Lee Factory crimp 357 mag

[nueces5]

Hi all, has anyone tried the lee factory crimp for 357 mag? I use the lfc in my 9mm and I am very satisfied, but I never used it in my 357, it was always enough with the roll crimp that it brings in seater. Anyone use it? is it worth adding an extra step?
Thanks

[skrapyard628]

I use it. The roll crimp it provides works just as you would want it to. It came with the Lee 4 die set that I bought. But I did modify the die by punching out the carbide sizing because it was swaging bullets down.

It worked great for jacketed bullets, but when I started loading .358 dia cast boolits the sizing ring was swaging them down to .357 and I didnt want that.

So I found a socket that fit into the die to use as a punch and knocked the carbide ring out of it. The ring came out intact so I suppose I could reinstall it into the die if I ever wanted to.

[nawagner]

How did you get the socket past the carbide ring to knock it out? Or did you come from the other side with the socket? I tried on my 45 Colt dies and had no luck. So for all my pistol loads I seat and crimp in separate steps.

[skrapyard628]

How did you get the socket past the carbide ring to knock it out?

I went through the top of the die, punching the ring out the bottom. The ring is pressed in from the bottom so thats the only way for it to go out. Its been a while since I did it but I vaguely remember it taking a fairly stout hit with the hammer to knock it free. I did this with the die secured in a bench vise. I wouldnt really want to try an do it with the die mounted in the press.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Lee makes two different FCD for 357Mag
The one with the carbide ring
and
the collet style for revolver ammo.

[Carrier]

You have to go from the top of the die. I was able to use a long punch on the 38/357 FCD.

[nueces5]

The one I saw for sale is the carbide, I think I let it go

[onelight]

The carbide FCD I have will accept an un-sized case with hand pressure so if it sizes a bullet down that is good cause it would not chamber back in my gun if it didn't .
I can't feel the carbide ring touch the case at the bullet but I have not loaded any over .359.

[gunarea]

The Lee collet crimp die is the definitive answer to loading cast projectiles into 357. It does not depend on case length nor does it swage larger diameter slugs. Lee does not make a collet crimp for cartridges any shorter than 357(damm).
The Lee factory crimp die is designed for not home cast. This is a problem especially when running a larger fatter slug. Please help me here. My LFC dies have been honed out. Horrible amount of work and tool expenditure. Someone give a detailed explanation of empirical experience of successful removal of the carbide ring. My attempt ruined several items and damaged a few, including a flesh wound. I think an inquiry to Lee about a solution is called for. I'll advise as I get insight.
Roy

[Half Dog]

It also works great for straightening the nasty bulge towards the case head.

[1006]

Here is a picture of the two types of Lee Crimp Dies mentioned — there are others.

I like the Collet type, and do not like the FCD type. As said above the Collet type is not offered for anything shorter than 357.

Photo is from https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...tyle-crimp-die

[sghart3578]

The Lee collet crimp die is the definitive answer to loading cast projectiles into 357. It does not depend on case length nor does it swage larger diameter slugs. Lee does not make a collet crimp for cartridges any shorter than 357(damm).
The Lee factory crimp die is designed for not home cast. This is a problem especially when running a larger fatter slug. Please help me here. My LFC dies have been honed out. Horrible amount of work and tool expenditure. Someone give a detailed explanation of empirical experience of successful removal of the carbide ring. My attempt ruined several items and damaged a few, including a flesh wound. I think an inquiry to Lee about a solution is called for. I'll advise as I get insight.
Roy

Hello Roy,

I don't know if I can give you empirical evidence but I successfully removed the carbide ring on my FCD.

I cast and load .360" diameter bullets for my rifle and the FCD was swaging them down. I put the die in a vice and with a punch, going in from the top with the seating plug removed, I hammered out the ring.

I have heard of guys using a socket to do the same thing.

I still use that die without the ring but I also bought a collet style crimp die. It works very well.

Best of luck,


Steve in N CA

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Lee collet crimp die is the definitive answer to loading cast projectiles into 357. It does not depend on case length nor does it swage larger diameter slugs. Lee does not make a collet crimp for cartridges any shorter than 357(damm).
The Lee factory crimp die is designed for not home cast. This is a problem especially when running a larger fatter slug. Please help me here. My LFC dies have been honed out. Horrible amount of work and tool expenditure. Someone give a detailed explanation of empirical experience of successful removal of the carbide ring. My attempt ruined several items and damaged a few, including a flesh wound. I think an inquiry to Lee about a solution is called for. I'll advise as I get insight.
Roy

Hello Roy,

I don't know if I can give you empirical evidence but I successfully removed the carbide ring on my FCD.

