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Lee FCD not crimping


Warden Callaway

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30-06_factorycrimp.jpg

 

Here is a cross section imige if the Lee die for bottle neck cases.  The collet and cartridge are pushed up into the die until the top of the collet hits the slope on the outer die.  The restriction causes the collet fingers to collapse in pinching a "stab crimp" into the case. 

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Maybe they have more than one die body for the collets ? And you go the wrong one .  Are you using a lee shell holder ? 

im guessing taking some off the bottom of the die or the top of the shell holder would solve the problem 

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12 hours ago, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said:

Warden ;

Mine works like a Charm Now ....

I did take some 400 grit paper and run it through the slots form side to side on both sides about 6 strokes on each side of the slot, through both pair of slots .

Not really a lot of metal removed just a light polish ... 

I did notice a tiny scrap of metal on the bench afterward ...

I shoot .38 WCF. a bunch and this is the very best way to get a Great Crimp with-out damaged cases ...

 

Jabez Cowboy  

 

Ok.  I'm getting better results.  

 

1)  I backed up a bit and got out my little Lee C press and remounted it to my sturdy reloading bench.  I had borrowed the screws and board to mount the APP press.

 

I've used this die in this little C press before and didn't recall having a problem.  The APP press was C-clamped to a heavy homemade bar stool and not really setup for applying MORE POWER.

 

2) I mounted the collet in the little lathe and honed the business end and otherwise polished it bright(er).

 

3) I did as Jebez suggested and ran a strip of 400 grit sandpaper through the slots. I can't say I could see any material removed but I did it and it could only help.

 

4) I put a little Outers choke tube grease on the ends of the fingers that close the collet. 

 

I'm real sure I'm using the Lee shell holder.  I have a set of Lee dies for the 44WCF and 38WCF and they both come with shell holders. RCBS and Lyman usually are brand marked. This #14 is not brand marked.  

 

The shortcomings is that the crimp is only catching the very top edge of the case.  Maybe because my Starline brass is a bit short if 1.30".  

 

But I'm getting rid of the bell and turning the edge into the bullet and they now chamber loose in Stimulus Colt I'm playing with.  So I may or may not cut some off the bottom end of the collet. 

 

 

 

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Warden;

I just Got two New to Me Uberti "Old Model" Cattlemen with 5 1/2 inch Barrels , These are with the Old Style Non safety Hammers  in .38 WCF.

They were new in the Box ,,, well my loads Chamber perfectly in these two as well as my other 3 guns ... A Low-Wall, 66 and a first Gen. Colt  Made in 1882...

My bullets of choice are a perfect fit in these New to me guns as well, sized lubed RNFP are a push fit in all 12 Chamber Mouths, But chamber Freely ...

While I haven't yet had the time to Slug the Bore, it looks like the bullets are about 1.3 thou. over groove diameter...

Looks Like these are going to be fine Shooter ,,,,, if we ever get back to Shooting ....

One Good Thing about this COVID 19 thing is I'm now Caught up with my Smithing on Cowboy Guns ...

Now I need to get going on my Loading...

 

Jabez Cowboy

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3 hours ago, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said:

One Good Thing about this COVID 19 thing is I'm now Caught up with my Smithing on Cowboy Guns ...

Now I need to get going on my Loading.

 

Me too.  Then I traded for and spent yhe stimulus on this old Colt!

 

1848560929_StimulusColt38WCFAApril2020.jpg.40b596f67d6ba33b389e4bee35afc7b1.jpg

 

212767494_AgedivoryleftsideDec2019.jpg.c7c5adbed236018ea8e31611be56e683.jpg

 

That will have to pair with this Uberti Old Model P. 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

So I may or may not cut some off the bottom end of the collet.

 

Not the collet!  The die body.   Cutting the collet will make things even worse!

 

Good luck, GJ

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The Fix is in the Slots ..... I can now get anywhere from a Med.-light to a Very-Deep Crimp ... By simply backing off or tighting down the die against the Shell holder ...

 

Jabez Cowboy

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On 4/25/2020 at 2:58 PM, Warden Callaway said:

 

276646496_LeeFCD38WCFApril2020.jpg.517cf4ae79385dceb1945f9d3b260bb7.jpg

 

Here is the working inside part setting on a Lee shell holder.  The collet pushes up into die body until it hits the restricted slope in the body and closes the fingers.  The fingers completely close slots and will not close any further.  Still it doesn't close enough to put a crimp in case.  

Warden: My collet looks just like yours and it works just fine.  I only load BP, so once in a while I pull the collet and clean the slots out.  Just a thought here.  If the collet was placed in a 44-40 die body, I wonder if that would create the problem you are having.  I don't load 44-40, but I'm thinking that the "ramp" that starts to squeeze the collet fingers has a larger diameter that the "ramp" on the 38-40.  Just a thought.  Do you also load 44-40?

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23 minutes ago, German Jim said:

Just a thought.  Do you also load 44-40?

 

Yes I do. And I had already went through the same process including cutting a bunch off the bottom of the collet.  I only use it to "iron out" any slight crimp bulge in few of the ones I load for Sawmill Mary's Smokewagons.  They have to be perfect or no go. 

 

I've not swapped collets in error.

 

276646496_LeeFCD38WCFApril2020.jpg.517cf4ae79385dceb1945f9d3b260bb7.jpg

 

You should be able to read 38/40 on the collet.

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10 hours ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

 

Not the collet!  The die body.   Cutting the collet will make things even worse!

 

Good luck, GJ

 

Why not the collet? The cartridge's position inside the collet is controlled from the collet's base.

Removing .025 from the base of the collet, places the cartridge that much higher inside the collet itself. 

BTW: Copper anti-seize works very well to lube the collet fingers where they contact the die body.

OLG 

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