LFC too small ?

[straight-shooter]

I loaded some .38 specials using the Lee 4 die set and everything went as planned. No leading and great accuracy. The LFC die is not resizing the bullet but is slightly crimping the brass which is what I'm after!

Here where things took a nose dive.

I cast some 45's using the Lee TL452-230-2R mold. They casted at .453 - Great I said..... all is good so far. I sized them using the Lee push through sizer with a .452 sizer die. They sized to .452, all is still awesome.

Now I loaded these using the Lee .452 4 die set. Here's the problem. The LFC is sizing the brass in such a fashion that when I pull a bullet to check that's it's still .452 diameter it is sized down to .4505 :roll:

Even if I back the die adjustment all the way out it still sized the bullet to that size. I determined that it's doing this when first entering the die without even getting to the collet inside. Heck, I can even remove the collet completely and it's still sizing to .4505

What gives here? Just as an aside. I fired some of these bullets and you guessed it. Leaded like the dickens! .4505 isn't gonna get it.

For now I've eliminated the 4th die completely and am just gonna use the 3rd seating die to also make the slight crimp I need. About .005 crimp is all I used and after pulling the bullet it is the same diameter it was before seating it. I will fire some of these tomorrow and see if my results improve.

[docone31]

I ran into that issue with my four die sets. I now only use three dies. No problem.

[straight-shooter]

It gonna be strange since I'm using a 4 hole Dillon 550B press. I could always use a powder checker die in one spot now though.

[docone31]

I just pull down the handle one more time. Click, click, click, nada click.
I got the lee four holer. I should have gotten the three holer. I would have had more versatility.
Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are.

[DLCTEX]

Contact Lee and give them an opportunity to replace or fix the die. I have no such problem with my FCD. DALE

[crowbeaner]

I used a Lee FCD just once. I threw the **** thing away. Get a taper crimp die from RCBS, Redding, or Lyman and use it instead. I went from headaches to handloads in 1 easy step.

[straight-shooter]

I used a Lee FCD just once. I threw the **** thing away. Get a taper crimp die from RCBS, Redding, or Lyman and use it instead. I went from headaches to handloads in 1 easy step.

I'm all for that although I find it disturbing that the .38 cal FCD does not do this but the .45 does. I'll have to contact Lee and find the solution. I just loaded 50 more rounds to try tomorrow using the 3 die combination, so we'll see how that goes.

[Down South]

I had the same problem with a 38/357 FCD. I needed to have my boolits at .359” and the FCD was sizing them down. I do like to crimp in a separate step so what I did was take a punch and knocked the carbide bushing out of the die. No more post sizing for this die. It’s just a crimp die now.

[straight-shooter]

I just returned from the range and the results were much more superb this time out. Without using the FCD and just using the seater/crimp there was no leading and accuracy was much more consistent.

[straight-shooter]

I had the same problem with a 38/357 FCD. I needed to have my boolits at .359” and the FCD was sizing them down. I do like to crimp in a separate step so what I did was take a punch and knocked the carbide bushing out of the die. No more post sizing for this die. It’s just a crimp die now.

I just done the same thing to my FCD and now I can seat and crimp in separate operations which I think is the way to go. Thanks for the tip Down South. :drinks:

[Doc Highwall]

I agree with Dale, send it back. I just measured my RCBS carbide sizer for 38/357 and it measures .371+, the LEE FCD measures .377+ with a cylinder plug a .378+ just starts but will not go in. I think the problem is that when LEE was brazing the carbide inserts in, they mixed some for the regular sizing dies in with the FCD that are about .006 smaller then for the FCD. I would check the diameters of your sizing and FCD and make shure that they are different sizes. If they are the same size with this information in hand I would then call LEE and maybe they would just mail you the right part because they probably had other incidents.

[S.R.Custom]

I agree with Dale, send it back...

Have you measured the loaded and sized round as it falls from the FCD? My guess is it falls within SAAMI diameter specifications for that caliber round.

The Lee FCD is probably doing its job as advertised, which is to produce a loaded round whose outside dimensions meet common commercial and/or SAAMI specifications. Hence the name,"Factory Crimp Die." If you have a bullet whose diameter is fatter than spec, and/or brass that is likewise thicker than spec, the Lee die will squish the loaded round so that it will measure "correctly."

If that is indeed what is happening, then this is what the Lee FCD is designed to do; to say that it's defective because it won't drop a round with a non-standard dimension is not fair to Lee. As with any piece of reloading equipment, it is your responsibility to learn its purpose, how it works, and then decide whether or not it suits your purpose. My suggestion would be to do that before you buy it.

If a non-standard round is the desired outcome, do as others here have mentioned and use two standard seater/crimper dies to separate the seating and crimping functions. Standard seating & crimp dies as made by the major manufacturers --Lee included-- do not post size the loaded rounds the way the Factory Crimp dies do.

[leftiye]

There's probly (has to be if it does it with the collet removed) a part of the FC die (neck area) that's acting as a sizer. If you can identify which part of the die is sizing your loaded rounds (and on a .45 die you could just relieve the whole hole) , then maybe you could open it up with a drill, split rod, and sandpaper. A .45 (ACP?) die is straight walled, so getting to the problem area should be easy.

[straight-shooter]

The FCD sizes at the bottom and then there is a floating collet that crimps. By removing the collet it simply won't crimp at all but still sizes as the brass passes through the bottom of the die. The problem is with the sizing ring that was installed at the bottom of the die. I just totally elimated the sizing ring and just use the collet to crimp. I checked the bullets to be sure they chamber and they do without trouble. Basically, problem is now solved.

[snuffy]

I just did a test of the 4 die lee set I have had for 45 acp I've been using it in my dillon 650 for several years.

I took a R-P case sized, flared, seated and crimped taking measurements along the way.
sized to .469
flared to .483
as cast,(unsized), lee 200 RFN .4535
seated OD of case is .471
after the case was run through the FCD, they were still .471!

The loaded round is a tight fit in the FCD, a boolit of not much larger diameter would be sized down INSIDE the case.

[straight-shooter]

Then that about proves that I have a faulty factory crimp die. I was running my cast bullets through a Lee push through sizer to .452 and loading them. After going through the LFC they were .4505

Thanks for taking the time to test for us.