Well I feel like an Idiot...................

[Steve E]

I have been using a Lee Factory Crimp Die for a couple of years now in 45 Colt (and some .454 Casull) and tried boolits in .452 to .454. It didn't occur to me that the FCD sizes the bullets down to the same diameter even though I read that and have seen it talked about in the various Forums online. Seemed a little strange that my rifles didn't like any of the boolits of various sizes. Little did I know.

Steve........

[62chevy]

On my 45 acp I just remove the flare, not easy to get that adjusted right. But the crimp on a colt 45 is a roll crimp not a taper crimp. The .380 FCD just would not stop swagging the boolit so removed it and use the seating die to just remove the flare. Suppose the FCD could be reamed out but why when the seating die is working.

[DeanWinchester]

I only use one kind of brass and I spot check for brass thickness. I turned a slip fit wooden dowel to the carbide ring and used some diamond lapping compound to get about a half thousandth out of my 9mm FCD. Doing that and using only FC brass, I do not swage my boolits down.
You can FEEL when it happens. You can actually feel it pass by the driving bands and lube grooves. You do not want to feel that in the handle of your press.

Its easier for for most people to just write the FCD off and not use it, but a little experimentation and elbow grease will make it work and you get the benefit of using it. I know mine sizes further down the case than my actual sizing die does. Add that to the nice crimp the die makes and it was well worth my efforts.
I use FC brass and a lyman 356402 over HS-5 for some of the best shooting 9mm loads I've ever fired.

[mdi]

If one modifies the carbide ring in an FCD, why bother with one? A Lee FCD is a crimp die with a post seating sizing insert. If one needs to make the sizing part larger, why not just use a dedicated crimp die, like those that have been successfully used for the last 100 years?

The FCDs I had now reside in a landfill somewhere in Southern Oregon...

[62chevy]

If one modifies the carbide ring in an FCD, why bother with one? A Lee FCD is a crimp die with a post seating sizing insert. If one needs to make the sizing part larger, why not just use a dedicated crimp die, like those that have been successfully used for the last 100 years?

The FCDs I had now reside in a landfill somewhere in Southern Oregon...

I won't go that far and will fix my FCD in .380 after I get a .357 sizing die. First things first New Lee 356-95-RF drops at .359+ so get them sized then fix the FCD as it works wonders in my 45 acp die set.

[DeanWinchester]

If one modifies the carbide ring in an FCD, why bother with one? A Lee FCD is a crimp die with a post seating sizing insert. If one needs to make the sizing part larger, why not just use a dedicated crimp die, like those that have been successfully used for the last 100 years?

The FCDs I had now reside in a landfill somewhere in Southern Oregon...

Why? Because it works for ME. .0005 makes no difference to the intended function and I will bet you a dollar to a donut you can measure any number of any brand sizers on the market and you will find a half thousandth variance. I probably ended up with about a .1 RMS finish which is better than any factory Lee finish.
The actual amount of material removed was insignificant and doesn't modify the function of the die one bit.

What does (not) do is size my cast boolits down. It still works flawlessly for jacketed stuff too.

[Finster101]

FCD for pistol = Junk. Rifle is a different story.

[Sweetpea]

I bought one for my 41...

The first thing I did was remove the carbide ring.

I bought it because it was cheaper than any other crimp die.

[azrednek]

I have been using a Lee Factory Crimp Die for a couple of years now in 45 Colt (and some .454 Casull) and tried boolits in .452 to .454. It didn't occur to me that the FCD sizes the bullets down to the same diameter even though I read that and have seen it talked about in the various Forums online. Seemed a little strange that my rifles didn't like any of the boolits of various sizes. Little did I know.

Steve........

Mine might just be a fluke. My Lee 45 Colt FCD, the carbide ring does not touch the cartridge unless I have a .454 sized bullet loaded in it. .452 sized bullets go right through without being reduced in size. The 454 sized bullets I would feel just a very slight, insignificant drag as the cartridge went through the carbide ring.

[waco]

I bought one for my 41...

The first thing I did was remove the carbide ring.

I bought it because it was cheaper than any other crimp die.
ditto.

[gray wolf]

How do I say this without insulting anyone ???????????????

