Taper Dies for Lee P1000?

zap · November 22, 2007, 04:27 PM

I finally got back into reloading to cut costs at the pistol range. Therefore, I like the price of the Pro 1000 as compared to the Dillon rigs. The ammo I load looks good, performs consistently and is accurate. However, after this last batch, I'm rather unhappy with the number of malfunctions I'm experiencing.

A friend suggested going to a taper die saying this would stop the problem. Since the P1000 is a 3 hole press, I'm uncertain how to proceed. I use the auto bullet feeder and it works well with the carbide die that came with the press. But, will it work at all with a different die realizing I need to seat and crimp in the same function? Is this even possible? What die should I get?

Is there something else I should consider? Am I possibly just not adjusting the die correctly to make the ammo work well in my gun (a S&W 4003 that I carry while on duty)

Sorry for all the questions. I've looked through the forum but have been unable to locate an answer that seems to address this specific problem.

TIA

swmike · November 22, 2007, 04:34 PM

If you look at the mouth of the bullet seating die that is used with the auto bullet feeder it has a taper that opens the bullet holding fingers. Standard dies and dies from other manufacturers don't have this. If you were to use them the fingers would be damaged and the auto feed mechanism would not function.

Consider getting a LEE Factory Crimp Die that will perform a final sizing and put a taper crimp on the finished round. When I used the LEE 1000 I had a separate toolholder that I put the FCD die in. I then ran all finished rounds through with only one die installed. I manually placed the rounds on the feed slide. You can finish a lot of rounds this way with not a lot of time wasted.

zap · November 22, 2007, 06:09 PM

Are you suggesting I could replace the bullet seating die in the third position with the factory crimp die?

Or, does the factory crimp die require a fourth station?

CrustyFN · November 22, 2007, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Are you suggesting I could replace the bullet seating die in the third position with the factory crimp die?

Or, does the factory crimp die require a fourth station?

No, it would require a fourth station. A lot of people that use the Pro 1000 use the FCD in a single stage press and do the final crimp after they are done loading. It would be nice to se Lee offer the Pro in a four station model.
Rusty

RNG · November 22, 2007, 07:24 PM

I have a pro1000 and only seat the bullet in the 3rd station and use the Lee Factory Crimp Die by itself. To simplify the process, I purchased the Hornady Die Rings for each of my dies and locked the rings down after making all adjustments. Now, after a bullet making operation where I seat as the last step, I spin all the dies out of the turret and spin in the Lee FCD and run the bullets through one last time for the final crimp.

Richard

BILLY D. · November 23, 2007, 01:29 AM

What caliber are we loading?

Bill

zap · November 23, 2007, 01:23 PM

.40 S&W

Thanks all....

BILLY D. · November 23, 2007, 03:38 PM

zap

Couple of ways to attack the problem.

One, purchase a separate taper crimp die, I like Redddings.

Two, set your Lee seater die so it seats the bullet to the proper depth but doesn't crimp during the seating operation. After you have completed your loading, remove the seater assembly and crimp in a separate operation.

Mic the assembled cartridge untill the mouth of the cartridge meets the specs diameter wise.

I do all my handgun cartridges this way. I don't like a lot of mechanization during the loading process. When things get too busy I get nervous. I have lighting above my bench so I can see EVERY case that goes under the dies. I also hand prime. All this especially for handgun carts.

I realize you can hook up a 454 Injected engine to a press and produce ammo at a fantastic rate but you can also produce a lot of crumby ammo that way at a high rate of speed. Speed is nice but accuracy is what counts.

Best wishes, Bill

zap · November 23, 2007, 05:07 PM

*nod* I ordered a Lee single press and a Factory Crimp die from Midway today. Now, if I could just find a really cheap source for bullets

CrustyFN · November 23, 2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Now, if I could just find a really cheap source for bullets

Try these.
Rusty
https://www.grafs.com/metallic/568
http://www14.inetba.com/tandtreloadi...trelrg6riBhqJ2
http://www.tjconevera.com/index.html
http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/main.shtml

MADISON · November 23, 2007, 08:22 PM

I learned this over 30 years ago.
Remove the decapping stim from your sizing die and readjust the die to rid the case of the flare. The tighter the seal the better.
Do as I did.. buy a used set of dies in your caliber [$15?] and remove the decapping stim...

zap · December 8, 2007, 08:36 AM

Just an update...

