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glaizinman
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Vaalpens
The manuals I'm using Lyman 49th Speer #14 the bullet is a RMR plated rnfp 180 grn
Need more help 40 s&w Lee FCD
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The manuals I'm using Lyman 49th Speer #14 the bullet is a RMR plated rnfp 180 grn
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glaizinman
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Oh the Dia of the bullet is 0.401
LiveLife
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For accuracy and consistency in reloading, it's good to check your equipment against known standards.
I verify accuracy of my dial and digital calipers with Vermont Class ZZ +/- pin gages - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ks-for-digital-calibers.821135/#post-10545265
I like using round pin gages over gage blocks for verifying bullet diameter as I can close my eyes and "feel" the caliper jaws closing on round pin gages. I can measure pin gages and bullets with my eyes closed and get consistent readings.
BTW, .400" pin gage is less than $5 - https://www.zoro.com/vermont-gage-pin-gage-4000-minus-class-zz-blox-911240000/i/G0688600/
And I use Ohaus ASTM Class 6 check weights for my scales - https://www.zoro.com/ohaus-weight-kit-cylndr-500mg-to-1mg-ss-class6-80850110/i/G0843236/
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cougar1717
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The Lee FCD (for straight wall pistol cartridges) is not a requirement. The seating die will both seat and crimp if adjusted to do so. You may seat and crimp with the seating die and leave an empty station. You may seat with the seating die and crimp with the Lee FCD. It may be preferable to use the crimp station when running a progressive.
Please define over crimping.
The reason that I say that is that the Lee FCD does two things:
1) The cartridge with a seated bullet travels through a carbide ring before it...
2) Touches the adjustable stem that forces the case mouth inward, toward the bullet (crimp)
It is possible for the carbide ring to squeeze the bullet to a diameter that is smaller than its' original diameter. This will reduce accuracy. If using unjacketed or unplated lead bullets, this is also how to quickly get lead in your barrel.
Many people do not need to use the FCD since they crimp with the seating die and the finished cartridge plunks into the chamber of the firearm.
It is also possible to use a crimping die (whether that is the seating die or the FCD) to push the case mouth so tightly into the bullet that it deforms the bullet. Many places that sell pulled bullets will have some deformed bullets such as:
https://www.rmrbullets.com/shop/bul...-plated-round-nose-flat-point-bullets-pulled/
There are some extreme cases where an overzealous person puts enough pressure on the crimp that the mouth of the case cuts through the thin plating of a bullet.
But, you do have to test out loads to know how much crimp you need. Armchair quarterbacking on a forum only goes so far.
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glaizinman
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glaizinman
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Cougar1717
I have my bullet seating die set to crimp so I'm doing all in one. They would pass the plunk & spin in the barrel. I just had the FCD in for insurance for that occasional round that wouldn't chamber. So now I'm either going to just seat and use the FCD to crimp not sure yet. What is your thoughts?
Some folks who play the pistol games use it as a "safe guard" against fat rounds jamming things up and costing them points/time. I would recommend getting everything set up without it so you know it isn't masking poor set up, then when things are running smoothly add it in for the insurance. If everything is good, you will not feel the carbide ring of the FCD doing much, and seldom when it does.
schmooey1617
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schmooey1617
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I personally use the Lee factory crimp dies for all my 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45acp rounds. I had the same questions and concerns as you until I talked to the owner of BadMan bullets, IMO, the best cast and poly coated bullets there are. Since I only shoot cast and poly coated bullets in all 3 calibers, all are .001 oversize as compared to jacketed bullets, leaving a slight case "bulge". In tight chambers it often hinders feeding or prevents the proper "plunk". I asked Pat, the owner of BadMan about the Lee FCD's and he personally recommended them and said he doesn't reload any cast or coated bullets without them. That was good enough for me. Now standard dia. jacketed bullets, a light TAPER crimp is all that's needed. The Lee FCD's get rid of the bullet bulge and put a light TAPER crimp on the bullet too, depending on how you adjust the die.
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That's not a bad thing, no need to "remove" it.
^^^This^^^
When I load straight walled pistol cases, For the most part, I seat and crimp in station 4. For no other reason then that is the way I learned to set up the die. The FCD die in station 5 does nothing other than provide an insurance policy. I have a couple of guns with tight chambers. a fat round causes problems/loses time.
That is one thing I don't understand, in a game where accuracy takes second stage to reliability why the keep making guns with tight chambers and short throats. They are not shooting Bullseye, they just need reasonable accuracy.
