A poll on how we use the FCD on handgun brass

I seat and crimp in separate actions with ring still installed .

I use/d several Lee FCD . The only one that swags some rounds is my 45acp die . That only does it with thick walled cases . I will say on the thick walled case the round pops through hard enough to vibrate the powder measure on the classic turret press to change the charge amount on the next round by about 1or 2 tenths . I have since changed to the Lee collet type crimp dies for all my revolver crimps .

.38 Special said:

The other thread on FCD use got me curious about how folks do it themselves.

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"I seat with the seating die and crimp with the FCD, after having removed the carbide ring" on 45 ACP anyway.
The carbide ring on a tapered case like 9mm only touches the very bottom of the case, and if sized correctly, doesnt make much of a difference.

The poll specifically stated "for those who use" and yet people still have to chime in that they don't. Is it a reading comprehension problem?

.38 Special said:

You guys are as bad as vegans: gotta let everyone know, even though no one asked.

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Bill_in_TR said:

The poll specifically stated "for those who use" and yet people still have to chime in that they don't. Is it a reading comprehension problem?

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Hey, I use a Lee FCD die, just not very much.

A response of used them but don't any more because of xxx seems a valid data set.

Walkalong said:

I have used them in two different calibers, which makes my opinion relevant

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The poll was directed at people who use them and asked how they used them. I fail to see how simply stating that you don't is the least bit relevant. Please explain for my apparently inferior reading comprehension.

Bill_in_TR said:

The poll specifically stated "for those who use" and yet people still have to chime in that they don't. Is it a reading comprehension problem?

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Bill_in_TR said:

The poll was directed at people who use them and asked how they used them. I fail to see how simply stating that you don't is the least bit relevant. Please explain for my apparently inferior reading comprehension.

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Yet in both of your posts...........you don't give an answer relevant to the OP's question.....................................hmmmmmmmm...........................

Bill_in_TR said:

The poll was directed at people who use them and asked how they used them. I fail to see how simply stating that you don't is the least bit relevant. Please explain for my apparently inferior reading comprehension.

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It's the internet

kidneyboy said:

It's the internet

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Excess melamine.

Soonerpesek said:

Yet in both of your posts...........you don't give an answer relevant to the OP's question.....................................hmmmmmmmm...........................

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I was watching the thread only at first in hopes of learning something because I ordered an FCD in 38/357 to try them out. Had he said that he used them in the past and how and then said he was dissatisfied and why then I would have learned something. Hmmmmmm.

I routinely crimp my handgun ammunition separately from seating the bullet. Generally, I use specific crimp dies from various manufacturers but I have used a seater die with the seating guts removed.

I have not had a situation that I could not load good ammunition with regularly available loading dies if I do all the appropriate case prep, sizing, seating and crimping.

When I was shooting IHMSA handgun silhouette in the 1980's, I found case trimming my 357 Magnum cases was very important as well as matched head stamped cases to obtain good uniform crimps and proper chambering.

My use of a Lee FCD for 38 Special is an expedient solution for a few rounds that do not chamber properly in my revolvers. I could do the same with a sizing die, but with the Lee FCD, I do not have to "gut" the die to make corrections to the round. If I was competing, I'd use cases with the same head stamp and would not have to worry about ammunition that would not chamber in my revolver.

Folks that knock out the carbide sizer rings to eliminate "sizing" the bullet, that is their choice. I'd guess the Lee FCD dies are more economical than the other manufacturers' crimp dies so they save some money on the crimp die. But, removing the carbide ring makes the die no longer a Lee FCD die. It is just a separate crimping die at that point. Nothing wrong with the process, just understand what your are actually doing.

In years past, when funds were tight, I'd probably do the same thing. But, I started reloading long before FCD dies were introduced to the market.

Finally, just a note, the Lee rifle collet FCD dies are a different animal. Do not link them in with the handgun FCD dies.

Walkalong said:

The thread that inspired this one would be a good read then.

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Yes it would. If I remember correctly, you have said before the FCD is a love or hate thing(very true). The FCD and wet or dry tumbling threads always bring out strong opinions.I always find them entertaining.

If I can I keep the seating and “crimp” steps separate, this way either are easily altered without changing the other at all.

