I bought a lee factory crimp die and it doesn't allow the 44 magnum shell to enter it with the .432 diameter bullet. Is this common?

The handgun version of the LFCD has a carbide ring that will resize loaded rounds to SAAMI spec - bullet, case and all. That's what yours is trying to do. So if you absolutely MUST use oversized bullets for some reason, you can't also use the LFCD.

It's an either-or situation.

If the die is a Carbide Factory Crimp Die then it will resize the case and resize the bullet in the case at the same time. If your firearm needs these "oversized" bullets then the die is no good for you. Have the same trouble with a 357Magnum rifle with a large throat using .358 bullets, the Carbide Factory Crimp die will size the bullets in the case down to .3565 and lead the devil out of my rifle just ahead of the throat from gas blow by/cutting. Like the previous post, use a different die or smaller bullets.

This is strange stuff guys. I've been using the Lee Factory Crimp die on literally thousands of 44 mags with Beartooth 44 cal, .432 (mikes out at .4325 or so) bullet diameter without an issue. Neither leading or accuracy is an issue. I do the same thing with Beartooth 357 mag for thousands of bullets and again, never an issue. I've also used a Factory Crimp die on many 444 loads using Beartooth bullets with no problems of any sort. I have used Factory Crimp dies to seat bullets both shorter and longer than what the crimp groove calls for... no problems.

All I can think of is checking the die depth again as it's not very intuitive. Other than that, it's a mystery to me why there would be a problem.

Guys, it sure sounds like we are talking about different things but I don't think so.

The cartridge goes in hard and comes out hard...right at the bottom of the die. Maybe it will loosen up with time? Shes so tight that I applied another coat of lube just prior to crimping. Maybe another type of lube would work better? I am just using the old RCBS liquid with the pad you roll the cases on.

I am afraid if I flared the case mouth that I would not get it into the die. That would push it over the edge.

I was also having trouble getting the round to enter the chamber. But now with the crimp she slides in like greased lightening.

That about confirms it. The carbide ring is right at the bottom of the die, and it would take quite a bit of oomph to size a seated bullet. Clearly it IS being sized as seen by the easier chambering.

Bill, is it possible that your Lee die is NOT a carbide crimper? I thought all their handgun LFCDs have the carbide ring, but perhaps yours doesn't - or it is a looser ring.

So what would be an appropriate crimp die for .432 bullets without a crimp grove?

No crimp groove? How odd in a cast bullet.

If it's a soft, swaged bullet (I can't remember if it is from your other thread) you can apply a regular roll crimp if you don't get too aggressive with it. That would be the regular seat/crimp die. Or get a taper crimp die.

Again, I haven't looked up the original thread to learn why you need oversize bullets, so this is just my own rambling - but it seems like that bullet is causing you a whole lotta headaches and expense. If you don't actually NEED that diameter, I'd just let the LFCD size 'em down a bit and go with the flow.

If you do absolutely, positively have to have a fat slug, well then ... you'll have a skinny wallet to offset it.

I remember reading that the FCD would form it's own crimp grove/canalure in bullets that did not have one. A web search can prove me wrong there. I remember wondering about "how that" might effect the terminal performance of an engineered bullet?

I have exactly one FCD in my toolbox for 30-30 Winchester. I have found no "REAL GAIN" in performance from it in my model #94 Winchester. I can also report "NO LOSS" in performance from using it. I crimp in a seperate operation from bullet seating.

My revolver handloads look "pregnant" in most calibers. I've never had trouble with them in that condition, so I don't mess with it. Sizing a bullet after it's seated in a case (of sometimes varried wall thickness) seems counter-productive to me. All I need to know is that a round will chamber freely.

I wonder who makes Factory Crimp Dies for the factories?


Cheezywan

I like and use several FC dies. As noted by Rocky they will most definately downsize your cast/swaged lead bullets if they are over the nominal jacketed bullet diameter. This is only the case with straight walled cartridges of course. FC dies for bottle neck cartridges don't utilize the carbide sizer insert at the bottom of the die. I shoot mostly cast bullets in my handguns (usuallly .001 or .002 oversized). I got around this problem with the help of a machinist friend of mine. He simply removed .003 from the sizer rings of my handgun caliber FC dies. The crimp part of the die works just as well. With only .003 removed from the TC sizer ring it keeps the case nicely centered for the crimp operation as well.

