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Lee's 4-die carbide deluxe set
1) sizing, decapping
2) case-mouth belling/powder through charging die
3) seating/crimping
4) crimping, post-sizing (a.k.a. Factory Crimp Die or FCD)
vs Lee's 3-die standard carbide set
1) sizing, decapping
2) case-mouth belling/powder through charging die
3) seating/crimping
Some people don't like the post-sizing of the FCD, so they knock out the post-sizing ring. You can emulate the 4-die set without the post-sizing simply by buying a 3-die set and using the extra seat-crimp die from your old non-carbide set as the 4th die (just back the seating stem out so it doesn't touch the bullet nose, or take it all the way out).
Between the 3-die carbide set and the 3-die tool steel set, there is no difference between the 2nd and 3rd dies, only the #1 die is different.
So, if you have a tool steel 3-die set, you can turn it into a carbide set by simply buying a carbide sizing die.
If you have a 3-die carbide set, you can almost turn it into a 4-die set (lacking only the post sizing function) by adding an extra crimping die and using the seat-crimp die only to seat the bullet and the extra crimping die to crimp without seating.
Mix & match to fit your loading needs.
Lost Sheep
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