FCD Swages Bullets? These pictures say otherwise.

[zeke]

Some Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Dies swage the bullet while others don't.

I have a 45 Auto that freely passes loaded rounds through the carbide insert without resistance.

I have a Lee 44 Mag. CFCD that swages. A round loaded with .430" cast bullets measures .455" and drops easily in a .458" chamber gauge. But the carbide insert of the Lee swage-o-matic die measures .453". Go figure.

And I have a 41 Mag Lee CFCD that is much the same as the 44 Mag.

Early on it appeared most of the concerns raised about LFC dies swaging bullets seem to have been by larger caliber hand cast bullets in revolvers. Am not a bullet castor, but lot of people sized their softer lead bullets to fit the cylinder mouths to get best accuracy, or to reduce leading. A lot of the older 45 LC ,44 special and 44 mag revolvers had larger cylinder chamber mouths, that castors made larger dia bullets for. When using the LFC on rounds with the softer and larger lead bullets, the bullets got swaged down (reduced dia), which was contrary to the castos desire for the dia of their hand cast bullets.

Ime, using the LFC on smaller dia semi auto rounds can also help straighten out the bullet, where on the case around the bullet looks like it may have been "squished".

 

[Random 8]

You're way more into this than me. 9mm go Brrrrt LOL. So long as they run the gun and hit Minute of IDPA, I'm happy

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Early on it appeared most of the concerns raised about LFC dies swaging bullets seem to have been by larger caliber hand cast bullets in revolvers. Am not a bullet castor, but lot of people sized their softer lead bullets to fit the cylinder mouths to get best accuracy, or to reduce leading. A lot of the older 45 LC ,44 special and 44 mag revolvers had larger cylinder chamber mouths, that castors made larger dia bullets for. When using the LFC on rounds with the softer and larger lead bullets, the bullets got swaged down (reduced dia), which was contrary to the castos desire for the dia of their hand cast bullets.

Ime, using the LFC on smaller dia semi auto rounds can also help straighten out the bullet, where on the case around the bullet looks like it may have been "squished".

I used to work tool&die - and the deburring bench and shipping/receiving and inspection… when you want to be a Master Machinist you have to work every aspect of the craft. One of first lessons: tools have to work for the job. If they don’t, make them so they will - or make one that does.

I have several FCD’s in the same caliber but with different size inserts for different jobs; including oversized bullets for larger throats. Carbide does not cut well but it grinds beautifully. A hone or expanding reamer will do the job well if your FCD is too tight.
It’s not the tool, it’s either the application or the operator. The tool is just doing what it’s made to do.

 

[9mmepiphany]

You know we've come to the end of the usefulness of a thread when insults start