My buddy just got a set of RCBS tungsten carbide dies for the .30 M-1 Carbine, and we promptly stuck a case in the resizer die on about the 5th case.  There seemed to be a good bit of resistance on the resizing for the first cases we tried.  And on the last case, it just pulled the rim off.  We both have been using RCBS carbide dies for our pistols for decades and have never ever stuck a case.   We've never had to use any lube on our other TC dies and didn't on this.30 Carbine die.

I'm wondering if we have a out-of-spec die or worse yet... did RCBS give him a standard resizing die in the box instead of a carbide die.  The gray box label definitely says "3-DIE CARB TC SET .30 CARBINE" (p/n 18015).  I did not inspect the base of the die before he installed it and therefore I did not see if there was the typical shiny TC "ring" in the base of the die.  Now we have a really stuck case in there and I really can't see now.  The resizer die says "RCBS .30 M-1 CARB +++ 11"   I can't tell if the CARB in this case is short for CARBINE or CARBIDE.   For example, the .45 ACP resizer die actually says "RCBS 45 ACP CARBIDE +++ 5".

Can someone else that has a set of RCBS tungsten carbide .30 M-1 carbine dies look at their resizer die and tell us what is says.

You didn't use lube? That was it. Even the RCBS instructions specify to lube 30 carbine even on carbide dies. 30 carbine is a thick wall heavy taper case. You NEED to lube them or they WILL get stuck.

I have the same die set, yes yours is carbide, yes CARB stands for carbide (marking on the sizing die itself).

This is 100% due to lack of lube.

BTW also are you using the carbide die correctly? You don't cam-over with carbide dies. Just FYI, that's unrelated to your stuck case.

I have Lee .30 Carbine carbide dies and you have to lube them, too or the cases will stick.

Drill out the primer hole and tap it, get a steel tube the diameter of the die base, but big enough for a case to fit though. Top it with a washer and then use a allen head screw to pull the stuck case out. Then use lube, a carbide die I believe will say it on the die body.

Our bad....  If we can get the case out, using the trick listed above, we'll use lube from now on.   But there's no sense in having carbide dies if you have to lube also.  Might as well just have gotten regular steel dies.

Thanks for the help.

You only have to lightly lube every fifth or sixth case and you are good to go.

If you lube most/all of your 30 carbine cases and use carbide dies, it will be much smoother and you will work (strech) your cases less, thus increasing case life. 30 carbine brass isn't cheap. A quick way to lube is Dillon/Frankford Arsenal spray lube. There's other companies too, it's just 99% isoprophyl alcohol and lanolin oil. You can find recipes to make it yourself. Anyway dump a bunch of cases into a box, give the box of brass a couple sprays, wait 5 mins, and load. Tumble in dry corn cob when done to remove the lube.

When reloading- if in doubt, never bother to read the instructions.



Seems to be SOP around here.

Good advice... I just got into the habit of ignoring the same exact generic all-inclusive instructions that RCBS includes in every one of the many die sets I've bought from them.  How was I to know that there was a one sentence specifically related to the M-1 Carbine carbide dies.      Live and learn.