Lee Factory Crimp die for Handgun Cartridges and Cast Bullets

I wonder, how many of those that voted yes, they use the FCD with lead boolits, have pulled a bullet and measured it after using the FCD?

I have. No change. Otherwise, I wouldn't use it at all.

I guess I'm too dumb to know what I am doing right.

I love my Lee FCD's. And they are the only Lee products I use.

And Yes, I have pulled my bullets looking for swaging and they mic'd true. I did so after being alarmed on another forum.

I use :
357/38 - goes in .358, comes out .358

45 Colt - goes in .452, comes out .452

45 ACP - goes in .452 comes out .452

32 mag - goes in .313 comes out .313

Haven't tried the 9mm yet or the 45-70 yet.

Good Luck!

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Originally Posted by 35remington

The use of the FCD is as a sort of half substitute for a gauge, in that it sizes the case, but does not tell if the rim is bent or peened, if the bullet is seated too long, etc.

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And -

Someone said earlier that if a round comes out of a FCD, then it does not need to be gauged.

I beg to differ, the FCD does Too good of a job. Cases that have ruptures will come out sized perfect and still go through a gauge.

You still have to do a visual!

I voted yes - I have been using the Lee FCD for .45 ACP, .357 Mag and 9 mm Luger.

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Originally Posted by robertbank

My experince has been this die straightens out the bulge on handgun cartridge cases but in so doing swages down my cast bullets. I would be interested to learn of your experience.

Take Care

Bob

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My experience has been that it is relative to adjustment, but I use mine for rifle ammo and Lyman #2 alloy (16 BHN). It does stop when the collet is closed. But I snuck up on my setting for mine.

Maybe your alloy is a tad soft to allow satisfactory results for you? My 45 ACP boolits are softer than my rifle boolits (11.8 - 12.1 BHN). They work fine for me. But they get a taper crimp from the seating die. I have no need to change that. (As in getting a FCD specifically for it.) I get a nice lethal center mass grouping at 10 yards. Plenty tight for self defense firearm.

And we need to remember that most of this stuff is designed around jacketed bullet reloading. Not cast boolits. So we are kind of like red headed step children.
We have to adjust and adapt because we are not worthy of them changing things for us.
Maybe the FCD just isn't the right tool for your load?

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Originally Posted by Doc Highwall

I just read all of the above posts and now I will give my opinion on the LEE FCD. Remember when progressive presses first came out and loading straight wall cases like 38/357 would catch on the mouth of the die and the solution was to put a larger radius on the dies so that the very bottom of the case was not sized as much. Well the LEE FCD can catch this and because there is a bullet already seated at the previous operation and the bullet will help guide the round into the LEE FCD. As far as accuracy is concerned a die that roll crimps is dependent on case length where a longer case will get a greater crimp and a short case will get almost nothing and we all know how much we all love to trim cases to less then .001" tolerance especially on our plinking ammo. The LEE FCD is not dependent on case length and yes you can crimp a bullet that has no crimp but I would not do it. The 7/8-14 thread pitch of our dies makes die adjustment critical. Example 1 inch divided by 14 = .07142" travel per one full turn on the die, let us round this to .072" per one full turn on the die. That means .036" for 1/2 turn, .018" for 1/4 turn, .009" for 1/8 turn and .0045" for 1/16 of a turn. That is why your seating die stem usually has a 32 pitch thread or .03125" per full turn and the micrometer bench-rest dies have a 40 pitch or .025" per full turn like regular 0-1" micrometers. It all comes down to using the right tool for the right job AND ADJUSTING it correctly. Don't be afraid to use a magnifying glass and measuring tools when setting up your dies and understand the little bit of math to help your self out. Hopefully this will help you get more out of all your dies and not just the LEE FCD.

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This is some of the best advice on adjusting dies I've read in a long time. It shows that dies are tools and understanding how the tools work and what measurements/math are required to get the most out of the tools.

Thank you for posting it.

As to the FCD, I use it on all of the auto pistol rounds I reload. I do this for several reasons:

1. I'm lazy and I can more easily adjust seating and crimping if I separate the process. I know I could do this with other dies, but....go to 2.

2. I can buy the complete Lee die sets with FCD for less than the cost of most other brands. Once I've polished them inside one time to get the rough machining marks out, they run smoothly in a progressive. There are probably smoother dies out there, but these get the job done and are affordable, which allows me to buy other reloading goodies.

3. If I do have bulged cases, etc., they deal with that for me and I don't have to worry about it. Reliability in an auto loader is a priority for me, more so than ultimate accuracy. That said, my home made ammo shoots accurate enough for me in a RIA 1911 Commander style model that I've taken money from several buddies who thought their (put your favorite 1911 name here) was the best shooting gun around. It's not only the ammo, it's the gun they're shot out of. Matching ammo to a gun is part of the equation.

