Lee .38 FCD

[Sharper2112]

This is not a question about whether the Lee FCD is good or bad; that has been hashed out and debated many times over. What I want to know is I took it apart to clean and don't know which way the little ring is supposed to be in the die. There is a little ridge inside the ring and I don't know if that end should go in first or vise versa. The little ridge/shelf is not in the middle which is why I don't know which end goes first. See photo. Thanks

 

[joneb]

For 357 mag. I use the Lee collet crimp. This die does not size or re-size it only crimps, I like it a lot.

 

[Tony k]

Smaller diameter toward the top.

 

[Sharper2112]

Smaller diameter toward the top.

So I guess the smaller diameter would be everything below where that little shelf is visible? That's kind of what I thought but wasn't 100% sure. I literally could find nothing about this anywhere! Lol. It's clearly different on the inside from one end to the other so you would think there would be some direction about it somewhere. Oh well. Thanks for your reply

 

[Tony k]

So I guess the smaller diameter would be everything below where that little shelf is visible? That's kind of what I thought but wasn't 100% sure. I literally could find nothing about this anywhere! Lol. It's clearly different on the inside from one end to the other so you would think there would be some direction about it somewhere. Oh well. Thanks for your reply

I ran into the same question last winter

You want the case to encounter the looser diameter of the crimper bushing before the tighter. Otherwise it would immediately encounter Max crimp rather than gently ramp up.

 

[Sharper2112]

I ran into the same question last winter

You want the case to encounter the looser diameter of the crimper bushing before the tighter. Otherwise it would immediately encounter Max crimp rather than gently ramp up.

Yea that makes complete sense. I mainly load 9mm (now on a Dillon SDB), but when I was using my Lee Turret and Lee Dies for 9mm I noticed the internals of the 9mm dies were much more obvious as to their proper orientation. Thanks again for your help

 

[gojones]

Good to know. I have never taken one apart but the explanation makes perfect sense.

 

[mdi]

The crimp is applied by the "ridge" on the ID of the ring. So, for the case to enter and be crimped, it must enter from the larger ID side. Large diameter goes down...