Fine Figure of a Man
Member
Lee dies work very well. I use Hornady dies for some rounds but prefer Lee. Any dies used on my Coax get Hornady rings.
A Lee 4 die set will do that just fine and probably for less money... and if you don't like the carbide sizing ring in the FCD, it can be knocked out, leaving you with a crimp-only die!When I buy pistol caliber dies for a single stage press I try to buy two sets. A new sent and shop for a used set. The new set I use for resizing, flaring and bullet seating. I use the bullet seating and crimping die out of the used set to crimp in a separate stage. I've always have crimped in a separate step. Have never liked crimping when seating a bullet.
I believe Lee's auto pistol FCDs use a taper crimp, and their rimmed cartridge (revolver) FCDs us a roll crimp.
I started out using Hornady XTP Mag bullets, and all of the Hornady bullets are 0.430 instead of 0.429 for some reason. The FCD resizing ring tries to squeeze those bullets down. Maybe the ring in mine is just a tad undersized, or the brass I was using was thick-walled, but I could not use the FCD for crimping. I prefer the collet style crimper anyway, but as I mentioned earlier I do use the FCD (with the crimp insert removed) to full-length resize my cases.For people who are trying to use oversized bare lead bullets, the post-sizing ring on the FCD may be a source of trouble. For people using plated or jacketed or coated bullets, it's a plus, IMO.
I think that Lee's website is a bit confusing... Here's their description for a .44special/magnum/Russion Factory Crimp Die:
Lee 44 Special, 44 Magnum and 44 Russian Carbide Factory Crimp Die sizes the cartridge while being crimped so every round will positively chamber freely with factory like dependability. This die applies a roll crimp. The adjusting screw quickly and easily sets the desired amount of crimp. Trim Length is not critical so this extra operation takes less time than it would if cases were trimmed and chamfered. A firm crimp is essential for dependable and accurate ammunition, as it eliminates the problems of poor ignition of slow burning magnum powders.
In my limited experience, the Lee FCD in my 4-die set does indeed apply a roll crimp, and the more crimp (within reason) you use, the more that crimp is turned into the groove while leaving the rest of the bullet unmodified.
I believe Lee's auto pistol FCDs use a taper crimp, and their rimmed cartridge (revolver) FCDs us a roll crimp.