lee crimp die question

i use a lee factory crimp die fo the 375win i got an i just mentioned in another thread how darn i can put a crimp on a round with it... an how i close the press 2 or 3 times as i rotate the case to really be sure its tight...
got me qondering.

this can cause different tension for sure? doesnt that mean slightly different pressure build up possibility? doesnt that mean slightly less accurate ? each round variance.

would make sense with my targets i rekon, as not every round is crimped to a similiar 'tightness' i just slam it closed a few times!

thanks

Crimping has always had a bit of a mysterious element to me, too! What I've "picked up" thru the years include all case lengths needing to be exactly the same length to insure all get equal crimping. Further, a regular "rhythm" or practice needs be employed to provide same amount of crimp to each case. Of course, different alloys/hardness of brass being used kind of messes with this.
I was totally "made happy" when I discovered the Lee Factory Crimp dies -- the answer to all my crimping insecurities ;) -- and, bion, I now have 22 of them!
What I have been doing is making sure the four pieces in the die -- looking down from above it -- do in fact move when your press handle is at maximum bottom. Movement of these is necessary to execute any crimping. Remember, though, that once all four sections are tight against each other -- that's all she wrote. MAXIMUM crimping. Anyhoos, I adjust Lee factory crimp die to jussst move them in an amount (subjective) I can see -- and that's not only what I use -- but "works for me!".
I hope I helped...
geo

I think as long as you clean the collet fingers and make sure everything is free to move when the shell holder makes contact, you should be okay. I do not think A Lee Factory crimp is necessary, nor does it need to be as tight as you can make it.

I have used a Lee FCD to make one dummy round in .38-55 shortly after I bought a rather large lot of .38-55 reloading gear. That is to date the only time I have used one.

All of my loading dies for lever action cartridges are other makes, that have a standard roll crimp shoulder inside the seating die. It works for me, I see no reason to change.

Robert

I haven't found that I have to rotate the case and crimp several times to get an even crimp. I make sure all my cases are the same length and press once and always get an even all around crimp.

I love my lee factory crimp collet dies. I normally crimp, rotate a quarter turn, and crimp again. I do it just to make sure it’s evenly crimped to go over where the collets lined up from the first crimp. Don’t know it if it helps but I do it for my avatar load group. Before I switched to the lee collet crimps I shot minute of pie plate at 100 yards. Now I shoot sub MOA with cast boolits out of my rifles.

I have them and use them, and like them a lot....but the consistency you're looking for is only going to come from brass the same length and with the same neck thickness. I'm convinced neck tension is one of the most critical elements to shooting small groups, and no matter of crimping will actually change that. I like the Lee FCD for certain applications (i.e. semi-autos and lever guns) ....but if all the other elements aren't right at the neck, then I don't believe it will improve accuracy... IME.

^^^ this.
I have played a lot with neck tension without crimping, and there are noticeable differences in accuracy. Single loaded rounds, I just close down the flare enough.

Don't use them, Don't like them.
I use a std RCBS 2 die set with a double locking ring on the seating stem, and a Redding "no crimp" ring. I have a perfect crimp every time. I just have take a few SECONDS to adjust the die.

Much of my loading is for hunting ammo used in leverguns so I always use the Lee fcd. I find it is pretty foolproof.

Of my rifle rounds, I only crimp 38-55 and 44-40 and I just use the regular seating die. I've used the FCD before, and it worked fine.
From .30 Carbine to .375 H&H - no crimp needed.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

Yep I’m with trails4u. I went from shooting pie plate groups to sub MOA with the exact same loads just buy switching from a roll crimp to a lee factory collet crimp. I own one for every rifle caliber I cast for. Also bought one in 243 for my ARs. I also use one on my 35 Rem and 35 whelen j word loads.

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Originally Posted by HD.375

i use a lee factory crimp die fo the 375win i got an i just mentioned in another thread how darn i can put a crimp on a round with it... an how i close the press 2 or 3 times as i rotate the case to really be sure its tight...
got me qondering.

this can cause different tension for sure? doesnt that mean slightly different pressure build up possibility? doesnt that mean slightly less accurate ? each round variance.

would make sense with my targets i rekon, as not every round is crimped to a similiar 'tightness' i just slam it closed a few times!

thanks

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You can easily dial in your neck tension and crimp, with Lee collet & factory crimp dies using the consistent crimp bar.
https://youtu.be/Bek5BlSmGCo

I use the Lee Factory Crimp, but have used various other dies (Pacific, Herter's, RCBS) for 30-30, 32 Special, 35 Rem and 45-70. Careful trimming to insure case length is the same, using one brand or lot of cases and maybe annealing all help keeping neck tension/bullet pull consistent. Seating the bullet straight in a SQUARED case neck without damage is the first step, using an 'M' type expander. A simple flare MAY work OK, but if you are scraping lead, your crimp is not the problem. The Lee Factory Crimp is simple to adjust and works well, BUT with careful adjustment other dies crimp just fine. Uniform case length and square case mouths are very important to good crimps. Whenever I see the word SLAM in reloading advice, I flinch.

I honestly believe that crimping and rotating 90 degrees gives a more consistent and evenly applied crimp . I do it when I seat a boolit and when I crimp them ...
regardless of what type crimp die I use and I always seat and crimp in two separate steps .

Come to think of it ... When Full Length Re-Sizing , I size the case , rotate the case 90 degrees and run it back into the full length sizing die .
My best friends Dad instructed he and I in how to reload and this was something he did in striving for consistency ...this was 1960's ... and tools were much less precise , dies and single stage C weren't held to super tight tolerances and he believed it helped ...
... I guess you tend to do things as you were taught .

One thing ... it can't hurt to rotate ... I say ... Keep On Keeping On !
Gary