9mm Dies

[savage_03]

I am going to get a die set for my 9mm. I haven't loaded handgun ammo yet and was wondering if i needed a factory crimp die with my set or if i will be fine without it.

[The Lovemaster]

Nah, you'll be fine without it, you'll just have to seat and crimp in one operation with one die. Later on you can get the Factory Crimp Die if you want. Personally, I use the FCD, because I like to seat and crimp in two operations.

[BRAVO1NINER]

I use the FCD also, helps to size the brass all the way down....


BRAVO1NINER

[PCJim]

just another vote for the Lee FCD for 9mm and 45acp reloading.

[45Marlin carbine]

ditto #3 & 4

[Ozzieman]

Get your self a taper crimp die for all auto rounds you reload, it will make the entire process a lot easier and your reloads will be more reliable.
And use Redding

[Crankylove]

I have taper crimp dies for both my 9mm and .45 ACP.............and I never use them. I purchased the LEE FCD for both calibers. There is nother really wrong with the taper crimp dies that come with the sets, but I like the fact that the FCD sizes the entire round again, and I think the are easier to setup than the taper crimp style. My grandfather has been loading since the 50's with his roll/taper crimp style dies with no issues, all comes down to personal preference.

[zxcvbob]

You'll be fine without it. I do (reluctantly) use a FCD for .38 Specials because the bullets bulge some of the cases too much to chamber. 9mm is a tapered case so that's not a problem.

[FrankenMauser]

You'll be fine without it. Just make sure the set you buy has a taper crimp die, and not a roll crimp die. A few local stores here still have roll-crimp die sets floating around for cartridges that require a taper crimp.

[amamnn]

I've tried all the crimpers and also no crimp with the 9mm and did not see any difference in the spaces between the holes in the targets. Then again I don't over-expand cases..........

[BerettaFox]

no... the die set probably won't come with a FCD anyways.

[vranasaurus]

You can buy the lee 4 die set that comes with a FCD.

I would recommend this, the additional cost for the 4 die set isn't that much and I think you will like the FCD.

I know you can crimp and seat in one operation but I find the setup to be much more difficult than doing it in two separate steps.

[Don P]

Use it on my 9mm,40S&W, and 45acp and no problems to date with feeding. I believe its worth the effort

[45Marlin carbine]

ditto DonP. the FCD actually checks the size of the case - use a light crimp no need to 'squeeze the guts out' of the slug. very light for cast slugs.

[Big-dog]

I have an RCBS die set which worked fine with the seating and crimping die however I did purchase a Lee factory crimp die as I wanted to crimp on a seperate station and I liked the way that it resizes the brass.

[cgaengineer]

I have the Hornady 3 die set for 9mm and it works fine, but I use a 4th taper crimp die and back out the taper crimp function in the 3rd seating die. This process seems to work better.

So go with a 3 die set (I prefer Hornady) and get yourself a seperate taper crimp die. The problem with seating and crimping with the same die is a problem if the cases are not the same length. The case may end up getting the crimp to soon causing the bullet to get shaved, the point flattened or the case belled/crushed. You will eliminate alot of problems with the 4th die.

[Walkalong]

You don't need it, although some give it credit for all types of miracles.

[jaguarxk120]

If your using fcd and resizing the brass, what are you doing to the bullet? Isn't it getting squashed out of shape? The walls of the case can't be all that uniform in thickness.

[Sport45]

In a 4-die lee set, the sizing die is smaller diameter than the FCD die. The FCD doesn't overwork or squeeze anything if you are using the proper bullet size and seating it squarely in the case. It does iron out mistakes to ensure the round will chamber.

When I use them on a single stage press I can tell that they are only crimping. This is also evident when the last round goes through the last die of my progressive. For me, it's more like a press mounted case gauge that has an adjustable crimper.

[cheezhed]

get the lee 4 die set it doesn't cost much more than a 3 die set you will like the fcd and it is cheaper to acquire one in this manner

[FrankenMauser]

I've tried all the crimpers and also no crimp with the 9mm and did not see any difference in the spaces between the holes in the targets. Then again I don't over-expand cases..........

