Thanks for the video! I’m pretty sure this is the reason why some of my bullets were failing back when I used to reload. I’m actually looking at starting over again. I don’t think I was crimping my handgun ammo
I like how you get back with peoples comments and issues. Its rare that a company will not only post great instrustional videos and also answer people. I've used your dies in a few calibers and impressed enough that I think they will phase out other die sets as time goes on. They are just packed with features not available to other die makes. I also think that your seat/crimp die is the only one that works perfect. My advice to others running a separate crimp on their progressive that is not the Lee FCD you are not gaining anything by separating the crimp stage with these dies. I had a setup for a while on a Dillon 550 that had a powder check in station 3 and used this die to both crimp and seat. Rounds all turned out great and passed plunk test 100% that is of course with my gun/setup results my vary. I will say your sizing die is also simply amazing. Sizes .40 further down then certain makes and the finished round comes out looking wet tumbled. Great job and keep it up.
I prefer a separate crimping die (NOT FCD) over this combo. A separate die works better IMHO when you have variances in case length. More importantly, I’ve always thought it doesn’t make sense to crimp the case mouth while the bullet is still being pressed into the case (even if only a little bit).
Hello sir, great step by step instructional video. I have a question, I gave the seat adjustment screw 3 full turns. But when I adjust the crimp adjustment screw, the seat adjustment screw also turns. Is that suppose to happen? I thought about holding one while I turn the other.
Hope vid isn’t too old to get a reply...recently started casting and found the lee FCD to be swaging my bullets down a few thou by the time I got sufficient crimp. Causing bullets to be way under sized and leaving a tidal wave of lead in my barrels. 🤬. Been trying to get the combo die running (when I first started reloading I gave up on the combo die pretty quick after I just couldn’t get it right and then heard about the FCD from lee). I’ve never been able to get this die to operate properly, and I have the same issue with rcbs combo dies. If I set up the die exactly the way you did in the video I can easily push the bullet into the case. And it will do the same when cycled through any of my pistols or (especially) my CZ scorpion. So no go there if I don’t want to blow one up. So, I will back off the seat stem, screw down die 1/8-1/4 turn at a time, and check the round for movement each time until I can’t push it into case without substantial pressure. At that point I’ll run it through my scorpion (the worst culprit for jamming bullets into case) and verify it’s good. Lock everything in place and use that round to adjust seat stem minus approximate amount bullet has pushed into case (using the micro seat adjust stem...a fine product by the way). Next round comes through....SMASH. Severely deforms or totally crushes bullet. Same for cast, plated, and fmj. Have had this issue for years. Never been able to figure it out. Always just crimped separately in last station. Basically what I’ve found is the crimp comes on way too soon, so the seat stem is trying to seat into a crimped case by the time bullet is seated about 40%. So it meets much more resistance through the last 60% of seating travel. Squishing the stem into the bullet. I’ve tried sorting brass by length thinking it was a mixed head stamp (too much variation in case length) issue. Nope. Tried measuring a bunch of bullets to see if there was variation in diameter...nope. Same happens between .353 (batch of 124g XTPs🧐) and .357 I get exactly the same problem. This is a MUCH bigger issue with 223. Totally sinks the shoulder into the case. This, after all the cases have been run through a dillon trim die and trim within .001”. That’s with just enough crimp to get mouth rolled into the cannelure properly. With 223 I also tried rcbs small base dies...allegedly (per rcbs) the crimp/seat die allows for more variance in case length. Zero change with that set. 9mm just crushes the bullet. 10mm and 45 aren’t quite as bad...but still leave indent on the projectile. Been a few years now...always just used a separate station for crimping. Still hand feed bullets because of it. Would love to move on to a bullet feeder, but I just can’t get these darn dies to chooch without damage to the bullet and/or case. Would love some advice. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong...I just don’t know what it is. And I promise, I’m putting the minimal amount of crimp possible to keep bullet from pushing back into the case too easily.
