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Old December 1, 2000, 10:17 AM   #1
posigian
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I am still working on getting my reloading bench together and for now I am reading evrything I can get my hands on.

I was reading about crimpping last night and would like to ask what form of crimp is best for each the differnt calibers I plan to reload?

1) 30.06 bolt action (do you crimp at all...I cant remember)
2) 44 mag semi-auto
3) 38\357 revolver
4) 45 Semi-auto (If all goes well I will have one by xmas)

PLEASE STAND BY....becasue I am sure there will be more questions as I get started! Thank you in advance to all for your help!



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Old December 1, 2000, 10:49 AM   #2
Casey
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posigian,

You would use a roll crimp only if the bullet you're loading has a cannelure (a slight depression around the middle of the bullet). Other than that, you would use a taper crimp.

I load 30/06 for an M1, and buy the bullets with a cannelure in order to make sure that I don't knock a bullet back into the case when firing. In a bolt gun, I doubt you would need to do this, but you could. On my .45 ACP, 40 *&*, 9x23 and 9x18 Mak, I use a taper crimp. Seems to be a rule of thumb that in a semi-auto or in a heavy recoiling revolver, you should taper crimp.

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Old December 1, 2000, 11:46 AM   #3
Hal
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Short answer is to get a Lee factory crimp die in the proper caliber. They are set up to give the proper crimp for the proper cartridge.

A quick and dirty way to determine crimp is to try to chamber a round base fist. If it goes in, taper, it it doesn't, roll. For example, disassemble your .45acp and remove the barrel. See how the round goes into the chamber base first? Hear the sharp "click/cloop"? That means, essentially, it headspaces on the case mouth. Now try to put a .38 into the chamber of a revolver base first. It won't go because of the rim. That means it headspaces on the rim. It isn't 100%, but it works more often that not.
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Old December 1, 2000, 05:03 PM   #4
alan
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to crimp of not to crimp

1) 30.06 bolt action (do you crimp at all...I cant remember)
2) 44 mag semi-auto
3) 38\357 revolver
4) 45 Semi-auto (If all goes well I will have one by xmas)

1. In magazine fed bolt guns, with jacketed bullets, I never crimped. I also competed with an old M-1 rifle (gas operatded) years ago. Never crimped with that either.

2. With lead bullets, probably taper crimp a bit, to keep bullets from moving back into the case, during feeding. You could roll crimp, assuming there is a crimp groove in the bullet. With jacketed bullets, possibly taper crimp. No roll crimp unless the bullets have a canelure.

3. With 38 Special, and cast bullets, I taper crimp. With roll crimp, case length is more critical, in any caliber, than with taper crimp. I sort cases by length, and adjust dies accordingly. Do not overcrimp in any caliber.

4. Taper crimp only, with cast bullets. Taper crimp with jacketed bullets, do not overdo the crimp.
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Old December 1, 2000, 08:09 PM   #5
johnwill
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I don't roll crimp any caliber, but I'm surprised nobody mentioned one fact about crimping.

Don't roll crimp rounds like the .45ACP or any round that headspaces on the rim. Almost any semi-auto round should be taper crimped, roll crimp is reserved for revolver rounds as a rule.

I taper crimp rifle rounds for a semi-auto, but I don't crimp bolt action ammo.
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Old December 1, 2000, 08:36 PM   #6
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44 Magnum and 38/357 use a Redding Profile Crimp die, and the 45ACP finishes with a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die.

Do not deviate from this advice. Much experience, both learned and from others, determined it. Really.

You're on your own for the longgun, though.
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Old December 2, 2000, 02:28 PM   #7
johnwill
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That's pretty amusing, are you actually saying that there is no other way to load quality ammo than the exact way you load it?

Pretty arrogant if you ask me, and you're dead wrong too. I don't use either die you mention, and I also don't have any trouble loading quality ammo.
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Old December 2, 2000, 06:06 PM   #8
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johnwill, didn't say you couldn't load quality ammo.

But if someone is buying new, why not buy the very best?
(you might try the Redding die and see it tighten your groups)
I own every brand of die, but I think these two I've recommended are the best there is.
The Lee won't make 'better' ammo, it's just feed-reliability insurance...
The Redding will tighten any wheelgun group, just because of how it works.
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Old December 2, 2000, 09:00 PM   #9
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Boy, just read thru the replys and ???.
Here is my 2 cents worth. Rimmed Revolver rounds like the .44Mag and .357 Mag should always have a fairly heavy roll crimp. This is to insure the bullet doesn't move forward in the case under recoil and jam the cylinder.(Heavy bullets are most likley to move.) It also allows the slow burning powders normally used in these cartidges to achieve the proper pressure. This seems to be especially true with the lighter bullet weights.
I have tried both crimped and non-crimped .44 and .357 loads in a Contender Single Shot Pistol and with the heavy Silhouette bullets I think the accuracy is a little better without the crimp .
The .38spl should have a light roll crimp.
The .44 semiauto you mentioned I assume is a Ruger rifle, right? It yes, and its the old model with a tubular Magazine then you should DEFINATELY roll crimp. Same reason as in the revolver..bullet movement under recoil. If its a new Ruger with the box mag you might not have to./I have no experience with this .
Generaly, with bottleneck rifle Cal. , it is not necessary to crimp if the case neck gives a good tight fit but you certainly can it you want to. Roll crimp if there is a cannalure in the bullet
Any roll crimped cartridges should be of uniform lenght to insure the same crimp from case to case. The exception to this is when using the Lee Factory Crimp Die. This is an outstanding Crimp die that i would recommend you try for all your roll crimps.
The .45 ACP should be lightly taper crimped ( just enough to lay the case mouth down on the bullet) The case tension is what holds the bullet in the case on semi auto rounds.
By the way, even though the rimless cartidges are theoreticaly supposed to headspace on the case mouth, they almost always headspace on the extractor.
Pete
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Old December 2, 2000, 09:50 PM   #10
photoman
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I've been experimenting with the Redding Profile Crimp die for my .44 special loads lately and have been very happy. I have had some trouble getting my .44 mag loads to crimp heavy though. It is my understanding that the Redding die does NOT put a heavy roll crimp (like I'm used to seeing on .44 mag loads) but it rather puts a taper and then a mild roll crimp. My loads so far do not have a heavy looking roll to them and if I crank down the die further, it begins to "cut" the brass. Just wanting to make sure I'm doing it right. Thanks.
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