small base dies ?

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Johnnu2

Hunter
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,848
Location
NYS
Saw a forum member selling some 'small base' die sets. Would appreciate it if someone would tell me what exactly is a 'small base' die...??

THANKS,
J.
 

NikA

Buckeye
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
1,810
Location
Yrisarri, NM- high in the Manzanos
Small base dies have a slightly smaller dimension (i.e., near minimum for the given cartridge) near the base of the brass case. They're intended for full length sizing brass to be used in self-loading platforms which can be more sensitive to brass sized between the specified minimum and maximum dimensions.
 

jgt

Buckeye
Joined
Jul 30, 2008
Messages
1,000
Location
coleman texas
Can also be useful in some single shot guns, lever guns shooting non-straight walled cases like the Savage 99 and pump guns like the Remington.
 

magshooter1

Bearcat
Joined
Jan 4, 2022
Messages
19
Location
South Arkansas
Also very handy if you're sizing brass that was not fired in your rifle. Got a bunch of 1x .270 WSM from a friend after he sold his rifle. Apparently his chamber was near max spec. and mine was near minimum. Even after full length sizing the brass wouldn't chamber in my rifle. Got a small base die and voila, proble solved.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,936
Location
missouri
During 2021, I ran approximately 15K .223 cases through a small base die after finding that 'some' (a small but concerning percentage) of the sized brass would on occasion fail to fully chamber in random AR rifles.
ALL of this brass was purchased as mixed range brass and sized with common full length sizing dies during my previous processing.
I recently stumbled onto another 60-80 pounds of this brass I'd missed last year and have begun running that through the small base die.
 
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