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Lots of interesting info in this thread.
First of all, you can seat and crimp with the same die - but it will not be as good as separate seating and crimping operations. This doesn't mean you can't load decent shooting ammunition without a taper crimp die, but the separate die setup is better.
Sometimes the Lee FCD is a pretty neat tool. It must be used properly as noted above. Some of the Dillon dies used to have a huge lead on their .38 super sizing dies. I also saw some 9mm and .40 like this. The Lee FCD's I saw had a shorter lead, and solved a few issues. ETC: BTW, I've seen a few posts on some of the various reloading or bullet forums, and I wondering how some of the information is presented as accurate... Paying close (really close) attention to stuff usually works pretty well. Logic helps too.
I have more than a bit of experience with both shooting and manufacturing reloading equipment. I worked at Star Machine Works, and these guys were in business long before Dillon was making reloading equipment ( I know they were making stuff before WWII). I used to sit with one of designers of the Star at lunchtime and pick his brain. He also designed the cast bullet lubricator/sizer currently produced by Magma. He died several years ago, the other partner died about 3 or 4 years ago.
First of all, you can seat and crimp with the same die - but it will not be as good as separate seating and crimping operations. This doesn't mean you can't load decent shooting ammunition without a taper crimp die, but the separate die setup is better.
Sometimes the Lee FCD is a pretty neat tool. It must be used properly as noted above. Some of the Dillon dies used to have a huge lead on their .38 super sizing dies. I also saw some 9mm and .40 like this. The Lee FCD's I saw had a shorter lead, and solved a few issues. ETC: BTW, I've seen a few posts on some of the various reloading or bullet forums, and I wondering how some of the information is presented as accurate... Paying close (really close) attention to stuff usually works pretty well. Logic helps too.
I have more than a bit of experience with both shooting and manufacturing reloading equipment. I worked at Star Machine Works, and these guys were in business long before Dillon was making reloading equipment ( I know they were making stuff before WWII). I used to sit with one of designers of the Star at lunchtime and pick his brain. He also designed the cast bullet lubricator/sizer currently produced by Magma. He died several years ago, the other partner died about 3 or 4 years ago.
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