Dillon carbide .223 die set?

[glenr]

New to reloading and haven't set up the 550B yet till I can get the area in the shop worked out. But in reading on some forums about problems in using .223/5.56mm rounds in Auto's and AR-15's in particuler.

I have the Dillon carbide die set .223

My question is the sizing die in the Dillon set, considered a full size small base die?

Or do I need to get a small base die?

thanks

[Steve RA]

It is supposed to be - remember, even though you have the carbide die - it's still necessary to lightly lube the cases before sizing.

[glenr]

Yes, I am a little skepital about not lubing them. I think that lubing every couple would work and making sure the casing are clean before placing in the die will go a long way to averting problems.

Edited February 26, 2014 by glenr

[Dan Sierpina]

Yes, I am a little skepital about not lubing them. I think that lubing every couple would work and making sure the casing are clean before placing in the die will go a long way to averting problems.

No, you have to lube the cases. Pistol dies only have a small ring to size the straight wall case. Bottle neck rifle dies contact the entire case. No lube = stuck case. Carbide rifle dies are for longevity, not lube free sizing!

[wgj3]

You will probably want to lube them ALL. Especially inside the case neck where the expander can stick if not lubed. If you choose to try going with only lubing some cases, make sure you have a stuck case remover available. The RCBS kit gets good reviews.

Edited February 26, 2014 by wgj3

[Gussers]

My question is the sizing die in the Dillon set, considered a full size small base die?

Or do I need to get a small base die?

So, in classic internet fashion, the OP posts a question about the type of die they have and everyone answers with how cases should be lubed.

UGH.

glenr, I am not sure if the Dillon carbide .223 dies are considered full size or small-based, but frankly, I don't think it matters. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a standard die, not a small-based die.

Regardless, I know a few folks that use them in various .223 platforms and none have reported any issues. As you'll have to work up a load anyhow, I suggest you pay attention to any issues with insertion or extraction. However, I don't think you'll see a problem. The small based dies are about .001" under sized to better fit tight chambers. If you don't need it, then I would suggest staying away. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

What the others were trying to point out is that, unlike pistol dies, carbide rifle dies are only for longevity. You are still going to need to lube your cases as if you were using steel dies. The difference is carbide dies are meant for high volume production where the carbide will wear less over thousands of rounds. For pistol cases, the carbide means you shouldn't have to lube if the cases are clean.

I'd use what you have and be happy. Or, if you aren't going to be doing high volume, sell the carbide set and get 2-3 other sets for calibers you will reload. You won't see a real difference between carbide and steel dies unless you plan to reload tens of thousands of cases (think ammo production commercially).

Good luck! You'll love the 550B!

[glenr]

Yes I intended to lube the cases, And thank you all for the info.

[twodownzero]

All Dillon rifle dies are small base as far as I know. I know they work good in all of my ARs and that's what matters.

Yes you will need lube as mentioned.

Don't waste your money on a stuck case kit. Just get yourself a 1/4-20 die, the right size drill bit for it, a 3/8" close pipe nipple, a couple 1/4-20 bolts and a bunch of 1/4" washers. If that can't extract it, the die is trash.