Scrap FCD in 9mm?

[bullpen7979]

Study continues. In reading this link (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=109071) on the Lee FCD, it would appear it might be doing more harm than good, particularly for cast boolits.

I have the lee classic turret press. If I seat and crimp in 1 operation, I would eventually want to go to a three hole die holder. I am guessing I would need an new auto index rod that would cycle at 120 degrees rather than 90 degrees? Does this exist? For now, I will just cycle the FCD dry and see if it makes a difference, but how do the others bypass the fcd?

[RobS]

Lee use to make and probably still does a 3 hole turret press. You could convert your press or better get yourself a different crimp die for the 4th station and continue to seat in 3. Lee has a standard tapper crimp die (no carbide ring) for $10 or so.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000690780

You could also buy another expander/powder through die body for about the same and put the guts of the FCD in it. It does take a spacer of some sort between the crimp sleeve and adjusting knob. Just about anything will work for it such as a nut or even spacer which a person can pickup in the bolt bin section of ACE or similar places.

[turbo1889]

Yup, a standard crimp die or a second boolit seater die adjusted to crimp only with the boolit seating stem backed off in the fourth hole in the turret is what I would suggest as well with the boolit seater die in the third hole adjusted to seat the boolit only and not crimp.