(GunReports.com) — New for 2014, Redding has introduced a pair of innovative Micro-Adjusting Taper Crimp Dies for the two most popular bottleneck cartridges used in competitive rifle shooting today — the 223 Rem/5.56 NATO and 308 Win/7.62 NATO.
These dies are top adjusting with no need to remove the die and reposition the lock ring like traditional taper crimp dies when setting a proper crimp.
High-volume progressive reloaders have struggled for years with the realities of case variation and the resulting difficulties in obtaining a uniform crimp. Case length is not the only variable, as case neck wall thickness also impacts where the case intersects the die’s tapered crimping surface.
The process of traditional taper crimp die adjustment is generally both time consuming and imprecise due to the 1 in 14” thread pitch coupled with the need to reposition the lock ring after each adjustment.
The new Redding Micro-Adjusting Taper Crimp Dies for 223 Rem and 308 Win use a knurled, micrometer type head situated on top of the die to provide approximately + or -0.100” of “on the fly” adjustment after initial set – up. They use a free floating internal sleeve of hardened steel to form the crimp.
The initial dies offered are available in 223 Rem/5.56 NATO and 308 Win/7.62 NATO. The die body thru holes are machined to very tight tolerances, providing a close-fitting lead into the die for a maximum retention of finished round concentricity. Down time and loss of production due to adjustment of the crimp are virtually eliminated, increasing the rounds-per-hour production rates of all progressive and turret style presses.