Die sets for semi-autos - needing some advice

[Odin]

A little background - I've only ever handloaded for straight wall cartridges. And I've only ever used Hornady dies, which dimensionally seem well suited to straight walls (good neck tension). I'm a marksman at heart and it seeps in to all aspects of this game, so dies are important.

A while back I bought an autoloader in 45ACP and it's come time to get to loading for it. Thinking I might try one of the sets with the micrometer adjustable seating dies because it's a real pain to have to readjust the seater every time I switch bullets. If those things are as easy as "dial it in and go", I'm all in.

So I hop on the ol' internet and am instantly confused. Taper crimp. Profile Crimp. Lee makes an undersize sizer (for better neck tension) and that sounds good. Is a special item, or is it just how their sizer is set up? Wow and price difference!!! I don't mind paying $180 for a Redding Competition Crusher Titanium Tactical Supreme die set, but If I have to pull the damn thing apart and start sanding down bits so that I does what it should do straight out of the box (as I've heard guys report needing to do with their X brand dies on more that a few occasions).... SHeesh!!

So I'm looking for some help.


Should also add that I'm willing to mix-n-match if that's what it takes.

Buy once, cry once.

Let's go!

[taffin]

I LOADED OVER 5,500+ .45 ACPs DURING LOCKDOWN. USED THE LEE UNDERSIZED CARBIDE SIZING DIE, LEE UNIVERSAL EXPANDER (JUST TO KISS THE MOUTH OF THE CASE) AND THE LEE FACTORY CRIMP DIE. I RECOMMEND ALL OF THEM EVEN THOUGH IT TAKES AN EXTRA STEP. OR IN MY CASE 5500+ EXTRA STEPS. BEEN SHOOTING THE AMMO IN A DOZEN PLUS 1911s--EXCELLENT RESULTS. I WOULD NOT BE WITHOUT THESE THREE DIES WHEN LOADING SEMI-AUTOS. AND THE LAST TWO WITH RIFLE BRASS.

[nicholst55]

I've been loading.45 ACP since 1976 with RCBS dies. I later added a carbide sizer and a separate taper crimp die. A bit later I got a machinist buddy to make me an expander plug similar to what the Lyman 'M' die has, which makes loading cast bullets easier. A current set of dies pretty much has all of these features. I've also picked up extra sets of dies over the years at garage sales and gun shows for cheap. Now, I have extra seating dies that I leave set up for different bullets that I frequently load.

A guy gifted me a set of Dillon .45 ACP dies a few years back, and I do use them on my RL 550B. I did have a machinist make me a slightly larger diameter powder funnel/expander for use on the Dillon, to facilitate the use of cast bullets in this cartridge. It expands the case mouth just a tad larger than the factory offering, and makes seating bullets without shaving lead easier.

I personally have never needed an undersized sizing die for the .45 ACP, although I do use one for the 9mm. I also don't use the Lee Factory Crimp Die for handguns, as I never felt or experienced the need. The standard seating die, followed by the taper crimp die do a perfectly adequate job for me.

[boolitdesigner]

I recommend a RCBS set with a carbide sizer die, expander die, seating die and separate taper crimp die. Do not think you can seat and taper crimp lead bullets at the same time. They are separate operations.

[bradshaw]

Chambers
Prefer my handload .45 ACP to drop interchangeably into auto pistol and revolver chambers. The rub comes with some auto pistol barrels with minimum or tight chambers. Kart barrels and some of the old Colt National Match barrels prove extreme accuracy is available without resorting to an excessively firm chamber----which resists smooth feeding into battery. Irv Stone’s Bar-Sto .45 ACP barrels are notable not just for exceedingly fine finish and hard steel, also for firm tight chambers. I cycle .45 ACP in auto and revolver and expect it to feed.

Sizing die
Some sizing dies may not squeeze the case enough for free feeding, especially down by the web. I never expect .45 brass to last more than 1/3 reloading life of .44 Mag brass, even when the ACP brass is fired in a firm revolver chamber. The ACP brass ain’t as tough.

