Just seems like it's going to be pain in butt getting my dies adusted again.
Use the set screw on the die to lock the ring and you shouldn't have to adjust the FLR or crimp die. You might have to adjust the seater when you change bullet lengths.
I generally load a dummy round (no primer or powder) for bullets I commonly use to get the seating stem close. More often than not the die is good to go after the dummy round.
Back to the soot/dirt. The can be lots of other factors in play - the bullets can be undersized, the bullets need more pressure to obdurate and seal the bore, etc. Those issues can cause the hot gas to blow by the bullet in the bore and burn off the lube and/or cause leading. You can measure the cylinder throats and the bore, play with different pressure/velocities, etc.
Or, just load and shoot.
