Proper Adjustment For 10mm Redding Pro-series Ti-carbide Sizing Die?

[mobocracy]

I load and shoot more 10mm ammo than any other, so I splurged and bought a Redding Competition Pro Series Ti-Carbide die set for my 650.

There's a sticker on the inside of the case that says to adjust the seating and sizing die for the longer case of combination dies (in my case, 10mm) an additional 1/8" of an inch away from the shellplate. This makes sense for the seating die, but when I do this for the sizing die my cases do not look properly sized -- there's an obviously non-sized section of the case (on the order of .080-.010 larger).

Confusing the issue further, is a blurb on the Redding Ti-Carbide die documetation saying that carbide dies weren't meant to fully size cases and should only be used to size the portion of the case expanded during firing. Which should be almost the entire case based on my caliper readings of fired cases vs. new (as in factory new) ammo.

If I wind the die all the way down as per the Dillon pistol setup instructions (you almost need to put the lock ring on the bottom for 10mm; for .40S&W you absolutely would have to), the cases look properly sized. Is there any reason I can't run this die this way, or do I need to have it backed off 1/8" or more from the shellplate?

[alank2]

Hi,

I have Redding TiC dies for both 9mm and 38special I use on a 550. I think the reason they tell you to back off the seat die is because most of Redding's seat dies also have a crimp in them. I don't know why they would say to do this on the TiC sizing die though. I run mine right at the shellplate. Put shellplate up with no case, rotate TiC until it just begins to touch, lower shellplate, load case, raise shellplate, tighten lock ring. I can't say that my technique is right or wrong, but it works fine for me. You could always email Redding, they have been very responsive to my questions.

Hope this helps,

Alan

[mobocracy]

I have Redding TiC dies for both 9mm and 38special I use on a 550. I think the reason they tell you to back off the seat die is because most of Redding's seat dies also have a crimp in them.

None of the pro series seat dies should have a crimp in them, though, since there's a seperate crimp die and no expander die, although the slip of paper this is written on does make reference to an expander die, so perhaps its some generic paper tossed in with EVERY combination die set.

I don't know why they would say to do this on the TiC sizing die though. I run mine right at the shellplate. Put shellplate up with no case, rotate TiC until it just begins to touch, lower shellplate, load case, raise shellplate, tighten lock ring. I can't say that my technique is right or wrong, but it works fine for me. You could always email Redding, they have been very responsive to my questions.

I'll give that a try. When I have mine adjusted this way, my sized cases certainly look right vs. having a gap between the die and the shellplate.

[alank2]

None of the pro series seat dies should have a crimp in them, though, since there's a seperate crimp die and no expander die, although the slip of paper this is written on does make reference to an expander die, so perhaps its some generic paper tossed in with EVERY combination die set.

I agree that they shouldn't, and I could be wrong, but I recall when looking at the seating dies that you can see a crimp ring in them... I'll check the next time I am working on the press.

Thanks,

Alan

[mobocracy]

For what it's worth, I finally was able to talk to my local Dillon/Redding/Supplies dealer and all around guru (John Walton, Gunstop Reloading in Minnesota). His advice was to crank the die all the way down, he didn't think cases would size right without it.

Edited December 21, 2006 by mobocracy