38 special/357 dies - 1 or 2 sets?

[FROGO207]

I started out with a set of regular 38 SPL dies and would reset them for 357. I made dummy rounds to easily reset the seat/crimp for each bullet type. Then I purchased a Lee carbide 357 set. I always use that sizer now. Over the years I have come up with about 10 different die sets. I now have a dedicated seating die for each bullet I use and don't have to adjust things any more.

 

[Stefan A]

What is the spacer washer some people are mentioning?

 

[film495]

the washer goes between the die and the top of the press when you screw in the die. it spaces the die up to make up for the case lenght difference between .357 Mag and .38 Special. I forget if it is for one die in the set or all of them. I have one with an RCBS set, haven't used them in too long.

 

[mcb]

I just have one set but I am not a fan of 357 Mag so it pretty much only gets used for 38 Special...

 

[kalielkslayer]

2.

I have a tool plate for every caliber I load (handgun/.223). Since 38/.357 are different calibers, I have different dies.
If I buy a 10mm I’ll get another tool plate and powder drop instead of adjusting my .40 dies, same principle.

 

[Alaskamike]

the washer goes between the die and the top of the press when you screw in the die. it spaces the die up to make up for the case lenght difference between .357 Mag and .38 Special. I forget if it is for one die in the set or all of them. I have one with an RCBS set, haven't used them in too long.

Yep, that's exactly it. It's used with both the flaring and seating/crimping dies so you don't have to reset the dies constantly.

It never dawned on me that die sets that are intended for special and magnum caliber combinations like .38/.357 and .44 spl/mag might not come with one. Heck, I even use it for .45 colt/.454 Casull.

 

[.38 Special]

I have multiple sets for both, just because these things tend to accumulate over the years. I still find, though, that I usually need to readjust them before getting to work, because of a different bullet or cases from a different batch or whatever. (And I'm not sure that I've ever, even once, been able to just add or remove the spacer without having to make further adjustments...)

Which is all a long way of saying that if I had just one set of dies I'd get along fine.

 

[Steve51]

I use two Lee 4 die sets for .38 sp[ & .357 magnum.
Also use two Lee 4 die sets for .44 spl & .44 magnum.

 

[Legionnaire]

One. I don’t own a .38 special revolver so don’t load .38 special cases. I load plenty of .38 special loads in .357 Mag cases.

 

[792mauser]

3 sets of 38 spl. And 2 of 357.

Kept finding used dies at gunshows for cheap. So I just made sets for 148WC, 125gr rn, 158gr rn... etc.

 

[lordpaxman]

I forget if it is for one die in the set or all of them.

My RCBS dies came with one spacer washer which works fine for a single stage press. If you roll crimp, make sure you trim the cases the same difference in length as the spacer thickness. As mentioned before, the seater die can work without adjustment if the COL of the finished rounds is what you want. Otherwise you’re going to be adjusting it.
I always wondered about the spacer washer not allowing the .357 case to be fully sized, so I went with two die sets.

 

[Blue68f100]

I always wondered about the spacer washer not allowing the .357 case to be fully sized

The spacer is not used with the sizing die. Since the sizing die is adj down so it bumps the shell plate/holder.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I have sets of 223 set up for specific BULLETS...what does that tell you? They're Lee RGB, but really....

 

[Walkalong]

I used one set and spacers for quite a well before I bought a second set of dies, strictly money related, but most folks in the end get a second set. You don't have to, but it's nice.

I actually use one sizer for both, one seater for both, but have separate expanders, and crimp dies, both roll and taper (A couple of which are seaters with no stem)

 

[Walkalong]

I forgot to adjust my expander die:

I somehow managed to expand a .45 Colt case with my .45 ACP expander once.......

 

[Shivahasagun]

I've thought about asking this same question!

I have a Lee .38 Colt Short set and one .38 / .357 set. (Lee Turret)

One .38 / .357 set isn't enough. I don't want to change any of my dies once I get them perfectly set up. I just want to swap turrets in 5 seconds and go.

I need one more .38 / .357 set and will likely get a 3rd eventually. I see I'm not alone in this more expensive strategy to save time and effort.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Just wondering. Those of you who load 38 special and 357 mag, do you have 2 die sets? Or do you keep readjusting 1 set?

I use one sizer,. For the flare and seater, I use a shim washer that my grandfather had.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have one set of .357Mag dies for my Hornady LNL and two sets for my RockChucker, one set up for 125gr Hornady HP/XTPs and one for 158gr Hornady HP/XTPs. Also have additional seating dies set up for 180gr Hornady HP/XTPs and 158gr LSWC. I no longer shoot cast bullets in the 125 or 180gr range in my .357Mag firearms.
Only one set of .38Spl dies because I only shoot one load in that caliber.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I don't use a sizer at all for 38 Spl HBWC.

At least, not until the end of the loading process, when I run the loaded cartridge through a Lee FCD. Which, parenthetically, is the only time use a Lee FCD.

Loading for a HBWC I will decap without sizing. Prime, powder drop, bullet placement and seating. Then the Lee FCD to size the loaded cartridge.

That way I'm not squishing the soft swaged wadcutter.

That's the way it was done at the factories (hence the cannelure in the brass - to stop the wadcutter from falling to the bottom), so it's the way I do it.

So, I have a separate setup for HBWC.

 

[Phantom 309]

I personally use different sets of dies set up for each of those cartridges, same goes for .40 s&w and 10mm. It's not that readjustment is all that difficult, but in my opinion having dedicated sets is a worthwhile expenditure.

 

[Varminterror]

Just wondering. Those of you who load 38 special and 357 mag, do you have 2 die sets? Or do you keep readjusting 1 set?

Pretty sure I have 6 sets of 38 special and 357mag dies currently mounted in turret heads right now.

I don’t like adjusting my dies once I find a load I like.

 

[cfullgraf]

When I was only loading on a single stage press, I used an RCBS 38 Special/357 Mag set with the spacer ring.

After I bought a Hornady L-N-L progressive, I bought a second set of dies so I have one set adjusted for each cartridge.

 

[WVRJ]

I have a carbide set for 357 and picked up a steel sizer set cheap to get the expander and seater for 38.Same sizer die works for both.Do the same for 40 and 10MM.

 

[blackd24]

2 sets for me

 

[mavracer]

I use the spacers, I load 44 mag/spec also so I have 2 spacers for my old Hornady Projector.
I also have dummy rounds to adjust the seating die for different bullets.