Finally, I think if one hasn't tried a tool, one should reserve judgement and not attack it or praise the tool. For instance, I haven't used a FCD on revolver or rifle, so I have no idea how it works there and am not qualified to speak to that question.

Just my .02,

Dave

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Originally Posted by Sonnypie

My experience has been that it is relative to adjustment, but I use mine for rifle ammo and Lyman #2 alloy (16 BHN). It does stop when the collet is closed. But I snuck up on my setting for mine.

Maybe your alloy is a tad soft to allow satisfactory results for you? My 45 ACP boolits are softer than my rifle boolits (11.8 - 12.1 BHN). They work fine for me. But they get a taper crimp from the seating die. I have no need to change that. (As in getting a FCD specifically for it.) I get a nice lethal center mass grouping at 10 yards. Plenty tight for self defense firearm.

And we need to remember that most of this stuff is designed around jacketed bullet reloading. Not cast boolits. So we are kind of like red headed step children.
We have to adjust and adapt because we are not worthy of them changing things for us.
Maybe the FCD just isn't the right tool for your load?

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The Lee FCD for rifle is completely different than the die for handgun cartridges and works differently. The pistol version removes the bulge created by, for example a .452 lead boolit. In removing the bulge it swages down the boolit from my experience. The depth of the bulge has to go somewhere.

I use the rifle version exclusively but quit using the handgun version after I pulled a bullet and noticed the swaging and loss of diameter of the lead bullet.

Take Care

Bob

I use it for 9mm. I don't know if I am swaging the boolit down any or not, I've never checked. In one outing, I will shoot several hundred rounds in my xd9. No noticeable leading, there was a greasy layer of soot everywhere inside, but no failures and no leading and it's very accurate. I'm not looking this horse in the mouth.

Why is it easier to adkust than a regular taper crimp die?

Bill

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Originally Posted by GP100man

for autos ,yes ,for revolvers ,no .

For sd/hd rounds each rnd. gets tested in each chamber !!

I guess I`m old fashioned , I trimm handgun brass .

Or at least try to keep a consistent length .

Shortcuts usually bite me in the hiney or cost me $$ !!!

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I too trim all my handgun brass.:coffee:

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Originally Posted by robertbank

The Lee FCD for rifle is completely different than the die for handgun cartridges and works differently. The pistol version removes the bulge created by, for example a .452 lead boolit. In removing the bulge it swages down the boolit from my experience. The depth of the bulge has to go somewhere.

I use the rifle version exclusively but quit using the handgun version after I pulled a bullet and noticed the swaging and loss of diameter of the lead bullet.

Take Care

Bob

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I have a Hornaday taper crimp die for 9MM Luger. It too swages down the bullet. I have a FCD for my 7MM Rem. Mag & I like it.

I load flush seated .38 wad cutters and its roll crimp is better than Redding's "profile" crimp which starts out as a taper crimp and then rolls.

Jeff

the Lee FCD has its place and I use it from time to time but IMO its more snake oil than anything else it makes crimping for me a lot easier in some circumstances but not all and I dont agree with Lee that it improves accuracy. JMO its kind of like a trip to the bowling alley or golf course some one shoots a good score it has to be the clubs shoes etc never that maybe it was just a good day or a good load or etc.

I use the Lee FCD not for accuracy or snake oil, but for improved feeding and chambering.

In competition you have to take those problems out of the equation. And the Lee dies have been very successful for me.

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Originally Posted by zxcvbob

I've thought about using one with the crimper backed all the way out as a sizing die for .45 Colt, so it won't size the cases *quite* as small as a normal sizing die.

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I bought some RCBS 32 acp dies that turned out to be steel instead of carbide. I started using the crimping die body to size. It works well. I load 32 acp, and 32 SW Long with this set now.

Hello,

I used to, but not any longer. My loads just seem to be more precise without it.

Regards,

Josh

I have just the opposite results, mine are more consistent and cycle better using the FCD.

I never use them for any handgun loads. The Lee FCD, handgun type, just doesn't work well for me. For revolver I use the regular roll crimp shoulder on the seater die. For semi-auto handgun I use a taper crimp die. ANY type of crimping die requires special attention to adjustment and consistent case length.

For heavy, magnum Jbullet rifle loads that must perform and do the job, I use the Lee FCD, rifle type, exclusively- a very good tool for that purpose.

Just votd No. Swages the bullet. If dies are set correctly the FCD is a waste of money and accomplishes nothing!