lee carbide sizer/crimp die 45acp

[MMCSRET]

I cast my own projectiles, for hand gun they are soft and oversized. On seating the projectile in the case it will cause the outside dimension to be oversize, thereby not allowing the round to chamber. I run the round into the carbide crimp die and it reduces the round to a standard dimension which will chamber in afore mentioned firearm, Upon firing this standard sized round the cast projectile slugs up to whatever dimension is allowed by the internal dimensions of said firearm and makes for a very accurate round handicapped only by the mechanism pulling the trigger. What problem?

 

[Walkalong]

Not all LFCDs are use the collet crimp.

Looking at the diagram in the instructions, what I see is a taper crimp die with a floating crimp sleave and a carbide post sizing ring.

Yep. The Lee FCD die for rifle and pistol are two different animals.

 

[RustyFN]

may be wrong but i dont think 5-8 out of a few hundred would be excessive.

this has turned into a debate ,

all i asked was if anyone used one.

You asked the question and everybody is just trying to help. If you don't want the help just say so. It's your ammo and you can load it any way you want to.
Yes I use one.

may be wrong but i dont think 5-8 out of a few hundred would be excessive.

That's your opinion. Mine is it is too much. If your dies are set up right you should be lucky to get one in a few thousand. I load range pick up mixed brass and have only had two in many thousand. Good luck and load safe.
Rusty

 

[Otto]

may be wrong but i dont think 5-8 out of a few hundred would be excessive.

In that case, I think you'll be very happy with the LFCD.

this has turned into a debate

Most threads do. BTW, using the search function would have answered your question.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

You asked the question and everybody is just trying to help. If you don't want the help just say so. It's your ammo and you can load it any way you want to.
Yes I use one.

No, I would never not want to here a response to any question I may ask now or later. even if I don't agree with some of the answers.
im open to learning from someone that in the know.

I ask if anyone use this and what they thought of it,
I do THANK all the ones with such insight and info on reloading. Some have been very helpful while some seems to only just have an opinion on something they think might be wrong for having to own such a die set in the first place.

That's your opinion. Mine is it is too much. If your dies are set up right you should be lucky to get one in a few thousand. I load range pick up mixed brass and have only had two in many thousand. Good luck and load safe.
Rusty

There are so many variables to cause a round not fit in a chamber and not all of them are
IMPROPER SETTING OF DIES.
I as well use all sorts of range brass and have reloaded many thousands rounds and the only BAD reloading experience so far that I have had was a FACTORY RELOAD K-BOOM, and this is when I started rolling my Owen. and so far everything i have pulled the BANG SWITCH on has went down range.

AGAIN THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT INFO OUT HERE BUT THE GUY THAT LOADS A CRAP LOAD OF ROUNDS (thousands upon thousands) AND HAS 1-2 BAD ROUNDS .... COME ON.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

Most threads do. BTW, using the search function would have answered your question

it may have
but look at all the fun were having now

 

[Walkalong]

it may have
but look at all the fun were having now

There's the spirit.

I'm liking you right away. Tough, not like some folks.

 

[rondog]

I use one, and I think it's the shizz. But, I'm nobody.

 

[243winxb]

LOL

Are we having fun

 

[243winxb]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=4780183#post4780183 This is what happens.

 

[RustyFN]

AGAIN THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT INFO OUT HERE BUT THE GUY THAT LOADS A CRAP LOAD OF ROUNDS (thousands upon thousands) AND HAS 1-2 BAD ROUNDS .... COME ON.

I never said I didn't have any bad rounds, I said I only had two out of thousands that the post sizing ring had to resize. I'm just as bad as everybody else. I loaded 100 rounds once and went to the range and they wouldn't chamber. They were a 9mm 124 grain FP that was extra wide at the meplat. I ended up taking them home and seating one a little at a time until it would drop in the barrel, then I did the rest to match. There thats it I'm not going to tell you any more of my screw ups.

it may have
but look at all the fun were having now

I couldn't agree more. Two of the main reasons I reload is the enjoyment and relaxation. I just started casting a few months ago and having a lot of fun with that also. Keep it fun and load safe.
Rusty

 

[CHEVELLE427]

I just started casting a few months ago and having a lot of fun with that also. Keep it fun and load safe.
Rusty

GUESS that WILL BE MY NEXT HURTLE.
and i for sure will be in the dark on that, so look out for more great ?????? asking
Been picking up lead here and there. think ill get a few hundred pounds on hand first, then take that jump.

 

[Walkalong]

Casting is fun, and it lets you shoot even more for the same money. That is always a good thing. I have not cast in years, for my own reasons, but I enjoyed it while I did, and still have my casting equipment. Heck, I still have my body work tools, and I have not done that in over 20 years.

Oh yea, we are probably pretty opinionated about that too.

