questions of reloading brand and interchangeability?

Question

just received a rcbs press today under my tree, girlfriend gave me a really nice check to buy assc with, do i have to stay with the rcbs dies, of would the lee dies fit, or do they all interchange, or should i return my rcbs and opt for the lee precision . most of my reloading will be for my ar-15s, what exactly do i need for dies etc, thank you,

Answer 1

I also prefer the RCBS set up. It's never let me down in 30 years of reloading. All the dies should be threaded the same. Make sure you get dies for a semi auto, not for a bolt action. The main difference is that you resize the full length for semi. Also, you should be aware that you cannot safely use standard primers in a semi auto like the AR15. You will get a slam fire from the light primer. You must , I repeat you MUST use the military style primer from CCI to avoid ruining your rifle and possibly injuring or killing yourself. Get a good reloading manual ( I prefer speer). whenever possible, I buy carbide dies from RCBS to avoid having to lube everything. You will need a shell holder for the cartridge you reload, and I also buy a lee auto primer and shell holder for that. It's much faster than a single stage primer set up like most presses come with. Get with someone who has bee reloading for a while to get you set up and going if possible. Then, read every set of directions twice, go slow, concentrate and be careful. Reloading can be a lot of fun, very relaxing, and at the same time, very dangerous.
Good luck

Answer 2

Ditto Randy's answer. RCBS gear is very good (I own and operate 15 RCBS presses in my Reloading Lab) and the Customer service is top-notch. For extreme accuracy, Redding dies are the best but generally for AR-15's you would not be able to tell the difference in accuracy due to the rifle not being able to shoot groups below about 1 MOA to take advantage of the Redding dies. Stick with one company as a source for new equipment and Thank your girlfriend, she's a keeper!!!

Answer 3

Dies generally are all threaded the same, and most common dies will fit most common presses. I'd stick with the RCBS, since you already have it. I use Lee dies, and things will break every now and again, I've heard the same from their presses, but they are inexpensive to replace. If you can get a set of RCBS dies, I'd go with those first.