Problem with lee fcd.......

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The Lee FCD is a crimp only die. The bullet is seated in a separate step
The FCD is a crimping/sizing die combination. Perhaps my wording was confusing, but I suggest a new reloader;
1. stow the FCD.
2. get another crimping die.
3. seat in one step, and crimp in another.

I have been reloading for over 35 years and have had zero reasons to size my handloads pos crimping, in both revolvers and in my 8 semi-auto pistols.
 
I used a separate crimp die for about my first two years of reloading before I started using the same die for seating and crimping. You have to seat less than you plan before doing the crimp. You might want to practice on some empty cases until you learn how much to be backed off in seating. I've gotten pretty good with that now and only use one die for seating and crimping all my lead boolits.
 
With the light loads you're probably using in your conversion cylinder you should'nt need a whole lot of crimp .
 
I’d just use the seating-roll crimping function in the .45 Colt billet seating die unless you’re loading for a rifle with a tubular mag or are rolling stout loads with a jacketed bullet. The FCD in that caliber isn’t really needed for lighter recoiling loads in revolvers...

Just my 2 cents.

Stay safe.
 
The lee dies work very well if used properly, a firm crimp helps ensure good (consistant) ignition. I'm guilty of over crimping sometimes but a lot of what I load are heavy bullets over stiff loads of magnum powder and bullet pull is no dang fun. Doubt that's an issue in mild 45 colt loads.
 
mdi......are you thinking that the sizing function of the FCD might be causing the problem ?
The FCD has a sizing ring in the mouth of the die and will size the cartridge to the diameter it thinks it should be. I have tried an FCD on cast lead bullet handloads and yes, it did resize my handloads down and resulted in under size cast bullets. Lesson learned, besides, I have been reloading for quite some time and never had a need to resize any handloads, post crimping, revolver or semi-auto. I don't shoot in competition but I've never had a need ti insure each and every round chambered correctly, but then again I never needed to as 99.9% of my handloads will chamber trouble free. Having been cruising reloading forums I quite often see new reloaders having problems using an FCD, but my biggest complaint is "seasoned" reloader telling a new reloader to use an FCD to "cure" their bulging/chambering problems. (kinda like telling a new driver/car owner to just add more water to a leaky radiator rather than fixing the leak). Actually I don't care what tools reloaders use but a pet peeve of mine is telling a new, inexperienced reloader to just hide the problem and not find out why there is a problem and fix it...

I doubt is deeper seating when crimping is from an FCD, but I don't have any of your reloads in my and I can't see what you are doing. The resizing feature of an FCD should not change OAL. Overcrimping can push a bullet deeper though...
 
Unless trimming or sorting your brass to the same length, you should expect some variation in COL. My theory in seeing the same thing is that the crimp, if too heavy, can push down on the bullet at the crimp groove. Try seating as high as you can to the crimp groove but allowing for some longer cases in the mix. I sort brass to a nominal +-.005 and adjust seat and crimp accordingly.
 
The FCD has a sizing ring in the mouth of the die and will size the cartridge to the diameter it thinks it should be. I have tried an FCD on cast lead bullet handloads and yes, it did resize my handloads down and resulted in under size cast bullets. Lesson learned, besides, I have been reloading for quite some time and never had a need to resize any handloads, post crimping, revolver or semi-auto. I don't shoot in competition but I've never had a need ti insure each and every round chambered correctly, but then again I never needed to as 99.9% of my handloads will chamber trouble free. Having been cruising reloading forums I quite often see new reloaders having problems using an FCD, but my biggest complaint is "seasoned" reloader telling a new reloader to use an FCD to "cure" their bulging/chambering problems. (kinda like telling a new driver/car owner to just add more water to a leaky radiator rather than fixing the leak). Actually I don't care what tools reloaders use but a pet peeve of mine is telling a new, inexperienced reloader to just hide the problem and not find out why there is a problem and fix it...

I doubt is deeper seating when crimping is from an FCD, but I don't have any of your reloads in my and I can't see what you are doing. The resizing feature of an FCD should not change OAL. Overcrimping can push a bullet deeper though...
Yes, but the FCD after failure to gauge or plunk can save having to pull bullets that could have fired just fine, depending on the gun's chambering. Where I would agree in being critical is if using the FCD during reloading on every round just to catch a few anomalies. You would have to be really careful on all the variables to never need post sizing. I find it better to gauge every round or at least use the barrel as a gauge. The real problem is that most dies are made to process bullets a thousandths or two smaller, and that purchased lead bullets may be larger than you think and could stand to be resized to be more compatible with the dies.
 
