The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - How do I know if I am crimping too tightly?

Ed · March 25, 1999, 01:20 AM

Jim - You sound as though you have been stuffing .45's for quite a few years. I started reloading in 1960, but didn't get a .45 until '62.

I also tend to think the case headspaces on the chamber shoulder. I use a taper crimp die, and I can drop a loaded case into a disassembled barrel and it stops with a clunk against the shoulder. In my guns there is a fairly large gap between the hook and the breech block face. Seems to me the case would stretch a lot if it headspaced on that hook and the case gripped the chamber wall under pressure. On second thought, I 'm not sure there's enough pressure there for the case to grip the chamber wall like in a centerfire rifle, so my whole theory may be wrong. Offhand, I can't think of any way to prove it one way or the other. I don't suppose it really matters as long as you get decent accuracy and reliable functioning, which I do.

The taper crimp makes a big difference in functional reliability in the old Colt I have. The newer 1911-A1 was pretty good anyway on that point, so I don't see much difference with it. Before I got the taper crimp die I couldn't get a tight enough crimp to keep bullets from creeping under recoil in a mod.1950 Smith .45ACP revolver unless I seated them out far enough to roll a crimp into the top lube groove. Same thing happened with .45ACP bullets (no crimp groove) in .45 Long Colt cases for a Ruger SA. Now I can seat the bullets in properly and they don't move. For me, taper crimping is well worth the little extra time and trouble.

March 25, 1999, 01:20 AM	#15
Ed Member Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Geogia, USA Posts: 85	Jim - You sound as though you have been stuffing .45's for quite a few years. I started reloading in 1960, but didn't get a .45 until '62. I also tend to think the case headspaces on the chamber shoulder. I use a taper crimp die, and I can drop a loaded case into a disassembled barrel and it stops with a clunk against the shoulder. In my guns there is a fairly large gap between the hook and the breech block face. Seems to me the case would stretch a lot if it headspaced on that hook and the case gripped the chamber wall under pressure. On second thought, I 'm not sure there's enough pressure there for the case to grip the chamber wall like in a centerfire rifle, so my whole theory may be wrong. Offhand, I can't think of any way to prove it one way or the other. I don't suppose it really matters as long as you get decent accuracy and reliable functioning, which I do. The taper crimp makes a big difference in functional reliability in the old Colt I have. The newer 1911-A1 was pretty good anyway on that point, so I don't see much difference with it. Before I got the taper crimp die I couldn't get a tight enough crimp to keep bullets from creeping under recoil in a mod.1950 Smith .45ACP revolver unless I seated them out far enough to roll a crimp into the top lube groove. Same thing happened with .45ACP bullets (no crimp groove) in .45 Long Colt cases for a Ruger SA. Now I can seat the bullets in properly and they don't move. For me, taper crimping is well worth the little extra time and trouble.