Got lucky - for once - found some .223 Rem dies.

I've been searching high and low for some .223 Rem dies (either RCBS or Hornady) so I can reload for my new 5.56 AR.

Everywhere I looked was sold out, on back order, etc.

Well, I was out in the garage, tidying up my reloading area when I spied a box of reloading stuff my father-in-law gave to me many years ago.

In the box were Lyman dies for 44 Mag, 30.06, 30-30, 243 and .223 Rem - I couldn't believe my good fortune - 223 Rem, just what I'd been searching for.

Now, where's my question. Hopefully some of you guys have a set of Lyman .223 Rem dies (# 7457111). Are these Lyman .223 dies (I don't if they are small base) gonna work to reload .223 for my AR (being how its a semi-auto and some .223 dies don't do so good with semi-autos.).

Maybe I can stop my search for RCBS or Hornady 223 Remington dies.

Hack

I've had, and have loaded for, an assortment of semi auto rifles over the years. Never used a small base die set for any of them. Load some rounds and find out.

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
I've had, and have loaded for, an assortment of semi auto rifles over the years. Never used a small base die set for any of them. Load some rounds and find out.

Yeah, that's what I figured I do. Maybe I'll be in good shape.

Hack

Those are standard Lyman .223 dies. Don't believe Lyman makes small base.

quote:

Originally posted by Winchester 69:
Those are standard Lyman .223 dies. Don't believe Lyman makes small base.

It seems to me that only RCBS makes the small base kind.

Hack

If you have the old chrome plated Lyman dies from the 1960's and 1970's I believe they were all very tight. If effect they were all small base dies. I got rid of all that I had because if I was not careful I would get bent rims from try to pull the nearly stuck cases out of them.
The only Lyman I use regularly now are 40-65 and that rim is hard to bend or pull off.