45acp dies

[onelight]

Given that if ammunition must work in an autoloader proper procedure is to run it through a gauge or the gun’s chamber first it is rather hard to see the LFCD as some sort of lifesaving device.

Again....if your rounds don’t fit, find the cause and fix that rather than trying to crush an oversized round into shape. If rounds don’t fit investigate why not. The result is more consistent ammunition.

A thick case or oversized bullet really needs to be culled from the good ammo, not fixed by squashing it while possibly allowing it to have the same problem when reloaded again.

Do you really think that 2/3 of the people that responded to the poll can't tell the difference between ammunition that leads and is inaccurate and ammunition that does not lead and is accurate for its intended use.

[35remington]

One of the things you must accept on a forum is that someone who knows precisely what he is talking about will find the use of the LFCD to be unnecessary and in some specific cases, actually detrimental.

Did you notice a significant portion of those polled felt it fell into that category? So do I. Not because I haven’t used one, but rather because I have. My current ones have the guts removed after making a negative assessment of their utility.

They are now used as bulge busters for unsized bulk purchase mixed case empty brass where they serve well. Now a push through die, not a sizing crimper.

No, I do not expect everyone to be as discriminating as me, but I don’t care to shoot anyone else’s ammo either. I prefer to do it a way I judge to be better.

[Burnt Fingers]

Rob, the much misunderstood and improperly used Lee FCD for handgun ammo IS just another tool for those who need it - and that's NOT because the loader doesn't know what the supposed web "experts" think it is!

The point of the FCD is to make ammo that will function every time, all the time; that's not a bad quality. Used "due to some (bad) reloading practices" ? That's not true and no one I've read has ever said what "bad practices" they are talking about!

Some reloaders presume that ALL cast bullets will shoot better if they are fatter than jacketed bullets; that isn't so but the myth persists. If we mix a fat bullet and a thick case with a tight chamber the odds of a stuck round (when you need it most?) goes way up and it just might get you killed. Lee's FCD and it's post crimp sizing ring is made to prevent failures to chamber and they do it without even touching a round that is "normal" diameter.

Thus, those people who loudly proclaim the FCD is a "crutch" for poor technique simply don't know what they're talking about.

Let's see.

I loaded right at 50K of 45 ACP and 9mm last year. Loaded and shot to be precise. I've got at least a dozen 9mm firearms and the same for 45 ACP.

I don't use/didn't need the crutch of a Lee CFCD. All my rounds, loaded with bullets I cast, work in every firearm that's chambered for them.

Most of the 9mm rounds look like a coke bottle due to the use of .357 bullets. They work just fine.

I run every round through an EGW case gauge. My failure rate is less than 0.1%, far less. In the past two weeks I've loaded 4,200 9mm. I had one round that failed the case gauge. It had a small defect in the mouth of the case. I've loaded 2,400 rounds of 45 ACP. All rounds passed the case gauge.

The Lee CFCD is a crutch. It's used to hide bad reloading practices. 35Remington has it right.

Either you're using it for mental masturbation. It accomplishes nothing but makes you feel good. Or you're using it to hide bad reloading practices.

If your equipment, minus the Lee CFCD can't produce quality working ammo then you need better equipment.

[Burnt Fingers]

Let's see.

I loaded right at 50K of 45 ACP and 9mm last year. Loaded and shot to be precise. I've got at least a dozen 9mm firearms and the same for 45 ACP.

I don't use/didn't need the crutch of a Lee CFCD. All my rounds, loaded with bullets I cast, work in every firearm that's chambered for them.

Most of the 9mm rounds look like a coke bottle due to the use of .357 bullets. They work just fine.

I run every round through an EGW case gauge. My failure rate is less than 0.1%, far less. In the past two weeks I've loaded 4,200 9mm. I had one round that failed the case gauge. It had a small defect in the mouth of the case. I've loaded 2,400 rounds of 45 ACP. All rounds passed the case gauge.

The Lee CFCD is a crutch. It's used to hide bad reloading practices. 35Remington has it right.

Either you're using it for mental masturbation. It accomplishes nothing but makes you feel good. Or you're using it to hide bad reloading practices.

If your equipment, minus the Lee CFCD can't produce quality working ammo then you need better equipment.

I have other shooters at my club begging to use my ammo. One is a double Distinguished Marksman US Army Command Sgt. Major. He tells everyone that the 9mm ammo I produce is the most accurate he's ever shot. He's also shooting my 45 ACP ammo right now.

[Walstr]

I use an old set of lymans and have never had an issue. Second the carbide recommendation. I do plan to upgrade mine to Dillons eventually though as I prefer their dies due to their decapping and stuck case removal being nicer in my opinion. I also like their seating die stems being flippable rather than multiple stems.

Dad uses older Dillons with the MP 454-200s, Hg68s, and HG130s I make for him and has never had an issue with them to my knowledge.

I dunno, aftr cleaning, I tumble polish/lube the 45ACP cases & they behave very nicely during resize; same with 45-70 & .357/.38, etc.

[justindad]

This seems to be the same myth as the Lee FCD.

Can you find me one case with someone being charged with using handloads in a legal self defense situation?