Bullet design and the amount of crimp can cause dramatic headspacing issues with roll-crimp in an auto. Taper crimp dies are the only way to go, unless you have enough experience to guarantee the loads will be safe.

...and get yourself a seperate taper crimp die. The problem with seating and crimping with the same die is a problem if the cases are not the same length.

When loading on a progressive press, this makes sense. When loading on a single stage, a 3-die set will do just fine. It's not a big deal to seat then crimp. I agree, seating and crimping at the same time almost always causes problems. (Even if your brass is consistent, the bullets may not be.) However, with a single stage press, you can completely negate this by seating and crimping separately with the same die.

[RidgwayCO]

I've recently been going away from the Lee FCD, because the argument against resizing the whole case (along with the seated bullet) makes sense to me.

If you're reloading on a single stage press, there's no need for a separate FCD. Just seat the bullet without any crimp, and then go back and crimp with the bullet seating stem removed and the die set deeper in the press. If you're reloading on a Lee turret (as I am), then you'll want to purchase an additional seating/crimp die and just use it without the bullet seating stem.

I recently replaced my FCD with an RCBS taper crimp die for 9mm, and the chronograph is telling me that I'm getting reduced extreme spreads and lower standard deviations with my loads. Plus it seems to load "smoother" without the annoying hangups that I was seeing with the FCD.

[Sevens]

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have no carbide FCD dies in any handgun calibers, so I haven't used them. With that out of the way:

--If you want the FCD, it's definitely cheaper to buy the deluxe 4-die set rather than to purchase the FCD later. But the FCD isn't so mindblowingly expensive that you can't simply pick the one up later if you wish.

--MOST people make fine ammunition in all calibers including .45 and 9mm without ever screwing an FCD in to their press, whichever press it is.

--the FCD is popular, no doubt, and no other company makes a die that does what the Lee FCD does.

--it's the opinion of many that post-sizing a loaded round is a quick, easy way to "fix" problems that never should have been created in the first place.

--for those of us without an FCD, you don't always have to make seating and taper crimping two completely different steps. I do sometimes and I don't sometimes. When working with cast lead bullets, it's more likely that you may produce better ammo by splitting the steps. With jacketed, not as much. I think it has a lot to do with how much flaring you do of the case mouth. Fact is, a little flare goes a LONG way and too much flaring is really, really bad and can lead to some pretty dangerous ammo.

--I can't believe how many people keep stressing that you need to go and buy a taper crimp die for 9mm. This is lousy info... I don't think ANY reloading die makers build 9mm die sets without a taper crimp die included. If you go back 40 years you might find some with roll crimp dies... I don't know. But if you bought a carbide or titanium 3-die set in 9mm or .45, the bullet seating die is also a taper crimp die. There's likely not ever going to be the need to go out and purchase a separate taper crimp die in a semi-auto pistol caliber... you already have one.

Again, for any FCD users that might get offended-- I admit, I don't have one in any handgun caliber and I haven't used one. If you like it and you are happy with the ammo you build, I back you 100% and I don't think there's a problem in the slightest.

But for someone who doesn't have one and isn't sure if you need one, don't forget that folks have been reloading 9mm and .45 since the age of radio and they did it without an FCD.

[zxcvbob]

I have a FCD in .38/357 that I use just for post-sizing (the crimper is adjusted way out so it doesn't do anything.) I used it because I shoot cast bullets, and they sometimes bulge the case a little too much to chamber in a revolver (they are always just fine in my Marlin, which has a looser chamber.)

I bought one for .45 Colt and it was a waste of money. Didn't fix the problem I was trying to solve (caused by undersized plated bullets.) I had a 9mm FCD, and I sold it without ever using it.

For most calibers, I use a universal case expanding die (sometimes called an "M" die) and I adjust it by screwing it down firmly on an empty *unsized* piece of fired brass. That's generally all the case expansion you need.

To adjust my crimp dies, I screw them down snugly on an empty *sized* and unexpanded piece of brass. That's usually enough crimp, although you might need a little more sometimes. The bullets should be held mostly by neck tension anyway.