Lee Factory Crimp die for Handgun Cartridges and Cast Bullets

[1hole]

I was being rhetorical.

I think that’s pretty much what I said?

You seem to presume too much; I was addressing and explaining several responses about the FCD, not all of which were you. ??

[phidelt208]

I use this on my 9mm and it helps with the dogbone effect in the case a bit. I am not using an undersized sizing die though.

[DougGuy]

Never heard so much squabbling over something that doesn't even enter the picture. *IF* you use a .356" in 9mm, the FCD WILL NOT size it down in the case. .357" it depends on the individual FCD as there are variances, they are not all created equal.

Now.. Load some ,358" and pull a boolit or two after your FCD passes over it! VOILA!! Now you have a .357"

I throat 9mm barrels for .358" and most of the guys I know size to .358" and if it don't plunk at the COA they want to load to, they send me the barrels and they get them back running .358" like a Singer sewing machine. NO FCD needed. Load, taper crimp, and shoot. That's IT.

If you DO happen to use the FCD on a .358" and you notice it's swaging on you after pulling a boolit or two, you have to also know that you have relaxed probably 80% of your case tension which does more work than the crimp for holding boolits against setback. Setback in a 9mm can be catastrophic.

[Conditor22]

I do things a little different than many people,

I use the NOE neck expanding die the same size as my boolit (brass spring back .001+ after sizing)
I find the seated boolits sit snugly in the case and are not downsized
then I use the LFC only to where it removes the case mouth flare and chambers

My 2¢

[GONRA]

GONRA sez: Pay attention to Doby45.

[GONRA]

GONRA sez: Pay attention to Doby45.

[Traffer]

Thank you for your opinion.

The FCD has it's place in shooting, just as Recluse said it is a tool. It should be used when needed and does not have to be used when it is unneeded or proven to cause a problem for YOUR weapon. A hammer is a very useful and general tool, but it is not used on every job.

Above is Doby45's first post on this thread.
I Traffer have used hammers on Lee FCD's, but only occasionally to drive the collets out.

[ioon44]

Never heard so much squabbling over something that doesn't even enter the picture. *IF* you use a .356" in 9mm, the FCD WILL NOT size it down in the case. .357" it depends on the individual FCD as there are variances, they are not all created equal.

Now.. Load some ,358" and pull a boolit or two after your FCD passes over it! VOILA!! Now you have a .357"

I throat 9mm barrels for .358" and most of the guys I know size to .358" and if it don't plunk at the COA they want to load to, they send me the barrels and they get them back running .358" like a Singer sewing machine. NO FCD needed. Load, taper crimp, and shoot. That's IT.

If you DO happen to use the FCD on a .358" and you notice it's swaging on you after pulling a boolit or two, you have to also know that you have relaxed probably 80% of your case tension which does more work than the crimp for holding boolits against setback. Setback in a 9mm can be catastrophic.

This is solid info, pay attention to what DougGuy has said. Correct neck tension is critical.

[1hole]

As far as I'm concerned, any and all swaging issues with the FCD are end-user issues.

Ditto. Those who judge FCD users to be incompetent loaders using it as a "crutch" to compensate for "poor die adjustment" are not adjusting their own FCD properly. (No tool works well if it's used incorrectly!)

I find the poll interesting. Seems some 75% of us often use FCDs; maybe it's not bad at all?

[robertbank]

Ditto. Those who judge FCD users to be incompetent loaders using it as a "crutch" to compensate for "poor die adjustment" are not adjusting their own FCD properly. (No tool works well if it's used incorrectly!)

I find the poll interesting. Seems some 75% of us often use FCDs; maybe it's not bad at all?

Ove my FCD for rifles, the ones for handgun cartridges not at all because when you smooth out the bulge from loading your .358 sized bullet in your sized 35spl case you end up with a smaller diameter bullet and that clearly is not what you want.

Take Care

Bob

[iflyskyhigh]

When I use my screwdriver to paint my ceiling it always ends up making holes and barely applies any paint.

Conclusion: The screwdriver is a terrible tool.

Use the correct tool for the job……don’t get mad at the tool when you misuse it and it doesn’t work.

[robertbank]

When I use my screwdriver to paint my ceiling it always ends up making holes and barely applies any paint.

Conclusion: The screwdriver is a terrible tool.

Use the correct tool for the job……don’t get mad at the tool when you misuse it and it doesn’t work.

I would be more inclined to think anyone using a screwdriver to paint a ceiling has some serious mental issues.
Squeezing down a case using the FCD just because it has a bulge in the case from the bullet and expecting it not to affect the diameter of the lead bullet inside the case is delusional unless of course you are Captain Kirk of the Enterprise. Just saying.

Take Care

Bob

[iflyskyhigh]

[onelight]

What he said /\
If if FCD does not give you the results you want and you have another option it would be silly to use it .
If it does give you the results you want and it simplifies your process and it's cheaper than other options it would be silly not to use it.

[1hole]

Squeezing down a case using the FCD just because it has a bulge in the case from the bullet and expecting it not to affect the diameter of the lead bullet inside the cash is delusional ...

Everyone has to make his choices based on what he finds to be most needful. The fallacy in your reasoning is that you're presuming a common web error about the FCD is true; NO ONE with a functional brain has ever said the FCD will not swage down an overly fat bullet.

But, the post sizing ring in Lee's handgun LCD is NOT made simply to reduce the unsightly case bulge caused by seating greatly oversized bollits into excessively resized cases. Instead, the FCD is made to make sure that all ammo run through it will reliably seat in any SAAMI chamber without jamming, even if it costs a smidgin of accuracy.

