A tool worth the cost

'Boo

'Boo

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I saw this when it first came out but waited a bit before parting with 150 dollars. (Currently on sale for $98.00 on Amazon :rolleyes: ) I was looking for reviews but couldn't find too many.

A while back I took a chance and ordered one from Amazon.ca

To say it works as advertised is an understatement. I just loaded 20 .300 Wby rounds in once fired cases and the "worst" bullet runout measured 3 thousandths of an inch. Most averaged between 1.5 & 2

Well worth the money IMHO if you want to minimize runout.


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The 308 is in the die.
Too bad it doesn't have 204 but I agree, I've had one for about a month and wish I had of found it years ago.
 
Yes, there is always one sleeve left in the die when it is in the storage case.

The dead-length seating is also very accurate with the overall length to the bullet ogive at most half of a thousand of an inch variance.
 
I have one. It's easy to change calibers. But I am having a hard time not buckling cases in the 223. Anything bigger is fine though
 
I keep trying the FA stuff, but just can’t make myself like it. Bought the priming tool, hated it. Played with a new press in the store, couldn’t see the value in it. So sloppy and not precise feeling.
Im glad you’re satisfied with your purchase, but for the 3 cartridges I reload, I’ll stick to the micrometer seaters from the big die manufacturers made in North America.
21st century priming tool is one primer at a time and cost 3x price of the FA tool. The difference in quality is worth every penny.
 
TIR of 0.002 (max 0.003) is pretty straight ammo!

However, I would strongly suspect that whatever you are using for a sizing die is accountable for giving you such low runout.
 
BigRobb said:
I keep trying the FA stuff, but just can’t make myself like it. Bought the priming tool, hated it. Played with a new press in the store, couldn’t see the value in it. So sloppy and not precise feeling.
Im glad you’re satisfied with your purchase, but for the 3 cartridges I reload, I’ll stick to the micrometer seaters from the big die manufacturers made in North America.
21st century priming tool is one primer at a time and cost 3x price of the FA tool. The difference in quality is worth every penny.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with everything you have to say regarding FA. I have their large SS tumbler and that is the only piece of equipment that I can give a positive review on.

After my (less expensive) RCBS priming tool calved its guts after many many years of consistent service, I too tried the FA priming tool for a very short period of time -like 200 rounds and got rid of it. Sloppy and and very inconsistent. To replace that I went a bit overboard and got a Primal Rights bench mounted priming press.

I have a FA hand de-priming tool that works fast at de-priming... but often the container comes right out and spews used primers to every corning of my workshop.

I've never handled the FA Co-Ax Press, but I can't why anyone would every want to buy one. Their presses require the use of their own, proprietary "die blocks" (which I believe are $30 for a 3-pack..... Jesus Christ) in lieu of standard lock rings that already come with the dies you've purchased. Yeah NO thanks.
 
I have an overwhelmingly positive experience with Frankford Arsenal products. i have been using their hand priming tool flawlessly for years. It is made of steel and will last a lifetime. I also use their powder intellidropper which works perfectly. In addition to that, their products are well priced.
 
BigRobb said:
I keep trying the FA stuff, but just can’t make myself like it.
Click to expand...

It's funny but I felt the same way and still do with the vast majority of their products. I did take a chance on this one and while I was mentally prepared for disappointment this tool delivers on it's promises.

Unlike the majority of Chinese products on the market it is well machined and the threads are not undersized - like a lot of Chinese junk - and are smooth without burrs or chatter. The micrometre is crisp and precise.
 
BigRobb said:
I keep trying the FA stuff, but just can’t make myself like it. Bought the priming tool, hated it. Played with a new press in the store, couldn’t see the value in it. So sloppy and not precise feeling.
Im glad you’re satisfied with your purchase, but for the 3 cartridges I reload, I’ll stick to the micrometer seaters from the big die manufacturers made in North America.
21st century priming tool is one primer at a time and cost 3x price of the FA tool. The difference in quality is worth every penny.
Click to expand...

I had a 21st Century priming tool and sold it for that very reason. If you are doing any amount of reloading one primer at a time gets very tedious. I love shooting but reloading is time consuming, especially when reloading precision rifle ammo, which is the only handloading I do. To each his own though. If you want to seat primers with a tool that allows one primer at a time, fill ur boots.
 
I’m not so sure single load priming is that much slower. But I do know it’s safer.

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chuck nelson said:
I’m not so sure single load priming is that much slower. But I do know it’s safer.
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I would agree. I found it marginally slower. I usually only prep maybe 200 pieces of brass at a time, and it maybe takes 15min to prime one at a time.
Just for precision loading though. All my bulk/plinking stuff is done on a progressive press.
Strangely enough, I did like the old lee priming tool. Unfortunately though, they updated it to a piece of crap. At least I got some use out of the case! BC1D6006-8DD3-4581-BA18-9181DC720994.jpg
 

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Purchased a set of these FA seating die about 9 months ago. Not always fond of the FA products but this die really works good. Straight ammo (.001-.0025) and the micrometer dial is precise.
 
I can't comment on whether or not this FA die is great for producing low run loaded cartridges - as I do not own one.


However, if you resize a piece of brass and then measure the run out on the inside of the neck and find that is say 0.004 TIR.
Rest assured that no matter what seating die you choose to use, the seating will not "correct" or improve the run out problem.

Your seating die will not take a case that had 0.004 TIR .. and produce a loaded cartridge with 0.002 TIR...... at best a perceived match grade seating die like Redding would not contribute to additional runout when the projectile is seated.

I would say that it is not the seating die that is attributing to low run out, but rather other variables:

* the degree of concentricity in your rifle's chamber
* the degree of concentricity in your press
* the degree of concentricity in your sizing die

It would be fair to say that "these dies are not contributing to an existing/underlying run out problem"
 
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