Thus far, *knockingonhissemiwoodendesk* the Lee factory crimp die seems to have done the trick. I've not had a chance to shoot much since getting things set up, but it appears to have worked very well.

Thanks everyone.

Hook686 · December 9, 2007, 06:22 AM

I'm really surprised you were unable to find a good setting, with the Lee bullet seating die, that resulted in a good taper crimp. I load 9mm and .30 carbine using the Lee 1000 and Lee carbide dies. I get good taper crimps with my loads, and haven't experienced 'Crimp jump' with either caliber.

I reserve the loading of .357 magnum and .44 magnum for the Lee FCD. Then I use the Lee Classic Turret, where its 4 stations allow for the addition of a roll crimp die. I find a strong roll crimp is needed to prevent 'Crimp jump' with the magnum rounds, but don't experience that with the semi-automatic cartridges. I have found going to the Lee Classic Turret more productive than using the Lee 1000, then adding a separate single stage LFCD station.

I guess I'm just surprised that the .40 S&W needs that strong a crimp.

zap · December 9, 2007, 10:16 AM

It might very well be to my own lack of experience. Perhaps I don't have the seating/crimp die set up correctly.

Might be a good thing to run them seperately through the FCD as I am looking long and hard about the idea of casting bullets to cut on the costs of shooting. Having an extra check on the overall size of the round before it hits the gun can't hurt I'm thinking.

BTW, I'm feeding these to my S&W 4003TSW

November 22, 2007, 04:27 PM	#1
zap Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 8	Taper Dies for Lee P1000? I finally got back into reloading to cut costs at the pistol range. Therefore, I like the price of the Pro 1000 as compared to the Dillon rigs. The ammo I load looks good, performs consistently and is accurate. However, after this last batch, I'm rather unhappy with the number of malfunctions I'm experiencing. A friend suggested going to a taper die saying this would stop the problem. Since the P1000 is a 3 hole press, I'm uncertain how to proceed. I use the auto bullet feeder and it works well with the carbide die that came with the press. But, will it work at all with a different die realizing I need to seat and crimp in the same function? Is this even possible? What die should I get? Is there something else I should consider? Am I possibly just not adjusting the die correctly to make the ammo work well in my gun (a S&W 4003 that I carry while on duty) Sorry for all the questions. I've looked through the forum but have been unable to locate an answer that seems to address this specific problem. TIA __________________ Professional Stupidity Recognition Technician

November 22, 2007, 04:34 PM	#2
swmike Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Marysville, WA Posts: 670	If you look at the mouth of the bullet seating die that is used with the auto bullet feeder it has a taper that opens the bullet holding fingers. Standard dies and dies from other manufacturers don't have this. If you were to use them the fingers would be damaged and the auto feed mechanism would not function. Consider getting a LEE Factory Crimp Die that will perform a final sizing and put a taper crimp on the finished round. When I used the LEE 1000 I had a separate toolholder that I put the FCD die in. I then ran all finished rounds through with only one die installed. I manually placed the rounds on the feed slide. You can finish a lot of rounds this way with not a lot of time wasted. __________________ My definition of Gun Control--- A steady grip and hitting your target. "In God we trust, all others are suspects." "If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, either I won't need any more, or more won't be of any help". ____________________________________________

November 22, 2007, 06:09 PM	#3
zap Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 8	Are you suggesting I could replace the bullet seating die in the third position with the factory crimp die? Or, does the factory crimp die require a fourth station? __________________ Professional Stupidity Recognition Technician

November 23, 2007, 01:29 AM	#6
BILLY D. Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: MINOT (MINDROT) ND Posts: 81	What caliber are we loading? Bill __________________ PLEASE EXCUSE UPPER CASE TYPING I AM HANDICAPPED AND ONLY TYPE WITH ONE HAND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. HANDLOADS ARE LIKE UNDERWEAR.....BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SWAP WITH. HAPPY TRAILS, BILL NRA LIFE MEMBER-1965 THE THREAD KILLER

