Carbide Sizing Button Kit

tjen · Mar 8, 2012

Is the carbide button up grade worth buying?

I still plan on using the imperial dry neck lube which I just use on some new cases with the reddington match type 'S' neck die. I used only the dry lube and it worked fine.

I just bought the Imperial sizing wax to try too. Can I rub a bit on the outside of the necks and still dip the necks in the dry lube for the inside?Have not sized any fired cases yet. How do you who are using a neck die lub the necks? Whats needed and whats not?

Up till now I have partial sized cases using spray one shot inside and out and as some cases work hardened I started useing the dry lub to make sure I had lube inside with out wasting the one shot.

DrMike · Mar 8, 2012

Yes, the carbide sizing button is worth the price. Only use the Imperial Sizing Wax on about the bottom 1/3 of the case. Dip the neck and shoulder in the dry lube. Do not mix the dry lube and Sizing Wax.

tjen · Mar 8, 2012

DrMike":3swdrnai said:
Yes, the carbide sizing button is worth the price. Only use the Imperial Sizing Wax on about the bottom 1/3 of the case. Dip the neck and shoulder in the dry lube. Do not mix the dry lube and Sizing Wax.

Thanks I will use the type S neck sizing die untill I need to use the body die. So just dry lube for the neck die and than just sizing wax for the body die. I bought the Type S match neck die set for the 223 rem and will get the same for the 221 FB.

As you said for partial sizing which I do for the 35rem and 358win. I did get some ruff necks which might be work hardened or maybe compond from the tuff nut I just started to use on badly tarnaged cases. I will spray brake clean on the 358win size die to make sure its clean and grit free.

As long as I brought up media I plan on using sinclair walnut with turbobright and untreaned corn cob for a last clean up and lube removel. How does that sound? A good friend gave me some of his reloading equipeent so I now have two tumblers and than some.

DrMike · Mar 8, 2012

It sounds as if you have a good handle on what you are doing. I use the Application Media for neck lubrication; the dry lube only needs to be replenished occasionally. With the carbide sizing button and dry lube, the operation is quite smooth. The walnut media, regardless of where you pick it up, is ideal for tarnished cases or those that have dirt adhering to them. The corncob media tends to polish, but it won't clean tarnished brass that well.

Guest · Mar 8, 2012

Out of curiosity, I notice that Redding makes carbide bushings for their neck dies, and they make the carbide sizing button. Could you avoid neck lubrication altogether using both the carbide pieces? Or is a bottleneck case such that it still will have a tendency to pull the shoulder forward if you use no lube, even with carbide treated surfaces in the die? Just trying to see if there's a better way than I'm currently using (Hornady neck dies) to skin this cat. I can say that I've been less than pleased with the two sets of Redding dies that have landed on my bench. At least one of them, if not both, will be up for sale soon...

tjen · Mar 9, 2012

I have Hornady FL die's for the 35rem/358win and I only partial size them. I love them they work fine. Next I started reloading for the 22-hornet and because its such a thin case I use the LEE collet neck sizing die and It works fine for the hornet. No lube is used because your squeezing the neck around a mandril not through a bushing.

Now I am trying to load for the best accuracy I can get from the 223rem and I went with the reddington type S match neck die set. I use the nitrate bushings and did buy the carbide button kit but wanted to start with the regular expander first.

I have only sized 24 new unshot cases with just dry lube on the necks. Thats not much to go thus my questions.These are my work loads to find what my gun can safely do. Now I have a 221FB and plan to buy the same set of dies. The dry lub is easy as can be so I plan to use it even with the carbide button.