Help! Lee FCD roughing up case mouth.

[I2est]

Equipment
Press: Hornady LNL Classic
Dies: Lee 9mm 4-Die Carbide
Problem die: Lee FCD
Bullet: Winchester 115gr FMJ HB
Brass: Both Blazer & Win once fired

Brand new set of Lee 9mm dies. I set them up according to Lees instruction booklet that came with the dies. The first three dies work just great with consistent measurements no matter the brass, Sizer/de-primer, Expander, Bullet seat.

The Problem: When using the Lee FCD, set up per Lees instructions, once the crimp makes contact drop the shell and give one additional 1/2 turn in for a light crimp, the crimp for shaves off a small amount of brass on the case mouth leaving a rough edge uniformly around the case. This happens with both blazer and win brass.

Any help or direction would be awesome. Thanks!

[the led farmer]

It says to turn the adjusting screw in, not the die

[I2est]

Correction: I turned the adjusting screw in 1/2 turn. Die is already locked out.

[the led farmer]

Help! Lee FCD roughing up case mouth.

Watch the vid

http://leeprecision.net/HelpVideos/Pistol/carbide%20fc%20die-1.wmv

[at_liberty]

On mine, I would back off a 1/4 turn and see if I liked it better. I have always experienced some machining evidence on the case mouth edge, when I look at a well taper crimped cartridge under magnification.

[J-cat]

Lee dies are rough. Take the crimp sleeve out and lap it.

[Dark Mod]

Just forget the factory crimp die honestly. There's no reason to use it in the first place, and if you can think of a reason to use it the results are less than spectacular.

Throw a roll crimp on that bad boy or don't crimp at all if u don't have to. You'll notice more consistent results without crimp anyway. I played with one a couple years ago on .30-30 and could never get it set up right.

[at_liberty]

Just forget the factory crimp die honestly. There's no reason to use it in the first place, and if you can think of a reason to use it the results are less than spectacular.

Throw a roll crimp on that bad boy or don't crimp at all if u don't have to. You'll notice more consistent results without crimp anyway. I played with one a couple years ago on .30-30 and could never get it set up right.

If nothing else, the FCD is assurance that the rounds will drop in the gauge or barrel. Okay, I'm a dweeb reloader then, but I find it constructive to use an FCD. I have even used it on bought ammo to make the rounds usable (feed).

I don't use lead or plated bullets, so my comments are meant to apply to use of FMJ or FMJ-HP.

[CalTeacher]

If your sizing die and seating/crimp dies are set up properly, then a FCD is completely unnecessary. Personally, I'd toss it.

[Chief-7700]

Just forget the factory crimp die honestly. There's no reason to use it in the first place, and if you can think of a reason to use it the results are less than spectacular.

Throw a roll crimp on that bad boy or don't crimp at all if u don't have to. You'll notice more consistent results without crimp anyway. I played with one a couple years ago on .30-30 and could never get it set up right.

9mm use a tapered crimp.

[Chief-7700]

Equipment
Press: Hornady LNL Classic
Dies: Lee 9mm 4-Die Carbide
Problem die: Lee FCD
Bullet: Winchester 115gr FMJ HB
Brass: Both Blazer & Win once fired

Brand new set of Lee 9mm dies. I set them up according to Lees instruction booklet that came with the dies. The first three dies work just great with consistent measurements no matter the brass, Sizer/de-primer, Expander, Bullet seat.

The Problem: When using the Lee FCD, set up per Lees instructions, once the crimp makes contact drop the shell and give one additional 1/2 turn in for a light crimp, the crimp for shaves off a small amount of brass on the case mouth leaving a rough edge uniformly around the case. This happens with both blazer and win brass.

Any help or direction would be awesome. Thanks!

Lee FDC is a tool designed by Richard Lee to fix a problem for people who do not know how to set dies up properly. To solve your problem get a tapered crimp die.
Chief

[mark501w]

Rcbs taper crimp.

[shooting4life]

Tapper crimp for auto loads. Roll crimp or lee fcd for revolver.

[rsrocket1]

The problem with using the seating die as a crimp die is that it tends to shave lead and smear it onto the case mouth and even the case walls. The bullet is still being pushed down as the crimp is being applied, you can't avoid it with the combination die.

9mm is also notorious for being terribly inconsistent in case length so even if all you want to do is to close the flare, you get inconsistent results with the seating die being used as a flare closer.

I bought a used 9mm Lee set that had only 3 dies but I've found that the 38/357 FCD can be used to close the mouth by adjusting it to run down only the top part of the case. It straightens the mouth and closes the flare. Don't use this the full length of the case because 38 special is a straight case and 9mm is a tapered case which is wider at the base. You don't want to squeeze the 9mm case into a straight walled cartridge!

[stilly]

Just forget the factory crimp die honestly. There's no reason to use it in the first place, and if you can think of a reason to use it the results are less than spectacular.

Throw a roll crimp on that bad boy or don't crimp at all if u don't have to. You'll notice more consistent results without crimp anyway. I played with one a couple years ago on .30-30 and could never get it set up right.

uhhhhh, roll crimp on a 9mm?