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Looking for AR reloading dies . want to start reloading for some of my ars I have the standard 223 dies for rifle but was told I needed small base dies and crimp.

A lot of guys here, say they don't use the small base dies in their AR's. I do because most of mine have tight chambers. You could try to load some up. FL size them, and see how they work.

Try the dies you have before you spend money on small base, they usually aren't needed. Crimp usually aren't needed either.

Thanks guys ill load a few up and see how it goes thanks for the advice

I never crimp my 223 AR ammo either. Don't even crimp my AR10 308 or 6.5 creedmoor ammo. I guess YMMV, but I've never seen the need to do that with an AR.

Never needed SB and never wanted a crimp.

I use a SB for all my plinking loads because I never know which AR is going to be shooting them. I've found a load that seems to work well out of any of my guns I use.

Have both types, but brass originating from my ARs and M-16 uppers doesn't need a SB die.

If your source is a bulk purchase some pieces may be derived from minimis. For those pieces you might need a SB die.

But since most of those cases were overstretched on first firing I prefer to identify them with a case gauge, ie., before processing. Then cull.

To be fair, this is more an issue with 7.62 fired from MGs.

I’ve yet to have a need for small base dies.

If you really don't need a SBD, using one will induce noticeably more resistance during sizing & will lengthen the case more than a standard die.

MM

This. I've also noticed it induces donuts in the neck which attributes to loss in accuracy. I've not needed small base dies.

You get one with the other.

Your die set is probably not adjusted properly. I have and use a SB die for my AR's, and have no issues with donuts or accuracy. The only reason I have SB die sets is because I accidentally bought them. Just grabbed the .223 rem die set, and later saw that it was a SB die set. Like I said, most of my AR's have tight chambers, so they work ideally for my needs. The op should be fine either way, but like I said in my original post, I'd load up some ammo (while making sure he's FL sizing his brass), and run them and see how reliable they are. Maybe even making some before and after measurements, to see how much they are actually growing after firing. That will tell him what he needs to know, and possibly save him from buying a new die set, that he may not need.

I've never seen a SB die that I've ever used & setup correctly, create a doughnut on the neck.

But there is no doubt that the more you squeeze the case during sizing with a SB die, the more its overall length grows & that necessitates more case trimming as well as the fact that every time you resize the case again, the same thing happens over again.

I have a fair number of rifles with barrels from 5 or 6 reputable manufacturers, & none of them actually require a SB die for sizing to function correctly.

Other than the above mentioned effect on the brass, using one doesn't hurt anything.....................but stretching that brass unnecessarily over several reloadings doesn't do it any good.

YMMV

MM

If you get enough stretching at the case head due to having a bit more headspace than needed, then the case lengthens and the shoulder gets bumped back and the neck is extruded during resizing and becomes longer, requiring trimming at some point. Eventually thicker metal from the shoulder will show up in the neck as the case becomes thinner just above the web, and there's your donut.

Good explanation. It's also a good thing that brass is free. I also trim after every firing. One thing about setting up your die right, is if you do that, you generally don't have to trim much if any at all. At least that is what I've seen. The chambers I'm talking about are my CLE chambers. I probably don't necessarily need a SB die, but use them because that is what I have.

I have never used a small based die for anything .223 and 5.56.

kwg

almost every competition rifle we own has small chambers. We have never used SB on a 223/5.56.

Redding FL bushing neck dies do it all. And so well that we trim once. And then again maybe around 5/10 shots later depending. Set up right you have zero issues that matter.

OTOH we did find the SB dies in M1A helped accuracy from the factory guns for some reason. Never used them once we had Kriegers put on all of them though.

As it's been said before, a small base die doesn't hurt anything either. You guys can use what you want, I use what I have. Pretty easy really..

Try what you have, chances are good they'll work. These idiots read [bleep] online and in magazines, that just isn't so. I haven't bought a small base die YET, been pulling the handle 20+yrs, for every cartridge under the sun. AR's are like Glocks, made to run with EVERYTHING, this means wiggle room everywhere needed. I've seen match Auto's that need them because of custom bbls, bolts, chambers, etc., but you'll be good out of anything mass produced/factory.