Carbide Dies vs. Standard(?) Dies

[agalindo]

I have .44, .40, 9mm, .367/38 carbide dies and have never had to lube a case.

[lbreevesii]

well worth it in my opinion. I still use some lube on a case every 50 or so rounds just to reduce friction and keep things smooth, but they work well.

[Jack the Toad]

I load .41 mag., 9mm, and .380. All my dies are carbide and I have never lubed a case. My .41 dies have loaded close to 10,000 rounds by now and are still like new . I will always go with carbide dies. Hornady (I think ) makes Titanium Nitride dies that are supposed to do the same thing.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Originally Posted by Jack the Toad

I load .41 mag., 9mm, and .380. All my dies are carbide and I have never lubed a case. My .41 dies have loaded close to 10,000 rounds by now and are still like new . I will always go with carbide dies. Hornady (I think ) makes Titanium Nitride dies that are supposed to do the same thing.

Ahh titanium Nitride coatings. We use that coating on our compressor rotor and compressor stator blades in our turbine engines. I guess the process is so bad for your health that the only places we can get TiNitride coated T64 blades is Russia. Spousedly the process isn't allowed to be done in the US.

[rufusdog]

Well I would use nothing but carbide dies for straight wall cases. I have never had to lube a case. Save's time and mess.

[Jack the Toad]

Originally Posted by jeepinbanditrider

Ahh titanium Nitride coatings. We use that coating on our compressor rotor and compressor stator blades in our turbine engines. I guess the process is so bad for your health that the only places we can get TiNitride coated T64 blades is Russia. Spousedly the process isn't allowed to be done in the US.

Hmm, I could have sworn that was what they used. Perhaps they are no longer made. I'm sure they weren't carbide though. Oh well, I have Lyman and RCBS carbide dies so no matter!

[lee n. field]

but I can't seem to find out what the difference is between carbide dies, and just dies.

For your purposes, you want carbide for straight walled pistol cartridges. Lee is fine, and inexpensive.

Look at the bottom of the sizing die -- with carbide, you will see a separate ring there. That is the carbide ring, that does the actual sizing.

and I'm looking at the Lee Turret Press Deluxe Kit.

Take a look at the Classic Turret -- almost every bit of internet hearsay (aka pooled ignorance, YMMV) says that it is quite good.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Originally Posted by Jack the Toad

Hmm, I could have sworn that was what they used. Perhaps they are no longer made. I'm sure they weren't carbide though. Oh well, I have Lyman and RCBS carbide dies so no matter!

It very well could have been. I'm just saying that the process that is used to TiN coat things is from what I've heard at work done in Russia where OSHA doesn't really exist.

I know a lot of AR mauf. offer TiN coated bolts for 80 bucks extra. The regular phosphate coated bolt has been doing fine since the late 60s so I think I'll stick with that.