A question on the Lee 380 acp Factory Crimp Die

[bedbugbilly]

Just a question - not wanting to start a pro/con or Lee bashing thread . . . .

I'm getting more interested/serious about loading 380 acp to shoot in a couple of pistols I have - I have loaded some in the past but I'm now playing with about three different boolits - one a PC 95 gr. round nose one the Lee 358-105 SWC and the NOE 358-100 FN (basically a
round face).

I have read where many have good luck with the Lee 358-105 SWC, but I am not having much luck with it in different COAL - loaded in dummy rounds and hand cycling in the Beretta 84 and S & W 380 EZ. I tried sizing with a Lee .356 and .357 push through sizer - am frustrated enough with it that I'm pretty much writing it off.

OK - the vendor purchased 95 grain PC'd round nose work fine - they are .356.

My last from the NOE 358-100 old shop either R .358 - loading funny rounds "as cast" is a no go - too tight. Sized to .356 and .357 - they seem to hand cycle as dummy rounds just fine - so, yes - I can size them to .357.

My question though is in regards to the Lee .380 Factory Crimp Die.

I load cast in 9mm Luger - use a set of Lee dies and use the FCD on that cartridge . . . but it has been a loooooog time since I loaded any - on my list to do though.

In reading the description of the Lee FCD, it talks oaf the carbide ring sizing the casing to SAAMI specs and then applying an adjustable crimp that will hold the boolit - regardless of case length.

I'm using "range brass" (like many others) so the case length could certainly vary a few .001 in lot of mixed headstand brass. So . . . . .

Question 1 - If I got a Lee 380 FCE and loaded my NOE 358-100 FN boolits - which drop at .359, will the Lee FCD swage the boolit down with the carbide ring so that it is as large as it can be, (in diameter) and still fit in a cartridge gauge (since the ring sizes to SAAMI specs) or should I just go ahead and size then all to .357?

Question 2 - Exactly what is the "crimp" that the die applies? Is it a taper crimp or something like a modified roll crimp? (if there is such a thing). Since the cartridge headspace on the rim, I know w the stem adjusts to size the rim to accepted headspace dimensions.

Right now - I use a Lee 4 hole turret - I'm using a Lee 3 die set - FL size, expand and then seat with the Lee dies and then I apply a taper crimp with an old RCBS taper crimp die I have.

Is it worth changing to a Lee FCD to run each one through the carbide ring and then use the FCD to apply the crimp - or stick with the way I'm doing it now?

I cast with "ranger lead" and I will probably stick with the NOE 358-100 - so will the Lee FCD eliminate the need to size the boolit from .358 to .357 and eliminate that step - or is there something I'm not seeing?

I'll also add that I'm not planning on loading "hot" - primarily a decent plinking load that will cycle both pistols.

Thanks.

[Ed_Shot]

I load .380 ACP for a Bersa, LCP and Colt Mustang and I use the Lee FCD for .380. I use a single stage press. I have the Lee 356-102-1R but my favorite for .380 is the Lyman 356242 (90 gr.). Both molds drop at .359 and I PC and size to .358. The FCD applies a taper crimp. +1 for range brass and mixed headstamps. Truth is, I don't know if the FDC is swagging down my boolit (I would not doubt it) but I never bothered to check. I get perfect function, no leading and they're more accurate than I am. If it ain't broke....

[onelight]

I the used RCBS 3 die carbide set for 380 for at least 20 years it worked .
I have been using the Lee carbide factory crimp die since they came out they both work but I prefer the FCD for several reasons and it is all I use now for 380 , and have used it for at least 7 different 380 pistols . At this time for the LCP , Remmington RM380, CZ83 and Walther PPK . I may at some point have a situation where I need to use a regular taper crimp die again in 380 but have not at this point .
I do load the Lee 105 grain swc in 380.

