Lee FCD problems 10mm

[wiiawiwb]

I've been having some problems with the Lee FCD when reloading 10mm. I've reloaded 45 Colt and 9mm with no issues. The FCD seems to initially grab the round and as I exert a little pressure on the round then quickly releases it into the chamber of the die. I don't feel it is resizing it.

Below is a picture of my Lee FCD with the 9mm, 45 Colt, 10mm FCD with a factory 10mm round (Hornady 10 gr XTP) in the 10mm. They all slide into the FCD with no problem. The next picture is with a reloaded round and, as you can see, it does not just drop in. This round has already gone through the FCD once.

I've measured the width of the Hornady and reloaded rounds. The Hornady is .419 throughout. The reloaded rounds will be anywhere from .419 -.422 in the area where the bullet is seated. I'm using MBC 180 gr TCFP.

I've reloaded and shot several hundred rounds and they all pass they Glock barrel plunk test. Something doesn't seem right and it doesn't seem as though the 10mm FCD is resizing the rounds at all when it crimps them.

Any thoughts about this?

 

[thomas15]

Personally and seriously I'm not the most knowledgeable or qualified to offer any help. Someone with a higher degree of knowledge on the fcd may come along and have a far better idea of what is going on, a which is ok with me. But, as I understand it, the fcd has two choke points, the first is the resizing ring at the opening of the die, the second is the parabolic crimp insert which is obviously higher up on the die body and is adjusted by the screw at the top of the die.

I'm taking a wild stab at this and suggesting that the grab you are experiencing is the resizing ring catching the case mouth flair and maybe your crimp insert is adjusted too high in the die body to actually engage the case mouth? How big is the case mouth flair you are putting on with the expansion die?

A properly sized case should already have the ability to pass through the fcd without needing the services of the resizing ring. It is actually only there as a final sizer in the event the case wasn't sized properly in the first place.

One thing I'm going to do as a result of this thread is take a fcd apart to see for myself just what is going on in there.

 

[ATLDave]

I've loaded a LOT of 10mm using the FCD. I agree that the FCD isn't where the sizing work should be done.

Are you having problems with chambering the rounds? Do you have a case gauge? Or is the sole cause of your concern the feel of the round passing through the FCD ring?

 

[Potatohead]

What do you mean "resizing the rounds" exactly?
Maybe Im missing something. I didn't have much time to check the pics, and Im unfamiliar with 10mm dimensions but maybe you could screw it down to crimp it a little more? Is that what we're after here? Im a little rusty and don't want to lead you astray though, so maybe someone will chime in shortly.


***Edit to add***
I see some have chimed in now, as I was typing

 

[Potatohead]

Are you resizing with the FCD? Or maybe we have some terminology confusion.

 

[Ifishsum]

The FCD pistol die should only be resizing rounds that are out of spec. It's basically a safety net - If it's not doing a final size on your rounds it means you're process is good. If your ammo chambers freely in your pistol you are GTG

 

[rsrocket1]

I think what you are feeling is the sizing ring ironing out either the flare of the case rim if you expanded it, or ironing out the slight bulge caused by the bullet seated in the case. The sizing ring insert is short and once it goes over the bumps, if the rest of the case below the bulge is at or below nominal spec, you won't feel any additional resistance.

Yest it's normal. I believe MBC 180g TCFP are actually 0.401" while Hornady bullets are 0.400" so that may be the difference.

 

[Walkalong]

Something doesn't seem right and it doesn't seem as though the 10mm FCD is resizing the rounds at all when it crimps them.

That's a good thing.

And it doesn't "resize", more like "post size", and the carbide ring is much larger in diameter than one in a sizer. It theoretically only touches areas over SAMMI spec and squeezes them back down. If it is doing this, it means the FCD is in spec (Not too tight), and you are doing a good job adjusting dies and loading ammo because the FCD isn't doing much.