To go along with what has been said about the Lee FCD it will post size to a jacketed diameter to assure feeding. That's fine for jacketed bullets but will size down the typically larger sized lead bullets too much and affect accuracy and or cause leading. There are even dies made specifically for lead bullet reloading called cowboy dies by that company. If you are planning to use a FCD on lead bullets then remove the carbide ring to avoid post sizing the round. Buying a dedicated FCD for lead bullet reloading and removing the carbide ring might be your best bet if you like using them on every round. Me, I wonder how I got by for 30 years loading ammo that worked flawlessly until the FCD was "invented".;)
 
The FCD is a crimping/sizing die combination. Perhaps my wording was confusing, but I suggest a new reloader;
1. stow the FCD.
2. get another crimping die.
3. seat in one step, and crimp in another.

I have been reloading for over 35 years and have had zero reasons to size my handloads pos crimping, in both revolvers and in my 8 semi-auto pistols.
Were you using lead bullets that challenge the smartest genius?
 
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To go along with what has been said about the Lee FCD it will post size to a jacketed diameter to assure feeding. That's fine for jacketed bullets but will size down the typically larger sized lead bullets too much and affect accuracy and or cause leading. There are even dies made specifically for lead bullet reloading called cowboy dies by that company. If you are planning to use a FCD on lead bullets then remove the carbide ring to avoid post sizing the round. Buying a dedicated FCD for lead bullet reloading and removing the carbide ring might be your best bet if you like using them on every round. Me, I wonder how I got by for 30 years loading ammo that worked flawlessly until the FCD was "invented".;)
I would say that generous chamber dimensions and never using a gauge could make one believe their ammo is flawless, which is true if all your guns using that ammo will accept it.
 
Yeah I don't care if they fit a SAAMI gauge or not. As long as my ammo fits and functions in all my firearms without any hiccups then I am happy with it.
So many want ammo that is factory duplicate and to me this is a disservice to reloaders as we are able to construct a far better product than any factory. I do not have to make sure that my ammo fits your or for that matter anyone elses firearm and because of that I do not have to compromise a best load for a generalized product. You should have pride in your work and put forth your best effort or else why bother just "going through the motions". Just the way I see all things reloading.:)
 
Yeah I don't care if they fit a SAAMI gauge or not. As long as my ammo fits and functions in all my firearms without any hiccups then I am happy with it.
So many want ammo that is factory duplicate and to me this is a disservice to reloaders as we are able to construct a far better product than any factory. I do not have to make sure that my ammo fits your or for that matter anyone elses firearm and because of that I do not have to compromise a best load for a generalized product. You should have pride in your work and put forth your best effort or else why bother just "going through the motions". Just the way I see all things reloading.:)

Yes, this, when a simple 0.001" increase in bullet diameter, over nominal, shrinks the group size of a given load, what's not to understand ?
So when searching for even better accuracy you try another 0.001" increase and that load fails to plunk in one or all your guns, then what?
It only indicates the variations from gun to gun, and you have to decide to accept the results, or change back to the load the proved "universal" for all your guns.
I load for a bunch of 9mm guns and more than one has it's own specific load, mostly for point of aim/point of impact because of fixed sights.
The variation in range brass alone is enough aggravation to make buying all one brand/lot a worthwhile expense to consider.
So there's a lot more science to reloading than fitting a SAAMI gage.
jmo
:D
 
I think it's fair to say that if you shoot mostly bare lead bullets, the Lee FCD may cause you some difficulty, and if you shoot mostly jacketed, plated, or coated bullets, it's likely to make your life easier.

As someone who almost never loads or shoots bare lead, I was totally baffled by how people could have problems with FCD's until I realized they were all shooting bare lead and needed their bullets to be oversized relative to the bore. In contrast, I have always found it annoying to have to seat and crimp in a single operation.
 
Every one has a learned system that works out best for them after a short time reloading ammo. This would, to me, be a booring hobby if we all did it the same way as everyone else every time. Could be why I dont get as much out of reloading shot gun ammo. YMMV
 
"Unless trimming or sorting your brass to the same length, you should expect some variation in COL.". All the "Cartridge Overall Length" I have measured in the last 35+ years was from the case head to the nose of the bullet and in real life, the length of the case from the case head to the case mouth made very little (no) difference in over all length.

"Yes, but the FCD after failure to gauge or plunk can save having to pull bullets that could have fired just fine, depending on the gun's chambering.". When I adjust my dies correctly and use known good components (even cast bullets to .004" over diameter) I don't have to pull any bullets. My bullet pulling tools are the least used reloading tools I own...

"Were you using lead bullets that challenge the smartest genius?". ??? Some times I wonder about printed replies...
 
