RCBS Star Dies

[catmandu]

Does anybody have any info to share on Star Dies set made by RCBS?

I know skilled craftsmen have cut and retread 7/8 dies to Star thread.

I mean when did RCBS make Star die sets?

Paul in WNY

[333OKH]

I could be wrong, but ive never heard of RCBS making Star Dies, George.

[bkbc38]

When the 44 Auto Mag. came out  RCBS made me a set of dies 7/8 by 14.  That was in 1972.
They were cut for me but not case hardened.

Bob

[catmandu]

I'll get a pic to post so you can see it too.

Paul in WNy

[catmandu]

Here are a few pics.

This is a rather uncommon item.

Paul

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Though it is a bit off topic, RCBS offered to buy Star once near the end of Star's life.

[rbwillnj]

Never heard of RCBS making dies with the Star thread, but the Dillon Super Star .223 dies were RCBS dies.   Hard to imagine that they were all turned down from 7/8-14, but maybe.   On Dillon's website he mentions going to a machinist to have the dies ground down and threaded with a Star thread, but I assume that was only the prototype.

[Rolling Stone]

I turned a .45 RCBS die to make a factory crimp die and wished for a long time I hadn't done it. The inside threads were almost exactly the same as the minor dia of the 11/16 threads and there was no material left. It looked kind of like a spring. This after turning the HARD threads off the OD to get to the right dia. This hardness wasn't very deep but was very hard! Object lesson in trying to be a COB. I finally got a Star die.

[varmintpopper]

I have never heard of RCBS dies that were manufatured to fit the Star, But I have turned down and treaded  .40 S&W RCBS dies to fit the Star.
This wasn't hard to do, But there was not much metal left on the portion of the die that has to fit into the shell plate. They did work/function well.

Good Shooting

Lindy

[johnfreeman]

I'm pretty sure Lee will still turn dies for the Star, though I'd much prefer getting mine from Dave!

[rbwillnj]

This is a set of Dillon SuperStar .223 dies which are RCBS Dies.   There is actually a set of these on eBay right now.

[fng]

If it's of interest, here's some dies I just took off a Star Universal I recently acquired.
Two on left stamped RCBS 44-40 Win size 85, RCBS 44-40 Win seat 85,
the unidentified one on the right was in with a box of loose dies that came with.
the tool head was ground to clear the seating die.

Anyone know what the bracket on the arm on the right is for ?
Or the short threaded rods by the powder magazines ?

I set the machine up using NOS 9mm Lifetyme dies & plate which came with,
also included were NOS .380, and used .38spcl & .45acp caliber setups, nos charge bars, Hulme, Hoag, & other goodies. I was told by a forum member I should change my name to Lucky,
cause it was a deal of a Lifetyme... seller asked $200 for all.
Thanks,
Fred

[rbwillnj]

We all dream of finding deals like that, and hope our wives won't offer up our stuff for a deal like that when we are gone.

The bracket on the link is for a Free Loader.

[Rolling Stone]

I think the bracket on the left arm is for the free loader, the one on the right arm is for a Brewster indexer.