Problems with Lee crimp die

I got a strange problem. Just started loading .45ACP with a batch of bought, once-fired fiocchi brass on my Lee Classic Turret press, for some reason the crimp die doesn't work with the new brass. I thought the die was dirty or something but it wasn't and a cleaning made no difference.

What happens is that when I crimp (on the 4th and last station) the bullet doesn't seem to take a hold and it comes almost all the way out of the case as it goes out again. I've tried a dozen times with varying setups. When I tried with an old Magtech case it seemed to work just fine, as it has always done before.

So anyone else had this problem with fiocchi brass? I just got 1500pcs of these and this isn't looking good... Is it a problem with the Lee die perhaps.

If the die works on other cases it seems unlikely to be a die problem. ??

I find it more likely the die is just not very good. I've read people complaining about the FCD die before, maybe its my turn now. The brass looks fine and is dimensionally identical to the magtech as well. The magtechs are just dirtier as I have no cleaning equipment aside from water & soap.

I'm not willing to scuttle 1500pcs of brass over a lee die that might be faulty or just a bad design.

Addendum, if I set the bullet seater die so it crimps at the same time, I get a useable crimp. If I run the same crimped round through the dedicated crimp die the bullet becomes loose in the case again. I can also see marks on the bullet from being shaped too, down in size it looks like. It's almost as if it manages to size the bullet and leave the case alone.

If you are using the Lee Factory Crimp Die, it is probably swaging your case and boolit with the carbide sizing ring. Then the brass is springing back and the lead is staying swaged down.

I switched to the Lee Crimp Die. They do not have the carbide ring and does not size the case. It gives me a good crimp.

Some folks knock the carbide size ring out of the Factory Crimp Die.

Yeah that feels like it fits exactly whats happening. So this Fiocchi brass has more spring in it than the ones I've used before?

Not sure its worth buying new die for though since I got the bullet seating die to work well enough. Hoping to switch the whole setup to a Dillon 650 in the future, loading 45ACP and 44spl/mag currently, but I'd like to expand to .223 and 9mm as well.

You can pick up a Taper Crimp Die and that may solve all the problems. I use the Lee FCD on 40 S&W without difficulty. I also use the Lee FCD as s push through die to get rid of the Glock Bulge. You still need to run the brass through the standard FL sizer die when loading. It's surprising to me that if you run the brass through the FL sizer and establish neck tension that the FCD would lessen the tensoion. Let us know what you end up doing.

I've gotten rid of the carbide rings on both my .45 and 44 now. Hopefully that'll do it.

edit: Loaded a few rounds of .45 now to try and yeah it works just fine now.

HDS how did you get the carbide rings out?

You knock them out from above essentially. I improvised some tools using socket bits that where of the precise size needed and turned it into a DIY punch.

Then I hammered on the thing from above and after enough banging the ring came flying out.

A .44 mag case put in from above and upside down also works, then you can hammer on the webbing of the case.

TY. I shoot mostly cast and don't care for the extra squeeze on my bullets.

I too got rid of the carbide insert, but I did it slightly differently. I had a Lee 45ACP expander die that wasn't being used, so I simply removed the expander ring from it, and took the FCD's crimper ring, and put it in the expander die body. This way I had the crimper and was also able to use the original FCD body with Lee's Bulge Buster kit so I can size any cases that are bulged by running them thru the FCD & BB (case only won't hurt the boolits any). This way I have 2 usable dies where before I had 2 unused dies :)

HDS,

Check also if you have the crimp sleeve inside the FCD INVERTED. I had a similar problem before and found out I put the crimp sleeve the wrong end after I cleaned my FCD. Try it out with a finished round. The round should enter the sleeve about 3/16" from the case mouth.

But since you already cut-out the carbide, this is water under the bridge.

Anyway, for other guys who may have this similar problem...you could try this suggestion

Check out other brands of brass. I have broken decapping pins with Fiocchi .45 ACP as many of them had off-center holes. I discard them.