bullet ( .385) to reach the crimping groove.
Not knowing what your gun is...you do need a full case irregardless. Don't be afraid to use some cream of wheat, and I'm pretty sure compacting is good for BP loads.
No help with the de-capping though friend.
Good luck
 
Yes, there is a special crimping tool required for heeled bullets. The brass also has to cut shorter to allow for the bullet's seating depth, due to the heel. For this reason, most people don't use the heeled bullets.
 
My thoughts are that the decapping rod is out of a 41Mag. Or the pin retainer nut is not threaded up far enough but that shouldn't be the issue.

Get a Lee universal expander maybe. Doubt you're going to find parts for that die set.
 
Crap, meant hollow base but had been reading up on heeled and wrote that instead. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The decapping insert (the part that bells the mouth and holds the decapping rod) has 41 colt stamped on it. I can't screw the pin nut up far enough to allow the expanding section to expand the case mouth. If i take the pin out, and it's nut, the insert will travel far enough into the case to flare the mouth.

I figure that'll have to do. i'd be doing decapping in a separate step with a lee universal decapper before tumbling anyway.

Thx for the replies :)
 
Seems weird that the decapping rod is screwed into the mouth belling insert in the mouth belling die.
Most RCBS pistol and rifle dies (and other makes) have the decapping rod screwed into the sizing die, so that decapping and sizing happen in one step.
Also, the mouth belling dies that I have seen use solid adjustable mouth belling inserts with no provision for a decapping rod.

Is the resizing die threaded to allow you to screw the decapping rod into it and to secure it at the top with a nut?
 
Smcx said:
No it doesn't. Apparently this is the old rcbs method. They changed their dies to be like everyone else in the '80s.
Click to expand...

While I can't speak for .41 LC, I do own RCBS die sets purchased around 1974, being an old fart.
Both of these (.45 ACP and .303 British) die sets have the decapping rod conventionally screwed into the resizing die.

Are you certain that your dies were actually made in 1975?

Perhaps your dies are older still.
Did they come in a rounded corners and edges vinyl green plastic box with a little fold-down plastic latch (1970s)?
Or did they come packaged in a hard pasteboard box container (1960s)?

While not a solution, I can't help being curious.
 
I had a older set of RCBS dies set up like yours. I phoned RCBS and they shipped me all the parts that I needed to upgrade to the new style for free. Top notch service like always.
 
They have "75" stamped on them and they came in the green rounded box with the latch. They also sold for $17.50 (wow) when new.
 
Smcx said:
They have "75" stamped on them and they came in the green rounded box with the latch. They also sold for $17.50 (wow) when new.
Click to expand...

Very interesting.

Perhaps, being dies for a cartridge that was not loaded much even then, and so not ordered much, they just didn't bother to tool up to change the design to the more modern style.
 
I've got a similar set in 44mag. Took me a few minutes to figure out that system. Works fine but I did get another set so I can do 44 Special too.
Didn't realize there's an upgrade kit.
 
I believe they changed to accommodate three die progressive presses that prime on the mouth flaring die. RCBS has always treated me well and as such they will always have me as a lifelong customer.
 
Ok, next problem. I used a flask that measured 20gr, and a lee 1.3 dipper which is supposed to be ~20 grains. There appears to be too much powder, and I can't compress it enough to fully seat the bullet.

Hollow base 200gr. Anyone have a recipe?
 
Just do what you are doing but cut back the charge a few grains.

Actually, you want to measure where the base of the bullet will be in the case when seated and use that level to determine how much powder. Fill to just above that so there is a slight compression but don't try to crunch it with the bullet. (Your bullets should be quite a soft alloy and lubed with BP specific lube.) With black powder the actual final amount of powder isn't as important as getting the case filled with no empty space. If you want a reduced load you have to fill the space with extra wads or similar. The amounts of powder mentioned in historical info or original shells usually refers to ballon head cases that had more volume.
You could get into drop tubes and compression dies but I think it's overkill for pistol rounds.
 
Yup, did a bunch of reading (like 4 hours of searching). My gun is a BP frame so I'll stick with holy black. Apparently people are loading 15-17gr depending on how deep the bullet seats when using new starline brass.

Also, a drop tube does not seem necessary or even useful in such a small case.
Thx again for the help :)
 
Funny, I was just reading about this yesterday. The Lee manual states their dippers are calibrated for smokeless, not black powder. They also point out that using a black powder dipper is dangerous for smokeless and lead to the misconception that Lee dippers are dangerous. Hopefully, the reverse, is not true, but I would certainly beware of it.
 
Well, since this thread was revived...
I bought a really old set of rcbs dies. Loaded the cases up with probably too much powder. Used too much force seating the very soft bullets. Could not get the dies to crimp properly (roll, not taper).

Couldn't hit a man sized steel target at 25 yards. Not once in 24 shots lol. The .41 does have more pop than I was expecting though. It actually recoils like my modern .40 guns.
I ordered new redding dies and just got them, so I'll give it another go sometime in the next couple of weeks.
 
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