sounds like you might be setting the crimp too tight initially before setting the bullet seat depth. 9mm is a light taper crimp so no reason you should be crushing bullets, if anything, it should just seat way too deep. Here's how I set my Hornady combo die up and seems to work. Back out both the crimp section, and the bullet seat depth screws pretty much all the way. Next, take a ready casing and put it in your press and run it all the way up. Screw in the crimp ring until it just touches the mouth of the case, then back it out just a tiny bit, just enough so it's not touching the casing. Run the press down and put a bullet in the flared case mouth. Run the press to the top. Screw in the bullet seating screw until it hits the bullet. Lower press slightly, turn seating screw in minor increments then run the press up. Continue this process until the bullet is seated to proper depth and your desired overall length. Lower press arm slightly, screw in the crimp setting screw about 1/8th of a turn or just over while holding the bullet seat depth screw in it's stationary place relative to the press and die body (Those two should not move while turning the crimp ring). Check a couple rounds making minor adjustments to the crimp or seat depth screws until you have your results. Just remember the crimp adjustment screw and seat depth screw essentially work independently and each has their own minor adjustments to make. I know the instructions in the die kit are not the best and very confusing when reading, but if you disassemble the die, and see how the whole system works (die body, crimp sleeve section, and seat depth section) it makes sense and does work well when initially set up right. I just re-read your post too. Are you making sure to have enough flare on the case so the bullet slides in easy? Is the bullet getting jammed in the case mouth then getting crushed as the press is raised?
Why is it that my bullets are getting a ring mark from the seating stem? I’ve tried no crimp and crimp, with crimp seems to have a more pronounced mark. Brass is belled out to .383-.386
Hi Hornady, I was watching this to help with my LNL setup and I believe I bought the 3-die set that doesn't have the seat+crimp die. I've looked over your site and can't find that die sold on its own. Is it no longer available?
im getting crimp marks towards the tip of the bullets head. However when i press the catridge into a block of wood to check the crimp, the bullet doesn't get pushed into the case so this leads me to believe there is sufficient crimp. Is this correct and should i worry about the slight blemished ring around the bullets head?
I believe that the marks are coming from the seating stem located in the alignment collar. The bullet profile may not match the profile cut into the stem. It can leave a ring around the bullets tip if enough resistance is met. The marks should be cosmetic and should not affect performance unless the marks are very deep. Thank you for your question!
Im having the same issue, mine are rather deep I believe. Loading 147gn fmj with 4.2gn IMR 4756. Loaded 100 and fired 50 at the range no problem but the indent in the bullets are quite deep.
Ok so if you have .002 of roll crimp in the 9mm luger and when I chamber a round it in my Sig p365xl seats the bullet another .006. That seems like a problem if you take that round in and out a few times before firing the round. That would create more pressure in the round if the bullet that is so post to be 1.100 OAL and going down to 1.090 or lower. So how much roll crimp is too much and is it even possible to eliminate that problem?
I prefer a role crimp in a revolver cartridge where you need the extra hold due to bullet moving forward under heavy recoil and use the taper crimp in simi automatics handguns aiding in the cartridge being chambered. Never tried a role crimp in a semi-automatic.
i followed his instructions but i have to say they are wrong because my 9mm will not fit into my lyman case gauge the die body has to get lowered so you get more of a crimp
Good video but i am getting alot of bullet bulging on the side of the case making the brass out of round and I can't figure out how to fix it. I've set up the die about 10 times hoping that i just did something wrong but it's not fixing the problem.
+Sandor Borbas Thank you for your comment. When seating pistol bullets it is not uncommon to see a "bulge" where the bullet is pressed into the case. If the brass is .0005" or .001" thicker on one side, the bulge will visually appear to be "out of round" - this, again, is common and is purely cosmetic. If the bulge is so large on one side that it interferes with the function of the round I would recommend increasing the amount of flare on your case by another .001" or so. If there is insufficient flare the bullet may not be going straight creating the trouble. If the problem persists you can give our tech team a call at 800-338-3220 and they will help you troubleshoot the issue further. Thanks!
I would like to see you make a few rounds and have them come out close to your numbers, because I can't. my measurements range up to 7-8 thousandths plus or minus and it drives my nuts!
Which numbers are you referencing? If it’s overall length, that number will indeed fluctuate based on the length variation from bullet to bullet, different neck thicknesses, etc. Feel free to give our tech team a call at 800-338-3220 and we can discuss your length variation. Thanks for your question!
When I put that cartridge back in the shell plate and run it through the same seating die it comes out within + or - 2.5 thousandths. Yes, I'm talking about COL and it's frustrating.
If you’re running a progressive press there are many, many tolerances stacked linearly. If not every station of the press is full that can increase the OAL fluctuation that a loader will see when using a progressive press. Please, feel free to give us a call. Thanks!
The variance that you are seeing could possibly be tip finish. When a bullet is manufactured, the last part formed is the tip. That tip can vary some as it does not contact the rifling and is basically setting freely in the bore. The critical dimension is actually from the bullets ogive (where it contacts the rifling) to the base. The seating stem that you are using is not pushing on the bullets tip. It is pushing on the ogive so the dimension from the ogive to rifling will stay the same but the cartridge overall length can vary some. The slight amount of variance that you are getting could simply be tip finish. Tip finish is normal and will not hurt anything. Happy loading!
Hope you’ve found an answer since your comment is over a year old.... This video is showing a taper crimp set up. Taper crimps are used for rounds that will be fired in auto loading arms, or for calibers that headspace off the case mouth. It is important that, even if running in a single loaded or revolver type firearm, any caliber that head spaces from the mouth of the case is only ever taper crimped. A roll crimp physically rolls the case mouth into the bullet, which can cause serious problems in those types of rounds. 9mm para is the most common round that you’d have this problem with. Good news is, for most calibers that should not be roll crimped you won’t be able to buy a roll crimp die. Most rimmed cases like 44 mag, 357 mag, 38spl, 44spl, etc will all be good to go with a roll crimp. The die sets for those calibers typically come with a roll crimp die. I’ve never been able to get the method shown in the video to work. I usually use a separate crimp die, and screw die 1/8 to 1/4 turn at a time until there is sufficient crimp that I can’t easily push the bullet further into the case by hand (against a wood block). Same for either crimp method, though less crimp is needed for revolver rounds.
Couple of things to add: the purpose of a taper crimp to keep a bullet from being pushed back into the case. Makes sense for an auto loader both for cartridges in the magazine and when slammed into the feed ramp. It doesn’t take much to accomplish this. You have the opposite problem with a revolver - recoil can pull the bullet OUT of the case. Sometimes even causing a jam when the cylinder rotates and the bullet hits the forcing cone. Bullets for roll crimping typically have a cannelure (groove) for the crimp to roll into. The case mouth in effect wraps around the back side of the groove, preventing the bullet from moving forward.
Can i adjust the crimp on already loaded ammo? Seems i screwed up about 2k 9mm the other day they drop into a barrel fine but when trying to chamber it's super stiff. One even jammed up my glock 17 and i couldn't operate the slide at all (with the round inside)
I know this was asked long ago but, if your cases are resized properly, your bullets should run through your gun without a crimp. A crimp is used to help hold the bullet for a millisecond to help build pressure but mainly to keep the bullet from moving forward especially in a heavy recoiling revolver and possibly seating deeper in a lever action rifle. Check the overall length of your cartridge. Yes you can re-seat and re-crimp loaded cartridges as they are loaded when you did it before. Better too long than too short. The deeper you seat the bullet the higher the pressure of the cartridge.
OH good, it's still here. Needed to set up again and this is so much better than the written instructions.
I always come back when I get obsessed again 😂
Hornady makes great great equipment but I 100% agree their written instructions are horrible.
Thanks for the video! I’m pretty sure this is the reason why some of my bullets were failing back when I used to reload. I’m actually looking at starting over again. I don’t think I was crimping my handgun ammo
I like how you get back with peoples comments and issues. Its rare that a company will not only post great instrustional videos and also answer people. I've used your dies in a few calibers and impressed enough that I think they will phase out other die sets as time goes on. They are just packed with features not available to other die makes. I also think that your seat/crimp die is the only one that works perfect. My advice to others running a separate crimp on their progressive that is not the Lee FCD you are not gaining anything by separating the crimp stage with these dies. I had a setup for a while on a Dillon 550 that had a powder check in station 3 and used this die to both crimp and seat. Rounds all turned out great and passed plunk test 100% that is of course with my gun/setup results my vary. I will say your sizing die is also simply amazing. Sizes .40 further down then certain makes and the finished round comes out looking wet tumbled. Great job and keep it up.
I prefer a separate crimping die (NOT FCD) over this combo. A separate die works better IMHO when you have variances in case length. More importantly, I’ve always thought it doesn’t make sense to crimp the case mouth while the bullet is still being pressed into the case (even if only a little bit).
Hello sir, great step by step instructional video. I have a question, I gave the seat adjustment screw 3 full turns. But when I adjust the crimp adjustment screw, the seat adjustment screw also turns. Is that suppose to happen? I thought about holding one while I turn the other.
Perfect tutorial. Makes perfect sense.
Well explained.
Hope vid isn’t too old to get a reply...recently started casting and found the lee FCD to be swaging my bullets down a few thou by the time I got sufficient crimp. Causing bullets to be way under sized and leaving a tidal wave of lead in my barrels. 🤬.
Been trying to get the combo die running (when I first started reloading I gave up on the combo die pretty quick after I just couldn’t get it right and then heard about the FCD from lee). I’ve never been able to get this die to operate properly, and I have the same issue with rcbs combo dies. If I set up the die exactly the way you did in the video I can easily push the bullet into the case. And it will do the same when cycled through any of my pistols or (especially) my CZ scorpion. So no go there if I don’t want to blow one up. So, I will back off the seat stem, screw down die 1/8-1/4 turn at a time, and check the round for movement each time until I can’t push it into case without substantial pressure. At that point I’ll run it through my scorpion (the worst culprit for jamming bullets into case) and verify it’s good. Lock everything in place and use that round to adjust seat stem minus approximate amount bullet has pushed into case (using the micro seat adjust stem...a fine product by the way). Next round comes through....SMASH. Severely deforms or totally crushes bullet. Same for cast, plated, and fmj. Have had this issue for years. Never been able to figure it out. Always just crimped separately in last station.
Basically what I’ve found is the crimp comes on way too soon, so the seat stem is trying to seat into a crimped case by the time bullet is seated about 40%. So it meets much more resistance through the last 60% of seating travel. Squishing the stem into the bullet.
I’ve tried sorting brass by length thinking it was a mixed head stamp (too much variation in case length) issue. Nope. Tried measuring a bunch of bullets to see if there was variation in diameter...nope. Same happens between .353 (batch of 124g XTPs🧐) and .357 I get exactly the same problem. This is a MUCH bigger issue with 223. Totally sinks the shoulder into the case. This, after all the cases have been run through a dillon trim die and trim within .001”. That’s with just enough crimp to get mouth rolled into the cannelure properly. With 223 I also tried rcbs small base dies...allegedly (per rcbs) the crimp/seat die allows for more variance in case length. Zero change with that set.
9mm just crushes the bullet. 10mm and 45 aren’t quite as bad...but still leave indent on the projectile. Been a few years now...always just used a separate station for crimping. Still hand feed bullets because of it. Would love to move on to a bullet feeder, but I just can’t get these darn dies to chooch without damage to the bullet and/or case. Would love some advice. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong...I just don’t know what it is. And I promise, I’m putting the minimal amount of crimp possible to keep bullet from pushing back into the case too easily.
sounds like you might be setting the crimp too tight initially before setting the bullet seat depth. 9mm is a light taper crimp so no reason you should be crushing bullets, if anything, it should just seat way too deep. Here's how I set my Hornady combo die up and seems to work. Back out both the crimp section, and the bullet seat depth screws pretty much all the way. Next, take a ready casing and put it in your press and run it all the way up. Screw in the crimp ring until it just touches the mouth of the case, then back it out just a tiny bit, just enough so it's not touching the casing. Run the press down and put a bullet in the flared case mouth. Run the press to the top. Screw in the bullet seating screw until it hits the bullet. Lower press slightly, turn seating screw in minor increments then run the press up. Continue this process until the bullet is seated to proper depth and your desired overall length. Lower press arm slightly, screw in the crimp setting screw about 1/8th of a turn or just over while holding the bullet seat depth screw in it's stationary place relative to the press and die body (Those two should not move while turning the crimp ring). Check a couple rounds making minor adjustments to the crimp or seat depth screws until you have your results. Just remember the crimp adjustment screw and seat depth screw essentially work independently and each has their own minor adjustments to make. I know the instructions in the die kit are not the best and very confusing when reading, but if you disassemble the die, and see how the whole system works (die body, crimp sleeve section, and seat depth section) it makes sense and does work well when initially set up right.
I just re-read your post too. Are you making sure to have enough flare on the case so the bullet slides in easy? Is the bullet getting jammed in the case mouth then getting crushed as the press is raised?
good video.. thanks for the info.
Why is it that my bullets are getting a ring mark from the seating stem? I’ve tried no crimp and crimp, with crimp seems to have a more pronounced mark. Brass is belled out to .383-.386
Hi Hornady, I was watching this to help with my LNL setup and I believe I bought the 3-die set that doesn't have the seat+crimp die. I've looked over your site and can't find that die sold on its own. Is it no longer available?
Taylor please contact our customer service reps at 1-800-338-3220. They can help you find what you are looking for.
im getting crimp marks towards the tip of the bullets head. However when i press the catridge into a block of wood to check the crimp, the bullet doesn't get pushed into the case so this leads me to believe there is sufficient crimp. Is this correct and should i worry about the slight blemished ring around the bullets head?
I believe that the marks are coming from the seating stem located in the alignment collar. The bullet profile may not match the profile cut into the stem. It can leave a ring around the bullets tip if enough resistance is met. The marks should be cosmetic and should not affect performance unless the marks are very deep. Thank you for your question!
Im having the same issue, mine are rather deep I believe. Loading 147gn fmj with 4.2gn IMR 4756. Loaded 100 and fired 50 at the range no problem but the indent in the bullets are quite deep.
I had this problem. I was crimping (roll crimp) to early and so was pressing the bullet into a crimped case for the last thou or so.
@harley ross how did you fix that problem. I thinks that it's no brainer but the crimp should come after the seating correct?
Ok so if you have .002 of roll crimp in the 9mm luger and when I chamber a round it in my Sig p365xl seats the bullet another .006. That seems like a problem if you take that round in and out a few times before firing the round. That would create more pressure in the round if the bullet that is so post to be 1.100 OAL and going down to 1.090 or lower. So how much roll crimp is too much and is it even possible to eliminate that problem?
I prefer a role crimp in a revolver cartridge where you need the extra hold due to bullet moving forward under heavy recoil and use the taper crimp in simi automatics handguns aiding in the cartridge being chambered. Never tried a role crimp in a semi-automatic.
You should not be using a roll crimp on a cartridge that head spaces off the case mouth .
Period .
When adjust the die to touch the case and before he seated the bullet, was the case sized and not flared?
i followed his instructions but i have to say they are wrong because my 9mm will not fit into my lyman case gauge the die body has to get lowered so you get more of a crimp
Good video but i am getting alot of bullet bulging on the side of the case making the brass out of round and I can't figure out how to fix it. I've set up the die about 10 times hoping that i just did something wrong but it's not fixing the problem.
+Sandor Borbas Thank you for your comment. When seating pistol bullets it is not uncommon to see a "bulge" where the bullet is pressed into the case. If the brass is .0005" or .001" thicker on one side, the bulge will visually appear to be "out of round" - this, again, is common and is purely cosmetic. If the bulge is so large on one side that it interferes with the function of the round I would recommend increasing the amount of flare on your case by another .001" or so. If there is insufficient flare the bullet may not be going straight creating the trouble. If the problem persists you can give our tech team a call at 800-338-3220 and they will help you troubleshoot the issue further. Thanks!
Hello, may you please help? Why am I getting a crease at mid bullet after seating and crimping?
Just FYI, when I set and seat the bullet before the crimp being set, it doesn't show a mark on the bullet.
