Opinions on the Lee factory crimp dies.

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Been reloading for over 45 years and never had a problem, even now my Dan Wesson and 1970's Colt Python have no problem when using my standard RCBS carbide dies. I have always seated and crimped separately and only use a heavy roll crimp on full house magnum loads.
When I got this new Cobra target it fed factory ammo with no problems, just my handloads would stick in the chambers.
These hand loads worked fine in my other 357's. Then I discovered if I applied no crimp they would slide right in.
This prompted me to post an inquiry here and someone recommended the Lee FCD. Did some research, read John Taffins opinion and figured $19 bucks for the die was less hassle than sending the gun back to Colt. Got the die and it worked like a charm.
Unfortunately I received the die at about the same time as the virus thing started so I haven't had a chance to shoot them but I've reloaded about 300 rounds while in "Shelter in place" , actually about 2k with all the other calibers. :eek: better than watching the Politicians on TV.
Local range opens up tomorrow and I've made a reservation so I'll report on my results.
I have rounds made the old way with no crimp and, rounds with my standard light roll crimp and rounds with the new die.
By the way this reply probably wouldn't be so long if I weren't still "Sheltering in place". :cuss:
 
I like and use them. I started using them with 200grain lswc’s in 45 acp. Now I use them for most all my pistol rounds. 9mm 45acp and 380. If the round fits tight in the die I pull it out and put it in a different box than the normal finished rounds. I use the “rejects” for function testing or some other non-accuracy related shooting.
 
I haven't seen ljnowell posting in a while, but he explained clearly to me why the fcd was resizing and deforming larger bullets causing issues. It really is a matter of once you understand you will agree. The total diameter of the round is the bullet caliber + the brass thickness x2. If your bullet is plus sized and your brass is thick your bullet can get resized by the resizing ring. I had some strange key-holing and he solved it once I quit arguing with him. He was right.

If you feel you don’t need to fix your reloading errors you can get rid of that ring.

I hope I am doing his explanation justice.
 
I use them. The only instance where it would not work for me is 44mag, where the bullets I use are slightly oversize and the carbide ring tries to size the bullet down. For the magnum calibers, though, I much prefer the Lee collet style crimpers that don’t have the carbide ring.
 
I have one that I use for 30-30. It's crimp only and does a reasonable job not a stellar one. Adjustment is key, it's easy to over do it. A crimp is necessary for me in this cartridge due to the rifle's heavy spring in the tubular magazine.

.40
 
FROGO207 said:
Lee FCD post sizing carbide ring
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forty_caliber said:
I have one that I use for 30-30.
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As posted by folks earlier, these are two different animals.

The OP is asking about the Lee FCD for pistols with the carbide "post sizing" ring.

The collet style rifle crimp die is totally different. And of course Lee also makes those for some pistol calibers, a collet crimp with no post sizing ring, but that isn't what the OP is asking about. He is asking about the standard FCD for pistols with a roll or tape crimp that post sizes.
 
I am really surprised at the number of guys here that are in favor of and use the FCD. I do not use them.
 
I use them on all rifle and pistol cartridges I load for. It has been my experience that velocity gets more consistent when crimping with LEE FCD, resulting in better accuracy.

Lately, many brands of new factory brass have been somewhat short of spec. It is much simpler to handle crimping short brass with the FCD.
 
kmw1954 said:
Not sure how you're doing it but after the powder drop I usually seat a bullet before I crimp.
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Yes, seat the bullet then crimp, I use the LCT, 4 holes, size, powder drop, seat, then crimp. When I load 38spc I use a seat die and then a regular crimp die, I feel I can produce more consistent ammo doing it in 2 stages.
 
For heavy loaded 357 and 44 mag I use the Lee collet crimp die, it is similar to the FDC but it does not post size. This has been useful for me to to prevent bullets from jumping the crimp in revolvers.
 
brutus51 said:
Got a new Colt Cobra target and the chambers were so tight I had to get one of these dies.
After some research I discovered John Taffin is a big fan of these dies.
What do you folks think?
Click to expand...

I love 'em. Say what you will about Lee gear, that die is just excellent.
 
