Small Base Dies for Semi-Auto

[squirrel_hunter6]

Hello All,

I will hopefully begin reloading sometime this year. I have two Remington 7400's. One in 243 and the other in 308. I read somewhere online that small base dies are required for reloading automatic rifles. I was wondering if this is true or if standard full length resizing dies would be okay.

By the way how much smaller than normal does a small base die resize compared to a full lenght resize die.

Thanks!

[Grumulkin]

I will hopefully begin reloading sometime this year. I have two Remington 7400's. One in 243 and the other in 308. I read somewhere online that small base dies are required for reloading automatic rifles. I was wondering if this is true or if standard full length resizing dies would be okay.

Regular full length sizing dies might work and again they might not.  In all likelihood, regular dies will work fine but it might be best to get the small base dies to save yourself the trouble of ordering new dies if the regular ones don't work for you.

By the way how much smaller than normal does a small base die resize compared to a full lenght resize die.

Just a little bit smaller.

[Lloyd Smale]

I would first try a set of standard dies. If your gun doesnt need small base dies all your doing is overworking your brass and cutting its life about in half.

[Old Syko]

Small base dies are a requirement in probably 60% of all semiauto and pump action hunting rifles due to their tight tolerances and lack of leverage on the bolt closing mechanisms.  Most military rifles who's chambers and bolt locking mechanisms are more forgiving don't require such special handling.  Most small base dies reduce diameters by .001" to .003" depending on caliber.

[MnMike]

Have never had a problem with standard dies for my Browning 30-06.

mike

[charles p]

My first rifle was a 742 that is now 40 years old.  It likes small base better and it is very important to trim cases to the proper length.  Since switching to small base and trimming regularly, I don't have feeding problems.  Shooting slightly less than max loads helps also.  Deer don't know the difference and accuracy is actually better.  I no longer size military brass either.

[Ranger J]

My 742, about the same age as Charles P’s has no problem with regular sizing dies, but as you can see it can vary from rifle to rifle.  The idea to shoot less than the hottest load is also a good one.  As long as the round cycles your gun it will probably bring down the deer.  I have good luck with RE #7, 150 gr. SP.
RJ

[Lloyd Smale]

like was said you need to run some both ways through your gun. MY ar will eat anything and my mini needed a small base die. I dumped the mini but still small base size any ar15 ammo that is in the can for self defense as in that case theres more of a need for reliability then for case life or accuracy. My ar hasnt missed a beat with normaly sized ammo but im kind of obsessive with self defense ammo.

[Old Syko]

Lloyd, unless your AR has one of the special varminter barrels that is actually chambered .223. there is no need to use small base dies.  All other AR barrels are chambered to Mil Spec or one of the Wylde or similar chamberings and it is unheard of to need special sizing dies for any of these.  Pretty much if you shove them in pointy end first they will go into battery unless someone has done something really wrong.

[Lloyd Smale]

thanks I realize that and have never had an issue with my ars feeding. It was back in the days of shooting mini14s that i had all my problems and its just made me anal about my self defense ammo. Its no harder to run them into a sb die and then i know they will run in any gun i have. I dont want to have to have 223s seperated by which gun there for i want to be able to just grab some and go. My new ar is a match target colt and even with the match barrel it will still feed .223s out of a standard die set but its hard to teach an old dog new tricks. If you would have seen me stuggling with that first 1000 rounds i loaded for minis youd know im not about to go threw that again.