Lee Factory Crimp die for Handgun Cartridges and Cast Bullets

[robertbank]

I would toss the brass if it were me. Odd though as most brass will split from being worked. In any event good luck with it.

Take Care

Bob

[trapper9260]

I use it at first for my semi auto for my 308 because of have problems with it feeding and took care of it ,then I went to use the ammo that I load from my 44mag redhawk to use in my marlin and did not feed good but it shot the way I wanted so i got the die and took care of the feeding and shot the same as before.Then on my 30-30 marlin I had a hard time feeding and got one for that and took care of that problem.I found out that marlin is tight chamber from what I seen . because the 357/38 for my BH I try in my rossi and had no problem feeding and all.so I do not use it in that.like others stated there is a place for it and there is not.If it looks like I would need it I would get one but If I do not i will not.I also load other carts. but I do not use the die on them.

[Walter Laich]

I use my Dillon SDB dies to do all the seating and crimping on my pistol rounds.

[ACrowe25]

I use my Dillon SDB dies to do all the seating and crimping on my pistol rounds.

Works for me too!

[Old Caster]

I dearly wish that all the guys I compete with in Bullseye matches would use an FCD. ...... Dillon dies..... so easy to keep clean especially when using soft lube.

[sig2009]

Lee FCD with cast is a real no no. Swages the lead down in the case and you don't want that with cast. If you set up all your dies properly you don't need the FCD.

[Safeshot]

You might want to try the Lee Taper "collet crimp die" (Available from Titan Reloading, a sponsor of this forum) for auto pistol cartridges. Just one persons opinion, Safeshot

[Garyshome]

Works for me.

[w5pv]

I use it on all of my cast very light roll crimp and have nothing but good things to say about.

[jmort]

If you have one, and it does not swage down your boolit, then use it.

[bruce381]

I have never needed tha FCD loading variuos stuff 40 years.
When I get a sticky one its once in a few thousand.

I just pop it apart in bullet puller.

I do like the idea of a "gauge" die, do they make a Steel FCD?
If so i would hone it out 2-4 tho or to the max SAMM spec on a 45 to have a on machine guage, without much if any sizing to NOT squesh the boolit down.

[DougGuy]

You might want to try the Lee Taper "collet crimp die" (Available from Titan Reloading, a sponsor of this forum) for auto pistol cartridges. Just one persons opinion, Safeshot

I don't think Lee makes a taper collet crimp die. They make a taper crimp die, and they make a collet style die which crimps from the sides just like the collet crimp die for rifles. I use the collet crimp die for .45 colt and .44 magnum with cast boolits and they work well, no swaging the boolit down in the case.

As far as the FCD with the carbide ring, all those are not created equal! Some are sized larger than others it appears, so some will swage the loaded boolit down and some won't. If you are shooting a .451" boolit chances are it won't affect it at all. If you are shooting .452" depending on if you have a tight FCD it may or may not swage it down.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I just had an experience with a Lee Factory Crimp Die in .44-40 Win. that has left me puzzled. In general I love these dies and have about a dozen of them in various calibers. I tried loading some 240 gr. CLBs from Hunter Supply and ran them all through the factory crimp die after seating them. Only about 5 of 50 would fit into my 1873 Uberti, the remainder seemed about 1/16" too long. Some I could force in by pushing hard with my thumb, but then had to remove the cylinder to get them out again. I decided to try some 200 gr. CLBs from Badman Bullets and the result was the same. Conclusion: it couldn't be the ogive of the bullet. So I tried a few more using the seating die's crimp and they worked perfectly. Then I went back and ran all of the previously factory crimped rounds through the seater' crimper and then, with the exception of only 3 rounds, worked perfectly. Something isn't right here......?

[Cowboy T]

I finally have a use for the Lee FCD.

Started loading .45 ACP recently. Been playing around with a couple of .45's, one plastic, one a 1911. The 1911 has a tighter chamber, so the 0.453" boolits that I normally use sometimes won't fit. They've got to be .452" or smaller for the pistol to go into battery. The plastic pistol, on the other hand, has slightly generous chambers and happily eats the 0.453" projectiles.

When loading for the plastic gun, I unscrew the FCD out of the press. When loading for the 1911, I use the FCD. Why? 'Cause I have no interest in having two different stocks o' boolits for handgun purposes. Whatever little bit of accuracy I lose by this, the guy behind the trigger (that'd be me) isn't *that* good a shot for it to matter anyway, so this works out pretty well for me.

Now, if I had only one .45, I would simply size 'em all for that specific pistol, like I normally do.

[noylj]

A SAAMI .45 Auto chamber will EASILY take a 0.454" bullet. If yours doesn't, there is something wrong.
Take a round that won't chamber, remove the barrel, paint the bullet and case black with Magic Marker, drop in chamber and rotate. Scratches will tell you where the hang up is. It is more likely a case problem than a bullet that is too large.

[9w1911]

So in the past few months I have worked with three different types of crimp dies.
Redding, Dillon, and Lee FCD (both FCDs the taper for 45, roll and collet for 44mag)

The Lee collet type crimper is great and I will use it for boolits with zero crimp groove like some Rainer plated 240gr TC .430.

I did not favor the 44mag FCD standard it did size a bullet down but I think that was user error, however I did not like sizing the case over again.

So I started to use the Redding in 44mag and 45acp and baby I am in love.

The Dillon is great it is close to the profile Redding I use, but I just like the Redding better. They all will get you the correct diameter if set up correctly.

For now I use a Lee full FL carbide size die>my Dillon carbide sizer. A Dillon seat die and Redding crimp die

[khmer6]

Maybe it was a match barrel

[skykingjohn]

Cowboy T just wanted to say thanks for the videos on reloading watched them when i started loading and they were a great help . It helped me to learn die setting and good reloading practices thanks again john

[Cowboy T]

You're welcome, glad they helped!

[TybrneRyan]

I've had great success with the LFCD in auto pistols such as the 45 ACP using H&G # 68 and 130 in my 1911. I don't use it for my 44's or 45 colts.