I haven't read every post, but there's really no need to. First, the best cartridge gauge is your pistols barrel. A case gauge is simply a go-no go gauge, and while it will tell you if you need more crimp or the case-head is over-dimension, it can still "Pass" an over-length load. That's what I suspect your problem is.
A lot of guys like to run 200 gr. SWCs at 1.250 - 1.260" in 1911s, but in my experience with pistols like the XDm and Ruger SR45, they don't like loads that long and they may be causing a slight out-of-battery condition. For these pistols, I reduced OACL to 1.240" and I suspect that the 97BD is similarly throated. Again, something a case-gauge can not tell you. One reason you'll notice that with their 200 gr. SWC Lyman recommends an OACL of 1.235". And while it might be slightly different than commercially cast bullets that come from Magma equipment, the differences are too slight to be concerned with, IME. I use the Lyman data for MBC and BulletWorks 200 gr. SWCs and they cast the Magma style 200 gr. SWC.
Another thing, you really don't need to crimp cast lead bullets and I simply would not use a LEE FCD. It post sizes and can reduce the bullet's diameter that will result in leading with Cast bullets. Use a conventional taper crimp die and only remove the flare from the expanding operation. Check to see that it easily drops into the barrel, muzzle down. If you want to crimp to aid feed reliability, no more than .001" is needed and it's rare indeed that a combination of a .452" bullet and cases will give a case-mouth diameter of .473" which is the SAAMI max. and what your case gauge will pass. To put it bluntly, case gauges are a waste of time and money when it comes to loading for autoloading pistols. The ultimate test will always be YOUR barrel and chamber. Those are the dimensions you must load for. If you load for multiple pistols, load for the one with the tightest chamber and they should work fine in all of your same caliber pistols.
And, because of the variations in case-wall thickness among different brands of brass, use the method recommended by companies like Western Powder Co. and data Manuals like SIERRA's. Double case-wall thickness (I measure within 1mm of the case-mouth) and add the actual bullet diameter. This will tell you what the average case-mouth diameter will be after simply removing the flare. Say that ends up at .472" and it doesn't hurt anything to taper crimp by .001" if you feel it's necessary for better feed reliability, because you are turning the case-mouth into the bullet rather than leaving it square, your average finished case-mouth diameter, post taper crimp would be .471".
I generally don't fuss a lot about getting SWC loads correct and use little to no taper-crimp on cast or poly-coated bullets. But for competition, I would consider that if case-wall thicknesses are different enough on average, it might be worthwhile to segregate cases by headstamp. Even then you're gonna have variations in case-wall thickness and the best you can do is find the average. Pick 10 or so random cases from the different brands you have and go with the average for each. When brands are within say .001", it probably isn't necessary to segregate them. But where you'll find many brands at .011" and sometimes slightly thicker, you'll also run it cases like Rem's where thickness can be .009" or less. Obviously, that would mean differences in the average case-mouth diameter. Some choose to ignore it, or go to extreme's like the U-Type dies. Myself, I don't buy tools for conditions that shouldn't exist in the first place, and such extremes are unnecessary when you know that your expander button should be at least .002" below the diameter of the bullets you're actually loading and .003" won't hurt a thing. Generally, this will not be a problem when using cast bullets that must be at least .001" over the barrel's groove diameter in order to prevent leading regardless of alloy or BHN. With Poly-Coated, and one reason I recommend them is that they won't lead the barrel if they are slightly undersized or at groove diameter. Only slugging the bore will give you groove diameter, but that's only essential with lead bullets, cast or swaged.
Didn't mean to write a thesis, but this is an area that a good many handloaders have problems with. At an OACL of 1.260" for a 200 gr. SWC, when there's functioning issues, it is very often the result of an OACL that's not suited to your pistol. Try 1.250" and see if that works. If not, try 1.245" and 1.240". If you load with Lyman data and have to go down as low as their recommendation of 1.235" used to record cartridge pressures, it won't hurt a thing with a similar style SWC from a commercial caster. The differences in chamber pressure will be moot. Just make sure you're looking at the correct Lyman 200 gr. SWC because there are 2 with 1 getting loaded lighter and a good bit shorter. The one I'm speaking of specifically is the #452630. And at .470" at the case-mouth, you're feed issue has nothing to do with the taper crimp. That's more than enough for your barrel and will pass any case gauge.
Forgot something. In older manuals like my SPEER #11, they mention the rule-of-thumb for seating SWCs and recommend that the shoulder be 1/32" above the case mouth. .031" and even at 1.240 & 1.235" you should be fine.