 

[CHEVELLE427]

I still have my body work tools,

i dont miss that either and im not a body man, but i do, do all my own work when i start to restore an old
car.
dont think i would want to do it every day

 

[RustyFN]

GUESS that WILL BE MY NEXT HURTLE.
and i for sure will be in the dark on that, so look out for more great ?????? asking
Been picking up lead here and there. think ill get a few hundred pounds on hand first, then take that jump.

If you enjoy loading I think you will like casting. I don't shoot millions of rounds so I just work everything at a comfortable pace, I think that helps keep it fun.

Casting is fun, and it lets you shoot even more for the same money.

A lot more. I have been lucky and have two places in town that give me weights for free. It doesn't take long to pay off the equipment when the lead is free. Without figuring the cost of the equipment I figure I'm loading 45 auto for around $20 to $25 per thousand, that's primers, powder, brass and my cast bullets.
Rusty

 

[The Bushmaster]

And he didn't mention my name this time...I'm Almost in tears...How could you forget me, Walkalong??...You know how I feel about the Lee FCD...

 

[Walkalong]

Hey Bushmaster. Did not mean to leave you out. Have you been napping?

You convinced me on the Lee FCD die for 30-30, but it operates differently (No post sizing) than the pistol die. I am afraid I can't be won over on them.

 

[Halo]

RustyFN

There is one more use. I use it for a crimp die because I like to seat and crimp in separate steps. But as you said in an earlier post, learn to setup your dies correctly. I use the FCD for every caliber I load for and in thousands of rounds I have only felt the post sizing ring come into play on two 9mm rounds. I load 9mm, 38 spcl and 45 auto. In my opinion it's no different than somebody loading on a Dillon with the separate Dillon crimp die, it's just a lot easier to adjust.

Walkalong

I like RustyFN's approach, and agree that if too many rounds are being "post sized" you have a problem to be looked at and fixed, not just keep squishing into shape. The one I tried was doing some sizing on everything, so I discontinued it. I thought when I read the advertisement that it would only touch rounds out of spec, but that is not true.

Interesting points, and this touches on something I noticed when loading up a few test batches the other day. I use the Lee FCD in the same way as RustyFN, simply as a fourth step crimping operation. I noticed in the 9mm it is touching a lot of the brass, leaving a noticeable sizing ring just above the extraction cannelure. All of that brass was pre-sized in my RCBS carbide sizing die, and it is adjusted properly.

Any ideas as to why the FCD is touching already sized brass? Is this a problem, or does the FCD simply size closer to the minimum of the SAAMI spec? In contrast, the FCD only takes out the case mouth belling with my 45 reloads. It never touches the case body.

 

[Walkalong]

Any ideas as to why the FCD is touching already sized brass?

Carbide ring is too small - (probably, at least in my mind)
Oversized bullets - maybe
Crooked seating - possibly, probably not

You know where I stand.

Toss it, and get a taper crimp only die (Lee is fine) or knock out the carbide ring and just use the crimp feature.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Well, I use a Lee Factory Crimp die for my pistol calibers and my pistol rounds fall out of my progressive just like turds fall out of my dog's rear end when the wife buys him a bag of that nasty Ole' Roy dog food - plop, plop and plop. No problems.....

Grin,

Dave

 

[Walkalong]

Hope they smell better.

 

[Griz44]

Dave,
You really need to get into town a little more often....
You have been spending way too much time out in the woods.

 

[TX1911fan]

I use the Lee FCD for 45 and 9mm and it works great. Never had a problem. Never had it mess up a lead bullet (at least not yet).

 

[Halo]

Carbide ring is too small - (probably, at least in my mind)
Oversized bullets - maybe
Crooked seating - possibly, probably not

You know where I stand.

Toss it, and get a taper crimp only die (Lee is fine) or knock out the carbide ring and just use the crimp feature.

I may pickup a Hornady seating die with the alignment sleeve and re-use my current RCBS seat/crimp die in a strictly crimping role, and redeploy the Lee FCD as a paper weight.

I first got into reloading around 2000, and I bought the FCD because at that time it was virtually unanimous on the forums that the Factory Crimp Die was simply the greatest reloading invention since smokeless powder, and you'd be a fool not to own one for every caliber you load. In the intervening years I wasn't reloading and have just gotten back into it over the past few months. The opinions on the FCD seem to have changed significantly since I first started! It seems a good many people on this forum regard it as superfluous at best, and detrimental at worst.

The argument that says a properly sized case should not require any sort of post-sizing is a compelling one, I must admit.

 

[Walkalong]

I may pickup a Hornady seating die with the alignment sleeve and re-use my current RCBS seat/crimp die in a strictly crimping role, and redeploy the Lee FCD as a paper weight.

Has my vote.

I really like the Hornady seaters. I have them for several calibers. I use the Redding for .45 and it is real nice. I use several different .45 bullets and I can just dial it to whatever bullet I am using.

I bought one of the Hornady Microjust seating stems, but it is hard to read and very tall. I have it on my 9MM seater, but I may retire it.