So I learned something today...

Bigbubba

Bigbubba

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So, last week I made a comment in the thread about "shoulder dents" that I didn't think my dies had a vent hole. I said I would look.

I already read some posts in the same thread about cleaning the inside of the dies...never done that before...lol
I have never had any issues with shoulder dents either.

Background:
I load for 3 calibers: 22-250; 260; 308
The good thing is that they all use the RCBS #3 shell holder.
So I can leave it in the press and I have another one I leave in the auto priming device so I almost never change shell holders.
f5kQRuj.jpg


I have this RCBS Turret press - holds 6 dies - "Perfect for me" was what I was thinking...

Here it is today all stripped and cleaned and all dies removed.
ygAfVLn.jpg


So I had all 6 dies on the turret, probably for a lot longer than I should have, as in several years.
The good thing was they were all set up and adjusted, and I never had to make adjustments unless i changed something (rifle, bullets etc)

So today I decide to strip the dies and have a look.
All these dies have a vent hole in the sizer die. I did not know that. Lesson learned #1. Also the vent was plugged with the most disgusting gunk you have ever seen, as were the inside of the dies and the expander ball. Green slimy wax. I am also pretty sure the lock ring was covering the vent hole, as wax had been coming out the hole and was under the lock ring. Lesson #2.

Now all the dies have been cleaned and removed and the press has been stripped and cleaned.

So I am thinking leaving these dies all set up is not a very good idea. I should be cleaning them after several uses.
Therefore I might be better off getting a single stage press with out a turret and threading the dies in as needed for the caliber I am loading?

What are your thoughts on that idea?

I have only been doing this 40 years.. so I guess I still have lots to learn. That's the good thing about these threads.

A couple years ago I started using a decapping die to keep some of the crud away from my good dies.
So I decap, then tumble, then size etc
I was hoping that would keep the size dies clean but apparently not.
 
I started reloading in the late 1970's. I have only ever loaded for rifle cartridges (and 28 gauge shotgun shells on a different press). I have only ever owned single stage presses. Which means that I "set up" my dies for every iteration - now takes like 10 seconds. I could no longer be convinced that turrets to store dies is a good idea. In and out, every time, for me - that way I know they get set up correctly, every time that I use them.

Like you, I have separated out the de-priming step - I have "universal decapper" dies, and also use the ancient "punches" from Lee loaders. Is very seldom that I use the sizing die to de-prime, although I can. I guess I bent or broke too many de-capping pins - have spares now, but has been literally decades since I needed to replace any.
 
Keep your turret, just take out sizing dies and clean the lube off after a big batch.
I have a single stage and wish i had turret so i dont have to screw in expanding die and seating die every time.
I also notice on lee dies the vent hole is under the lock ring on my single stage. All the lee sizing lube squeezes up through the threads. I clean them after every batch of sizing to avoid rust.
 
Bigbubba said:
So, last week I made a comment in the thread about "shoulder dents" that I didn't think my dies had a vent hole. I said I would look.

I already read some posts in the same thread about cleaning the inside of the dies...never done that before...lol
I have never had any issues with shoulder dents either.

Background:
I load for 3 calibers: 22-250; 260; 308
The good thing is that they all use the RCBS #3 shell holder.
So I can leave it in the press and I have another one I leave in the auto priming device so I almost never change shell holders.
f5kQRuj.jpg


I have this RCBS Turret press - holds 6 dies - "Perfect for me" was what I was thinking...

Here it is today all stripped and cleaned and all dies removed.
ygAfVLn.jpg


So I had all 6 dies on the turret, probably for a lot longer than I should have, as in several years.
The good thing was they were all set up and adjusted, and I never had to make adjustments unless i changed something (rifle, bullets etc)

So today I decide to strip the dies and have a look.
All these dies have a vent hole in the sizer die. I did not know that. Lesson learned #1. Also the vent was plugged with the most disgusting gunk you have ever seen, as were the inside of the dies and the expander ball. Green slimy wax. I am also pretty sure the lock ring was covering the vent hole, as wax had been coming out the hole and was under the lock ring. Lesson #2.

Now all the dies have been cleaned and removed and the press has been stripped and cleaned.

So I am thinking leaving these dies all set up is not a very good idea. I should be cleaning them after several uses.
Therefore I might be better off getting a single stage press with out a turret and threading the dies in as needed for the caliber I am loading?

What are your thoughts on that idea?

I have only been doing this 40 years.. so I guess I still have lots to learn. That's the good thing about these threads.

A couple years ago I started using a decapping die to keep some of the crud away from my good dies.
So I decap, then tumble, then size etc
I was hoping that would keep the size dies clean but apparently not.
Click to expand...

That gunk could be the factory anti-corrosive coating they apply before shipping. I would not change the press, just clean every once in a while...
 
I have been loading for about 60 years. I have never noticed vent hole and never cleaned a die, other than when installing it.

Lucky, I guess.

I use a 6 hole turret similar to yours for sizing cases.
 
The thing is, between progressive presses with their toolheads, turrets, and the relatively new bushing systems like LNL and Breechlock, all forms of presses are moving to the set-it-and-leave-it strategy. It's faster, and it's certainly more consistent to set the die just once.

With most of these systems, I don't think it's a real barrier to cleaning them. You pull the decapping stem and flush with solvent and/or a wipe. The Lyman system is a bit clumsy because it's not designed to leave the press readily, the other systems you can hold the die in your hand while it remains installed.
 
When I started making my 25 20 cases out of 32 20, I had to change brands because the vent hole in the 25 20 sizer would snag the case mouth of the 32 20 case and wreck my brass. By the way the dents are back in my 6.5 creed, I'm not cleaning my dies every time, maybe I should change my redding out for one with a vent hole
 
At least once a year a run I run a bore mop with a shotgun patch loaded with PEEK, and clean/polish the inside of my dies using my cordless drill. I do this with sizing and Wilson seater dies. The case holders for the wilson trimmer also get a polishing inside. All then get a light coating of Eezox and put back in there appropriate cases. The dies for my BR rifles are treated like a fine glass of wine......lol
 
Leave your lock ring in place on the die...it'll keep you from re-adjusting them every time. You can pull the decapping assembly pretty easy and clean the crud off of the spindle assembly...set it back up so you're ready to go again next time. I've been using home made Ed's Red for cleaning everything from bores to dies, die spindles..decappers, anything from..soup to nutz ! Works great !
 
porpoise said:
When I started making my 25 20 cases out of 32 20, I had to change brands because the vent hole in the 25 20 sizer would snag the case mouth of the 32 20 case and wreck my brass. By the way the dents are back in my 6.5 creed, I'm not cleaning my dies every time, maybe I should change my redding out for one with a vent hole
Click to expand...

I use a Redding 25-20 WCF Form & Trim Die #83218 before using a Lee 25-20 sizing die.
32-20 Case mouths can be dinged/damaged during shipping, the dings created a fold in the neck during resizing. So I make sure case mouth is round, by just touching case mouth with Lee Universal Expanding Die.
 
I used to shoot with a guy who passed away some years ago, but in his day he was at the top of the game. His name was on multiple trophies down at Camp Perry.

He had multiple single stage presses set up, so instead of using a progressive press he just moved his chair to the next press.

The idea was that he did not ever want anything to change as a result of variations in his press set up.
 
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