The FCDs I had now reside in a landfill somewhere in Southern Oregon...

Politely said, Thank goodness it's a big land fill and they had enough room to let me squeeze in a few of mine.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have been using a Lee Factory Crimp Die for a couple of years now in 45 Colt (and some .454 Casull) and tried boolits in .452 to .454. It didn't occur to me that the FCD sizes the bullets down to the same diameter even though I read that and have seen it talked about in the various Forums online. Seemed a little strange that my rifles didn't like any of the boolits of various sizes. Little did I know.

Steve........
Lee makes the Rifle style (collet) FCD for revolver/lever guns calibers like 45 colt. It's the crimp die you want for cast boolits
http://leeprecision.com/45-colt-custom-carbide-factory-crimp-die.html

[mdi]

Why? Because it works for ME. .0005 makes no difference to the intended function and I will bet you a dollar to a donut you can measure any number of any brand sizers on the market and you will find a half thousandth variance. I probably ended up with about a .1 RMS finish which is better than any factory Lee finish.
The actual amount of material removed was insignificant and doesn't modify the function of the die one bit.

What does (not) do is size my cast boolits down. It still works flawlessly for jacketed stuff too.

I was talking about sizing the entire cartridge after the bullet is seated and crimp applied. No reason to if the other steps/die adjustment is correct...

[Whitespider]

...Thank goodness it's a big land fill and they had enough room to let me squeeze in a few of mine.

The one FCD I had resides a couple hundred feet out in the corn field behind my house... it weren't worth the drive to the landfill.
*

[petroid]

Lee makes the Rifle style (collet) FCD for revolver/lever guns calibers like 45 colt. It's the crimp die you want for cast boolits
http://leeprecision.com/45-colt-custom-carbide-factory-crimp-die.html

Yes yes yes!!! There are two FCDs for these cartridges! Get the one that says rifle. It doesn't resize the case only applies a collet-actuated crimp just like all other lee rifle FCDs

ETA ok maybe it doesn't say "rifle" but it does say "collet style"
....not the same as gangnam style

[Nueces]

The (possibly apocryphal) story I heard was that Lee started making the pistol FCDs after accumulating some oversized carbide sizing rings. They were too large for used in standard sizing dies and thus perfect for "reduced" sizing of brass for use with larger boolits. I often use them as sizing dies when loading larger diameter slugs because they work the case neck less.

[TXGunNut]

Never had the need for a FCD, guess I just don't understand.

[hickfu]

How did you guys get the ring out of your FCD? I tried with a hammer and flat screw driver and all it did was bang up my screw driver... So my FCD's are with the others in the land fill.


Doc

[truckboss]

Funny,My 45 colt Lcd rocks,does not size down like everyone's,puts a perfect crimp on my rounds.

[Steve E]

Thanks petroid and JonB I will order me one of those. I like the crimp that the FCD gives but don't like the fact that mine sizes the bullets down (even .452 boolits), I can feel the bands and gc through the handle when it sizes it down.

Steve ............

[Sweetpea]

How did you guys get the ring out of your FCD? I tried with a hammer and flat screw driver and all it did was bang up my screw driver... So my FCD's are with the others in the land fill.


Doc

I pulled the top assembly out, and stuck a piece of berdan primed '06 brass down through, then proceeded with the screwdriver and hammer.

Come to think of it, I think I still need to cut my screwdriver back out of that case...[smilie=l:

[CGT80]

Never had the need for a FCD, guess I just don't understand.

I am right there with you. Sometimes I use a seat/crimp combo die and other times I seat and crimp with two different dies, but they seem to work just fine. I use a few different brands of sizing dies and it works fine for 99%+ of the range brass that I run through my guns. It seems some people absolutely love the lee FCD and others hate it. I haven't used one, so I don't really understand why people think they need them. My standard taper crimp and roll crimp dies make nice crimps as well, although I don't use much crimp, especially on semi auto pistol brass.

[Cowboy_Dan]

I use a FCD for my carry .44 special, but I have some comercially cast pills that are just a bit oversize for it, among others which the die doesn't touch.