 

[mdi]

The handgun cartridge FCD is a "Post seating and crimping sizing die". There is a carbide ring at the mouth of the die that is supposed to be SAAMI spec. for the particular cartridge loaded. If your ammo is bulged or otherwise "too big", the FCD sizes it down. I have found no need for a handgun FCD mainly because I learned how to properly adjust my dies (9,000+ 45 ACP and 4,000 9mm can't be wrong, not to mention 30+ years of revolver reloads...).

 

[ATLDave]

I have found no need for a handgun FCD mainly because I learned how to properly adjust my dies (9,000+ 45 ACP and 4,000 9mm can't be wrong, not to mention 30+ years of revolver reloads...).

The only time I feel like the FCD ring has really helped is when I have gotten a bullet started crooked in the case and the corner bulges a segment of the case out before the case walls straighten the bullet up. That little tiny bulge can make a case fail a SAAMI case gauge, but the FCD will sometimes iron it out.

But I think the main benefit that people see in a FCD is that it simply lets you crimp in a separate step from seating. Which isn't a necessity, but can be nice.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It sounds like the mouth of the loaded round is just at the limits of the SAAMI specs so it is brushing against the post sizing carbide ring in the die. You might be flaring just a touch too much or you might be collapsing the case neck slightly. (probably the flare). It sounds like the FCD is doing what it was designed to do.

 

[readyeddy]

Look to posts #6 and #8.

 

[wiiawiwb]

My concern has been has been the feel of the round going through the FCD. It does not move through the FCD the same way the 45 Colt and 9mm rounds do.

Every 10mm handload has passed the plunk test in my Glock barrel.

I have sized every round and as Walkalong adroitly pointed out it is the post sizing I am concerned with.

So, it sounds like everything is happening as it should. Thanks for everyone's help!!

 

[LiveLife]

+1 to Walkalong's post #6.

According to Lee Precision, FCD carbide sizer ring ID was made to SAAMI max chamber dimension. It is a "finishing" die and not a "resizing" die.

So when brass that was not properly sized and out of spec/round bullet cause finished rounds to not fully chamber, FCD carbide sizer ring will "fix" the round so it will chamber in SAAMI spec barrels.

using MBC 180 gr TCFP

While FCD was made for .400" sized 40S&W bullets, if you are concerned about FCD post sizing .401" sized bullet, thereby decreasing neck tension and causing bullet setback, check by feeding/chambering your round from the magazine and measure the OAL before and after. If you measure bullet setback by more than a few thousandths, I would measure bullet setback with another round that did not go through the FCD. While I like Lee dies, I do not use FCD and do not experience bullet setback with .401" sized bullets for my 40S&W loads.

If using FCD causes significant bullet setback, I would set the FCD aside and use a regular taper crimp die instead.

 

[Potatohead]

+1 on using the regular crimp die. Once I learned how, I never went back to the fcd. You know, I remember now that when I first started I had a lot of confusion whether or not the fcd was set right because I couldn't tell it was doing anything, but really that's about when you have it acting right I think. If you're going for just a touch of crimp anyway.

 

[Duvel]

Every 10mm handload has passed the plunk test in my Glock barrel.

Your, and everyone else's, 10mm Glock factory barrel is sloppy - not that it has any impact on what's being discussed.

As stated, you're just feeling the case mouth bind on the sizing ring. Slightly cranking down your seater should eliminate that. Move to a taper crimp die and you won't have any issues with lead bullets being resized.

Gut the FCD & Bulge bust it - Just don't use it to iron out smiles.

 

[jeepmor]

I've had the same experience with my LEE FCD die. It really doesn't do that much to a properly sized and loaded case. It's more of a double check in my experience, I didn't buy any more of the FCD dies for this reason, I saw no dimensional changes made to my cartridges that were fabbed on RCBS dies.

I bought my Lee FCD because one of my 10mm is a jammomatic, It didn't improve its operation. I thought I had some final sizing issues and read that this might help with that. In my case there was no improvement. My other 10s run the hand loads just fine.