I use the FCD with jacketed bullets. I would not use it with lead or coated or plated bullets.
 
I have a ton of LEE FCD dies for every handgun caliber I load for. Early on in my 25 year now reloading endeavor I would not do anything without them it was just so easy and worked. Even through all of the threads talking about the the sizing down of the bullets that could hurt accuracy. Back in the day I tried to test this theory with 38 special in a ransom rest. Those rounds loaded with FCD and those rounds not --- FCD showed better accuracy by a very small margin and wow talk about hate mail and how non scientific or stupid I was.

Having said all of that I have discovered the Redding Profile Crimp Die and these things to me provide a much better roll crimp. Someone that was getting out of reloading gave me one for 44 magnum and I have not looked back.
 
Bill M. said:
I use the FCD with jacketed bullets. I would not use it with lead or coated or plated bullets.
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Interesting. I've never had problems when loading jacketed bullets. My issues have been when loading slightly oversized cast bullets in some varieties of brass that are apparently thicker and result in rounds that won't chamber reliably. I get it, something has to move when those rounds are swaged down to fit. I've done it and didn't notice any difference in my offhand shooting for accuracy or leading. I'd like to see some scientific Ransom rest testing before I became a hater.
 
Bill M. said:
I use the FCD with jacketed bullets. I would not use it with lead or coated or plated bullets.
Click to expand...
It really just depends on the diameter of the bullet and the wall thickness of the brass. I can't use my 44mag FCD with the jacketed bullets from either Zero or Hornady, as they both are .430 instead of the more normal .429. On the other hand, I use an FCD all the time with plated 45acp bullets, and have used them with coated bullets as well. But I check to make sure the FCD doesn't try sizing the bullets down, it is very easy to tell when you pull the handle.
 
Interesting discussion. I use the FCD for all pistol calibers as a 4th station. Reading Laphroaig’s comment above and coupled with Walkalong’s in regards to too much resistance a light came on. Exactly the same issues I’ve been having. Jacketed go easily through the sizer ring but some hard casts require extra effort. I use primarily Starline which is known to be little thicker. Maybe this pm I’ll go out to the reloading room and see about knocking out the sizing ring in a caliber and play with some samples. I have Wilson Case Gauges so it will be easy to see if that produces a difference in final dimensions (case diameter).
 
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I still get a few rounds with run out, and the FCD easily takes care of that in lieu of pulling and damaging bullets and having to resize the case without decapping. The guns and ammo shoot better than I do. My context is handgun, straight wall mostly, with 45 ACP probably the worst offender, even with an M-die to help square up the bullet for seating. The majority of my gauging rejects are not cured by messing with the crimp, and I can easily see the run out. I am more careful now, but like having the back up of the FCD, which I use only as needed, crimping with something else if loading lead bullets.
 
I like the collet FC dies for ammo being shot in semi auto military rifles. You can produce a military type crimp on canelured jacketed bullets that keep the bullet in place when feeding into an AR or other semi auto military rifles that will set back a typical bullet seated and crimped using a standard type seating die.

The FC dies work great for 9mm and .45 acp and probably other semi auto calibers using jacketed bullets and also help eliminate setback problems and bulges. I don't find them particularly useful for revolver ammo and find the roll crimp built in the seating die for such ammunition like .38/.357 mag, .41, .44, .45 LC etc. with lead or canelured jacketed bullets is all that's needed.
 
Squeezing the whole round doesn't help neck tension, and can actually hurt it. Brass springs back more than lead. And again, we have mixed up both types of factory crimp dies without defining which.

The FCD collet type crimp die for rifle calibers (Or special order for pistol calibers) is different than the standard FCD for pistols which "post sizes" as well as crimps.
 
A "military" bullet (pulled 147s) with a crimp ledge like a cast bullet instead of a cannelure which is used in a number of "military" loadings. The brass is roll crimped into the ledge and setback is eliminated. A cannelure works well too though.
300 Blackout with 147 Gr FMJ - Modified Roll Crimp Pic 2.JPG

Then of course you have the collet style crimp in some factory rifle ammo as well, which is what Lee used to name the collet style crimp die.
7.62 X 39 FCD Die Crimp Pic 3.JPG
 
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