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If you have to run your ammo through an FCD you have an issue you should solve. If you have to run it through a sizing die you have a bigger issue to solve. Post sizing can be useful in some situations but if you have to post size to get your ammo to gage, you have a problem in your loading setup. FCDs usually mask poor setup.
I understand. I appreciate yiur advice, as always and I think I'm doing it right. The only reason I'm using a FCD is because it came with the set. I suppose if I had a regular taper crimp for those I'd use that. For roll crimped 38/357/44/45c I am using a single stage press to load them because they're small batches and I don't have a FCD for those rounds. For those I seat bullets in the whole batch, then back out the seating stem and tighten the die down to roll crimp with the die.Let's step back and make sure that we are speaking the same language on setup. My setup is a bit different that most of yours but the fundamentals are the same. Assuming you are following a normal setup for taper crimp pistol rounds, you are flaring to make bullet seating easier and crimping to remove flare as well as ensure reliable feeding. Again, crimp is about removing flare and ensuring reliable feeding when taper crimping.
So a normal crimp die provides all that for you but an FCD is NOT a normal crimp die. It has a carbide ring in there to squeeze oversize cases down so they meet the SAAMI minimum chamber size or maximum ammunition size depending on how you want to look at it. Then it crimps. So every piece of brass with thick walls gets squeezed down. Your CBC, PPUs, GFL, and other foreign headstamps gets the squeeze. No matter the crimp setting, you are sizing that casing and the bullet it holds. That's why it leaves burnish marks on casings, it is sizing and then crimping. Oversize bullet, chambers. Bad brass with a neck bulge, chambers. Improperly sized brass, chambers. It will help all the bad stuff chamber.
My contention is that if your setup was correct, you wouldn't need an FCD, just a crimp die. If your ammo won't plunk because of crimp, then turn down your normal crimp die. target .003" under the SAAMI max neck spec and you will always plunk unless their is something wrong with the cartridge outside of crimp.
Hey, regardless of the carbide ring, my cast 9mm at still very accurate.Thanks Deavis. I just picked up a Lee 4 die set for 9mm, knowing that the FCD can be a crutch for bad technique. I mainly wanted the ability to taper crimp in a separate stage. I figure I can always knock the carbide ring out especially if I start loading cast bullets.
Thanks Deavis. I just picked up a Lee 4 die set for 9mm, knowing that the FCD can be a crutch for bad technique. I mainly wanted the ability to taper crimp in a separate stage. I figure I can always knock the carbide ring out especially if I start loading cast bullets.
Now how do you feel about the Lee collet crimp dies for rifle? I'm using one for 223 and when I start loading 7.62x39 again I'll use one there. My bolt actions I don't use a flare die and just use neck tension with no crimp. I haven't started handloading 223 for the bolt action yet but that will use bthp bullets with no flare die and no crimp.
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You can use a carbide sizing die to crimp 9mm because it has a body taper.