Author Topic: Lee factory crimp die- pros and cons? (Read 1583 times)

bucco921 · « **on:** February 06, 2013, 03:11:26 PM »

Just curious if any of you guys use the lee factory crimp die. If so what is your experience\opinion of them? Accuracy ? case life problems?
Thanks

Ranger99 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2013, 03:21:45 PM »

the ones i have, i like 'em.
you still have to use finesse to
get them where you want them to
be, but that's sop for adjusting any die.
i've yet to have case life problems with
any of my dies. i have a mixed bag of
redding, lee, rcbs, lyman, c-h , etc.
i think short case life is mainly the
result of misadjusted dies and too
many full house + loads. my 2 cents

Mike in Virginia · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2013, 03:25:03 PM »

I have one for .45Colt. Can't do without it for a precision crimp and ultimate accuracy.

kynardsj · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2013, 03:47:58 PM »

+1 on what Mike in Virginia said.

wncchester · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2013, 04:06:59 PM »

First there is no "the FCD", there's one type for rifles and another for handguns and they are not the same.

That said, Lee's FCDs are unique tools. Any tool should be chosen for the task, no tool is a wonder device that is "best" for all situations, amen. IF you need to crimp at all and IF you need the features the FCDs provide then they are the better crimpers. The biggest obsticle to consistant crimping is consistant case length and that's not common; Lee's crmpers are somewhat less case length sensitive than others. But, if you don't need them, or if you use them incorrectly, they are no more helpful than any others. I love 'em.

Savage · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2013, 12:09:36 AM »

Use them for everything I load.
Savage

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2013, 02:18:22 AM »

unlike some here im not a big fan. they not only crimp but have a carbide sizing ring that irons out the sides of the case and that can effect case tension when the case springs back after sizing a bit more then the lead bullet does. i found a better way to do it is to buy a second seating die and pull the seating plug out and use it in a forth stage to just crimp with. now this doesnt apply to a semi auto round that is taper crimped. the lee crimp dies work fine for them. As to rifles i never crimp a rifle round. It just isnt nessisary and does nothing for accuracy and in fact can make it worse.

drdougrx · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2013, 03:43:47 AM »

I use it for semi auto rifles like my 223 and 6.8 ARs and heavy recoiling rifles like the 35Whelen and up. Otherwise, not much difference.

shot1 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2013, 12:54:00 PM »

I always use the LFCD on my semi-auto pistol and rifle rounds. I shoot a lot of old military rifles that usually have looooooooooog throats. I have found that loading a round so it will work through the magazine and then using the LFCD makes for much more accurate loads. Contrary to popular belief I have proved that the use of a LFCD DOES NOT ruin a match bullet and make them not accurate as some of the fellows that I used to shoot vintage military rifle matches with kept saying. I always used a LFCD and kept beating their pants off.

cybin · « **Reply #9 on:** February 07, 2013, 04:39:25 PM »

In .223 I see only a small amount of inproved accuracy with the FCD, at least in my rifle. In .30-30--I have a heck of a time without using it --bullets would work their way back into the case from time to time. In .45 acp I don't see any inprovment in the accuracy--but all of my reloads work in any .45 handgun I have tried them in. Wasn't the case without using it.

So I am sold on them.

cybin

necchi · « **Reply #10 on:** February 07, 2013, 04:56:09 PM »

Quote from: wncchester on February 06, 2013, 04:06:59 PM

The biggest obsticle to consistant crimping is consistant case length and that's not common;

Curious,
What is not common about consistant case length?

Consistant case length is as easy as "trimming",

cybin · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2013, 06:33:55 AM »

Pretty hard to trim for consistant lengths when a lot of pistol brass is already below the minimun lenght. Just have to live with it, and do the best you can.

cybin

wncchester · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2013, 10:54:33 AM »

"Consistant case length is as easy as "trimming", "

Well, it is IF you're trimming every time; I don't nor does anyone I know.