[bedbugbilly]

Thank you both - greatly appreciate the info and thoughts. I located a Lee 380 FCD and have it in hand so will give it a try. I do use the Lee FCD in several other calibers but thought I could get away without it in the 380 - I have a hunch that it will take care of the issues I am having.

My NOE .358 100 grain FN are dropping right at .358 - but my dummy rounds with them are tight in the two pistols I have. I sized some to .356 and .357 - the .357 worked fine so I am going to start with that and see how they shoot and if I have any leading. I try a few dummy rounds with them at .358 and use the FCD and see what happens. What has me scratching my head is that when I loaded a few dummy rounds using the .358 as cast NOE boolits and taper crimped with my older RCBS taper crimp - they fit my cartridge gauge, which to me, indicates that they meet SAAMI specs, but they were tight t in both my Smith EZ 380 - when hand cycled the slide would not close completely - yet dummy rounds with the .357 sized NOE worked perfectly - which to me, I take it that the chamber is a bit tight. Pulled the barrel and did the plunk test and the .358 dummy rounds showed that they were hanging up but those with the .357 plunked right in where they should be. I can't argue with "what is" and can certainly size to .357 - there must be just enough of a build up of tolerances that even though the .358 dummy round shows it is within spec in my cartridge gauge, it's sa tad bit too tight in the chamber to use.

I am using a set of Lee 380 dies - and I use a number of Lee sets as well as others and have no issues or problems with the Lee dies. My .380 seating die though, appears to not be machined correctly on the inside. If I adjust it in the press as the instructions indicate, with the seating stem screwed up - if I run a .380 casing up in the die,, it swages the mouth of the casing down about .125 to .150. I can adjust the die up in th press so that doesn't happen but then I barely have enough adjustment with the seating stem all the way in to seat a RN boolit. The seating stem is for a RN, so not really enough to seat the NOE FN boolit. I have a set of Lyman dies coming from a friend so that problem will be taken care of as the seating die has both a RN and FN stem.

Normally, I load my pistol cartridges using a Lee 4 hole turret press - but since I'm not loading large quantities of the 380s, I'll switch and batch load on my RCBS Jr3 single stage. I have an identical press at our place in Arizona so I am going to switch out the die rings and put on some split rings that tighten up with a allen screw - adjust the dies to the single stage and then take the die set with me when we go to AZ for the winter - should save on having to adjust dies each time.

I sized the Lee .358 - 105 SWC to .357 and seated so that there is about a fingernail thickness of the top band showing. They fit the cartridge gauge with no problems, but I could not get them to hand cycle in either the Smith 380 EZ or the Beretta 84. When hand cycling dummy rounds, they just won't feed into the chamber smoothly and end up hanging up. Not a biggie as I use them in 38 Colt Short - an excellent boolit. I think the NOE 358-100 FN is going to be my huckleberry, but I'll keep playing with the Lee 105 SWC as I have read how so many love it in their 380s.

I had a Bersa 380 at one time but never reloaded for it as I didn't keep it long enough. It was used and when I took it home and tried it out - the previous owner had done "trigger work" on it evidently. It had such a light trigger on it that 50& of the time, when I fired a round it touched another one off as well. It went back to the LGS and they immediately took it back. I liked the Bersa and would like to add one when I run across a new one.

Thanks again for the help and I will give the FCD a try. It took me a bit to get the bugs worked out of my 9mm loading when I started so I figure the 380 is no different - it is all fun though.

[bedbugbilly]

Ed and inflight - loaded up some dummy rounds with the BOE 358-100 FN - basically the same profile as the Lee TL356-95 RF _ I sized them to >357 and seated to .915' I pulled my taper crimp and replaced it with the Lee 380 FCD. A couple of quick adjustments and WALLA! Dummy rounds fit the cartridge gauge perfect and hand cycled in the S & W 380EZ and Beretta 84 like butter. Boolits drop at 100 - 102 grains and it looks like I have a winning combination. I have "parked" the taper crimp die and it looks like the FCD is the true "huckleberry".

I thank you for your input and help!