Crimp question.

learningcurve · May 22, 2012, 08:07 AM

Ok last night I was doing some 45 ACP rounds and set up to do a slight crimp. The Crimp is suppose to be a slight crimp at the very top of the brass and just slightly there correct? I mean it isnt suppose to end up a quarter of the way down the brasS? I ask because I was just pushing the round into the crimp till I felt a slight resistance. Then one of them I coughed and unintentionally I jerked the round into the die where it is about 1/4 of the way down the brass/casing. I will do my best to get a pic posted tonight when I get home if i can get on my computer and kick the wife off of it.

If I am remembering the measurements correctly where it was in further was around .450 and then where it was not down at the lower half was around .473ish. I am going to seperate the round and resize the case hopefully but not sure if I can do it with the primer in there. If not I may have to just fire it like a blank at the range to use the primer. If this makes since and I hope it does I appreciate the input.

learningcurve · May 22, 2012, 08:14 AM

I should clarify it was a rather hard Cough. I have them at times Normally I can feel them coming on and move away but this one caught me off gaurd. Thats why I went so far down the case, Yes I know it was a decent amount of force to do this and no it wasnt on purpose. Side affect of my blood pressure medicine. Not that it makes a difference in the question I just realized it made me sound like I dont pay enough attention which I do. Almost drives the wife mad with all I do to make a round up.

Don P · May 22, 2012, 08:23 AM

My suggestion is go to the Lee web sight and watch the help video on setting up the factory crimp die. No matter what dies you are using it will give you a good starting point for reference.

Edward429451 · May 22, 2012, 08:25 AM

You shouldn't be able to cough and the case goes further into the die. Your die is not set up right. Set up the die so that it applys the crimp at the top of the stroke when the ram is fully raised. If you need more crimp then you adjust the die down. In this way all the cases get crimped the same.

learningcurve · May 22, 2012, 08:45 AM

Yes that was my thought that I should not have been able to cough I followed the instructions in the die kit for setting it up. and after setting it up the ram was not all the way up for it when the round was in it. I didnt know there were instrucion videos on the lee site. I will go home tonight and take a look at it. I was only trying my hand at crimping. Just to see the affects it had on how the round firing. I had read that .45 ACP is the round to experiment on with these kind of things. I am still new to this all and figure that asking questions and reading everything I can is the best way to learn short of from your own mistakes.

serf 'rett · May 22, 2012, 11:53 AM

Sounds like incorrect die adjustment. Crimping should only take place with full stroke of press lever. Are you seating and crimping in the same step? I find it less confusing to separate the steps of seating and crimping.

learningcurve · May 22, 2012, 01:03 PM

Nope I seat all the rounds then I went back and tried to crimp them. Just a trial of sorts since the last rounds feed just fine through the gun without any issues. I was just wanting to see if anything changed with it, the more i read everyones comments the more I am really thinking i screwed the pooch for lack of terms. I wasnt at full stroke of the rod when it started to crimp. I am planning to go home and take a look at the lee videos as prior suggested, I tried at work again but to no avail. They lock our access to everything the boss doesnt like so we get very very small things to access even if it for work we cant always get to the sites we need. Its is just awesome.

Wyoredman · May 22, 2012, 02:20 PM

-After you have seated your bullets to the desired OAL, remove die from the press and the seating plug from the die.

-Then run the seated round to the very top of the press stroke and leave it there.

-Next, screw the die, with seating plug removed, into the press until it solidly contacts the loaded round.

-Finally, lower the press ram and loaded round and turn the die into the press 1/4 turn more and lock it there.

-Run your loaded round back into the die. You should feel the die crimp the round at about the same time you reach the top of the press stoke (downward handle limit).

Remove your round, check the crimp. If it looks ok, crimp the rest of your loaded rounds. You can adjust the amount of crimp from here by moving the die in or out slight amounts if you are not satisfied with the amount of crimp.

learningcurve · May 22, 2012, 03:02 PM

OK that makes much more sense then what I remember reading last night. I am not sure how I ended up doing it the way I did but i will check it tonight when I get home. Thank you for simplifing the whole thing. I was most likely confused and didnt realize it.

