Somewhere on some reloading site or gun forum I read that only a few cartridges benefit from the Lee Factory Crimp Die. I believe those included were the .30-30, .30 M1 Carbine, and maybe the .38 special and 9mm. I just can't remember all the details. I thought I bookmarked the site, but I didn't. The bottom line seemed to be that handgun calibers don't need the FCD, and not all rifle calibers do. I reload the .30-30, .308, .223, 9mm, .38 special, .45acp and .45 SUPER. Do these calibers benefit from the Lee Factory Crimp die? Can anyone give me a general answer as to what benefits and what doesn't, and/or maybe a link to a discussion on this topic? I sure would appreciate it. Thank you

Hi,

All cartridges that need to be (heavily) crimped can potentially benefit from the Lee FCD. The great benefit of the FCD is being able to crimp heavily without bucking the case.

For straight-walled handgun cartridges that headspace on the case mouth, not sure I'd get carried away with it, but for the heavy-recoiling stuff that tends to pull bullets and has a rim, (44 mag, .45 Colt, .454, etc.) it could be a big help.

On your rifle cartridges, again, it just depends on how much crimp you want to apply. If you are shooting bolt guns in the .308 & .223, you might not need it, many people don't crimp rifle ammo at all. For the .30-30, it could definitely help if you are getting inconsistent ignition, or have some bullets without cannelures and need a crimp.

Basically, it puts a 'stab' crimp like you will find on nearly all factory ammo (except semi-auto pistol cartridges. If the ammo factories are doing it on the majority of ammunition sold... then it can't be all bad.

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what does "headspacing" mean.





Hi,

All cartridges that need to be (heavily) crimped can potentially benefit from the Lee FCD. The great benefit of the FCD is being able to crimp heavily without bucking the case.

For straight-walled handgun cartridges that headspace on the case mouth, not sure I'd get carried away with it, but for the heavy-recoiling stuff that tends to pull bullets and has a rim, (44 mag, .45 Colt, .454, etc.) it could be a big help.

On your rifle cartridges, again, it just depends on how much crimp you want to apply. If you are shooting bolt guns in the .308 & .223, you might not need it, many people don't crimp rifle ammo at all. For the .30-30, it could definitely help if you are getting inconsistent ignition, or have some bullets without cannelures and need a crimp.

Basically, it puts a 'stab' crimp like you will find on nearly all factory ammo (except semi-auto pistol cartridges. If the ammo factories are doing it on the majority of ammunition sold... then it can't be all bad.

Right on, Mike -

If you shoot a lever gun, pump or auto that has a tubular magazine, you have to crimp the cases to keep the bullet from being driven into the case with firearm recoil. I use the Lee Crimp Die for my 45-70 lever action.

Headspace is what keeps the cartridge from falling completely through the barrel - example, the rim on a shotgun shell. Or the shoulder on a bottlenecked rifle round (.30-06, etc.).

Many auto pistol rounds (9mm, .45 ACP, etc.) come to rest on a ledge in the front of the chamber that the case mouth hits. So you don't want a firm crimp that folds the case mouth into the bullet, or the cartridge could go too far into the chamber and then not fire. Push an empty case into the barrel of one of your pistols with your thumb and it will make sense.

Not so on a rimmed cartridge like the .44 mag, the rim stops the cartridge from going any deeper into the chamber. So you can crimp as much as you want.

It seems that the cartridge that headspaces on the mouth should not need a Lee Factory Crimp Die then, or is it just a matter of not crimping too tightly?
What's the difference between the Redding Profile Crimp Die and the Lee Factory Crimp Die, and when would you use one rather than the other :confused:
Thanks for your help. I appreciate the time you took to explain this. :)

Headspace is what keeps the cartridge from falling completely through the barrel - example, the rim on a shotgun shell. Or the shoulder on a bottlenecked rifle round (.30-06, etc.).

Many auto pistol rounds (9mm, .45 ACP, etc.) come to rest on a ledge in the front of the chamber that the case mouth hits. So you don't want a firm crimp that folds the case mouth into the bullet, or the cartridge could go too far into the chamber and then not fire. Push an empty case into the barrel of one of your pistols with your thumb and it will make sense.

Not so on a rimmed cartridge like the .44 mag, the rim stops the cartridge from going any deeper into the chamber. So you can crimp as much as you want.

dzrtram -

MOST semi-auto handguns are the rimless type cases, therefore, headspace on the case rim. You still want a crimp for these cartridges to assure recoil doesn't drive the bullets forward from the case while in the magazine. Since you're chambering on the case mouth, a taper crimp must be used to assure you have a flange (or case mouth) to headspace on. This fit the shoulder MikeG mentioned in the chamber.

A rimmed case must be crimped for the same reasons, to assure the bullet doesn't unseat and move foreward, but here you can use either a roll crimp or a taper crimp since you're headspacing with the rim of the case. To throw a little sand in the gearbox, there are some revolvers that also use the rimless cases. BUT, they do not headspace on the case mouth. They will use half-moon clips to retain them in the cylinder. These cases may be either roll or taper crimped, also.

ANY handgun cartridge should be crimped. The manner is your choice unless being used in semi-autos. Then, the taper crimp should be used.

ANY cartridge loaded into lever actions, pumps or semi-auto rifles having a tubular magazine must be crimped, either with roll or taper crimp.

All factory loads will come with crimped cases.

Some people will crimp bullets in all their handloads believing it provides consistency in neck tension and resultant chamber pressures. Lee Precision makes this assertion with their sales literature for their dies.

I only crimp those cartridges that prudence dictates they need the crimp.