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Different Shell Holders

oreegunoreegun Member Posts: 29 ✭✭
edited February 2009 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Are shell holders made by different manufacturers interchangeable? I mean can a Lee shell holder be used in an RCBS? Vice-versa. Same for other brands.
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Comments

  • NwcidNwcid Member Posts: 10,674 ✭
    edited November -1
    Depends on what kind of shell holder for what type of press or tool. Some yes some no.
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  • oreegunoreegun Member Posts: 29 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Doesn't sound like they are interchangeable for an RCBS to fit into a Lee auto hand-loader.....Thanks
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  • DEEREHARTDEEREHART Member Posts: 376 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know its a little of topic but has anyone ever seen an interchange guide for shell holders?
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Most current shell holders look as though they will interchange HOWEVER be aware that even if the shell holder fits the ram of your press and the shell you want to load fits the shell holder it may not size the case the way you want some have a thicker rim then others and may change the distance between the base of the shell and the shoulder of the case if set up as the directions suggest with the shell holder "BUMPING " against the bottom of the die. [V][xx(][:(]
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  • DEEREHARTDEEREHART Member Posts: 376 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    thanks P.S. that is good info that I never considered.
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    All current single stage presses use the T-slot shellholder designed by Pacific about 60 years ago. They are supposed to be interchangeable brand to brand, but I borrowed dies to load a few rounds of .45-70 and the shellholder was a tight fit in my RCBS press ram. I don't know what make it was. But I have had no trouble with RCBS, Lyman and Lee shellholders in that RCBS.

    A shellholder is supposed to be a uniform .125" deep to minimize the differences perryshooter talks about, but there are manufacturing tolerances in dies, shellholders, and presses than can add up to get off spec.

    The Lee hand priming tool shellholder is an oddball not used in anybody's loading press, not even Lee.
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  • FWAdditFWAddit Member Posts: 918 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Though all currently manufactured shellholders for reloading presses will interchange, it is possible to find old ones that don't. For example, I sometimes see Herter's shellholders at gun shows, and they (and the Herter's presses they fit) are different.
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  • AmbroseAmbrose Member Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hawk Carse is right. And the Lyman reloading manuals have a chart in the back that tells which number shell holder from what manufacturer fits which cartridge.
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