RCBS Cowboy Dies for 44-40

[MikeM.]

Is there an advantage in using RCBS cowboy dies over their standard dies or even LEE dies? I have the standard set and a LEE set and was gonna buy a set of cowboy ones but can't seem to find a set anywhere.

[Abilene]

Not a direct answer, but here is my experience with the Lees.  Seating straight was always iffy with .428 or .429 bullets.  I had already replaced the powder funnel with the one from 44 mag.  I finally bought a used RCBS seater die (not Cowboy) and that did the trick.  I do use the Lee FCD.

I seem to recall RCBS dropping production on the Cowboy dies, which may be why you can't find any.

[MikeM.]

Dang! I wish I could find a set

[MikeM.]

Ran an ad in the classified section, we will see if there are any out there for sale....Thanks!!

[Crow Choker]

I'll start out by saying I've never reloaded 44-40 or have ever owned one, but have reloaded thousands of rounds of both jacketed and cast lead bullets. When I got into reloading 44 Colt blk powder rounds, I purchased a RCBS Cowboy Die set listed for 44 Russian to 44 Special. Have loaded quite a few 44 Colt and 44 Spec all with cast lead bullets. I've read alot that the 44-40 is a delicate round to load due to its neck design and thinness of its case walls.

What RCBS touts about the cowboy dies is that they won't cause the shaving of lead from lead bullets while seating. This is mostly due to an expander die plug that is .?" diameter larger than a normal 44 caliber die set that expands the case mouth a bit more than a normal expander die. Of course the cowboy sets are the dull gold finish vs the polished steel silver of normal sets, they are pretty.

The larger expander die works like Lymans M dies which do and have the same effect. I have 4 Lyman M dies that I use for reloading my WW1/WW2 MISPEC rifles from four countries using cast lead bullets (reduced powder loads). Prior to getting the RCBS Cowboy die set for 44's, I loaded thousands of rounds of 38/357 loads using cast lead bullets (jacketed also) and in doing so for the lead bullets, I always just turned the expander die down a bit further than if using jacketed bullets. Same effect as using the slightly larger Cowboy Die expander. Set right, shaved lead from the bullets can be eliminated. I have read that the RCBS CB dies are a bit larger overall than standard, but nothing official from RCBS or any other reliable site/journal. I've been at the reloading game since Feb of 1976.

I did have to order and use a separate 44 Magnum bullet seating and crimping die when I bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Mag revolver as the Cowboy die sets seater/crimper couldn't be adjusted high enough for the longer 44 Mag case to seat the bullets. The carbide sizer and expander worked fine, when loading 44 bullets for 44 Mag rounds, I just didn't screw down the case mouth expander as far.

IMO the Cowboy dies work as designed no matter the caliber, but the same result can be gotten with standard dies for whatever caliber you are loading for just by lowering the expander die a bit more for lead bullets but you need to be careful not to go to far and weaken and/or split the mouth by over expanding. Just my experience and observations of nearly 49 years of reloading and working with all of the major brand of die sets. The RCBS Cowboy dies are great dies, are a bit more $ than standard ones, but get the job done.

[Crow Choker]

I seem to recall RCBS dropping production on the Cowboy dies, which may be why you can't find any.
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I haven't read anything about that Abilene, I checked and RCBS is still listing and showing them on their website. Whether they don't update on a regular basis couldn't advise.

[Abilene]

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I haven't read anything about that Abilene, I checked and RCBS is still listing and showing them on their website. Whether they don't update on a regular basis couldn't advise.
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I might be misremembering.  Maybe it was a profile crimp die that was being discontinued.  I know it was something that people liked but I don't have one.

[Crow Choker]

I did check both MidwayUSA and Midsouth Shooters Supply and both show no Cowboy dies in stock. Coincidence, just selling alot of them, or maybe some truth to what you advised, can't say. Didn't check any other suppliers.

[King Medallion]

Many many lustrums ago when I started loading the 44-40 with Lyman dies, I just called Lyman and had them send me a .429 expander plug and that was all I needed as I was loading .428 bullets. Now I use the RCBS Cowboys dies and use .429 bullets, sized down from .430 with a Lee sizer die. I haven't measured the expander plug in the Cowboy die ass it works just fine. I also used to use the Lee FCD but have switched to the Redding Profile Crimp die, I just like that crimp better, my preference.