Lee FCD (pistol, not rifle) the Virtue and the Vice
- Thread starter Lost Sheep
- Start date
- Status
ljnowell
Member
I use the FCd is 38/357 and 45ACP. No issue like that at all. Weird.
jcwit
member
At one time I tried using the Lee FCD in 45 ACP, I never experienced a shredding problem at the case mouth or anywhere else.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=469815
Look at the marks the FCD leaves on the case mouth. Factory rounds aren't marked up like that. The case mouths are perfectly smooth. Why? Cuz they have smooth dies.
Look at the marks the FCD leaves on the case mouth. Factory rounds aren't marked up like that. The case mouths are perfectly smooth. Why? Cuz they have smooth dies.
jcwit
member
Scroll down to post #4 on the link you posted. Showes a picture of a cartridge also crimped with a FCD and nice and shinney case.
ljnowell
Member
Mine dont. Niether do others that I know. Maybe some do and some dont.
Lost Sheep
Member
Thanks for the pictures, 918v (post #29). Looks like a cosmetic issue to me. How do they shoot?
Lost Sheep
Lost Sheep
Lost Sheep
Member
Got pictures?
This is the best my camera will do, but it is inadequate to show the roughness. Every single Lee FCD is like this and I don't believe any assertions to the contrary. Maybe some people don't see it due to their emotional investment in a substandard tool.
jcwit
member
Well the statement about emotional investment doesn't hold water with me as I tried using the Lee FCD and later learned how to adjust my standard dies so as not needing the step of using the FCD and lead bullets.
But I still never had any shredding of my case mouths, mayhap I got the one and only highly polished carbide inserts.
Ain't I the lucky little feller!
Being a machinist in a stainless shop where most of our work has to be a certain polish for FDA sanitary use, I am used to seeing surface roughness. I know just what 918V is saying and agree that the few I have are pretty rough. Rougher than most of my other brands. To a point it has no ill effect on the finished round, but it is noticable. Just my point.
jcwit
member
So in fact it is a moot point.
It would be a much better product if Lee polished that crimping element to the same surface finish as their sizer die. It would also be better if the sleeve was longer and gave better support to the case walls. As it is it can't be polished because the surface is so rough the increase in diameter would be too great.
James2
Member
I have been loading for many years, 44 Mag, 44 Spl, 380 auto, 45 ACP, 38/357, 45 Colt....... Many thousands of rounds.
I have used dies of most of the brands.
I have never owned a Lee FCD!
Yes, my ammo works.
Point is gents: We don't need the Lee FCD!
I have used dies of most of the brands.
I have never owned a Lee FCD!
Yes, my ammo works.
Point is gents: We don't need the Lee FCD!
springer99
Member
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2007
- Messages
- 416
"Point is gents: We don't need the Lee FCD!"
Maybe you don't, but if you don't mind, I'll keep using all of mine.
I guess that better polishing would make it looks nicer(and cost more), but it doesn't seem to have any negative impacts on my loads as it is.
Maybe you don't, but if you don't mind, I'll keep using all of mine.
I guess that better polishing would make it looks nicer(and cost more), but it doesn't seem to have any negative impacts on my loads as it is.
jcwit
member
Quite correct, mate!
But it does correct errors.
How true, how true!
RustyFN
Member
Do you use a case gauge for any of those rounds?
jcwit
member
In my case, NO! But I do use the barrel if I need to.
Lost Sheep
Member
I was hoping for a picture of your damaged brass. I should have been specific.
The printing in the background of your picture in post #36 is in focus. I suspect your problem with the out-of-focus condition of the crimping insert is because it is closer than the minimum focus distance. You might try this trick: Make a wire frame to attach to the camera (the tripod mount screw is a handy place) and have the wire form a rectangle at the proper distance for in-focus pictures (you will have to experiment a bit). I learned this trick from underwater photography, where focusing involves a lot of guesswork otherwise. Once you have the frame set, you will know where your limits are.
The other possibility is if your camera's autofocus picked up on the background. If so, you may need to put the background at the same distance as the die, or do this (which works on most auto-focus cameras); Set the focus of the camera by pointing it at the surface that does come into sharp focus and pressing halfway down on the shutter-releaser button. Then, holding the button where it is, back the camera up just enough so the the focus plane hits the die.
These techniques have worked for me in the past. I hope my directions are clear enough.
I am looking forward to seeing pictures of your (die-damaged) brass. Perhaps some before and after?
I cannot attempt to duplicate your experience with factory ammo being unable to slip easily into the Lee FCD because I don't have any dies at all for .40 S&W. But my 454 Casull rounds do slip into my Lee FCD quite easily, not even in the press, but just inserting by hand. So do my 9mm and my .357 Magnum. I don't know what is wrong with your .40 ammunition or dies, but it is considerably different from my experience with factory ammo and my dies.
Lost Sheep
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Poll
