Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Egw U Die


Azone41

Recommended Posts

I was having some feeding problems with my 38 super. So I asked the members and decided to go with a EGW U die. I ordered the die from EGW and what arrives a freakin Lee Die. I pay over 20 bucks for a lee die that I could have gotten for much cheaper somwhere else. Is this normal?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, but no one else lists the die for sale anywhere not even Lee. I was just as pissed off when I bought mine. I had also just bought a full set of Lee dies and here I am taking a brand new sizer out that I just bought and putting in another Lee die. :blink::wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a Lee die that has been ground down at the base so that it sizes further down the case. If you guys think you can get rich selling these modified Lee dies, get busy and start competing with EGW. I consider them about the cheapest insurance you can get against ammo problems at a match.

I'm not saying I wouldn't bend over to pick up a 20 dollar bill, but seriously. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

send me your Lee die and $50 bucks. I'll turn the base down a few thou for you and turn the Lee name off as well.

(so you don't have to feel like you've been had. :lol:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grinding down a die isn't the easiest thing in the world to do and do properly. Unlike me, most people aren't willing to take their own die to a bench grinder, so EGW will do it for them for $10 (I'm pretty sure they pay at least $10 for the Lee die). To me, that's an extremely fair price for the service involved.

Of course, you can do it yourself for free, but if you're not a do-it-yourselfer, off to EGW you can go...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say the EGW dies are okay because:

1. Considering ammunition materials in my country, prolonging brass usability is a given money saver.

2. I'm not a DIY guy :ph34r:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I sized 10 pieces of brass with a regular die and "U" die and miked them, there was a difference. It's real.

I did the same thing last year, even bought a micrometer to do so. There is .010" difference in the resized brass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My .38 Super EGW/Lee U-die came with a note (from Lee) that it was undersized (in that it makes cases smaller) in diameter compared to regular Lee dies. You can special-order them from Lee like that, if you want to spend even more $. The difference is noticeable even without a micrometer.

What EGW has done is taken their (considerable) knowledge on what it takes to get a gun running well, and special-ordered a batch of dies like that from Lee, which they then resell. I think it's easily worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting discussion on GT awhile back about this.........one respectable gent in particular seems to think it's just a Lee reject (for oversize ID) with no evidence anything else is done to the die including the shaving.

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=374566

This guy (on glocktalk.com) doesn't know what he is talking about. He claims that the EGW U-dies are all Lee rejects. It couldn't be further from the truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have several tool heads set up for both 9mm and .40, and most have the EGW "U" die. 99+% of reloads with the "U" die will pass through a case gauge. The reject rate is much, much higher on rounds loaded with the regular sizing dies.

This is from someone (really cheap :P ) who shoots only recovered range brass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Huh. The EGW site doesn't say that it is a modified Lee die. They probably should. I only heard about it from here, and it's commonly referred to as the "EGW Lee U die", or words to that effect.

I know my rounds feed and chamber, so I don't regret spending the $20.

DD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

This is straight from the EGW site:

"EGW offers custom made, carbide sizing dies that are 0.001" smaller in diameter than typical dies. These dies also flair lower than some other sizing dies and size the case further down, which may prevent feed failures from cases bulged near the base as is typical of brass fired in Glock and other loose chambered guns."

I've got no problems with how the die works or what I paid for it. However, the description above is very misleading as to who actually makes the die.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is straight from the EGW site:

"EGW offers custom made, carbide sizing dies that are 0.001" smaller in diameter than typical dies. These dies also flair lower than some other sizing dies and size the case further down, which may prevent feed failures from cases bulged near the base as is typical of brass fired in Glock and other loose chambered guns."

I've got no problems with how the die works or what I paid for it.  However, the description above is very misleading as to who actually makes the die.

I don't think EGW is trying to fool anybody, if they were they would grind/turn/mill the Lee name off and it seems to be fairly common knowledge that it is a Lee die. EGW is probably having Lee "custom" make the die to their specs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...