Is there mnything wrong with using Lee FCD to size bullets?

[MuthaFunk]

I recently acquired a nice Colt revolver that seems to shoot lead very well! This has prompted me to create a recipe for it that allows me to shoot it much more with as little effort to make the ammo as possible.

I have a system worked out for a S&W model 14 and 38 Spl ammo. 6 gang Lee TL158 mold with 45/45/10 Lube. No sizing accept that I use the Lee Carbide FCD to apply a mold Crimp. The Lee casts bullets at .358 which is perfect. I don't believe the Carbide ring in the FCD is swaging the bullets at all. This allows me to make a lot of 38 Spl ammo very quickly and never get any leading. Just shiney bore after 100's of rounds.

In an attempt to make a factory type power lead round for this 357 Colt I used a Lyman 358311 4 gang mold I had around because of its full base. The Lee TL bullets have beveled bases which are not going to help with a higher pressure 357 load. This 357 Colt has shot 100 rounds sized to 358 with minimal leading with a higher power load of UNIQUE. (7.5 gr). I also loaded up some that were unsized at .360 and noted a more leading compared to the sized ones. These were crimped using a Lee 357 rifle
Die so they were not sized by the Carbide ring.

Could I skip the sizing step by buying a regular Lee Carbide Crimp Die to swage the .360 Lyman bullets for me during the Crimp process? Is there any issues I'm likely to encounter with this train of thought? I guess I won't know how much the Lee Carbide Die will actually swage the .360 bullets down until I try it.

Any thoughts?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A potential problem arises when the brass springs back some, and the lead boolit doesn't...and you loose case tension on the boolit.

[MuthaFunk]

A potential problem arises when the brass springs back some, and the lead boolit doesn't...and you loose case tension on the boolit.

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought about that... but wouldn't the new crimp take care of that anyway?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I don't believe a crimp is a reliable substitution for proper case tension.
but you could give it a try...it may work for you?

[country gent]

Another variable will be the case thickness where the bullet is seated .0005 variation in wall thickness makes for .001 in bullet dia when sizing in this manner. SO thicker brass may give you a undersized bullet.

[MuthaFunk]

Thanks for the thoughts fellas. I think I'll have to try it out and measure a pulled boolit to see how much, if any swaging is beeing done by the FCD alone with my brass. (Starline)

That will also allow me to inspect the Lube and boolit for damage that may have been caused during loading.

[tazman]

Inside dimensions of the FCD seem to vary somewhat. Since I only have a single sample, I can't prove or disprove that. I am just running on what others have experienced.
In my case, I use the system you described and have no leading issues at all and great accuracy.
I have never noticed any of my boolits being swaged by the FCD. The only time the FCD even touches the sides of the case is with military brass which is very thick.

[MT Chambers]

Take your factory crimp die and crimp the snot out of them.

[DougGuy]

You need both neck tension AND a crimp. The FCD will effectively negate most if not all of the neck tension that was there before using it because of springback.