Differences between Die brands

[vagrantviking]

Hornady dies on my shelf have a split lock ring with a 4-40 screw to tighten them for a secure lock.

Shouldn't be hard to find replacement rings if desired. Drilling and tapping isn't too difficult if you have a drill press handy. Or could double up rings and tighten them against each other if they are long enough.

For the rings that have a set screw that tightens against the dies threads it will mung the threads if tightened much and make adjustments a bugger. The fix is to remove the screw and drop in a lead pellet. You can then tighten the lock screw all you want and not damage the threads. Maybe the newer ones have solved this another way.

 

[Fargone4sure]

I find that both Hornady and RCBS primer punches are fragile,RCBS being the worst. There's a reason they include extra primer punch parts with their dies, you will need them.
I've never broken a Lee primer punch.
And the Lee factory crimp die is the best crimp die by far.
Previous comments about the advantages of matching the dies to the brand of press you have is sometimes best. For example, I have a Lee Classic Turret press, and the Lee dies come with a "powder through expander die" that works with their powder measures.

 

[Bluedevil25]

What about the Alan Warner die coming in at $546?????

http://www.warner-tool.com/#!reloading-dies/c1w4a

 

[PitBull1973]

I find that both Hornady and RCBS primer punches are fragile,RCBS being the worst. There's a reason they include extra primer punch parts with their dies, you will need them.
I've never broken a Lee primer punch.
And the Lee factory crimp die is the best crimp die by far.
Previous comments about the advantages of matching the dies to the brand of press you have is sometimes best. For example, I have a Lee Classic Turret press, and the Lee dies come with a "powder through expander die" that works with their powder measures.

RCBS is made in China ( cheap metal)
Lee is US made better quality

 

[vagrantviking]

I do find the Lee deprimer rod a better system than the other brands too. It's possible to break them but pretty darn difficult.
Cheap and easy to find new ones when you you do.

 

[Melnibonean]

Can Lee rods be used in an RCBS die? Just wondering

 

[vagrantviking]

Can Lee rods be used in an RCBS die? Just wondering

I don't think so but don't have any RCBS handy for a look.

 

[Rod B]

I have Lee, Hornady, Lyman, RCBS & Redding dies. They have all worked very well for mew.

 

[bigedp51]

I like the Forster full length benchrest dies with the high mounted expander, these die produce the most concentric cases with the least amount of neck runout of any dies I own.

The case neck is held and centered in the die when the expander enters the case neck and the floating expander can not pull the case neck off center.

This high mounted expander and spindle assembly work so well I ordered them for all my RCBS dies.

As long as you have uniform neck thickness or turn the necks the neck runout is .001 or less after sizing. Also Forster will hone the dies neck to your desired diameter for minimum resizing of the case neck.

FL Bushing Dies vs. Honed FL Dies
http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/reloading/fl-bushing-dies-vs-honed-fl-dies/

Above a Forster full length die will produce less neck runout than a bushing die does. This is because any time you reduce the neck diameter .over .005 with a bushing die you will induce neck runout and why it is recommended to size the neck in two steps.