May 22, 2012, 08:07 AM	#1
learningcurve Member Join Date: May 18, 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 87	Crimp question. Ok last night I was doing some 45 ACP rounds and set up to do a slight crimp. The Crimp is suppose to be a slight crimp at the very top of the brass and just slightly there correct? I mean it isnt suppose to end up a quarter of the way down the brasS? I ask because I was just pushing the round into the crimp till I felt a slight resistance. Then one of them I coughed and unintentionally I jerked the round into the die where it is about 1/4 of the way down the brass/casing. I will do my best to get a pic posted tonight when I get home if i can get on my computer and kick the wife off of it. If I am remembering the measurements correctly where it was in further was around .450 and then where it was not down at the lower half was around .473ish. I am going to seperate the round and resize the case hopefully but not sure if I can do it with the primer in there. If not I may have to just fire it like a blank at the range to use the primer. If this makes since and I hope it does I appreciate the input.

May 22, 2012, 08:14 AM	#2
learningcurve Member Join Date: May 18, 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 87	Clarification I should clarify it was a rather hard Cough. I have them at times Normally I can feel them coming on and move away but this one caught me off gaurd. Thats why I went so far down the case, Yes I know it was a decent amount of force to do this and no it wasnt on purpose. Side affect of my blood pressure medicine. Not that it makes a difference in the question I just realized it made me sound like I dont pay enough attention which I do. Almost drives the wife mad with all I do to make a round up.

May 22, 2012, 08:23 AM	#3
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	My suggestion is go to the Lee web sight and watch the help video on setting up the factory crimp die. No matter what dies you are using it will give you a good starting point for reference. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

May 22, 2012, 11:53 AM	#6
serf 'rett Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: Stuttgart, AR Posts: 1,569	Sounds like incorrect die adjustment. Crimping should only take place with full stroke of press lever. Are you seating and crimping in the same step? I find it less confusing to separate the steps of seating and crimping. __________________ A lack of planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part.

May 22, 2012, 02:20 PM	#8
Wyoredman Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2011 Location: Wyoming Posts: 1,350	-After you have seated your bullets to the desired OAL, remove die from the press and the seating plug from the die. -Then run the seated round to the very top of the press stroke and leave it there. -Next, screw the die, with seating plug removed, into the press until it solidly contacts the loaded round. -Finally, lower the press ram and loaded round and turn the die into the press 1/4 turn more and lock it there. -Run your loaded round back into the die. You should feel the die crimp the round at about the same time you reach the top of the press stoke (downward handle limit). Remove your round, check the crimp. If it looks ok, crimp the rest of your loaded rounds. You can adjust the amount of crimp from here by moving the die in or out slight amounts if you are not satisfied with the amount of crimp. __________________ Go Pokes! Go Rams! Last edited by Wyoredman; May 22, 2012 at 04:48 PM.

May 22, 2012, 08:25 AM	#4
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	You shouldn't be able to cough and the case goes further into the die. Your die is not set up right. Set up the die so that it applys the crimp at the top of the stroke when the ram is fully raised. If you need more crimp then you adjust the die down. In this way all the cases get crimped the same.

May 22, 2012, 08:45 AM	#5
learningcurve Member Join Date: May 18, 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 87	Yes that was my thought that I should not have been able to cough I followed the instructions in the die kit for setting it up. and after setting it up the ram was not all the way up for it when the round was in it. I didnt know there were instrucion videos on the lee site. I will go home tonight and take a look at it. I was only trying my hand at crimping. Just to see the affects it had on how the round firing. I had read that .45 ACP is the round to experiment on with these kind of things. I am still new to this all and figure that asking questions and reading everything I can is the best way to learn short of from your own mistakes.

May 22, 2012, 01:03 PM	#7
learningcurve Member Join Date: May 18, 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 87	Nope I seat all the rounds then I went back and tried to crimp them. Just a trial of sorts since the last rounds feed just fine through the gun without any issues. I was just wanting to see if anything changed with it, the more i read everyones comments the more I am really thinking i screwed the pooch for lack of terms. I wasnt at full stroke of the rod when it started to crimp. I am planning to go home and take a look at the lee videos as prior suggested, I tried at work again but to no avail. They lock our access to everything the boss doesnt like so we get very very small things to access even if it for work we cant always get to the sites we need. Its is just awesome.

May 22, 2012, 03:02 PM	#9
learningcurve Member Join Date: May 18, 2012 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 87	OK that makes much more sense then what I remember reading last night. I am not sure how I ended up doing it the way I did but i will check it tonight when I get home. Thank you for simplifing the whole thing. I was most likely confused and didnt realize it.