Running Complete Rounds through a Lee FCD

[rdtompki]

I only load 9mm and have recently switch to a seater/crimp combo die to make room for my bullet feeder. My new ammo works perfectly in our SA 9mm 1911s and of courses passes both gauge and plunk tests, but my wife's Kimber HD Pro Carry II has a 9mm Barsto barrel which apparently has a very tight chamber. In fact we even had a factory reman round fail to go into battery.

Normally, this gun will be loaded with newly-manufactured factory ammo, but I want to use reloads for practice. Anyone see a problem running completed rounds through an FCD? (since this is essentially what occurs when the rounds are originally made using an FCD).

I'm going to do a bit of experimentation this am, but I'm hoping that the FCD will produce a round that works in the chamber.

 

[Rmeju]

I have a 10mm 1911 with a tight chamber. I set up the Lee FCD so that I'm only using the go/no go gauge to squeeze the rounds into tolerance. Not turned down too far into the press and the plug dialed way out so no crimping. Works for me. It's safe, although it may or may not fix the problem.

 

[Rule3]

Go for it.

You will want to set the die so it does not crimp the round any further or you may mess up the original factory crimp.

 

[ATLDave]

Sure. Just back the crimping adjustment way back out. That way you're just using the oversized sizing ring.

 

[Toprudder]

There are two types of problems that will prevent a cartridge from going into battery: problems behind the case mouth, and problems in front of the case mouth.


Problems behind the case mouth would be the case itself. Flare not completely removed, or bullet not seated concentrically causing the case walls to deform, or the case not being properly resized. It could also include the brass not being trimmed to the correct length.

Problems in front of the case mouth would include things like plating or lead being shaved off as the bullet is seated. This would be an obvious flaw, however. A not-so-obvious flaw would be the COL being too long for the specific bullet's ogive to plunk in a specific barrel.

Do you plunk test your ammo in the barrel of the problem gun?

 

[The Bushmaster]

I have a Kimber UCC II in .45 ACP that had a problem going into battery with hand loads also. Found that the powder I was using left carbon particals in the chamber that bound the incoming cartridge. Went to a cleaner burning powder (WSF) and the problem went away.

 

[Jim Watson]

No reason not to. I CFC rounds that fail the gauge. You could even CFC that "reman" stuff.

 

[LiveLife]

Anyone see a problem running completed rounds through an FCD?

No. I believe using FCD as a "finishing" die to ensure finished dimensions were within SAAMI spec was the original intent.

Kimber HD Pro Carry II has a 9mm Barsto barrel which apparently has a very tight chamber. In fact we even had a factory reman round fail to go into battery.

If remanufactured ammo won't fit in a SAAMI spec chamber, that makes me wonder.

 

[snuffy]

The 9mm Lee FCD actually has a longer carbide insert in it than the other semi-auto handgun cases. That's to accommodate the tapered nature of 9mm lugers.

A lee fcd does not crimp anything no matter how far the case is pushed into the die!

Whoa, what was I thinking? Oh I bet I was thinking of taking the top off the die to be used as a bulge buster! That's my story, I'm sticking to it! Where's the smilies, dadgum messed up forum. Better get another cup of coffee, or lay off the vicodin for a while!

Yeah the second letter stands for crimp, DUH!

 

[ATLDave]

A lee fcd does not crimp anything no matter how far the case is pushed into the die!

??? I have many thousands of rounds that I have crimped solely with FCD dies. Taper crimps on 10mm, 9mm, and .45, and roll crimps on .32, .38/.357, and .41.

 

[Steve C]

A lee fcd does not crimp anything no matter how far the case is pushed into the die!

The Lee FC die for handgun cartridges will crimp but it has a crimping collar that's adjustable and looks similar to a bullet seating stem rather than having the crimp being part of the die body. The stem can be adjusted out enough so it doesn't crimp or in to provide a light to heavy crimp.

In response to the OP, the FC die can be used on previously loaded ammo to reduce any bulges in the case to maximum SAAMI diameter. Just back out the crimp stem enough so that it doesn't crimp if you don't want it to.

I just had a similar use on some .38 spl mixed brass practice loads. There was some old S&W cases that bulged and wouldn't chamber completely in my Colts while the other brands of brass would fit just fine. I backed out the crimping stem of a Lee Factory Crimp die and ran the offending loaded brass through it. Afterward it all chambered properly.

 

[Dudedog]

Should be no problem.
The FCD was designed to have loaded ammo run thru it.
(I happen to like the FCD and use it in 9mm)