I just found out my brand new Redding 500 S&W magnum
decapping/sizing die isn't a full length resizer. Blech.
What good is it?

Dave

Update:

I called Redding this morning.
They said it is a full length resizer.

I explained that I can look into the die and see where
there is a change in diameter. A spent case will easily
slide into the die until it reaches that point. A case resized
on that die clearly shows half it's length is sized.

Of course they can't believe it, so I offered to send it to
them. They want me to send some spent cases too.

When I tried to buy these dies, I emailed their customer
service department to find out when and where they would
be available. I got an extremely rude reply from
Patrick T. Ryan, so I wasn't very happy with them to begin
with.

Dave

Hmm... ...I had an expander button come off in a case cause the threads stripped out (i never even had the expander button off) I sent them an email on a saturday (they were closed sat and sun) and by thursday i had a whole new expander button, depriming pin and expander rod, no questions asked, its disappointing hearing that about them

Dang, it is difficult to take photos of a small wrinkle in metal.

Hopefully you can see the little wave where there is a
difference in diameter of the case.

This is a once-fired Corbon round, resized with the Redding
"full length" sizing die.

http://home.mchsi.com/~mantis/redding1.jpg

http://home.mchsi.com/~mantis/redding2.jpg

A new Starline case measures 0.5250" just below the neck,
and 0.5265" just above the expansion ring area.

An unfired Corbon cartridge measures 0.5265" just above
the expansion ring area also.

It also measures 0.5285" where the bullet is seated.

A once-fired NON-RESIZED Corbon case measures 0.5300"
just below the neck, and 0.5310 just above the expansion
ring area.

A once-fired Corbon case resized with a carbide Lee sizer
measured 0.5230" just below the neck, and 0.5220" just
above the expansion ring area.

A once-fired Corbon case resized with a Redding sizer
measured 0.5190 just below the neck, and 0.5280
just behind the place where I contend it stops being
resized, and 0.5300" just above the expansion ring.

I guess I assumed a full length resizer die for a straight
walled cartridge would have a single diameter throughout
the cavity, or in the case of a carbide die, a ring at the
mouth. this would ensure the entire case was sized equally.

However:

http://home.mchsi.com/~mantis/redding3.jpg

Anyone wanna buy a very slightly used Redding resizer die?

Dave

Anyone wanna buy a very slightly used Redding resizer die?

Dave

It looks to me like your die is okay. You don't need to reduce the enitre length of the case unless you have oversized chambers. Most revolver cases have a slight taper to them (aids extraction) and carbide dies contain a ring of one diameter to resize the smallest diameter of the "neck" to hold the bullet. If you resize to the base of the case to the same diameter as the neck you are overworking the brass.

One accuracy tip is to only "neck size" case enough to hold the bullet, no matter if you use a carbide or full length tool steel die.

Most carbide dies contain instructions to size only enough to hold the bullet and not the entire case.

The Redding die may be taking this into consideration, and your revolver may have near perfect chambers. If you aren't having any chambering or extraction problems, then the die is okay. My .480 Ruger cases have the same appearance and work fine in both a Ruger SRH and Gary Reeder Ultimate .480 revolver.

axlenut