I cast and load .360" diameter bullets for my rifle and the FCD was swaging them down. I put the die in a vice and with a punch, going in from the top with the seating plug removed, I hammered out the ring.

I have heard of guys using a socket to do the same thing.

I still use that die without the ring but I also bought a collet style crimp die. It works very well.

Best of luck,


Steve in N CA

Roy,
I removed the carbide from a 44 Mag FCD. I did exactly as Steve said. Carbide is brittle, and one good whack with hammer/punch on the top of the carbide, busted the carbide ring into pieces, then I just pushed out the pieces. No flesh wounds ...and no ruined/damaged items, except for the carbide ring.

[kaiser]

I use the Carbide .357 die after I've seated all my bullets, not the Collet style. Like mentioned, I do not like what the carbide ring does to cast bullets, but did not realize what was happening there (duh ). It looks like I need to make another purchase - thanks!

[Mike Kerr]

I have used the Lee FCD (Factory Crimp Die) for many calibers over the last couple of decades. It is designed to crimp rounds to a factory spec. It is not very well loved by folks here who cast their boolets to a certain size which may be for utilization in a specific bore size while the FCD is doing what it was designed to do. It will swage a case or bullet down to its designed spec which may not be what the individual boolet caster wants. The collet style dies are a different breed of cat. The collet style is used on several of my rifle calibers and just gives a gentle crimp to the bullet at the case mouth. Nothing else is touched by the crimping collet. I am not trying to be condescending but more than one cast or swaged lead bullet mfgr advises not to use the FCD style crimp on their lead projectiles because it not only crimps the case mouth but any area of the case it thinks is out of it's factory spec. But the FCD works wonders on auto calibers making sure the cartridge will CHAMBER very reliably and helps avoid misfeeds, and other problems for the competition shooter.

[onelight]

If you want to see if the carbide ring is touching your bullet seat and crimp on the seater die and see if the loaded round will slip past the ring in the crimp die . The revolver dies are not as tight as the auto dies.
With my cast revolver bullets I get NO post sizing.

[1hole]

But the FCD works wonders on auto calibers making sure the cartridge will CHAMBER very reliably and helps avoid misfeeds, and other problems for the competition shooter.

Well said; reliability of chambering is THE reason for being of the original FCD. Those who don't know that, or don't understand that, are quick to bad mouth a great device for competitive gunners AND those who carry for protection.

Those who stoutly say they "don't need that" (with the strong implication that no one else does either) must have largeish, sloppy chambers that casually swallow anything that's dropped in those chambers. For them, I am happy, but for them to proclaim that no one else needs an FCD with it's post-sizing ring is foolish.

[tazman]

Well said; reliability of chambering is THE reason for being of the original FCD. Those who don't know that, or don't understand that, are quick to bad mouth a great device for competitive gunners AND those who carry for protection.

Those who stoutly say they "don't need that" (with the strong implication that no one else does either) must have largeish, sloppy chambers that casually swallow anything that's dropped in those chambers. For them, I am happy, but for them to proclaim that no one else needs an FCD with it's post-sizing ring is foolish.

I agree.
I have a couple of 9mm pistols that will swallow anything that looks remotely like a 9mm round, no matter the size. I also have a couple with match chambers.
At one point, all I owned were the sloppy chambered weapons. I got careless with my boolit sizing because it didn't matter. In many cases, I was shooting boolits unsized, as dropped from the mold.
When I got the tighter chambered guns, much of the older ammunition would not chamber in the new guns. Hence my need for the Lee FCD.
After a trip through the FCD, that old ammunition chambers and shoots reliably in ALL my 9mm handguns.

[onelight]

Tazman I got started with the carbide FCD the same way had a couple of thousand rounds loaded for a 9 I let that gun go and found that ammo would not work in the new 9s I had the FCD fixed it . I now use them on almost all my handgun rounds.

[gunarea]

To sghart3578
Thank you for proper directions on removing the carbide ring. When done correctly, it was not so difficult. Did my 38 cal Lee FCD. I was going about it all wrong. You don't drive it out, you bust it out!
Contacted Lee about making a custom collet die and also a FCD with no carbide ring. They were very unreceptive and pretty much told me to go pound sand. Disappointed with both, answer and attitude. Might make a difference in my next purchase.
Roy