Neither I nor my handguns are made for Benchrest handgun competition so I don't care if my 20 yard combat groups are a half inch larger than absolute best accuracy. I'm far more concerned about absolute freedom from jamming and I get that assurance from using my FCDs.

Everyone has to pursue what's most important to themselves but it should be done with a proper understanding of what's happening. Gurus faithfully repeating what they've read on the web aren't much help for understanding anything.

[Carrier]

I use a FCD for every handgun caliber I reload for as I really like the way it works for crimping. For cast bullets I just knocked the ring out and no chance of it swaging the bullet.
For the price of them I have two for each caliber and keep the ring in one.
I imagine these threads will be around for as long as there is reloading. I really don’t care if if some use it or not works for me.

[mac60]

Everyone has to make his choices based on what he finds to be most needful. The fallacy in your reasoning is that you're presuming a common web error about the FCD is true; NO ONE with a functional brain has ever said the FCD will not swage down an overly fat bullet.

But, the post sizing ring in Lee's handgun LCD is NOT made simply to reduce the unsightly case bulge caused by seating greatly oversized bollits into excessively resized cases. Instead, the FCD is made to make sure that all ammo run through it will reliably seat in any SAAMI chamber without jamming, even if it costs a smidgin of accuracy.

Neither I nor my handguns are made for Benchrest handgun competition so I don't care if my 20 yard combat groups are a half inch larger than absolute best accuracy. I'm far more concerned about absolute freedom from jamming and I get that assurance from using my FCDs.

Everyone has to pursue what's most important to themselves but it should be done with a proper understanding of what's happening. Gurus faithfully repeating what they've read on the web aren't much help for understanding anything.

Finally! Someone who actually gets it.

[robertbank]

Everyone has to make his choices based on what he finds to be most needful. The fallacy in your reasoning is that you're presuming a common web error about the FCD is true; NO ONE with a functional brain has ever said the FCD will not swage down an overly fat bullet.

But, the post sizing ring in Lee's handgun LCD is NOT made simply to reduce the unsightly case bulge caused by seating greatly oversized bollits into excessively resized cases. Instead, the FCD is made to make sure that all ammo run through it will reliably seat in any SAAMI chamber without jamming, even if it costs a smidgin of accuracy.

Neither I nor my handguns are made for Benchrest handgun competition so I don't care if my 20 yard combat groups are a half inch larger than absolute best accuracy. I'm far more concerned about absolute freedom from jamming and I get that assurance from using my FCDs.

Everyone has to pursue what's most important to themselves but it should be done with a proper understanding of what's happening. Gurus faithfully repeating what they've read on the web aren't much help for understanding anything.

What a load of horse pucky. What do you consider "greatly oversized bullets"? The 9MM cae will show a bulge in the case with a lead bullet sized .356 one one thousandth larger in diameter of the bore and the size of jacketed bullets/ Smooth out that "unsightly" bulge and you sized down the lead bullet. You at least acknowledge that aspect you progress is being made. Last year I shot over 6,000 9MM lead bullets sized .357". Every one of them had an "unsightly" bulge none failed to seat , fire or eject. In addition I cast and size 356402 Lyman truncated cone bullets in excess of 5,000 for other shooters who use them to shoot steel, IPSC, and IDPA. None use the FCD, everyone of those bullets cause "unsightly" bulges in the 9MM cases and they feed, fire and eject just fine. all of the shooters includimg me apply a taper crimp to the cartridges just to eliminate the belling we apply to ease the bullet into the case whule seating same.

With straight walled cases like the 38spl you get tha "unsightly" bulge when you use lead bullets sized .358. I have used the RSBS 158gr RN bullet for years in competitions with no issues. I don't use a roll crimp on the case but simply apply enough crimp to remove the belling on the case. Using speed loaders the cartridges load just fine and shoot even better. Removing the "unsightly" bulge in the case would do nothing for performance and reduce the diameter of the bullet by the amount of the bulge. The result of such a reduction can produce leading due to gas cutting. That is why most of us have no use for the FCD when our regular crimping die is capable of removing just the belling from the case. I have never experienced bullet set back die to the lack of a rolled crimp when shooting properly sized lead bullets in the 38spl and standard 38spl factory levels.

Incidentally before the "ya but" crowd goes crazy you should know I love my FCD for rifle cartridges. For my uses. the FCD shines for crimping my 30-30, .303, 7.62x39, .308 and 30-06 cartridges. I just have no use for the FCD for pistol cartridges it is a solution to a non-existent problem. The regular crimping die works just fine. That "unsightly" bulge you refer to is just the result of properly lead and and in some cases jacketed sized bullets entering a case.

You really don't get it if you are using the FCD to make yourself pretty non bulged cartridges.

For those who knock the ring out I am sure you will get nice rolled crimps. Not sure how it would work for the tapered 9MM case, but there you are. Different strokes for different folks.

Take Care

Bob

[pelikan800]

Bought a Lee FCD recently for some cast loads in my Henry 30-30. Have reloaded approx. 50 rounds and really like it. Real firm grip on the crimp groove. Might buy one for my 45-70 too. Thumbs up!

[robertbank]

Bought a Lee FCD recently for some cast loads in my Henry 30-30. Have reloaded approx. 50 rounds and really like it. Real firm grip on the crimp groove. Might buy one for my 45-70 too. Thumbs up!

Congrats. If this thread was about the Lee FCD for rifles your post would have been a bit more relevant. The FCD for rifles is not the same die as the one designed for pistols.

Take Care

Bob