[CHALK22]

Okay, so from what I understand Hornady does not recommend having dies come in contact with the shell plate at all. My question is, if a.223 FCD needs to have contact with the shell plate or ram to close the crimping fingers and crimp the bullet, how do you use them on the LNL? I thought I had seen a few pics/posts around that showed presses utilising the Lee FCD.

I already outsmarted myself and turned down the bottom of my FCD on a lathe at work thinking if I could lower it enough it would clear the shell plate and still crimp. While it does crimp, it is too low and now crimps the shoulder of the shell, aaaaaaaaaaand it still hit the shell plate. So a trip to Amazon and $14 later a new .223 FCD is on it's way. So my question it, how do I do it? do I adjust it so that it just barely touches the shell plate? I am not looking for a huge crimp, I am just using .223 FMJs w/cannelures andI want to crimp them a bit.

[cfullgraf]

I do not crimp my 223 Remington AR loads, or 30-06 Garand loads for that matter, so Lee FCD is unnecessary.

I also have ARs chambered in 204 Ruger and 17 Remington and none of those rounds get crimped either.

The neck tension is adequate to hold the bullet in place.

[Waldog]

I shot and reloaded for Service Rifle and NRA High Power competition for years. I loaded ammo for the M-1A, Garand, AR and Model 70. I have never crimped a rifle cartridge. I still load a variety of rifle cartridges and NEVER crimp.

[Walkalong]

The FCD uses the shell holder or plate to push on the collet to make it work, so you are out of luck there. Get a Redding Taper Crimp die (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=726501). They work very well, and do not have to touch the plate. That is what I use to taper crimp plinking/blasting ammo (http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=118500&d=1269712656).

[longdayjake]

I still don't understand why people are crimping their .223. I know some guys can't get enough neck tension or something but I have shot thousands and thousands of uncrimped .223, 308, and .30-06 with no problems out of my semi autos. Seems like just another hassle.

[Walkalong]

I still don't understand why people are crimping their .223.. :)

[dbarnhart]

I actually talked to someone in Support at Hornady just yesterday about dies in contact with the shellplate. I explaned that I am using my RCBS 45 ACP dies and in the old Ruck Chucker I raised the ram and then screwed the die in until it touched the shellholder.

He said that coming in contact withthe shellplate is fine as long as the die is not putting *pressure* on the shellplate.

[CHALK22]

Yeah, that part I understand, as you need to touch the shellplate for die setup. The FCD actually needs pressure from the plate when the ram is raised to work correctly. Maybe I just don't need to do it on the LNL never had a problem on my LDT. Oh well.

[Shmackey]

I use dies that put pressure on my LnL shellplate all the time.

Along with some crimp dies, the Lee .308 Win neck-sizing die works by operating the collet off of shellplate pressure.

[Blue68f100]

The LCD is not needed if you setup your dies correctly an have done the necessary brass prep. Never used one, don't own one.