Same goes for a defensive gun, where people shooting IDPA also buy the same weapons for carry sometimes. For that reliability has to be number one. For unlimited and their race guns I get it, they aren't carrying those, but the makers are doing this with stock guns designed for carry which is what IDPA is supposed to mimic.
Dependable guns can be very accurate, I don't need a world class accurate gun that may choke if a round isn't perfect.
Same goes for a defensive gun, where people shooting IDPA also buy the same weapons for carry sometimes. For that reliability has to be number one. For unlimited and their race guns I get it, they aren't carrying those, but the makers are doing this with stock guns designed for carry which is what IDPA is supposed to mimic.
Dependable guns can be very accurate, I don't need a world class accurate gun that may choke if a round isn't perfect.
bihj
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If you want a 0.423 dimension/measurement and you get it before using the FCD, why use it?
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glaizinman
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bihj I have asked myself the same question. The answer is insurance that it will chamber So is the Dia 0.4.23 that critical? But the thing is I check all my round before I box them. Like Walkalong says some people like to not have check their rounds.
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glaizinman
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I think might be doing over kill. I'm using the FCD and checking the rounds. I'm going take the FCD out of the 4th hole and only use it on the round that don't pass.
kmw1954
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This is true and I agree, although I do own one of those guns that chokes. A Tanfoglio Witness 45acp that was purchased used. It will fire any factory ammunition I put in it. Reloads are a struggle. I can take my reloaded 45acp rounds that were built using Lee 3-die set and shoot them all day long in my Springfield XD Mod2 w/o a single failure of any type. Then take this same ammunition and feed it into the Witness and I get all sorts of chambering problems and failure to go into battery. But if I run these thru the FCD all the feed and chambering problems disappear.. Most of the time I feel no resistance while running these into this die. Exactly what this die is doing to these rounds I haven't been able to detect because I cannot find a measurable change from before to after.
This gun fires just fine with factory and someone that only shoots factory would never know there is an issue so I am not going to send this gun out to alter the barrel when I can just add a die to the mix and it then shoots lights out.
Then you have an issue the FCD is ironing out, but also masking. Better to solve the issue.
kmw1954
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Already did, just sorry you do not agree with the solution.
A "solution"? Yes, it's a solution. My point was I believe it is better to solve the issue prior to getting to the FCD which then wouldn't have to squeeze them into submission, instead only having to correct the occasional fat bullet or crooked round etc.
But lots of people do it like you are doing, plenty without realizing it, and are getting satisfactory results, and are happy with it.
But lots of people do it like you are doing, plenty without realizing it, and are getting satisfactory results, and are happy with it.
only applies to plated and jacketed bullets:
My wife has a SIG 380 and I have a Sig 1911. Both have tight chambers for who knows what reason. There is nothing wrong with my reloads, no crooked bullets, no bulged cases, but occasionally you do get a slightly fat round for whatever reason (thick walled case, slightly oversized bullet) that will choke these guns. That 380 is so small, it will choke up if anything is awry.
I bought the progressive so I didn't have to do each step individually so I sure as heck am not going to start checking each finished round and plunking it in the barrel. The FCD is great insurance.
kmw1954
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We have had this discussion before so I will not rehash it though you are implying that there is a problem with this ammunition and it is not with the gun. Sorry but I whole heartedly disagree. I say this because I have fired these rounds just as they are in a total of 5 different guns w/o incident and as I have stated previously the only reason I purchased and use this die is because of this one gun. I have also stated here and previously that I am not going to send out and alter this gun just because it does not like reloaded ammunition.
But once again you seem to be stuck on the idea that there is a defect in the ammunition. Now let me ask this, If this were factory ammunition that I was having a problem with would it be faulty too or would it just be a finicky gun?
I suppose I could go through the trouble of sorting thru a couple dozen seating/crimp dies until I find one that will make perfect ammunition every time but I don't have the time nor money to do that.
kmw1954
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I suppose I should clarify my comment to be clearer. These rounds were fired in the different guns with out being run thru the Lee FCD and the results were that all fired normally.
Might simply be cases that won't fit a case gauge any more and shouldn't be used to load. At least that is what I do with 9MM since I had an EMP with a SAMMI minimum chamber and some 9MM cases were too fat at the case head where a normal sizer could size them.
But your house your rules, load however you wish.
Edit to add links:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/springfield-armory-emp.500607/page-2#post-6264758
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...tire-length-of-the-case.823777/#post-10595721
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/chamber-checking-9mm.833963/page-2#post-10787182
With pics:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...d-cases-would-not-plonk.844753/#post-10991665
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Because when you swung-and-missed 3 times on that mini-popper, it just has to be a mechanical accuracy issue!
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