Lee 9 mm Factory Crimp Die

[1006]

A side note about 9mm brass:

If you like picking it up at the range, be aware that a fair number of competition shooters are loading 9mm to 357 magnum power factors. If you pick one up it may have already exceeded its usefull life and, even though it looks good, it may blow the next time it is fired. The shooters leave them behind because they are not worth picking up after just one firing. They look good, come from match chambers, may not be buldged, primer holes are usually a little loose.

Several of the policemen I shoot with, run these guns and practice at the police range-- those cases end up mixed with the once fired brass.

So, you just can't be too carefull. I generally only load 9mm on the light side as a safety precaution, unless it is my own once fired brass.

 

[noylj]

I found that some range pick-up would produce a raised ridge near the extractor groove--most likely from slight case bulge and having the sizing die push the bulge into a ridge.
I purchased a 9mm MAK FCD and use it with the bulge buster kit for all cases now, just to be sure. Since it pushes the whole case through the die and only touches the case where the bulge is, problem solved for me.
I NEED oversized 0.357-0.358" cast bullets and found the 9mm FCD was swaging down the bullets, so I eliminated it.

 

[1006]

I have found the factory crimp die to be useful, but over rated. It will swag your bullets down if the crimp is set too tightly. I have found it to be no better than a taper crimp die on semi-auto cartridges, and no better than a standard roll crimp on revolver cartridges. The sizing ring at its base does do its job of smoothing out the brass a final time after crimping but it overworked my brass on revolver cartridges.

On a positive note: I get great results with the Lee Factory Crimp Dies for rifle cartridges.

I think the EGW undersize die is a better tool for ensuring a good final product in the 9mm.

I shoot a lot of 40s, and use a Dillon die set. I have NEVER had an issue with feeding and function of the forty after tens of thousands of rounds used in 1911 match barrels, glocks, sigs, anything. I think the Dillon dies must be magic.

 

[Clarke123]

I have found the factory crimp die to be useful, but over rated. It will swag your bullets down if the crimp is set too tightly. I have found it to be no better than a taper crimp die on semi-auto cartridges, and no better than a standard roll crimp on revolver cartridges. The sizing ring at its base does do its job of smoothing out the brass a final time after crimping but it overworked my brass on revolver cartridges.

On a positive note: I get great results with the Lee Factory Crimp Dies for rifle cartridges.

I think the EGW undersize die is a better tool for ensuring a good final product in the 9mm.

I shoot a lot of 40s, and use a Dillon die set. I have NEVER had an issue with feeding and function of the forty after tens of thousands of rounds used in 1911 match barrels, glocks, sigs, anything. I think the Dillon dies must be magic.

As for overworking the brass ... I share your concern.
Insomuch that I do a final gauge on every loaded round, I may go back to running only the fail-to-gauge rounds through the crimp die.
I just might look into the EGW Undersize Die ...