I put crimp in quotes because, if a bullet doesn’t have a cannelure I am not really crimping the case around the bullet, rather just removing the bell/flare, put there to facilitate seating.

If you pull one of my bullets, there is no ring that would indicate that it had been swaged down by actually crimping the case around the bullet.

Like these “pulled” bullets someone ruined and want to pawn off on some poor guy that doesn’t understand they have been destroyed. If it was just a roll crimp it would probably just make the plating fail but the over done taper crimp has swaged the entire base too small.

jmorris said:

but the over done taper crimp has swaged the entire base too small.

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Prolly showing my ignorance.....But how does even an "over done" taper crimp size the entire base of the bullet....?
The taper is only at the "ridge"-----not the whole case......I could see a FCD being able to swage the whole thing down, but not a taper crimp procedure...

Soonerpesek said:

Prolly showing my ignorance.....But how does even an "over done" taper crimp size the entire base of the bullet....?
The taper is only at the "ridge"-----not the whole case......I could see a FCD being able to swage the whole thing down, but not a taper crimp procedure...

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I agree, anything above the ring on the bullet would be smaller but the base should be unaffected. They probably aren't consentric either.

The only Lee PISTOL factory crimp die I use is the 9mmPara.
It’s a tapered case, so the sizer ring can’t/won’t size or swage the bullet in the case.

It DOES uniform the cases eliminating any asymmetric buldges not sized out by the sizer die and uniforms the case necks “straightening” the case neck reducing the bulge or coke bottle effect reducing bullet run-out.
I shot a couple of PPC records using cast bullets in my PPC-9’s proving the efficacy of the technique.

Oh, but for the days we could get $15.00/1,000 primers at the LGS, any time we needed them....

Bill_in_TR said:

The poll specifically stated "for those who use" and yet people still have to chime in that they don't. Is it a reading comprehension problem?

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If there is a chance to beat on the Lee FCD they are gonna do it!

AJC1 said:

I think you will like it. It's seems the semi autos is where the issues and hate seem concentrated. On the way in you may feel a slight bump from brass flare and nothing on the way out. If your swaging with the ring you feel it both directions.

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No not really. Where the hate for the FCD comes is from revolver lead shooters that have slugged their bores and use oversized lead bullets. They they complain that the bullet shrunk. I good FMJ bullets the FCD does little to nothing as to changing the size. There is some article written by some renowned shooter, gun rag author that even praises the FCD for semi Autos

But it is just one of those reloading hot buttons, like brass cleaning, presses and of course annealing!

Rule3 said:

No not really. Where the hate for the FCD comes is from revolver lead shooters that have slugged their bores and use oversized lead bullets. They they complain that the bullet shrunk. I good FMJ bullets the FCD does little to nothing as to changing the size. There is some article written by some renowned shooter, gun rag author that even praises the FCD for semi Autos

But it is just one of those reloading hot buttons, like brass cleaning, presses and of course annealing!

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Well my experience is limited to 358 cast. I'm sure if I needed bigger I may feel differently.

Rule3 said:

No not really. Where the hate for the FCD comes is from revolver lead shooters that have slugged their bores and use oversized lead bullets. They they complain that the bullet shrunk. I good FMJ bullets the FCD does little to nothing as to changing the size. There is some article written by some renowned shooter, gun rag author that even praises the FCD for semi Autos

But it is just one of those reloading hot buttons, like brass cleaning, presses and of course annealing!

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Don't forget concentricity. That'll get you a food fight every time.

I don't mind a spirited debate. I do mind self-anointed "experts" trying to act like internet bullies and push their ideas on other people. It's a first-world "problem," people. Take it easy and try not to take yourselves too seriously.

Rule3 said:

No not really. Where the hate for the FCD comes is from revolver lead shooters that have slugged their bores and use oversized lead bullets. They they complain that the bullet shrunk. I good FMJ bullets the FCD does little to nothing as to changing the size. There is some article written by some renowned shooter, gun rag author that even praises the FCD for semi Autos

But it is just one of those reloading hot buttons, like brass cleaning, presses and of course annealing!

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That and thick wall brass. I save the Rem brass which has a history of being thin and soft for over sized bullets.