Newb loading / reloading questions

[Bret]

Should I get the Lee FCD?

No. You just need a regular roll crimp die. The FCD is a different animal.

[Ron3]

A properly calibrated beam scale is may be slow, but it very accurate.

Do yourself a favor and get another die to use only for crimping in a separate step. I've found that RCBS seating/crimping dies give excellent deep crimps

The RCBS Cowboy set is what I have for my .32 revolvers. Haven't used them yet, no small primers. I did get the Lee powder through expanding die to use with it. Hopefully that combo works

[Ron3]

No. You just need a regular roll crimp die. The FCD is a different animal.

Ok.

It would be nice if the RCBS Cowboy crimp die was available separately but I haven't looked yet.

[AndyLate]

Its a huge PITA to adjust the die to seat and crimp in one go, although the dies are designed to do that.

You could seat all the bullets, screw the seating stem up, and then adjust the die to roll crimp. Not the most efficient method, for sure.

Andy

[Ron3]

Its a huge PITA to adjust the die to seat and crimp in one go, although the dies are designed to do that.

You could seat all the bullets, screw the seating stem up, and then adjust the die to roll crimp. Not the most efficient method, for sure.

Andy

Thanks.

It's easier with auto pistol calibers because they only need a taper crimp, correct?

[Ron3]

Took a pic of the first 10.

One of them I used to test and seated and pulled the bullet at least 5 times. But I forget which.
44russian first load small.jpg

44russian first load2 small.jpg

The fired casings still drop in the cylinders of the revolver just fine. So of course they do after sizing, too. There is some resistance / drag as the casings go in and out of the sizing die. Yet it doesn't seem that the die has much sizing to do.

So why the resistance / drag? Should I put a little lube on the cases or in the die, perhaps?

[Bret]

It's easier with auto pistol calibers because they only need a taper crimp, correct?

No. It's pretty much the same thing. It's best to seat and taper crimp in separate steps for the same reasons.

BTW, the term "taper crimp" is a misnomer. A more accurate term would be debelling. The purpose is simply to remove the remaining flare that's left from the belling step and not to help hold the bullet. The purpose of a roll crimp is to help hold the bullet.

[Bimmer]

Took a pic of the first 10.

The fired casings still drop in the cylinders of the revolver just fine. So of course they do after sizing, too. There is some resistance / drag as the casings go in and out of the sizing die. Yet it doesn't seem that the die has much sizing to do.

So why the resistance / drag? Should I put a little lube on the cases or in the die, perhaps?

Those look good! If they chamber easily, then don't worry about crimping them more.

Low pressure rounds won't expand the cases much, so there really won't be much sizing to do...

I do put a very little Dillon lube on my nickel pistol cases, and they slide in'n'out of the sizing die that much easier (plus, I have a bunch of somebody else's once-fired brass, and some of it was factory self-defense ammo, and those cases need sizing).

[Ron3]

No. It's pretty much the same thing. It's best to seat and taper crimp in separate steps for the same reasons.

BTW, the term "taper crimp" is a misnomer. A more accurate term would be debelling. The purpose is simply to remove the remaining flare that's left from the belling step and not to help hold the bullet. The purpose of a roll crimp is to help hold the bullet.

Good to know.

But auto pistol rounds don't normally have a roll crimp, do they?

[Ron3]

Those look good! If they chamber easily, then don't worry about crimping them more.

Low pressure rounds won't expand the cases much, so there really won't be much sizing to do...

I do put a very little Dillon lube on my nickel pistol cases, and they slide in'n'out of the sizing die that much easier (plus, I have a bunch of somebody else's once-fired brass, and some of it was factory self-defense ammo, and those cases need sizing).

Thanks. Yea, they drop in just fine.

I have some Frankfort Arsenal lube in a pump bottle. I can just lightly spray / wipe some on the outside of my cleaned pistol cases if they have little to no friction going into the dies, yes?

Is it okay if any gets inside the case? Trivial amount maybe?