I have zero trust for our legal system. As political winds blow, you may be unfortunate to have used reloads in self-defense. Conside this: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...otings.821474/

[44MAG#1]

I have zero trust for our legal system. As political winds blow, you may be unfortunate to have used reloads in self-defense. Conside this: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...otings.821474/

I don't trust the legal system either. The gun hating lawyers, gun hating law enforcement, gun hating judges, gun hating doctors, gun hating private citizens will hurl anything at you they can. If you eliminate one thing they will come up with something else to take its place. What about being a shooter that practices and does IDPA, IPSC or the other speed demon sports portraying one as a person looking and carrying for trouble?
Anything WILL and CAN BE used AGAINST you.
What about the selection of FACTORY ammo? Those deadly HP's. Those deadly LIBERTY CIVIL DEFENSE rounds. Oooooh.
ANYTHING can and WILL BE used against you.
So what does one do?

[justindad]

Can’t argue against that. You can’t even train in Karate without that being held against you. I have heard about a case of a person being unjustly prosecuted because he used a 10mm in self defense, as if the power of that cartridge implied malicious intent.

[charlie b]

...Either you're using it for mental masturbation. It accomplishes nothing but makes you feel good. Or you're using it to hide bad reloading practices.
If your equipment, minus the Lee CFCD can't produce quality working ammo then you need better equipment.

I've loaded a lot of ammo without the Lee FCD and a lot with it. Why do I use Lee dies now? They are less expensive and just as good as a set of more expensive std die sets for my uses. Yes, I've used RCBS back in my youth. Never saw a reason to use it again.

Yes, if I do not flare the case mouth I don't need to use the FCD die in my set of dies. Yes, I could use the roll crimp feature in the seating die to get rid of a slight flare in the case mouth. I just prefer to do it with the taper crimp in the FCD.

Mental masturbation???? That's a bit rude. Just because I don't do things the way you do them. I applaud your opinion of your reloading skills. You can keep them.

[StuBach]

Just going to say this. I think it’s kinda rude for everyone to have turned this thread into an argument over the FCD yet again. Which seems to happen every time a die thread gets started, let the hate go. If you hate the FCD, don’t use it, if you love it, have at. The creator of this thread just wanted honest opinions of what dies to buy and he’s gotten a ton of responses with opinion on which is best.

End result: buy the best you can afford and fits your need. All dies can be used to make quality ammo so you can’t really go wrong if you use solid technique.

Please everyone put the FCD argument to rest.

[44MAG#1]

Just going to say this. I think it’s kinda rude for everyone to have turned this thread into an argument over the FCD yet again. Which seems to happen every time a die thread gets started, let the hate go. If you hate the FCD, don’t use it, if you love it, have at. The creator of this thread just wanted honest opinions of what dies to buy and he’s gotten a ton of responses with opinion on which is best.

End result: buy the best you can afford and fits your need. All dies can be used to make quality ammo so you can’t really go wrong if you use solid technique.

Please everyone put the FCD argument to rest.

It just isn't this forum it is all of them to some extent, some more than others.
When one asks a question everyone that answers takes the position that the OP has no knowledge on the subject so the professors start their educational process.
Some will also post with a system of maybe curiosity and nothing else but are just seeing what others are doing.
Some post just to start a conversation.
Some post to really get help but are bombarded by suggestions that would mean jumping through mental hoops for the unknowing to do or understand because they feel the more complicated they make it the better they look.
Some like to show off their knowledge so they unload it like they unload their 9MM at the local speed shoot.
It takes all kinds. That is what makes it interesting.

[Soundguy]

im using lee 45acp dies.. and I have a lee universal expander that i use cor cast bullets of different calibers..

[Doog-Meister]

RCBS carbide dies. 1,000's of rounds, Hornaday progressive press. never a problem.

[Rich/WIS]

Have used Lee, RCBS and Hornady over the years. The Lee and RCBS went with the pistols when I sold them. When I broke down and had to have another 1911 picked up a Hornady 3 die set used with a 4th taper crimp die at a gun show for IIRC $30. Have been using them for about 15 years. They all loaded satisfactory ammo, although like a previous poster did not like the Lee sliding expander. A spacer to lock it in place and adjusting expansion by adjusting the die body and lock rings that were secured to the dies worked for me. Get the carbide set, adjust properly and don't look back.

[JoeJames]

Definitely going carbide. Can you even get non carbide pistol dies these days?

Certainly can - used ones. Just be careful. I have had excellent results with buying used dies from members, and they note which ones are carbide and which ain't.

[ddixie884]

Things have changed a lot in the last year. For a long time I tried to buy good dies used and bought several sets of Lee dies for calibers I didn't expect to load a lot of, like .455 Eley. The way things are now if you need dies you have to take them where you find them and they bring more now.......

[danmat]

I have 18 sets of dies, RCBS, Lyman, lee, and 1 set of Hornady . The Hornady dies are for 45 ACP, my son just recently bought a 1911 style 45 and the Hornady dies were the only one available. The problem with the Hornady it does not come with a crimp die, I adjusted the seater die to set the tapper crimp until I finally gave up and called Hornady and they said that set of dies does not come with a crimp function and I would have to buy a separate die, that cost something like $20.00 plus shipping. I ordered a Lee FCD for a lot less and some other stuff from Midway so I could get free shipping. The FCD works just fine. I've never had any problems with any of the different brands of dies including Lee. They all work as expected. I will say this though, I will never buy another set of Hornady dies.

I also found this out after I bought the Hornady die set.

[mvintx]

Dillon dies here and I use the standard powder funnel/case expander with a 200 grain H&G #68 sized to .453". I get a little bit of case-swelling but they shoot great in my 1911.