Dilema

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Does anyone have any good ideas for reaming out the crimping insert on a Lee Factory Crimp dies?

I'm loading .357s for a pair of lever actions. I need the roll crimp to keep the bullets in place when they're in the tube magazine. But, after doing some measuring, I think I would benefit by leaving the boolits as-cast diameter. As cast, they run about .360 which will chamber just fine.

The problem I've run into is that the crimping die will size the bullet too. At the shoulder of the roll crimp the diameter is .358". So not only will the bullet get sized, but I can't even seat the bullet out far without the crimp die pushing it farther in.

I'd like to open up the hole to accept .365" bullets (that might be nice for paper patched bullets)

[Down South]

Yes, the carbide sizing bushing can be removed. I had the same problem with a FCD sizing some of my boolits. I took a punch and knocked the carbide sizing ring out. If you remove the crimp adjustment you will be able to see the edge of the bushing inside the die. Take a GOOD punch and knock the bushing out from the crimp end of the die.
Oops, my bad. after reading your post again I see that you are having problems at the crimp end of the die.

[Doc Highwall]

Just back off the die for less crimp.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Doc & DS,

The problem isn't too much crimp. The problem is that in order to get the desired crimp the bullet has to pass through the hole in the crimping sleeve before the brass gets into the sleeve. The hole in the crimping sleeve is .358. So I cannot crimp a bullet greater than .358 without it getting sized down in the crimping sleeve. Or worse, the sleeve will seat the bullet deeper.

[docone31]

If you want a furley surely solution to the FCD, Make two deprimed loads, put in two deprimed cases, and two castings, and send it to Lee!
I did that with my Collet Dies for my .303 British that was sized to .314. The dies came back and work beautifully! Short turn around time.
I bet also, someone like Buckshot can also do it.
I kinda like my dies easy to use.
Contact Pat at Lee and see what happens.

[Boerrancher]

I don't use Factory Crimp Dies for the very reason you describe. I have a 357mag lever gun that I have been shooting cast boolits in for over 30 years now, and when I was a kid I bought a taper crimp die and that solved all of my boolit problems in my Marlin 1894 carbine. Over the years I have added two 45 LC lever guns, and a 44-40 lever to my collection, and all of them get taper crimped ammo. Since I went to taper crimping my cast boolits for tube fed mags I have never had an issue of boolits being pushed back into the case.

Best Wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[markinalpine]

I think you could ask them for a special part. Of course you'd have to pay them.
I found their e-mail address at their website, and they did respond to my question about using one of their presses the same day. Won't hurt to ask, and they can't even yell at you over Algore's creation. [smilie=1:
Mark :mrgreen: