Carbide FCD ~ Over & Undersized Dies

[Ranch Dog]

I recently special ordered a Carbide FCD that would meet my 45 Auto needs for a .457" bullet. The stock die starts to post size cast bullets at .456". What I found out is that Lee will often have over and undersized dies on hand. Just need to call and ask.

With the oversized die in hand, I just checked out my .457" loaded cartridge passing through the carbide ring and it was a perfect fit. When I knocked the bullet out, it was still at .457"

[daboone]

WOW Thank you for this heads up! I'm calling them for this 45 die and 9mmL and 32ACP as well.

[RBHarter]

I have a 45 ACP fdc that I'm going to build a decaping pin for to use for the fat chambered 92' as a sizer die. All if the others seem to "coke bottle" the cases if I full length size. Thankfully I have alternative dies to choose from for sizing chores to make the sloppy ones less sloppy.

[motard]

I have a 45 ACP fdc that I'm going to build a decaping pin for to use for the fat chambered 92' as a sizer die. All if the others seem to "coke bottle" the cases if I full length size. Thankfully I have alternative dies to choose from for sizing chores to make the sloppy ones less sloppy.

I am doing rather the same process to full resize 9x21 with the 9x19 luger dies. Adding a decapping pin to the Factry Crimp Lee die and using it on first passage avoid the belly in my rounds and make the possible to shot either in the most sophisticated cambered handpistol. Wich is the '95 fatchamber You ar referring?

[RBHarter]

I have a Rossi reproduction of the 1892 Winchester in 45 Colts. The front half of the chamber meets the nominal. 480-.484 inch diameter however the rim end is visibly larger . If I forget to use the 303 British body tape trick (a lap of common office clear tape ) around the base just off the rim it produces a "fish belly" in the case . With such a generous chamber I need to have a generous die. It is currently under development for loads and brass matching.

[oscarflytyer]

Mike

Confused. Why FCD a 45 ACP? I thought, and all mine have been, 45 ACP was a taper crimp, as it head spaces on the case mouth. I do this with my H&G #68 clone and get great accuracy.

[Ranch Dog]

Mike

Confused. Why FCD a 45 ACP? I thought, and all mine have been, 45 ACP was a taper crimp, as it head spaces on the case mouth. I do this with my H&G #68 clone and get great accuracy.

Your reference concerning the "taper" crimp suggest a misunderstand that all FCD are the same. The Carbide Handgun FCD does apply a taper crimp. The CHFCD does a better job of applying the taper crimp vs. that applied with a bullet seating die, in that it used a floating crimp sleeve. Case length is not critical for the uniform crimp and misadjusted die or long case it will not over crimp the mouth (creating the headspace issue you reference) or buckle the cartridge. The yellow circle in the image below identifies the floating crimp sleeve.



My main interest has become the carbide sizing ring at the base of the die (red circle). From my measurements against using a bullet seating die, it eliminates bullet runout. With the short bullet seating depths typical of a pistol cartridge, you don't have a chance to allow case tension to reduce or eliminate runout during bullet seating. Runout can become exaggerated when flaring a case to accept a over diameter cast bullet. A pass through the carbide ring will completely uniform cartridge plus aligning the longitudinal axis of the bullet with that of the case. It is not possible for a bullet seating die to correct anything as the only contact with the completed cartridge is the case mouth. Anything other will adversely affect runout as the case walls are unsupported.

Might as well hit on the main objection to the Carbide Handgun Factory Crimp Die. It is the belief that the carbide ring, the very thing I've come to appreciate in the die, post-sizes over-diameter cast bullets. I see this mentioned as fact where handloading cast bullets are discussed but in a vast majority of the cases, its simply an internet perpetuated myth. Most that throw it out there have not actually measured their results, here are my results.

CHFCD_RDO_post_sizing._02.jpg

By my measurements, the one case of post sizing is the most extreme case. My need for a .457" with my 45 Auto. The CHFCD will start sizing beyond .455". In other words, if you try to pass a .456" bullet through the die it will post size it to .455".

[RBHarter]

In my case it came with a box of stuff . I'm not loading for an auto so the crimp choice is moot. My point ,poorly stated,is that the FDC is larger than the sizers and is better suited as a fat sizer.

[62chevy]

RD that would explain why my 45 acp at .454 does not get resized but my .380 at .360 did get resized.

[Ranch Dog]

In my case it came with a box of stuff . I'm not loading for an auto so the crimp choice is moot. My point ,poorly stated,is that the FDC is larger than the sizers and is better suited as a fat sizer.

I'm not following you as none are the FCDs (rifle, handgun, or bottle necked handgun) are sizing dies, they are crimp dies.