Pistol dies

[GSP7]

Pistol dies, Carbide or Regular steel?

Gonna order some 44 mag dies. My 45 colt are regular steel

 

[Tam 212]

I vote carbide or nitrided dies.

Removes need to lube cases (unless you have one of the uncommon bottleneck pistol calibers), although some do occasional lube every 1 out of 10 or 20 cases for ease of sizing even with carbide or nitrided dies.

 

[Tslepebull]

Carbide, unless you really like messing with die lube; I don't.

 

[Snake45]

Carbide, carbide, carbide!

Does anyone still make anything else? Kind of about as useful as an 8-track tape.

 

[Tam 212]

I think some still do but I don't think they are that much cheaper and any savings will likely get eaten up by cost of lube and the added step of having to deal with lube?

 

[Bullet Puller]

Snake45 nailed it: Carbide, carbide, carbide!
(For straight walled cases of course.)
I can't understand why they even offer anything else.

Larry

 

[Chief 101]

I am using steel 44 sizer these days as someone kyped the carbide one. A little spray lube and it works just fine...no worries

 

[Divernhunter]

+1 for carbide style

 

[MADISON]

I have been reloading for 41 years and have always demanded and used
CARBIDE dies. No lubrication of cases is required.
The only time I use steel is to remove the decapping stim and make the
die a TAPER CRIMP die.
GO with Carbide dies!

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I agree with most. Carbide when ever they are available. With steel dies you must lube your cases or they may get stuck in the die. Lubing is not as big a pain as it used to be now that spray lubes are available, but it is an extra step, and then you are going to want to wipe the lube off again when you are all done.

For what it's worth, carbide dies are not available for cases that are not straight, such as 44-40. When I load 44-40 I first line up all my cases in loading blocks of 50. Then I spray each block with a very light coating of Hornady One Shot case lube. It dries to a tacky touch in about five minutes. When I am all done loading, I wipe all the finished rounds off while watching TV.

It does add a couple of extra steps to the process.

 

[Chief 101]

I am using steel 44 sizer these days as someone kyped the carbide one. A little spray lube and it works just fine...no worries

There is a slight taper to the 44m case which the carbide does not deal with. This would be of little or no consequence given the inherent inaccuracies of the firearms designed for these cartridges. That being said I have not found any differences in the accuracy from the ammo I make using the carbide sizer I used in the past to the steel one I use now. In other words I am not taking a stance as I have used both and find they both work just fine.
Chief aka Maxx Load

 

[Bucks Owin]

Use both with fine results but then I'm not concerned with reloading speed...
(I first wipe off my brass when using carbide dies anyway to avoid scratches)

And yes, they do "oversize" in some cases so I don't always resize the entire case...

 

[41manor44]

Carbide without question.
And yes, they do "oversize" in some cases so I don't always resize the entire case...
Right on the money!

 

[GaSidewinder]

The only way I would choose the regular steel dies over carbide is if the dies were given to me. Otherwise carbide would be the choice.

 

[WESHOOT2]

Carbide sizers for 357 SIG, 9x25, 400 CorBon (now harder to find).

Not just for 'straights'.....

 

[44shootist]

Carbide, unless you rarely reload.

 

[bowfishn]

Carbide is my choice for straight wall cases and neck sizer for others. I have been reloading for 40 years now although I did not start loading for handguns until 1975 when I got my first 44 mag., so I have used steel for handgun and Rifle cartridges. Both work well I just choose to avoid the lube.

 

[SteelShooter]

Carbide is the only way to go. Have tried many, where possible have settled on Redding and R.L. Wilson (trimmers).

Noticed that the steel dies do not resize as small as the carbide. Have a custom made tight chamber .44 mag Match contender that will not chamber cast bullets vs. jacketed due to the larger diameter of the bullet.

The carbide resized cases slide into the chamber nicely, the steel resized barely fit. That's when i discovered the difference in the amount the dies size the cases.

However, that may mean marginly longer case life in revolvers with the steel dies...

 

[44shootist]

Carbide dies last longer, and no need for lube so you load faster, If you like to lube and don't mind the time and mess buy steel, you will save a little money up front with steel but will loose it in cost of time and buying lube.
They are both good and both work well, so deside for yourself.

 

[Tx gun runner]

This is the best I've used in 40 yrs . Read the 1st few reviews on it .

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=758495

 

[MADISON]

Go with Carbide!
It only cost a little more but, saves a lot of time.