Back to reloading soon---question.

The FCD allows you to seat and crimp in separate steps on a progressive loader. Since you are loading for cowboy loads, I assume you will be using soft lead bullets. That means slightly flaring the case mouths so that you don't shave the lead. By adjusting the FCD, you can make it close up the mouth so there is no more bell. You can do that with the bullet seater/crimp die also, but its a little more exacting. For 45, both the seat/crimp die and the FCD produce roll crimps when adjusted below the point of removing the bell. The FCD also has a carbide sizing ring to do a final full length resize of the case.

Since the dies are so inexpensive to begin with, I always get the Lee 4 die sets for pistol. $10 isn't worth sweating it and it's better than wishing you had it to try but didn't.

I have the FCDs for most of my revolver cartridges. Really, for medium loads, they weren't really necessary for my .357 or .44 mag or .45 Colt loads since I use a very mild roll crimp. When I used the single stage press, I eventually got out of the habit of using them completely. Being lazy, it meant having to screw in another die and handle all the rounds once again, so I just got so I did the seating and crimping in one move. That doesn't work as well when I need a heavier roll crimp like I often do for .454 and .480 Ruger. I made a bulge on some of the .480 Ruger loads one time by applying a heavy roll crimp and seating and crimping in one operation. I don't have a FCD for that one, so I now seat and then crimp in separate operations if I need a good heavy roll.

But ever since I went to a Lee Classic Turret, it's just a simple lever throw to use the FCD, so I do it that way for all the cartridges.

If it was me, I would get the 4 die sets with the FCD. Then you can make up your own mind on which way to do it best.

I use the separate crimp die for all my pistol reloading. 99% of my reloads are with cast bullets and the FCD gives a bit more control. Easily worth the extra saw buck.

Welcome back to reloading. The 45 Colt is one of my two favorite cartridges (the other being 38 Special). I load the 45 with black powder, fun and mild, to heavy duty stuff in the Blackhawk, and everything in between.

Jeff

Walkalong said:

Skip the FCD. Buy a $10 Lee crimp only die to crimp in a separate step if you do not want to seat/crimp in the same step. If you are loading lead with a good crimp groove or a jacketed bullet with a good cannelure, there is absolutely no need to crimp in a second step.

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In your opinion, when would you use the FCD?

agree with walkalong on the extra regular crimp die. suggest you use a heavy roll crimp on those "ruger only" loads.

murf

With all due respects to Walkalong and others, in my experience, the FCD will doing everything a regular taper crimp die will do, depending on how you adjust it. Vice versa is not true nor will a taper crimp die roll a crimp into a groove. While the FCD die can't roll crimp exactly, the "factory crimp" will accomplish the same thing "pressing" the edge into a groove. That said, I don't recommend crimping with it as per Lee's instructions unless you've got a crimping groove, as that will crush bullets. Go lighter. You can crush bullets BTW with any crimp die. Be aware, that a roll crimp always needs a crimping groove (cannelure).

You should close the flare made to seat your lead bullets and that's all if your bullet have not cannelure...more crimp than that needs a crimping groove. Adjusting any seating die requires trial and error adjustment. Too much crimp sometimes bulges the case below the crimp...Lee takes care of that (mistake) by sizing again as you crimp. If you don't over crimp you generally don't need that resizing. Still it's insurance for those in a hurry as Walkalong hinted at.