Buying reloading dies in calibers for which you don't have firearms

I'm a "repeat offender" in this category. Did a half-day road trip with a friend today, and the only notable find was a set of .56-50 Spencer dies. RCBS, new in box, but the box is dusty! US$120, which seemed just too good a deal to pass up, considering that a shootable Spencer rifle, either original or reproduction, has been on the want list for a long time!

In non-milsurp dies, there's a set of .44 Automag dies in the reloading room patiently awaiting a pistol.

There's probably others, but the Spencer dies are weirdy morale-boosting.

Just wondering if anybody else gets things quite this bass akwards?

Yep. Only I tend to do it with ammo and to a lesser degree with empty brass in oddball calibers. This past Monday I picked up a '92 Winchester to go with a supply of 38 W.C.F.(38-40) ammo and brass I've had on hand for ages.
BTW, I know where there's an oringinal 56-50 Spencer in pretty good shape but it's rimfire and missing it's magazine tube. Was'nt there somebody making conversion breech blocks for them a while back or am I having visions again?

Don't know if Winchester even sells these bullets for reloading any more, but I have had them on the shelf for about 40 years or so.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../246uq6t-1.jpg

I had the Spencer here for a bit and it was for sale...didn't know you were looking. I've done it too. Then you have to buy the gun to go with.

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Originally Posted by vintage hunter

Was'nt there somebody making conversion breech blocks for them a while back or am I having visions again?

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No, they should be out there somewhere.

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Originally Posted by vintage hunter

I know where there's an oringinal 56-50 Spencer in pretty good shape but it's rimfire and missing it's magazine tube.

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Tubes ought not be a big problem as they made plenty of extras. But all hoarded up by a few collectors wouldn't be surprising either.

As far as buying a Spencer, it'll probably be one other those oportunistic things. See it, have the money, and "nothing else shinier in view" sort of deals. And unless it's a super good deal, I'd much rather have the rifle than the carbine. (Have let several good carbines get away already! The last nice rifle was in the lot that was rushed to Gettysburg, and was just a little bit too expensive.)

This one was only about $1000CDN when it sold here. Yes, they make Spencer breech blocks for center fire. The one I had here was not bad and all complete. No history however.

CDN$1000 seems reasonable!

I thought it was a steal. It went to a collector along with a Snider rifle in good shape. He's a good man so it's OK I guess. At least I had the opportunity to clean and oil it before it went. A few years back, I had a Sharps carbine here and a business rifle too...both in good shape. Remarkable what appears from time to time.

In the late 70's I bought several boxes of various and assorted firearms related stuff at a yard sale that included dies for 8X50R Lebel and a box of new unprimed Remington brass. They have been banging around unused until just this week when I paid too much (possibly) for a Berthier 1907/15. I think fourty plus years is enough time to contemplate a purchase, you should never rush into anything. Tom

I have dies in .308 Norma Mag.;6.5 Swedish Mauser;7.65 Carcano;.45-70,and a bunch of other calibers I'll probably never own rifles in (well, maybe I'd like to have a .45-70 someday). If nothing else, they make great trading material. I traded .264 Win. Mag. dies for some tasty stuff recently. Same thing with ammo I don't have rifles in. Opportunity is opportunity. Someone will want it eventually I figure.

One of my wife's friends got a divorce a few years ago. Her ex left a bunch of stuff in a box in the garage. She wants to empty the garage and ask if I want this "Junk" in a wooden box. It turns out its an old Lyman press and dies,some 30-30 brass and bullets,and a several pounds of different powders all unopened. Also some assorted other cartridges. I don't have a 30-30, but if I come across one now I have a good start.

I think many of us suffer from the "It'll come in handy one day" syndrome". Hamster genes, I suspect. But I often get to try out and evaluate rifles for other people, and if you do come across an oddball rifle to be tested, then it is no use having to wait for months for an exotic die set to be delivered. Apart from which, the new sets can cost more than the rifle -. have you seen what, for instance, an RCBS die set costs for an Egyptian Remington?

In many cases (or should that be for many obsolete cases?) I use die mixes to reform brass for which no die set is available in a reasonable time at a bearable price. Like using 40-65 and 38-56 to make a first approximation for 9.5x47R. Good enough for fire-forming, after which all my cases are only neck-sized anyway.

So I too tend to buy unusual sets if they are cheap - after all, they may come in handy one day!

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

have you seen what, for instance, an RCBS die set costs for an Egyptian Remington

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I've found CH4D a better source for odd calibers, in fact I like their quality overall better than RCBS, but they don't have a big retail presence.

S&S Firearms, 74-11 Myrtle Ave, Glendale NY 11385, had the Spencer center fire conversion breech block which is complete, also you need a blunt face follower in the magazine. They have the outer magazine tube too and 50-70 brass to cut down and form

I thought everyone started out with a miniscule bargain that caused them to buy a rifle. In my case a number of rifles.
About 40 years ago I started attending gun shows and seeing bargains on boxes of components especially for those in calibers I did not own.
My thought was if it was cheap enough buy it anyway. So I bought bullets rifle bullets when they $1 to $3 a box and brass was $4 to $8 a hundred. My thought was if I got a rifle in every caliber I could at least shoot up the bullets. I even bought 32-20 brass for $63/1000.
I bought a set of 8X57 RCBS dies and some once fired brass. I later got a Hakim 8X57 to go along with it. Then a Turk 98, a Turked Gew 88 and two mint Persians 98/29s. The then I found a set of Forster 8X57 Benchrest dies and I have no 8X57 with a scope.....

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

So I too tend to buy unusual sets if they are cheap - after all, they may come in handy one day!

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In the course of my BP experimenting I picked up a cheap set of .41 Swiss dies a couple of month ago.

Last week I found a Swiss Peabody in superb internal condition. It will be banging again soon.

Cunning planning eh?

Drat! You "said" Peabody!

ETA: Subject for a different thread...

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Originally Posted by jmoore

ETA: Subject for a different thread...

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Watch this space. Or, to be more accurate, the blackpowder forum. I will need a week or two to make a few rimfire cases. When you see the photos, you will understand why this example is not going to be converted to centerfire.

This post illustrates exactly what I mean by "it might come in handy"

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread....229#post259229

Very creative!

Anytime I can buy a die set in any caliber for a bargain price, I will grab it. In addition to being useful for loading other calibers, or as an excuse to buy a new gun, they are an invaluable source of spare parts. Check out the prices of new decapping rods, expanders, bullet seaters, etc.. The cost of new often exceeds the cost of a bargain die set. Not to mention the not insignificant cost of the obligatory shipping/handling fees. Many die parts are generic i.e. they will fit multiple calibers. A number of my late night reloading projects that would otherwise have been halted by a broken die part have been saved by my die "salvage yard".