Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Lee FCD to the rescue.......again

I have 1000 Starline cases for 38 Super. The load is a Saeco 383 cast (140 gr truncated cone) powder coated over Power Pistol.

I loaded the first fifty to function test. 65% would not fully chamber. The Lee FCD came in yesterday. A quick pass through the crimp die, and three mags fed flawlessly through the Kimber pro carry commander 1911.

It is going to make a nice shooting load.

Nice thing to know. Glad it worked out for you .Solving things like this are the more rewarding parts of reloading.

And that is why we suggest them.

I have been using the FCD on the 41 mag for 20 years.

Don't know why I waited so long to buy one for the Super. Got the 10mm while I was ordering.

Seater crimp always worked for me

How many bullets do you cast per year? In how many weights? In how many calibers?

How many do you powder coat?

How many do you subsequently load into straight wall pistol cases?

Got any pics of your casting tools or reloading bench?

Got any pics of the gun you own?

Airsoft does not count.

What would reloaders do without LEE? I don't know anyone who doesn't use something LEE makes, even if he has the most Gucci reloading setup in the world.

Lee products are snubbed by many......

The FCD & Lee Collet die are great inexpensive tools

These guys cast all the cast boolits I need.......

https://rimrockbullets.com/xcart/-40-10mm-200-gr-tc-the-outdoorsman-per-700.html

Count me in that category along with cooking a jacket on a bullet.

You know, the ones that turn molten at a lower temperature than it does to melt lead....

I used to snub Lee in a gear snob kind of way myself.

I did start out handloading a hundred years ago with a Lee handloader and a plastic hammer, but quickly decided there were better presses and dies to save my money for.

That changed a little when I found out about the FCD and starting buying one for everything I crimp. And when covid shut down all the non-critical workplaces, it seemed the only dies and bullet molds I could find online were sets of Lee. So I've a couple three die sets and a couple Lee molds for things that aren't "critical". They're adequate for what I need them for, until they're not anymore. I'm not out much when it's time to toss em in the scrap bucket.

Still in no way a fan boi though of ALL things Lee.

Let's be honest.

The FCD die is a way to salvage something not done correctly dimensionally, they save time and put makeup on an ugly girl.

Carbide dies and powder coated bullets I'd classify in those same categories.

It's only my opinion, but these are all examples of things not done "correctly", or cutting corners, but if it keeps a guy shooting and happy, more power to him.

Yes, let's be honest. The FCD die is a way to bypass the mundane and obviously unnecessary step of keeping certain brass trimmed to an exact length every firing. Saving time and aggravation IS the whole point. If piddle dicking around with skads of brass cases in a trimmer soothes one's soul then more power to him.

I love the Lee FCD. I use it on 6.5x55SE, .41 Mag, .357 Mag and .38 Spl. It's awesome how rounds run through it just fall into and out of a revolver cylinder.

Same concept for powder coated bullets.

Absolutely no leading of a barrel when using PC cast bullets. No scrubbing of lead smeared bores. No grease from bullet lube in my pockets. No greasy lube left on the gun. No smoke when firing. I could go on, and on.

In the case of the OP, I am crimping into the front driving band of the Saeco 383 140 gr in the 38 Super. Yes, a taper crimp. But still, as the crimp begins to form, the bullet is still moving into the case. Lead was tending to flow over the crimp. Not enough to see. Not even enough to feel with a finger nail. Enough to interfere with chambering.

The FCD allows one to use any COAL he desires regardless of cannelures, lube grooves, or driving bands.


I have never heard anyone before claim to dislike carbide sizing dies for handgun brass.

There's no need to trim a handgun case more than once and that's generally with using a wide mix of headstamps or if one overworks the cases, which is one advantage to using steel dies.

There are other benefits to using steel dies from a dimensional standpoint, especially in cartridges like the 45 Colt.

I don't trim pistol cases, AT ALL, let alone once. The most I do is check those that headspace off the case neck for being within spec and shi t can the ones that aren't, which is usually VERY few. Once sorted, as with you trimming and for the same reason, doesn't need sorting again. With those in-spec cases I set the FDC to put just enough crimp to hold the bullet but still have enough lip for headspace. Rock on.

I LIKE being able to seat a bullet on anything crimp worthy and not shave lead or copper in the process. OAL's don't shift either as is quite possible if not probable crimping in a seater die. Too much aggravation, why force yourself to deal with it?

I don't give a care in the world that you hate em, but don't stand there and tell any of us that use them we're doing it "wrong". Just another way to skin the same cat and I'll put my ammo up against anybody's pink slip for pink slip.

I have several Lee carbide FCDs. They work great. I do use better lock rings on my Lee dies.

I will not use a pistol fcd. It is not needed. It can actually hurt the accuracy if the bullet gets swaged too small when using it. This is especially true if you are using a conventionally lubed bullet. Using pc has helped with this but I will still not use the fcd that comes with the die set unless I pop out the carbide ring.

And steel dies are way better than carbide if you need to size down on the case farther. The carbide ring sits up in side the die farther and does not size the case enough. Also the carbide rings are not tapered they have parallel sides. Cases that are tapered will not be tapered anymore if you use a carbide die. The Steel dies will put a a taper in the case like it needs on certain cartridges.

There are two types of FCD, and there's always confusion about it. Most of us I believe are talking about the one without the carbide ring. At least I am. I have them for 9mm, 40, 10mm, 357, 45ACP, and 45LC, a stable of mostly straight wall levergun rifle cartridges, 556 AR fodder, and my 300WM heavy rifle. None have the carbide ring.

I agree, the one with the carbide ring is supposed to iron out bulges for better chambering, and isn't anything I'm interested in using. I don't bulge my cases in other operations.