As Cybin notes, it's rare for handgun cases to be long. In 45+ years of this I've never needed to trim a straight wall case.

necchi · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2013, 01:18:13 PM »

Oh, I didn't see where the bucco921 mentioned pistol brass,

I trim rifle brass, every time I process it, the Lee trim system is too easy with rifle stuff.

That said I find the Lee FCD very easy to use for 223, 308 and 30-30 (when I need it), I don't crimp everything.

necchi · « **Reply #14 on:** February 08, 2013, 01:19:09 PM »

Oh, I didn't see where the bucco921 mentioned pistol brass,

I trim rifle brass, every time I process it, the Lee trim system is too easy with rifle stuff.

That said I find the Lee FCD very easy to use for 223, 308 and 30-30 (when I need it), I don't crimp everything.

mdi · « **Reply #15 on:** February 08, 2013, 01:49:59 PM »

In my experience only; the Lee FCD for handgun cartridges, are a band-aid fix for sloppy die adjustments. Example; how many millions of 45 ACP rounds were reloaded and fired prior to Lee's introduction of their FCD. If the reloading dies are adjusted properly, no post-seating-sizing die is needed. All the problems the FCD "fixes" are better addressed by proper die adjustment...

Not a Lee basher, just frustrated that so many reloaders use this "fix" and tell new reloaders how great the die is.

greenrivers · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2013, 04:37:39 PM »

mdi, I suspect that you have never used one?

corbanzo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2013, 05:27:47 PM »

I am with the "ayes" I don't use lee too much anymore as I am a huge fan of the hornady new dimension dies... but, when I did use all lee dies, their factory crimp die always did a good job finishing off my ammo.

Buckskin · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2013, 02:56:16 AM »

Not sure it's meant to be a "post seating sizing die", pretty sure it's designed more to keep the bullet from moving.
I use them for several pistol rounds and rifle rounds and have never had them affect accuracy negatively. I use them in conjunction with the collet dies for a few rifles and use a very slight crimp to secure the bullet. This method actually improved accuracy in my 300 RUM quite a bit, along with using a Redding competition seating die. It amazes me how many near perfectly concentric rounds I can put out with this method.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #19 on:** February 24, 2013, 02:46:40 PM »

I like to call it a ''solution to a non existent problem".....

The seater die in most sets comes with a roll or taper crimp that has provided perfectly adiquate crimps for good powder burn and bullet retenesion.

I have been loading for nearly 40 years... I have never seen a need for any more crimp than I get with the seater die...

CW

gypsyman · « **Reply #20 on:** February 24, 2013, 06:16:47 PM »

I have to go along with cw on this one. If you look at factory ammo,Winchester,Federal, etc., they look to me to be either taper crimp,(9mm,40,45acp)etc. Or a roll crimp for straight wall revolver,.357,.41 and .44,etc. If that is the case, sounds like Lee is just renaming what is already done. I think I'll just stick with what I've got, and not spend any more money to reinvent the wheel. gypsyman

Buckskin · « **Reply #21 on:** February 25, 2013, 02:31:37 AM »

So are we talking pistol or rifle dies here?

The Lee carbide factory crimp die is actually a taper crimp, it is not a collet die like the rifle dies are.

gypsyman · « **Reply #22 on:** February 25, 2013, 02:49:01 AM »

I don't usually crimp my rifle calibers, with the exception of ammo for my AR,(.223), and my .375Win., as most of the time I'm only loading 1 shot at a time. For the AR, I use a taper crimp,and for the .375, I use a Redding profile crimp die. In his original post, bucco921 didn't specify rifle or handgun, my thought is, if it works for you go for it. gypsyman

corbanzo · « **Reply #23 on:** February 25, 2013, 06:45:38 AM »

One thing I do really like it for is loading copper flat base bullets.

You can throw a little bell on it while you are using the powder through die, and the ring on the factory crimp die will press the brass back against the bullet without crimping it down onto the flat copper sides.

bucco921 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 25, 2013, 04:52:04 PM »

To be specific I use it for my 30-30. Gives me a tighter crimp without kinking the brass. I never have any problems with straight walled pistol cases so I just go with the normal seater\crimp die.