Does anybody have a .380 carbide sizing die I can borrow?

[EddieCoyle]

I haven't loaded .380 in a long time and I can't find my carbide sizing die.

I have an old RCBS steel one, but there's no way I'm lubing .380 cases.

I tried to buy one, but everybody is out of non-Lee dies.

Does anybody have one I can borrow for a few days? If we're close, I'll pick it up. If not, and you're willing to ship it, I'll send it back and reimburse you for postage.

TIA

 

[Uncle Fester]

I've got one you're welcome to (it's a Lee though). Do you not want to use Lee dies, or to just not pay for Lee dies?

 

[Fooped]

Let me guess, you bought (or are planning to buy) a .380 subgun?

 

[SA John]

EC: Can you size .380s with a 9mm?

 

[gerrycaruso]

I've got RCBS. You can borrow it if you want but if you want to buy one, did you try Sinclair International?

 

[EddieCoyle]

I've got one you're welcome to (it's a Lee though). Do you not want to use Lee dies, or to just not pay for Lee dies?

Thanks. PM inbound.

Let me guess, you bought (or are planning to buy) a .380 subgun?

Nope. It'll be a .223

EC: Can you size .380s with a 9mm?

Nope. 9mm is a tapered case.

I've got RCBS. You can borrow it if you want but if you want to buy one, did you try Sinclair International?

Thanks for the tip, but they're backordered. I'll get one from Midway when they come in.

 

[eisenhow]

Nope. It'll be a .223

So THAT'S why you want a Giraud Trimmer.

 

[EddieCoyle]

So THAT'S why you want a Giraud Trimmer.

We have a winner!

 

[Gammon]

EC: Can you size .380s with a 9mm?

You won't know until you try. I think the 9mm die will size a .380; just a hunch.

Several years ago I bought a 9mm that I wanted to shoot, but had no ammo as I wasn't set up to load that caliber, but did have some bullets and cases. I just screwed the 38 Super dies in my 550 down to the proper height and produced several hundred of the nicest 9mm rounds you could want. No problems 100% reliability.

 

[EddieCoyle]

You won't know until you try. I think the 9mm die will size a .380; just a hunch.

Several years ago I bought a 9mm that I wanted to shoot, but had no ammo as I wasn't set up to load that caliber, but did have some bullets and cases. I just screwed the 38 Super dies in my 550 down to the proper height and produced several hundred of the nicest 9mm rounds you could want. No problems 100% reliability.

I tried it once with a 9mm die and had neck tension problems (lack thereof). I didn't think to try my .38 Super dies though.

I'll tell you what - when I get Uncle Fester's .380 die, I'll try sizing a few cases with all three, and I'll post the results here.

 

[EddieCoyle]

A fired .380 case falls right into 9mm and .38 Super sizing dies. I'm going to have to wait for Uncle Fester's .380 die.

 

[SA John]

A fired .380 case falls right into 9mm and .38 Super sizing dies. I'm going to have to wait for Uncle Fester's .380 die.

EC: This surprises me. I have an old RCBS carbide die set for .38 Super and it has the single carbide ring that sizes the case in a parallel fashion. (no provision for taper) this has always resulted in a straight case that holds .355-.356 bullets with good tension. Maybe the .380 brass has a thinner wall in the first place? and this is why you need a tighter die? Would have thought the Super would have worked.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Nope. I think the .380 does have thinner brass because I can push the case right into the die.

I got UF's die today, so I'll try to load 'em up over the weekend.

As a side note...

I don't shoot much .380 - I only have 2 or 3 guns chambered in the caliber. However, the other night I was reorganizing my reloading stuff and I noticed that I had quite a lot of (maybe 1000?) pieces of .380 brass that I'd saved or picked up, so I said to myself, "I should get some bullets for this stuff." A few minutes later I found four unmarked boxes containing a total of 2000 .355" 95gr bullets that I vaguely remember buying at a gun show a few years ago.

The downside is that for some reason I thought the boxes contained .40 bullets that I was going to load for my 10mms. The upside is that I thought there were 250 per box rather than 500.

 

[Gammon]

I tried it once with a 9mm die and had neck tension problems (lack thereof). I didn't think to try my .38 Super dies though.

I'll tell you what - when I get Uncle Fester's .380 die, I'll try sizing a few cases with all three, and I'll post the results here.

Neck tension problems depend on the MFR. CH 38 Super dies are set up for Super only and reduce the diameter of the upper Super case only. They do not reduce the diameter of a 9mm case at all. Dillon dies reduce the diameter of the case far enough down to work in 9mm. I think Dillon 9mm and Super dies are the same.