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View Poll Results: Do you use the Lee factory Crimp Die when loading pistol cartridges withcast bullets

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  • Yes, I use the FCD for all my handgun cartridge loadings when using cast bullets.

    574 65.90%
  • No, I never use this die as it swages down my cast bullets

    297 34.10%
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Thread: Lee Factory Crimp die for Handgun Cartridges and Cast Bullets

  1. #41
    Boolit Master DanM's Avatar
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    IMHO, the Lee FCD is most useful when using mixed range auto pistol brass.
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  2. #42
    Boolit Master
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    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.

  3. #43
    Boolit Master
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    My take on the Lee carbide factory crimp die is I generally like it. But when I got My Marlin 44 Mag. I found out real quick that I needed .432 boolits. The carbide ring in the crimp die sized the 44 boolit back down to small for my Marlins likes. So I looked in the Lee catalog and saw that they made a rifle version of the crimp die for the 44-40 with out the carbide ring. I got that die and it works great.................Terry

  4. #44
    Boolit Master 0verkill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zxcvbob View Post
    I agree that it's generally a solution in search of a problem. But it's handy for a few tasks (that could also be done differently without a special die, like by sizing your boolits a little smaller so they won't bulge)

    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.
    That part about the 45 Colt sounds like it could be a good idea.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master
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    Not to change the subject but does anyone here know that Redding is coming out with a pistol sizing die that has two carbide rings. The top one is to size for the bullet and the lower one is larger to size only down by the head/rim of the case like the LEE FCD. It is in the new Sinclair International 2011-A catalog and is suppose to be available this April. It looks like it should work great by not overworking the lower part of the case.

  6. #46
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Highwall View Post
    Not to change the subject but does anyone here know that Redding is coming out with a pistol sizing die that has two carbide rings. The top one is to size for the bullet and the lower one is larger to size only down by the head/rim of the case like the LEE FCD. It is in the new Sinclair International 2011-A catalog and is suppose to be available this April. It looks like it should work great by not overworking the lower part of the case.
    I'll sign up for the first run of .45 Colt, other than that caliber I don't believe I need.

  7. #47
    Boolit Buddy Ziptar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Highwall View Post
    Not to change the subject but does anyone here know that Redding is coming out with a pistol sizing die that has two carbide rings. The top one is to size for the bullet and the lower one is larger to size only down by the head/rim of the case like the LEE FCD. It is in the new Sinclair International 2011-A catalog and is suppose to be available this April. It looks like it should work great by not overworking the lower part of the case.
    Reading on line catalog page for their new Dual Ring Carbide Dies

    Sounded good to me too for the 45 Colt..... Then I saw the price...

    $139.50

  8. #48
    Boolit Master
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    I believe that is for a complete set of dies not just the sizer and that is the suggested retail price

  9. #49
    Boolit Buddy Ziptar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Highwall View Post
    I believe that is for a complete set of dies not just the sizer and that is the suggested retail price
    Oh, In that case......


    $139.50

  10. #50
    Boolit Master
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    So what is the difference between Redding and the now marketed Lee carbide crimp die for pistols? Or is it that Lee started a trend in this kind of die and its been accepted by other makers?

    I chase rainbows for better reloading gear so if there is a pot of gold, I lace my shoes for the race to get it

  11. #51
    Boolit Master
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    The new Redding sizing die has two carbide rings, a smaller one on top where the bullet goes and a larger one on the bottom near the case rim.

  12. #52
    Boolit Master
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    I use mine for use in my T/C 14" 30-30 bbl and my cast rifle loads.I flare the cases just enough to get the gas check to start and then use the LFC die to just bring the flare straight again after fully seating bullet to proper depth.No actual crimp
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  13. #53
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    I think these "Lee Pistol Factory Crimp Die" topics have been on prolly every reloading forum out there. Lee is sure getting a lot of free press on them! I tried on on my .44 Magnums. Loss of accuracy when compared to plain old Lyman roll crimp. Also, I have never had a problem chambering a round, in my semi autos and revolvers, that could not be corrected by proper die adjustments...
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  14. #54
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by mdi View Post
    I think these "Lee Pistol Factory Crimp Die" topics have been on prolly every reloading forum out there. Lee is sure getting a lot of free press on them! I tried on on my .44 Magnums. Loss of accuracy when compared to plain old Lyman roll crimp. Also, I have never had a problem chambering a round, in my semi autos and revolvers, that could not be corrected by proper die adjustments...
    +1

    I fed 400 of my standard IPSC loads (H&G #68 45-185-SWCBB over 231) thru a Riesing Mod. 50 sub gun after I ran out of the 45-200-RNPB loads. Not a single bobble or FTF. I must be doing something right.