The cartridge goes in hard and comes out hard...right at the bottom of the die. Maybe it will loosen up with time? Shes so tight that I applied another coat of lube just prior to crimping. Maybe another type of lube would work better? I am just using the old RCBS liquid with the pad you roll the cases on.

I am afraid if I flared the case mouth that I would not get it into the die. That would push it over the edge.

I was also having trouble getting the round to enter the chamber. But now with the crimp she slides in like greased lightening.

Sounds about right to me. Maybe how hard it is to run through the cartridge through the die depends on the mechanical advantage. What if feels like running through my Rock Chucker is a lot different than my old Lyman C press.

Sometimes the cartridge goes in hard and sometimes not. But with any .432 or .358 bullet it the die tends to size it a little. And like you said, it makes sure the cartridge feeds well. Right now I am reloading a few hundred 45 acp fmj loads. It's the first time for this particular bullet which is running almost .001 larger than the typical WW bullets I'm accustomed to feeding in my Glocks. In 3 out of 4 loads, I can feel the Factory Crimp carbide die doing it's job and that's the end of it.

Rocky... I checked, all my pistol caliber Factory Crimp dies are carbide.

Cheezywan.... Over the years I have developed a lot of loads that are seated either deeper or shallower than the crimp groove (only on hard cast bullets so far though) and never had an issue with the FCD. In a couple of cases I have used it do increase bullet pull over a regular crimp.

Mosty it seems like we are talking about the same thing. Be I right or wrong, I just plowed through the issue... thousands of times to no ill effect. I always just figured it was the FCD doing it's job. I never lubed a case for this (the advantage of carbide). It is possible that the lube you are using is taking up space that's not there and making your problem worse rather than better.

Sometimes the devil is in the details though. In nearly all examples I am using Starline cases. If you are using a thicker case, more problems can be expected. If your .432 bullets actually measure out at .433 or .4335, expect more problems. Chrome plated cases may be an issue but I have little experience with them and cast bullets.

Interesting post guys.

I am curious about this too...I use Lee factory crimp dies for everything I load now...and I have never had a problem. I do this because it works...

I think it's smart to point out here that Lee's FCDs for rifles are entirely different than those for handguns. Rifle FCDs form a stab crimp exactly the way that ammo factories crimp (duh, huh?) but do NOT size the case/bullet. In fact, no part of the die touches the round except the crimp jaws. You can actually use one FCD for multiple cases, as long as they are the same length brass. The 22 Hornet FCD, for example, works perfectly with the 218 Bee and the 221 Fireball because all three are the same length despite their different body diameters.

I don't have a handgun FCD at the moment, but I think the crimp jaws work the same way. If so, they'll produce a crimp and a groove in the bullet the same way their rifle dies do on non-cannelured bullets. The FCDs for straight-wall cases also have that carbide ring as a final sizer, soemthing that obviously would not work for a tapered/bottleneck case.

Why call Lee Precision and either get them to fix it if it is defective or figure out the problem. Sounds defective to me and Lee is good with customer service. Just a thought.

I use a RCBS carbide sizer to crimp 45 ACP cases that look like they swallowed a bullet for one pistol, it is new ammo or reloads that look like factory loads.

Lee Factory Crimp dies, I have a few, I do not use them, I have them just in case (JIC), if they are sizer and crimp dies I would say they are crimp dies with case support, the support prevents the case from squatting, bulging or wrinkling.

F. Guffey

I use a RCBS carbide sizer to crimp 45 ACP cases that look like they swallowed a bullet for one pistol, it is new ammo or reloads that look like factory loads.

Lee Factory Crimp dies, I have a few, I do not use them, I have them just in case (JIC), if they are sizer and crimp dies I would say they are crimp dies with case support, the support prevents the case from squatting, bulging or wrinkling.

F. Guffey

As stated, Lee's rifle crimp dies are different then there pistol crimp dies. But! with the 44magnum you can get the 44-40 rifle die and cut .050 off the collet and you have a 44mag rifle die! I did this ten years ago, several thousand rounds later, no problem.