Bent expander unit on RCBS FL die, will running it untightened mess things up?

[razzle]

Bought a used RCBS full length die set, it has apparently been dropped during the shipment and the result can be seen here:
This is really weird, I thought the storage box was supposed to keep the dies in place but if it is shaken around they will fall out of the slots. Anyway, a replacement expander unit seems to be hard to source other than directly from RCBS which will probably cost quite a bit with the unit and shipping overseas, and money is tight right now after shopping gear for a new caliber plus the rifle and optics.
So, can I run the die with the expander unit loosened so it will be centered by contacting the case, or will this just cause problems?

 

[onetopgun]

Concentricity is paramount! Bite the bullet (no pun intended), buy a new stem from RCBS. They may even send you one “gratis”.

 

[Supersubes]

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how RCBS treats you if you call them.

 

[AKMarty]

I called to buy a replacement stem after I bent mine on a misaligned piece of brass. A few minutes later the rep told me the new part would arrive shortly and no, there was no charge! Be kind, be surprised.

 

[Mainer]

If you try to run it loosened, the pin will tend to miss the flash hole and bend or break.

Forster makes their FL resizing dies with the expander ball high on the stem so that the neck is supported as the ball is pulled through it reducing neck runout.

I read on another forum that the Forster expander stem will fit RCBS dies. I have one on order, but have not received it yet so I can not verify.

You may want to consider this option. I found the Forster stem at Brownells.

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[straightshooter1]

Bought a used RCBS full length die set, it has apparently been dropped during the shipment and the result can be seen here:View attachment 7226925View attachment 7226926View attachment 7226927
This is really weird, I thought the storage box was supposed to keep the dies in place but if it is shaken around they will fall out of the slots. Anyway, a replacement expander unit seems to be hard to source other than directly from RCBS which will probably cost quite a bit with the unit and shipping overseas, and money is tight right now after shopping gear for a new caliber plus the rifle and optics.
So, can I run the die with the expander unit loosened so it will be centered by contacting the case, or will this just cause problems?

You might want consider just using the die without the expander ball since expander balls tend to induce runout. Expander balls can take care of some things like moving any donuts in the neck to the outside, but still leaves some runout. So, if you use the die to size your brass without the expander ball then run a expander mandrel (one that has the diameter to give you the desired neck tension), you have much better results. This is what I and many other do with very good results. Doing this adds an extra step, but it worth it IMHO.

 

[razzle]

You guys were right about RCBS customer service, it is top notch! They are sending me a new unit free of charge

About getting the Forster unit, and possibly running without the expander, I will wait and see how accurate the reloads from the standard setup will be and go from there first. Thanks for the suggestions