Lee Factory Crimp Die?

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9mmepiphany

9mmepiphany

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Had a friend ask me a question that was simple on it's face, but got me wondering. The question concerned loading 9mm and .40 cartridges

If the Lee Factory Crimp Die (FCD) resizes the completed cartridge while it applies the crimp to the case, how would that be different than what the Sizing Die (SD) would do...if you were to remove the crimp adjustment on the first and the decapping pin on the latter.

I didn't have a ready answer and I don't have a Lee SD to compare to a FCD...my SDs are either RCBS or Hornady.

So, the question for those who might have either the experience or both dies to compare, is there a functional difference, if you remove the inserts, between the Lee FCD and SD?
 
I think that it only applies a crimp to the cartridge mouth, and doesn't touch anything else... I'm not looking at one either though...
 
But, not nearly as small as the sizing die.

Running a loaded round in a sizing die will result in the bullet being squeezed down Way Undersize.

Remember the expander plug opens the case back up after sizing because it comes out of the sizing die too small.

rc
 
Yea, the FCD is “supposed” to size to the maximum diameter and a standard sizing die sizes to near the minimum diameter.
 
As posted, the carbide ring in the FCD is much larger in inner diameter than the sizer.

My .40 FCD will let a .421 Pin Gauge pass, although it's tapered and is larger at the bottom. I would h ave to check a sizer. I knocked the ring out of mine.

Running a loaded round through a sizer would ruin it.
 
Lee Factory Crimp dies will not reduce the diameter of a cartridge enough to prepare it for reloading. The Lee Factory Crimp handgun dies have a maximum diameter sizing ring that only sizes portions of the case that exceed SAAMI MAXIMUM diameter after crimping. The taper crimping portion in semi auto cartridges will only apply a crimp that is greater than or equal to the minimum SAAMI crimp diameter.

The benefit of the Lee FC die is that it irons out any bulges in the case produced in the bullet seating process that exceed SAAMI maximum case diameter and allows a tight crimp without excessive case mouth reduction below SAAMI minimum.

If things are working perfectly in your hand loading process then the die will never size the case. Lead bullet loaders often complain that the Lee FC die sizes the bullet portion of the loads reducing the bullet diameter however one would have to produce ammo with a finished diameter greater than SAAMI standard.

The revolver cartridges FC dies have a roll crimp and it is possible to over crimp with these dies. Rifle dies have a collet that squeezes the case mouth around the bullet and do not have a sizing ability.
 
I use it on every 300 BO I make. Works like a champ and keeps my spreads much lower through the chrony.
 
yugorpk said:
I use it on every 300 BO I make. Works like a champ and keeps my spreads much lower through the chrony.
Click to expand...
The FCD for bottle necked cartridges is a completely different animal than the straight walled pistol caliber FCD with the carbide "post sizing" ring.
 
Lee offers 4 different kinds of "Factory Crimp" dies.

For bottleneck rifle cartridges, a collet applies the crimp.

For bottleneck pistol cartridges, a collet applies the crimp (slightly different design than above)

For straight wall pistol cartridges, a carbide post-sizer and crimp ring (roll or taper crimp as appropriate for the cartridge)

For some straight wall pistol cartridges, a collet applies the crimp (no post-sizing ring, similar to those for bottleneck pistol cartridges.) This is their newest type of FCD.

I like the collet type dies (including Lee neck-sizing dies). I don't care for the carbide FCD for straight wall cartridges. I have not tried the latest type, but based on the similarly designed bottleneck pistol cartridge FCD, it ought to perform well.

Andy
 
If your running a progressive press fully loaded you can't "feel" the FCD. I load only 9mm and If I don't have a case on the resizing station when I'm "crimping" with my FCD I feel almost no resistance, probably because I'm not over-belling with my PTX (Mr. BF version).
 
I like the the Lee collet crimp for some rifle cartridges, their post sizing crimp die sounds like a bad idea to me.
 
I've been using their FCD's in all my pistol calibers for years with no problems. All they really do for sizing is insure the finished rounds will fit in standard sized chambers. So much hubbub over nothing, IMO. " Much ado about nothing", as they say.

I wish those who don't like them would just not buy or use them, and not make negative comments all the time. Just like the HiPoint haters, Rock Island haters, Glock haters, 1911 haters, etc......
 
The Lee FCD is a "post seating/crimping sizing die" for those that can't properly adjust their dies. Yes, I tried one. It now resides in a land fill somewhere in Southern Oregon. Yep, I tried removing the carbide ring, but the crimp was less than acceptable (rough, uneven). For my revolvers I went back to a Profile Crimp die, and for my semi-autos I use a plain old taper crimp die to remove flare...

Not a "Lee Hater" here as I use their FCD for rifle cartridges for a light crimp on my 30-06 Grand ammo and my .223 ammo, and I have bunches of Lee equipment (presses, dies, hand tools). I comment negatively on Lee's FCDs for handgun ammo mainly because new reloaders are told FCDs are the best thing to happen since smokeless powder and they will fix all chambering issues. IMO, and experience, the FCD just covers up problems from mis-adjusted dies (over crimping, case bulges from large bullets, case sizing issues, etc.).
 
Last edited:
rondog said:
I wish those who don't like them would just not buy or use them, and not make negative comments all the time.
Click to expand...

Constructive negative comments are valuable to a potential new user of Lee handgun FCD dies.

It does not do him any good to only see the positive comments. They can be as tilted to one side as the negative comments to the other. Comments from knowledgable folks with experience with the product, both positive and negative are very useful.

I have and use just one Lee FCD handgun die. I load 38 Special wadcutters for plinking ammunition and do not worry about trimming all cases to a particular case length. Once in a great while, I'll get a cartridge that will not chamber due to either over crimping or the case mouth wall it too thick.

I partially run the errant case through an FCD and all is well.

Otherwise, I do not feel the need for a handgun FCD.

Many moons ago I had similar problems with 357 magnum rounds. I'd get bulged crimps once in a while on over length cases. Maybe one or two cases every thousand rounds. Hardly enough to get excited about trimming the cases.

I'd iron out the bulge with a sizing die with the decapper removed. A handgun FCD would have been handy to have then but only to fix cases that would not chamber.
 
Constructive negative comments are valuable to a potential new user of Lee handgun FCD dies.

It does not do him any good to only see the positive comments. They can be as tilted to one side as the negative comments to the other. Comments from knowledgable folks with experience with the product, both positive and negative are very useful.
Click to expand...
Exactly. :)
 
Yes! I have one for each hand gun caliber/ straight wall cases. I interchange a bit and learned from this post more! As I ruled them out but don't have as many years knowledge. Thank you!
 
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