November 23, 2007, 01:23 PM	#7
zap Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 8	.40 S&W Thanks all.... __________________ Professional Stupidity Recognition Technician

November 22, 2007, 07:24 PM	#5
RNG Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2007 Location: South Carolina Posts: 120	I have a pro1000 and only seat the bullet in the 3rd station and use the Lee Factory Crimp Die by itself. To simplify the process, I purchased the Hornady Die Rings for each of my dies and locked the rings down after making all adjustments. Now, after a bullet making operation where I seat as the last step, I spin all the dies out of the turret and spin in the Lee FCD and run the bullets through one last time for the final crimp. Richard

November 23, 2007, 03:38 PM	#8
BILLY D. Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: MINOT (MINDROT) ND Posts: 81	zap Couple of ways to attack the problem. One, purchase a separate taper crimp die, I like Redddings. Two, set your Lee seater die so it seats the bullet to the proper depth but doesn't crimp during the seating operation. After you have completed your loading, remove the seater assembly and crimp in a separate operation. Mic the assembled cartridge untill the mouth of the cartridge meets the specs diameter wise. I do all my handgun cartridges this way. I don't like a lot of mechanization during the loading process. When things get too busy I get nervous. I have lighting above my bench so I can see EVERY case that goes under the dies. I also hand prime. All this especially for handgun carts. I realize you can hook up a 454 Injected engine to a press and produce ammo at a fantastic rate but you can also produce a lot of crumby ammo that way at a high rate of speed. Speed is nice but accuracy is what counts. Best wishes, Bill __________________ PLEASE EXCUSE UPPER CASE TYPING I AM HANDICAPPED AND ONLY TYPE WITH ONE HAND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. HANDLOADS ARE LIKE UNDERWEAR.....BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SWAP WITH. HAPPY TRAILS, BILL NRA LIFE MEMBER-1965 THE THREAD KILLER

November 23, 2007, 05:07 PM	#9
zap Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 8	nod I ordered a Lee single press and a Factory Crimp die from Midway today. Now, if I could just find a really cheap source for bullets __________________ Professional Stupidity Recognition Technician

November 23, 2007, 08:22 PM	#11
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Taper Crimp Dies I learned this over 30 years ago. Remove the decapping stim from your sizing die and readjust the die to rid the case of the flare. The tighter the seal the better. Do as I did.. buy a used set of dies in your caliber [$15?] and remove the decapping stim...

December 8, 2007, 08:36 AM	#12
zap Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 8	Just an update... Thus far, knockingonhissemiwoodendesk the Lee factory crimp die seems to have done the trick. I've not had a chance to shoot much since getting things set up, but it appears to have worked very well. Thanks everyone. __________________ Professional Stupidity Recognition Technician

December 9, 2007, 06:22 AM	#13
Hook686 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2005 Location: USA The Great State of California Posts: 2,090	I'm really surprised you were unable to find a good setting, with the Lee bullet seating die, that resulted in a good taper crimp. I load 9mm and .30 carbine using the Lee 1000 and Lee carbide dies. I get good taper crimps with my loads, and haven't experienced 'Crimp jump' with either caliber. I reserve the loading of .357 magnum and .44 magnum for the Lee FCD. Then I use the Lee Classic Turret, where its 4 stations allow for the addition of a roll crimp die. I find a strong roll crimp is needed to prevent 'Crimp jump' with the magnum rounds, but don't experience that with the semi-automatic cartridges. I have found going to the Lee Classic Turret more productive than using the Lee 1000, then adding a separate single stage LFCD station. I guess I'm just surprised that the .40 S&W needs that strong a crimp. __________________ Hook686 When the number of people in institutions reaches 51%, we change sides.

December 9, 2007, 10:16 AM	#14
zap Junior Member Join Date: November 22, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 8	It might very well be to my own lack of experience. Perhaps I don't have the seating/crimp die set up correctly. Might be a good thing to run them seperately through the FCD as I am looking long and hard about the idea of casting bullets to cut on the costs of shooting. Having an extra check on the overall size of the round before it hits the gun can't hurt I'm thinking. BTW, I'm feeding these to my S&W 4003TSW __________________ Professional Stupidity Recognition Technician