.45 acp reloading question

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Dessert27

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Hi,

I just buy a set of lee dies (3 pieces), a powder through expanding die, a carbide sizing die and a bullet seat and feed die.

I want to know if i need to buy a factory crimp die or my bullet seat and feed die do the job?


Thank you,
Pascal
 
After the brass gets belled in the powder through expander die, you need to set the bullet seating die down the case till it takes the bell out. Screwing the bullet seating die in a little bit more and it crimps the brass into the bullet a bit.
No you don't need a crimping die as well, the bullet seater will do the job. But if you want to be sure all your cases fit your chamber and if you have a space in your press, buy a Lee Carbide Factory crimp die and it crimps the case into the bullet and sizes the round on the way up.
hope this helps.
 
I use it on .45 because you will find alot of higher end 1911's have a match barrel, with a tight chamber so the crimp just makes the rounds alot more reliable. For my 9mm G17 I dont have to crimp and they feed just fine. If you check your rounds with a micrometer you will see that without the crimp die they can e somewhat inconsistant. I just crimp everything now just for the hell of it. Remember all you really wanna do is get rid of the bell created in the charge die.
 
I use the LEE factory crimp die when I load lead in my 45.I dont bother if Im loading FMJs.I have a STI with a tight chamber and it makes a big difference with the feeding.Set the usual seating die so it doesnt put on any crimp,and then as a final operation do the FCD.Its another step,but worth it.It also doesnt seem to affect accuracy at all.

My 9mm and 38 super dont seem to benefit at all from the FCD,so I dont bother with them
 
I agree with tiggrr. I've never had a problem with the 3 piece die set, with the bullet seating die set up properly in a 1911. I wouldn't waste time with the factory crimp die unless I was having problems I couldn't solve with the 3 piece die set.
 
i have no problem whatsoever with 3 die sets when using jacketed/plated

whole other story using cast bullets from wolf, they need to be FCDed
 
I have been reloading .45acp for a number of years and recently acquired the Lee FCD to use for cartridges destined for my .45acp revolver. I shoot cast bullets.

I just sized a test cartidge with the die. My bullets are sized .452 and when loaded the .45acp case has a slight bulge. In my autos the bulge creasts no problems with feeding. With the revolver, using moon clips, I figured the FCD would smooth out the bulge and allow for slightly faster reloading.

After using the die I pulled the bulle and measured it. The FCD has resized the bullet from .452 to .449 and smeared lead across the lube gooves. I am going out today to the range to see if this resizing effect accuracy. I'll report back here as to the results.

Take Care

Bob
 
That's not going to help, as some others suggest; I'd try it well first with just a reg. tapered crimp, I wouldn't be sizing them so hard that the bullet is swaged, at least not in Cast Boolit loads.
 
ben hunchak said:
That's not going to help, as some others suggest; I'd try it well first with just a reg. tapered crimp, I wouldn't be sizing them so hard that the bullet is swaged, at least not in Cast Boolit loads.
Click to expand...

Ben the Lee FCD for pistol is not like their rifle product. The die has a ring inside that swages down the entire case BEFORE you get to the part that actually applies the crimp and you can't adjust the ring. The FCD is designed that way. I bought it knowing the die had to work that way but was hoping for a slightly sifferent result. I didn't get enough shooting in today to test the effects of the die but will.

I size all y bullets with a RCBS Lubicator set up. In .45acp I use the .452 sizing die.

Take Care

Bob
 
I always thought the first die just removed the spent primer, the next die filled powder and flared the casing and the third die seated and crimped. I have only reloaded about 1000 rounds so far with my Lee Pro and haven't had any issues shooting my reloads. Could someone clarify exactly what each die does? Sorry for somewhat of a hijack!
 
no, the first die also RESIZES as well as decaps, the second die flares and adds powder, and the third seats and crimps- ie there's a sizer ring in the first die-that's all in the NOTES THAT COME WITH THE DIE SET as well as EVERY RELOADING MANUAL
 
Most pistol sets just seat the bullet on the 3rd Die and the crimp is applied with the fourth die, at least that is the case with Dillon Dies sets.

Take Care

Bob
 
the lee does both jobs with the third die- that's why you only need 3 stations in the 1000
 
t-star said:
no, the first die also RESIZES as well as decaps, the second die flares and adds powder, and the third seats and crimps- ie there's a sizer ring in the first die-that's all in the NOTES THAT COME WITH THE DIE SET as well as EVERY RELOADING MANUAL
Click to expand...

Ouch! I deserved that. I did fully read the the instructions, the Lyman 49th and the Lee book so I should have known about the resizing. I could have gone back downstairs to refresh my memory but I thought since I was sitting at the computer I would ask the question. I guess that's why I should have only inboxed a friend the question. Thanks for the response and thanks for making me feel like a little piece of crap as well!
 
cbabes said:
Ouch! I deserved that. I did fully read the the instructions, the Lyman 49th and the Lee book so I should have known about the resizing. I could have gone back downstairs to refresh my memory but I thought since I was sitting at the computer I would ask the question. I guess that's why I should have only inboxed a friend the question. Thanks for the response and thanks for making me feel like a little piece of crap as well!
Click to expand...

Real men don't read instructions. It is not part of our genetic code. That is the primary reason why we marry. Our partners are there to remind us of this glitch in our little grey cells when we screw up.:D

Take Care

Bob
 
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