Wearing out sizing dies

[kevin c]

Has anyone ever worn out a sizing die? I'm not talking about breakage, here, or damaged dies from range crud like sand and rock, but actual wear from extended use. I ask because I've read what I think is mainly ad copy saying that tumbling your brass in polish free media after cleaning in treated media is a good idea, so that residual polishing compound on the brass won't wear out the sizer.

This strikes me as unlikely advertising hype, but what do I know. Maybe it happens and maybe it matters. I've only put 70K through my .40 carbide sizer, and perhaps that isn't enough to matter, but I wouldn't know anyway, and if it would really have any practical effect on my reloads. Perhaps it matters to a rifle caliber bench rest shooter? Comments?

[Flexmoney]

I have heard people report that they have worn out dies (and were puzzled why their loads were changing...until they figured it out). I don't have any idea how long it would take. The polishing media...it makes sense that it would speed the wear. But, I'll bet it's not worth worrying about?

I'll be interested to hear everyone's experiences on this one.

[snokid]

Brass is much softer than the carbide sizing ring on the sizing die. I don't think that it would be a problem.

I have over 150K thru my 9mm dies and the brass still case gauges. Dillon dies.

for what it's worth.

Bob

[schmitz]

I use RCBS sizing dies in a Dillon 650 reloading .38Super, .40S&W and .30M1 carbine.

Never ever worn one out (85K+ (.38Super))

DVC, Wile E.

[EricW]

I'm not saying carbide doesn't wear out, it will, but I think the "worn out" die issue is related to standard, steel rifle dies...which is why Dillon offers carbide rifle dies for high volume rifle users.

[Intel6]

I worked at a commercial ammunition reloader when I was in college. We loaded the pratice ammo for LAPD. That was back before they switched to 9mm and we were loading 350,000 rounds of .38 special every month. It was all loaded on one machine which ran just about everyday. If a carbide sizing die was going to wear out it would have on that machine and I can't ever recall it needing replacing in the almost 2 years I worked there.

Neal in AZ

[gm iprod]

The dies are very unlikely to be worn out by the residue polish on the cases.

Not having clean cases will wear or damage dies, carbide or otherwise, the dirt residue will be very abrasive to the die material.

If you lube your cases it will also help your dies last longer. But all of these cases would be over a huge period of time and/or reloads.

I have a customer who purchased a XL650 for commercial reloading and he has made just over 500,000 38Special in 5 or 6 years and he has just had to replace the shellplate. Thats 2000 a week, every week.

If you maintain your machine and clean your dies (all of them) regularly they should last very well.

Carbide can crack, usually due to operator error of some kind.

I have a set of 308Dies that I purchased used of a FullBore shooter who purchased them in 1957 (Bair brand, now Lyman). He used them until 1983 for all his and many other persons ammo. He estimated about 200-250 a week for all the time he had them. I used them for another 15 years for my shooting until I discovered the Redding Competion Bushing Dies. I loaded about 30,000 rounds. So they have had between 300 and 350,000 rounds, very little wear.

[Carlos]

I often see warnings about brass cleaning on the web or hear at matches: "you better clean that brass or you'll scratch your dies out!!!!"

Well, I have always cleaned my pistol brass for a variety of reasons. However, considering the hardness of carbide, might the old "scratched die warning" have applied to the old all-steel dies? Are all-steel dies even made/sold anymore? Anyone have a problem with adding NuFinish car polish to cleaning media for faster polishing?

[TBF]

Wearing out a carbide die would be unlikely, good reasons above.

Steel die are still made, some in pistol, most in rifle.

Wearing one out with polishing compound would take alot of loading.

Unless you are using silicon carbide lapping compound of a coarse grit to clean your cases , I would not be overly concerned about it.

Just my .o2

Travis F.

[gm iprod]

I bet the cases get a little thin before the dies do if you use the Sillycoon lapping compound.