Are these dies ok? not 56k friendly

[Davy Crockett]

I just bought some dies and they have some gouges on them. I'm new to reloading so I just want to check that this will not impact function before I use them.

 

[rommelrommel]

Shouldn't interfere with function from what I can see.

 

[gallen270]

they look fine.

 

[mike shickele]

If it was me, I'd try them on less than my favorite cases for starters; if that's been done to the outside, who knows what has been done to the inside.
Mike

 

[savage express]

I'm thinking that they could be out of round from impacts as shown. You might try to run a case through on the press and then reinsert by hand while spinning the case to see if they have become oval.

 

[blacksmithden]

They've been used, that's for sure, but you shouldn't have any problems unless something has been jammed up inside them. The only way you're going to test their preformance is to run a few pieces through them and see how they come out. If you're losing sleep over them, you could just send them to me

 

[trevj]

Quit worrying and run a dozen or so clean fired brass through them.

The proof is in the results. The rest is just cosmetics.

Cheers
Trev

 

[HKMark23]

How does that kind of thing even happen ? These are dies, not fishing weights. Can you return em?

 

[Paulinski]

Lee Dies - look familiar.

Did you buy them from a fella here advertised as almost new?

Mine look exactly like that - dings and rust on them

 

[bear.23]

They are far from almost new... the outside does not really matter as long as they are not stripped...

The inside does matter.. I would be concerned about the rust (a little) I would get them apart, get light coating of oil on them and clean them out... if they are carbide inserts probably not as big a deal.. But I would still inspect them... the last picture worries me a bit at the decapper looks off centre.. but that could just be the picture and my aging eyes.

 

[warrenb]

I would have a hard time having confidence in those dies with such an obvious but unknown history. I do not shoot well enough to use dies that might be off in some way. The possible negatives would prey on me.

If they are readily available dies then I'd go out and buy a new set and spend the next few weeks letting the thought of why I bought those dies prey on me instead.

 

[stevebc]

In your first picture, is it just a reflection, or are there gouges on the inside of the die on the left?

 

[444shooter]

Who the heck treats dies like that! Looks like they have bounced off the ground a few times. Personally I would buy new ones and dump those.

 

[mike shickele]

In your first picture, is it just a reflection, or are there gouges on the inside of the die on the left?

I think your right, they look like gouges. My first impression was correct, if they look that bad on the outside............................
Mike

 

[H4831]

I wouldn't accept or use those dies.
Cheap dies to start with and damaged. If you bought them used from some individual, try and get your money back.
If you bought them from a dealer of some sort, get your money back.
Otherwise, there isn't enough money involved in them to be worth worrying if they are at fault, every time your reloading ends up less than perfect.

 

[bear.23]

These are the result of a single stage press... the dies were in and out and on the bench knocked off the bench... I've seen a number of dies that looked like this way.

 

[444shooter]

I have been using a single stage press for almost 25yrs, and none of my dies look like that. Then again, when I am done with the dies, they go back into their box
Die abuse should be illegal <grin>

 

[Davy Crockett]

thanks guys

I've PM'd the seller. We'll see where it goes.

 

[CanAm]

When I get dies like that I stick them in the tumbler with some chrome polish.

 

[chappy]

they need a good cleanup. strip the dies and toss into a tumbler for a few hours the wipe them out with an oily cloth