I need to pickup a 45 colt decap/size die.  Is Lyman's die as good as any?  Any concerns about the floating pin (strength/longevity)?

All right, I'm taking this Advanced Load Developer thing to the Beartooth title officials! Are they just handing these titles out now! :biggrin:

Alan,

Don't let this throw you for a loop but I use a RCBS decapping die for every caliber I load single stage. All my brass gets decapped, cleaned, then resized. Its an extra step for certain but I like to clean out the primer pockets and take a peek at the flash holes before tumbling. It gives me some extra inspection time. I'm not in this for fast production, just to make the best ammo I can.

What die set are you using now? Why are you looking at just a sizing/ decapping die? What did I miss?

I figure that the father-son tag team bestowed said title in the hopes it would shut me up  :biggrin:

As for the sizing/decaping die, Bill graciously gave me a set of Lee dies.  The sizing die is putting a fine, hairline scratch in the brass.  I disassembled the die, soaked the barrel with Hoppe's and used a nylon brush to scrub the innards clean.  Before scrubbing, I could see a tiny piece of brass imbedded into the barrel wall.  After scrubbing, it was clean as a whistle with no visible burrs that would cause the scratching.  But alas, the scratch continues.

I've thought about using a separate decap and sizing die for the reasons you stated above.  Perhaps I will go that route now.

Alan...Drop by your favorite gun shop and pick up a cotton swap for a .410 shotgun. Drop by the auto store and pick up a stick of jewelers rouge #1. Drip the swab in acetone and then run the rouge into it. Put the swab in a hand drill or drill press. Push the swab into the die before turning it on. Spin it for about a minute and clean. Resize a case and check it. You may have to do it more than one time. This method works on steel and carbide dies. This cleans up the problem of a small burr in most cases and will not hurt the die.
Best Regards, James

Thanks James - I'll give that a whirl this evening.

Alan "the Advanced Question Asker" Ransom

James - I stopped by two auto supply stores afterwork and no one carried "jeweler's rouge".  Each store carried several  brands of "metal polishing" compound.  Is this the same stuff?

Alan....I use "DICO" Brand..They have the following grits...."E5","SCR","CR1","JR1",and "PBC". "E5" is a very fine emery and "JR" is jewelers rouge. Both are in stick form and have to be softened with acetone when using them on a soft cotton bob. The "SCR" works go on stainless. None of these move much metal, only polish. The shotgun swabs are soft and conform to the shape that you are polishing and will not round off any corners.
Best Regards, James

Thanks again James....now I'z armed and dangerous!

By chance, is this the same stuff you use to polish cylinder chambers with?