[jmort]

Like most threads on this well beaten horse, it is a most excellent die that gets bashed for no good reason. Common sense, don't use it if it swages down an over SAAMI spec boolit. Otherwise, there is no reason to eschew it. The handgun FCDs promote uniformity and concentricity. That and a low price point make them the highest rated/reviewed dies on Midway USA. Here the herd mentality makes it uncool to admit that the FCDs have a place in the reloading world. I love the "logic" that since they did not exist "100 years ago" there is no need for them now.

[Cmm_3940]

Like most threads on this well beaten horse, it is a most excellent die that gets bashed for no good reason. Common sense, don't use it if it swages down an over SAAMI spec boolit. Otherwise, there is no reason to eschew it. The handgun FCDs promote uniformity and concentricity. That and a low price point make them the highest rated/reviewed dies on Midway USA. Here the herd mentality makes it uncool to admit that the FCDs have a place in the reloading world. I love the "logic" that since they did not exist "100 years ago" there is no need for them now.

But do we really want our boolits sized to SAAMI specs? The way I am reading the specs, .45ACP can be as small as .449 (jacketed) or .450 (boolit), and .45 Colt can be as small as .450, and still be within SAAMI specs.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd195/cm6259/SAAMI45ACP_LC.jpg (http://s224.photobucket.com/user/cm6259/media/SAAMI45ACP_LC.jpg.html)

[jmort]

As noted by some users here, I doubt the FCD would touch the bullet/boolit paramaters outlined above.

[CPL Lou]

Before I knew better I purchased a Lee FCD for my .45acp.
Rather than throw it away, I saved it for one of those 'just in case' moments.
Well, since then I discovered that all my 45 Colts have large chambers. Out comes the FCD, took out the seater/crimper and spun it into the press.
I decap all my brass using a universal decapping die, then tumble them in prep for sizing.
The FCD die sizes the brass down less than my carbide die, walla, increased brass life [smilie=s:
Knew I would find a use for that thing :D
BTW, I use a Lee Collet Crimp die to crimp all my 45 Colts. Works great.

CPL Lou

[Gohon]

I bought one for my 41...The first thing I did was remove the carbide ring.
I bought it because it was cheaper than any other crimp die.

Same thing here.....I use a FCD on everything I reload, both pistol and rifle. Why...because it simply puts on a great crimp and once adjusted it never has to be readjusted. I don't seat and crimp in one stroke and never will. So the choice is either fiddle with the seating die after seating to do the crimp, then fiddle with it again for a new seating job, or buy another seating die and remove the seating plug and use that die strictly for crimping, or get a LFCD to accomplish what I want. Not a hard choice for me.

Since I do shoot a large amount of over size casts in the 45 Colt and 357 mag, I removed the carbide ring in those dies. Very easy to do....just put the die in the press, remove the internals, drop a empty case mouth first into the top of the die and the case rim will catch on top of the carbide ring. Using a flat nosed punch, one good whack with a hammer of the punch resting on the rim of the case will pop the carbide ring out. One can even put the carbide ring back in at a later time if they want. I did not remove the ring from the 45 ACP because reliable feeding was more important than cast accuracy for me in that gun.

Bash the LFCD all you want folks but they work and they work well if just a a little common sense is used.

[62chevy]

Same thing here.....I use a FCD on everything I reload, both pistol and rifle. Why...because it simply puts on a great crimp and once adjusted it never has to be readjusted. I don't seat and crimp in one stroke and never will. So the choice is either fiddle with the seating die after seating to do the crimp, then fiddle with it again for a new seating job, or buy another seating die and remove the seating plug and use that die strictly for crimping, or get a LFCD to accomplish what I want. Not a hard choice for me.

Since I do shoot a large amount of over size casts in the 45 Colt and 357 mag, I removed the carbide ring in those dies. Very easy to do....just put the die in the press, remove the internals, drop a empty case mouth first into the top of the die and the case rim will catch on top of the carbide ring. Using a flat nosed punch, one good whack with a hammer of the punch resting on the rim of the case will pop the carbide ring out. One can even put the carbide ring back in at a later time if they want. I did not remove the ring from the 45 ACP because reliable feeding was more important than cast accuracy for me in that gun.

Bash the LFCD all you want folks but they work and they work well if just a a little common sense is used.

:goodpost: