Taper crimp die, replace Lee FCD

Koda

Koda

Hammer Time Executive member
All my other Lee FCD's produce a nice taper crimp that lays nicely on the PDR slope. My Lee FCD for my Grendel produces some kind of squeeze ring crimp. Its as if the pressure is squeezing directly in instead of at an angle. I didn't know Lee made 2 kinds of FCD's and cant find one that tapers in their Grendel. The Lee Grendel crimp for my Grendel requires a heavy 1/4 turn to help hold the bullet, mars up the neck rim badly that stays and gets worse with each reloading.

Can anyone recommend a different brand crimp die for a 6.5 Grendel that produces a taper crimp?


Photo: Grendel crimp on the left, 280ai crimp on the right. Both are Lee FCD's.
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If you are using Redding or RCBS seater dies, they have a taper crimp feature that activates upon seating the bullet. Been using for years now on all my rounds.
 
BFD said:
If you are using Redding or RCBS seater dies, they have a taper crimp feature that activates upon seating the bullet. Been using for years now on all my rounds.
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Im using Hornady dies for my Grendel, theres a way to crimp while seating I played around with but didnt figure it out. I was hoping to keep it a separate operation but might have to give the Hornady die another try. Im not certain what type of crimp the Hornady die is though.
 
Koda said:
Im using Hornady dies for my Grendel, theres a way to crimp while seating I played around with but didnt figure it out. I was hoping to keep it a separate operation but might have to give the Hornady die another try. Im not certain what type of crimp the Hornady die is though.
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I’ll have to look, but I think that I’m getting a taper crimp with the Hornady die. IIRC, it was running the die body deeper and adjusting the searing stem accordingly.
 
Koda

Do you mind taking a picture of the loaded round inside the crimp die with the handle depressed. To me, it looks like the crimp die insert has the wrong dimensions.

A thin half inch washer slipped over top of your cartridge landing on top of the shell holder might be the ticket. looks like about .050 worth.

The women that answer the phone at Lee are really nice and that insert has a part number on it. you can explain to them that you're having an issue and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't in the mail for free.

I know I know I'll go back in my hole
 
Thank you, I was hoping to see the brass sticking out of the top of the die collet. There's a couple ways you can go at it. One would be to hang out on the phone with the women from Lee or the other would be to break it down by math, shell holder Height, brass length and collet insert Heighth and determine if something's out of spec.

Sorry I was absolutely of no help at all😖

Joe
 
Koda said:
Im using Hornady dies for my Grendel, theres a way to crimp while seating I played around with but didnt figure it out. I was hoping to keep it a separate operation but might have to give the Hornady die another try. Im not certain what type of crimp the Hornady die is though.
Click to expand...
If it's anything like my dies, take a piece of brass, and run the seater till it touches the top of the case mouth. Then I go 1/4-1/2 turn more and check crimp on the case. I try to line up my seating depth as close as possible, but this nuance between the seating depth and crimp can be figured out fairly quickly. Might need to pull a bullet or two, but it sets it up for the batch. I crimp till I see no gap between the bullet and case mouth.
 
Here's a picture of my 2, 35 calibers. the one on the left is the 35 Whelen handle depressed and the one on the right is the 358 Winchester handle depressed you should not be able to see the brass sticking up through the top, something is wonky😖

20240128_091958.jpg20240128_092207.jpg

From my experience playing with the seater dies that crimp, you get a more consistent result in doing a two-step process, back to die out and seat your bullet. Then back your seater out, screw the die in and crimp. that's the only way I ever found consistent results. But I am a muppet!!!
 
God help me, I agree with @joe16 the crimp ring doesn't quite look right. It looks like it's crushing instead of rolling. OMG, I feel ill. I looked at Lee and the Grendel doesn't have a taper crimp die available.
 
Muddyboots said:
God help me, I agree with @joe16 the crimp ring doesn't quite look right. It looks like it's crushing instead of rolling. OMG, I feel ill. I looked at Lee and the Grendel doesn't have a taper crimp die available.
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Ive never felt this one was right but never could find an answer on Lees website on different styles of FCD's.

Lee FCD's are cheap, I like my others they work so simple so it makes me wonder if I should just buy another Grendel FCD but no way of knowing if I will get the same thing.

Im going to play with my Hornaday die, chatted with Riceman about this and learned I can set it up to crimp as a separate step which I think will make it easier. Im not certain though if the Hornady seating die is a taper crimp which is what we want.
 
joe16 said:
Here's a picture of my 2, 35 calibers. the one on the left is the 35 Whelen handle depressed and the one on the right is the 358 Winchester handle depressed you should not be able to see the brass sticking up through the top, something is wonky😖

View attachment 5393View attachment 5394

From my experience playing with the seater dies that crimp, you get a more consistent result in doing a two-step process, back to die out and seat your bullet. Then back your seater out, screw the die in and crimp. that's the only way I ever found consistent results. But I am a muppet!!!
Click to expand...
This is helpful, I didnt think to compare how my other FCDs appear. Clearly my Grendel FCD is off.
 
BFD said:
If it's anything like my dies, take a piece of brass, and run the seater till it touches the top of the case mouth. Then I go 1/4-1/2 turn more and check crimp on the case. I try to line up my seating depth as close as possible, but this nuance between the seating depth and crimp can be figured out fairly quickly. Might need to pull a bullet or two, but it sets it up for the batch. I crimp till I see no gap between the bullet and case mouth.
Click to expand...
My thing is I dont load large batches, maybe 20rds at most to hunt or zero or load development so it was frustrating when I tried to dial in both settings. I know I could figure it out at the cost of one or two bullet seating depths but Im going to try to use my Hornady seater to crimp as a separate step with the seater backed way out.
 
Followup.
emailed Lee and sent pics and they are willing to take a look at my die but I dont think they understand hammer bullets, they say Im over crimping my 223 and 280ai case when im not its a very light 1/8t crimp into the valley but my Grendel crimp is camming over heavy. I really dont want to send it back and go thru the hassle.

I played around with my Hornady seating die, its supposed to crimp but it just wont. Ive followed directions including backing out the seater. Ive cammed it over so hard I cant fully lower the arm, check for crimp and there is none. The PDR valley on the Absolute would show it roll or taper over. It just doesnt show a crimp and doesnt pass my inertia testing.

I went back to the Lee FCD to see if its operator error. I tried to see if I could get it set so the case rim did not show when crimping. If I leave the lock ring loose, I can make it work. It still leaves a ring, but checking under a 10x jewlers loupe I can see it taper into the valley nicely that passes my inertia test, I can live with the ring if it tapers instead of crushing the PDR band. This was one test sample with an inert case, not certain if I can replicate this next load session but will try. There appears to be some very fine setup node with the die body in the press.
 
@Koda and others,
My FCD for my 708 is doing the same thing. I thought it was normal until reading this. I also have an FCD for my 454 Casull, and it gives a very nice crimp like your pic on the right. My 708 FCD is doing that segmented crimped band like on kodas grendel. Wonder what’s up with this?
 
Schmo said:
@Koda and others,
My FCD for my 708 is doing the same thing. I thought it was normal until reading this. I also have an FCD for my 454 Casull, and it gives a very nice crimp like your pic on the right. My 708 FCD is doing that segmented crimped band like on kodas grendel. Wonder what’s up with this?
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@Schmo, at least Im not alone but I dont wish this misery on any company... :p
There appears to be a very fine adjustment to get it to work, Im just not certain Ive figured out where it is exactly... for now, try adjusting your crimp with the lock ring loose (the die body will have some play in its threads to settle into the correct position).

As for the ring, I think its just some of their FCDs arent smoothly machined in there coupled with the collet not in the perfect position to taper so you get more of a linear squeeze which leaves the ring mark. Just a theory, im ok with a slight ring (dont like it but...) as long as I get a proper taper into the PDR valley which is essential for gas gun operation (IMO).
I will keep trying and share what I find here, if anyone else finds something do share...
 
Koda, modifications to fcd to make the crimp are fairly easy.
Use a small grinding stone on a dremel and remove sharp edge of crimp in collet.
To remove collet, install in press and punch it downwards on collet with a small hammer and larger punch.
Pics attached to show where to remove sharper edge and what it looks like after crimped w/97ah.
Also before pic of 2 cases prior to modification. 20240203_095730.jpg20240203_095820.jpg20240203_101002.jpg
 
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