What crimping did to the bullet...

[chasep255]

I was reloading .45 Auto and I used my Lee Sizing Die to apply some crimp. Bellow is an image of what the crimped bullet looked like after I pulled it (on the left) and another bullet with no crimp applied (on the right). I noticed that the crimp deformed the bullet a little bit. Is this ok?

[That'll Do]

That's a plated bullet, isn't it?

Just apply enough of a taper crimp to remove the flaring from the case mouth. A crimped case mouth should measure .471" to .473" for 45 ACP.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Yes. You can adjust for a little less crimp but that won't affect anything.

[madmo44mag]

Plated bullet.
As stated back the die off a bit.
There are a few plated bullets out there that are pretty soft and no mater what, leave a small crimp line.

[wncchester]

" I noticed that the crimp deformed the bullet a little bit. Is this ok?"

Okay, but vastly over done.

[chasep255]

So long as it's safe to shoot I'm fine. I will try to do less crimp next time. Also these are plated bullets.

[Hog Buster]

“I was reloading .45 Auto and I used my Lee Sizing Die to apply some crimp.”

????

[abber]

Sizing die to crimp? Really? If this is true, these loads likely will vary greatly in both velocity and accuracy.

[Twinsig]

Was the brass new, and did you resize it? I had trbl w/new/Rem brass/44mag that i didnt resize. Used LEE FCD cranked down 2 rounds, otherwise, i could push the (plated) bullet in with finger and thumb.
I pulled the bullets and resized the NEW brass, went 3/4 turn on FCD, all good.
One of those learning deals (without an explosion). whew...

[chasep255]

Oh damn I did didn't realize I put that there. I meant to say seating die not sizing die.

[Edward429451]

It's probably more crimp than you need, but its not going to affect anything at handgun distances. If you've ever looked at shadowgraph pics of bullets in flight, you see that the sides of the bullets do not affect the flight but the nose only.

[engineermike]

Looks like a roll crimp not a taper crimp.

[F. Guffey]

You have created a canular, three ways to get a canular, purchase bullets with the canular on the bullet, purchase a machine that rolls the bullet and and makes the canular just about anywhere you want it or the 'not so easy way' crimp the bullet in the case then pull. When crimping and or creating a canular on the bullet metal is displaced, something like 'glupe making'. but to prove that a reloader would be required to measure before and after.

Grooves in the world of hydraulics allows pistons to pump at high pressures without rings, the piston has grooves, lots of grooves, every groove reduces the amount of pressure the next groove is expose to, but it does not take the piston all day to reach top dead center, point being if the bullet had ' a lot' of grooves (canulars) the gas passing the bullet would be reduced.

And as Corbin of Corbin Manufacturing said 'Gas passing the bullet is a good thing'.

F. Guffey

[F. Guffey]

If you want to see something disturbing pull 8mm bullets from 8mm57 ammo, take your pick, Turk, Romanian etc., etc.. Bullets pulled from 8mm57 ammo have the appearance of a waist or hour glass.

http://www.turkmauser.com/ammo.aspx

Because of the primers, I have pulled bullets from 8mm57 ammo for use with formed cases that used Boxer primers, bullets?, accuracy did not suffer, I did slow them down because I had nothing to prove, and when finished I got once fired cases, I formed the 8mm57 cases in a forming die from 30/06 cases, I tried to move the shoulder of the case back while forming, did not work, the case kept wadding up between the shoulder and head of the case so I erased the shoulder, left it where it was and turned part of the case body into the shoulder and part of the shoulder into part of the neck, meaning I created a new shoulder, the old shoulder did not move, nor was I able to bump the shoulder.

The shoulder on the 8mm57 case is behind the 30/06 shoulder .121 thousands to .129, matters not but for those that can operate a press, die and shell holder with precession can size/form 30/06 cases to 8mm57 to a tolerance of a .000 fit, to do so would require most to 'back away from the computer' and purchase the companion tool to the press, the feeler gage.

Forgot: Sammy's specifications and Datum Line.

F. Guffey

[howlnmad]

That can be expected when you crimp plated bullets. I crimp them all the time but I'm one of those lee factory crimp users. I don't know as though I've ever had one seperate in flight like I've heard can happen but I don't go with a super heavy crimp either.

[chris in va]

I don't crimp my 45's. My 9mm requires a taper crimp to feed properly.

[T. O'Heir]

Please reduce the size of your pictures.
You'll get a bit of bullet deformation with any crimp, but it really doesn't make much difference. Like That'll Do says, use just enough taper crimp(only) to remove the flare and hold the bullet in place. There's no actual measurement though.

[zippy13]

Originally Posted by chasep255

Oh damn I did didn't realize I put that there. I meant to say seating die not sizing die.

Yes, you'll have better luck with the seating die for crimping.

For even better luck with your .45ACPs, use a separate tapered crimp die. It may give more uniformity. The deformation will be a problem if it isn't uniform from bullet to bullet. One answer is to load factory cannelured bullets, or roll your own with a bullet cannelure tool. Most folks give their .45ACPs just a slight crimp taper, mainly to remove the loading facilitating bell/flare. I crimp my .45ACPs, with home cast bullets, for .470" at the case mouth.

[375bigbore]

The acp cartridges use a head space of off the front of the case there fore require a tappered crimp or no crimp if to heavy of a crimp may chamber do deep and creat problems

[res45]

This is what you should expect when you pull a plated bullet with the proper taper crimp applied. Berry's 115 gr. RN pulled from CCI Blazer Brass,with proper taper crimp applied to an empty FL resized case,the case mouth should be the same size or no more than .002 smaller.

[alank2]

Hi,

For a cartridge like 45acp you only need a taper crimp. I usually taper crimp only enough to remove the belling. The case neck tension is what prevents setback in taper crimp cartridges...

Good luck,

Alan

[cheezhed]

It also helps to seat and crimp in separate operations just use enough crimp to remove any flare.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Seat and crimp in the same operation...just back out your seating die a touch and adjust your seating stem to where it was before. Easiest way to do this is after you back the die out a bit, run a round up into the die and screw the seating stem down until it contacts the bullet.

And don't waste your time seating and crimping in 2 seperate operations. Your ammo will be just as consistent as if you did it in 2 seperate operations.

[zippy13]

Originally Posted by IllinoisCoyoteHunter

And don't waste your time seating and crimping in 2 seperate operations. Your ammo will be just as consistent as if you did it in 2 seperate operations.

We all respond based on our own experiences. I'm guessing you're not loading with a progressive press, so separate crimping is an extra step and added time. With a progressive press, for me it's easier to have the seating and crimping in two operations. I can pull the seating die for cleaning, or whatever, and not mess-up my crimp setting. YMMV.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I load with a hornady lnl ap. But you are right, everyone's mileage may vary.