I just tried passing a bullet(Speer 230 gr RN)through the insert in the die that does the actual crimping, and it slides right through. Could the action of the brass being folded in on the bullet pull it deeper ?
yes, the crimp pulls the bullet farther into the case. don't worry about it, imo.

welcome to the high road,

murf
 
"Unless trimming or sorting your brass to the same length, you should expect some variation in COL.". All the "Cartridge Overall Length" I have measured in the last 35+ years was from the case head to the nose of the bullet and in real life, the length of the case from the case head to the case mouth made very little (no) difference in over all length.

"Yes, but the FCD after failure to gauge or plunk can save having to pull bullets that could have fired just fine, depending on the gun's chambering.". When I adjust my dies correctly and use known good components (even cast bullets to .004" over diameter) I don't have to pull any bullets. My bullet pulling tools are the least used reloading tools I own...

"Were you using lead bullets that challenge the smartest genius?". ??? Some times I wonder about printed replies...
Did your 35+ years include loading for a revolver, wherein the relationship of the brass and the bullet's crimp groove depends on the case length?
 
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Did your 35+ years include loading for a revolver, wherein the relationship of the brass and the bullet's crimp groove depends on the case length?
First reloading was in '69 with 38 Specials. Loaded with a Lee Loader and generic cast lead bullets seated to the crimp groove. No need to measure OAL back then because I didn't read any forums on line saying it was absolutely necessary. Besides the bullet designers located the crimp groove in the correct place and data on revolver OAL in manuals is with a specific bullet the testing lab used. Soon a 357 Magnum and 44 Special and 44 Magnums followed with the same methods. When I started reloading rifle rounds .223 in '87 I understood the need to measure OAL and measured all from the case head to the bullet tip. Out of curiosity I did mesure OAL on some of my revolver rounds and found with untrimmed brass the OAL was varying no more the .006"-.008 max. and that is inconsequential for 95% of revolver handloads (my most accurate revolver loads are for my Dan Wesson 44H, using untrimmed brass, home cast 429421s of wheel weight alloy seated to the crimp groove, and Speed Green lube over a load of Unique which gave me 2" groups at approx. 20-25 yards, double handed from a sandbag)...
 
First reloading was in '69 with 38 Specials. Loaded with a Lee Loader and generic cast lead bullets seated to the crimp groove. No need to measure OAL back then because I didn't read any forums on line saying it was absolutely necessary. Besides the bullet designers located the crimp groove in the correct place and data on revolver OAL in manuals is with a specific bullet the testing lab used. Soon a 357 Magnum and 44 Special and 44 Magnums followed with the same methods. When I started reloading rifle rounds .223 in '87 I understood the need to measure OAL and measured all from the case head to the bullet tip. Out of curiosity I did mesure OAL on some of my revolver rounds and found with untrimmed brass the OAL was varying no more the .006"-.008 max. and that is inconsequential for 95% of revolver handloads (my most accurate revolver loads are for my Dan Wesson 44H, using untrimmed brass, home cast 429421s of wheel weight alloy seated to the crimp groove, and Speed Green lube over a load of Unique which gave me 2" groups at approx. 20-25 yards, double handed from a sandbag)...
That's admirable, but I think you must allow that your experience doesn't necessarily represent or become a prescription for everyone else's. What we do is just share what seems to work for ourselves. For example, my S&W 19-4 .357 Magnum will not accept .358 lead with full length brass. My 1875 Remington 44-40 by Uberti is another one that loads fine if I trim the brass, perhaps a bullet profile issue, since I use .430 bullets for modern 44-40 chambering according to my measurements and barrel slug. In my 357 Lightning rifle the ammo must be pretty precise to make it run flawlessly, so I measure and segregate brass within pretty tight trim length ranges, some then reserved for revolver only.
 
I was asked about my experiences and I shared them. I was "challenged" about my suggestions to new reloaders (you can't tell an old reloader nuttin' and I direct 99% of my posts at new reloaders and keep it as simple as possible).I really don't care what tools somebody chooses to use, but I do find it wrong for new reloaders to be "taught" sloppy, short cut reloading. My experiences are definitely not unique and I share them to show new reloaders what works simply. No not law, nor is suggesting a FCD as a cure all prescription. Actually don't know any FCD users, and yes I did try one...
 
Sorry to bring back an old thread.......just an update. After not being able to solve the problem of the FCD seating bullets deeper while crimping I decided to try the Lee Collet Style FCD. What a difference ! A good solid crimp without moving the bullet at all.
Out of curiosity I took a sized & expanded case & tried to push it into the original FCD. Slid right in with room to spare. Couldn't get it to go into the sizing die, which I expected. Which leads me to ask......how far out of wack does a case have to be before the FDC does any post-sizing ??
 
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