    My CH four die set in an old AutoChamp MK 5A produces excellent ammo as long as I do my job. My Dillon SDB produces excellent 9mm, 38 Super and 40 S&W. I loaded thousands of 38, 357, 41 Mag, 44 Mag and 45 Colt on single stage presses without a LFCD.

    I don't think I need one or ever will. But that's just me.........and a few thousand others!
    How's that hope and change working for you?

  15. #55
    Boolit Grand Master in Remembrance


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    Quote Originally Posted by ubetcha View Post
    I use mine for use in my T/C 14" 30-30 bbl and my cast rifle loads.I flare the cases just enough to get the gas check to start and then use the LFC die to just bring the flare straight again after fully seating bullet to proper depth.No actual crimp
    The rifle caliber FCD is an entirely different animal from the handgun caliber FCD.

  16. #56
    Boolit Master dudel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcwit View Post
    Still seems amazing all these years accurate ammo has been loaded without the use of a FCD. Absoluting amazing.

    Wonder if the ammo manufactures use a FCD, they might be missing out on something, suppose?
    Actually yes, they do. It's called post sizing.
    http://www.ammoload.com/
    http://www.ammoload.com/mark_x_stations.htm

    or a Camdex http://www.camdexloader.com/2100Pistol.aspx
    This starts the progression as follows: size and deprime, primer pocket probe to assure the entire primer has been removed from the primer pocket, prime, powder drop, powder probe (for over and under charge)and case-mouth bell, initial bullet seating, finish-depth bullet seating and final sizing, crimp and bullet check.

    Noting of course, that most commercial ammo is jacketed not cast.

    FCDs work fine for me, with no accuracy problems. I prefer to seat and crimp in two steps. It makes adjusting the seating depth easier (when changing projectile profiles) without having to worry about the crimp (one die to adjust). I use them primarily for 9mm and .357jacketed rounds.

    I've seen no ill effects when using them with Lee TL boolits.

  17. #57
    Boolit Master


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    There are other ways to make use of these Lee handgun FC dies.

    I load a range of diameters in straight wall handgun cases, a pain in the gazootie, but I gotta do it to fit boolits to throats. My die collection goes back forty years and I was an early convert to carbide sizers. Many standard sizers produce case diameters much too small for full bodied CBs. The expander stems leaves a wasp waisted round, which overworks the brass and looks sucky. Some time ago, I ran cases into all my handgun sizer dies and recorded the results. There were some gaps in the resulting diameters that I wanted to fill.

    In the 45 Colt, I have carbide sizers from Dillon, RCBS (Cowboy) and Lee. These produce sized case inside diameters of 0.446, 0.448 and 0.449, all too small for bullets of 0.454 and up. A steel RCBS sizer from 1974 yields an ID of 0.450, but required lubrication.

    I knew the Lee straight case handgun factory crimp dies featured carbide rings of somewhat larger diameter than normal sizer dies, so I bought these in 45 ACP and 45 Colt. The 45 Colt FC die would hardly touch a fired case, but the 45 ACP die gave me an ID of 0.452, a useful increase of 0.003 over the next largest standard carbide sizer.

    So, when sizing for 0.455 slugs, I use the Lee 45 ACP FC die with the seating guts removed. Similar advantages are found in the 38s and 44s. If they made one for the 32s, I'd buy one. The top inside of these dies is threaded, but not for standard decappers, so an adapter bushing has to be made in order to decap when sizing.

    The Lee FC die for the 9mm Makarov also makes a good seater for 0.361 CBs in the 38 S&W. My regular seaters won't accept that diameter.

    Very useful tools, even if used off label.

    Mark

  18. #58
    Boolit Master
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    My response would have been something along the lines of:

    I use it for most of my cast handgun loads, with few exceptions.
    scrap, smelt, cast, lube, load, shoot. repeat.

  19. #59
    Boolit Master

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    I have the FCD in 45ACP, and I use it as a final crimp die, but I've changed a few things with it. I also bought the bulge buster kit, and I also have 2 sets of 45ACP dies, a Lee set, and a Lyman set. As I'm loading cast boolits, I like using the M die that comes with the Lyman set, so I never use the Lee expander die, so what I did was to remove the top crimping parts of the FCD, and installed the bulge buster kit onto the FCD body. I then took the Lee expander die, and removed the expander ring in it, and replaced it with the crimping ring, and that's what I use as the final crimping die. When I use the FCD body with the bulge buster attached, it's usually only with empty brass, where it basically sizes the whole case, and as there's no boolit in it there's no chance it will size it down. Used this way, I find the crimp it provides works well with the cast boolits I reload, so I'm happy. This change is really easier than it sounds, and where before I had one die I had no use for (the Lee expander), and one that I had questionable use for (the FCD) I now have 2 dies that each have a very good use. Just my $0.02
    - MikeS

    Want to checkout my feedback? It's here:
    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...d.php?t=136410

  20. #60
    Boolit Master

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    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 $$ !!!
    GP100man

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check