Over the years I have found more variation in .45 ACP sizing dies than, say, .44 Mag. And, yes, more variation in .45 ACP brass as well. (And let’s not start on .40 S&W brass----and chambers.)

Although I haven’t used the Lee dies, John’s recommendation has the ring of verity; and the Lee dies come recommended by others on Singleactions.

Seating adjustment
I prefer to test epeatability of seating adjustment with a dummy round, versus depth numbers on a seating die. The Redding Micrometer Seating Die holds great favor on my bench, yet has not cause to abandon the dummy round.

Separate seat & crimp
The only time I may combine seating & crimping is specific instances where a roll crimp is used on a deep seated bullet, where the roll crimp is .030 to .060” above front band----at least the length of the roll crimp. And the crimp does not compress bearing surface. Any roll crimp is wrong for a case which headspaces on the mouth.

Otherwise, it is always cleaner to separate seat & crimp.

COL----Cartridge Overall Length
Loaded length is critical to auto pistol function. Even when the chamber may accept a longer round, the magazine may not. Nose profile affects lift in the magazine and feed from magazine into chamber. COL also affects ejection of a loaded round. A cartridge which feeds reliably may hang on the ejection port and tie up the pistol. This is not the best circumstance for a carried pistol.
David Bradshaw

[Encore64]

I won't use anything other than Lee Dies.

Their Factory Crimp Dies are added to every caliber I have that their available in.

[Quick Draw McGraw]

Jun 3, 2020 15:43:15 GMT -5 taffin said:

I LOADED OVER 5,500+ .45 ACPs DURING LOCKDOWN.

Mr. Taffin, you have been inspiring me since I was 11 years old, and you are continuing to do so now. 5,500 plus rounds is usually more than I load in a year. I salute you, sir!

[taffin]

That was only the .45 ACP loads. When we add in the others, especially .45 Colt, .44 Magnum, and .44 Special as well as a few others I went over 10,000 rounds. I think that is by last hurrah as far as loading such a large batch

[dickf]

Was having issues with my 45 acp rounds not wanting to wok in revolvers and autos. Finally settled on Redding double ring sizer, and for convenience or laziness I use the Redding micrometer seater and taper crimp dies. These are in a 650 Dillon. Expensive solutionbut, no more issues. RGF

[Rimfire69]

There is probably no bad ones out there and I use them all, whatever deals I find used at gun shows , pawn shops, or on-line. When new ones come home there exclusively LEE, there innovative high quality products are a bargin for what they sell for.

[jd]

I don't use micrometer seating dies on handgun cartridges, and really they aren't needed. Simply make up a dummy cartridge for each bullet that you want to use. When you want to switch bullets, back out the seating stem, run the appropriate dummy cartridge into the seating die, run the seating stem down until it firmly contacts the dummy cartridge, set the lock ring, and you're good to go. Much faster than a micrometer seating die, and in my experience, more accurate too....... Oh yes, MUCH cheaper!!!!!!!!

[harold89]

Personally I’m a big fan of the Redding competition die sets. I like standardizing on one brand so I don’t have to remember all the nuances between brands. Love the micrometer dies. It’s really just personal preference. Good luck.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have been reloading .45ACP for many years with a set of RCBS carbide dies with a Hornady taper crimp die on my RCBS RockChucker. Never a problem...many thousands of rounds loaded.

A couple of years ago, I switched to loading .45ACP on my Hornady LnL set up for large primers. I decided to use Hornady dies. That didn't work out...could not get the seating and crimping die to stay in adjustment no matter what I did.

Eventually, I bought another set of RCBS dies and used them in the LnL in conjunction with the Hornady taper crimp die. Problem solved...the RCBS dies stay in adjustment and the ammuntion loaded chambers in several handguns with no issues. The only drawback is that the separate crimp die means I can't use a powder check die.

I still use the original set of RCBS dies in my RockChucker when I want to load a small batch of ammunition for testing.

[sal]

Crimp on Rockchucker seperately