I would like to see you make a few rounds and have them come out close to your numbers, because I can't. my measurements range up to 7-8 thousandths plus or minus and it drives my nuts!
Which numbers are you referencing? If it’s overall length, that number will indeed fluctuate based on the length variation from bullet to bullet, different neck thicknesses, etc. Feel free to give our tech team a call at 800-338-3220 and we can discuss your length variation. Thanks for your question!
When I put that cartridge back in the shell plate and run it through the same seating die it comes out within + or - 2.5 thousandths. Yes, I'm talking about COL and it's frustrating.
If you’re running a progressive press there are many, many tolerances stacked linearly. If not every station of the press is full that can increase the OAL fluctuation that a loader will see when using a progressive press. Please, feel free to give us a call. Thanks!
Hornady Manufacturing Thanks for the reply, wish I knew this before I spent over a grand on my set up, but you guys do have great customer service.
The variance that you are seeing could possibly be tip finish. When a bullet is manufactured, the last part formed is the tip. That tip can vary some as it does not contact the rifling and is basically setting freely in the bore. The critical dimension is actually from the bullets ogive (where it contacts the rifling) to the base. The seating stem that you are using is not pushing on the bullets tip. It is pushing on the ogive so the dimension from the ogive to rifling will stay the same but the cartridge overall length can vary some. The slight amount of variance that you are getting could simply be tip finish. Tip finish is normal and will not hurt anything. Happy loading!
Is this how to employ a “roll crimp” or “taper crimp”? Or is there a difference?
Hope you’ve found an answer since your comment is over a year old....
This video is showing a taper crimp set up. Taper crimps are used for rounds that will be fired in auto loading arms, or for calibers that headspace off the case mouth.
It is important that, even if running in a single loaded or revolver type firearm, any caliber that head spaces from the mouth of the case is only ever taper crimped. A roll crimp physically rolls the case mouth into the bullet, which can cause serious problems in those types of rounds. 9mm para is the most common round that you’d have this problem with.
Good news is, for most calibers that should not be roll crimped you won’t be able to buy a roll crimp die. Most rimmed cases like 44 mag, 357 mag, 38spl, 44spl, etc will all be good to go with a roll crimp. The die sets for those calibers typically come with a roll crimp die.
I’ve never been able to get the method shown in the video to work. I usually use a separate crimp die, and screw die 1/8 to 1/4 turn at a time until there is sufficient crimp that I can’t easily push the bullet further into the case by hand (against a wood block). Same for either crimp method, though less crimp is needed for revolver rounds.
Couple of things to add: the purpose of a taper crimp to keep a bullet from being pushed back into the case. Makes sense for an auto loader both for cartridges in the magazine and when slammed into the feed ramp. It doesn’t take much to accomplish this. You have the opposite problem with a revolver - recoil can pull the bullet OUT of the case. Sometimes even causing a jam when the cylinder rotates and the bullet hits the forcing cone.
Bullets for roll crimping typically have a cannelure (groove) for the crimp to roll into. The case mouth in effect wraps around the back side of the groove, preventing the bullet from moving forward.
Can i adjust the crimp on already loaded ammo? Seems i screwed up about 2k 9mm the other day they drop into a barrel fine but when trying to chamber it's super stiff. One even jammed up my glock 17 and i couldn't operate the slide at all (with the round inside)
I know this was asked long ago but, if your cases are resized properly, your bullets should run through your gun without a crimp. A crimp is used to help hold the bullet for a millisecond to help build pressure but mainly to keep the bullet from moving forward especially in a heavy recoiling revolver and possibly seating deeper in a lever action rifle. Check the overall length of your cartridge. Yes you can re-seat and re-crimp loaded cartridges as they are loaded when you did it before.
Better too long than too short. The deeper you seat the bullet the higher the pressure of the cartridge.
Ah bullshit
If your case is at .383 and your using .355 bullets, they will fall into the case to far. I use .379 on the bell.
no, sometimes I go more than .383
Why no crimp for the 38 / 357 ?
38/357 cartridges need a roll crimp NOT taper crimp. I hope this helps.
ua-cam.com/video/evIeWJaYEO4/v-deo.html