1st batch of 454

[cali92rs]

Well, I finally finished my first batch of 454.

300 gr HDY XTP Mag bullets, 26.5 gr AA#9.

What do you guys think of the crimp?
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/atta...6&d=1264574298
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/atta...7&d=1264574321
http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/atta...9&d=1264574350

[Doodlebugger45]

It looks like a pretty solid roll crimp to me. I typically try to seat my bullets a tad bit deeper to cover up more of the cannelure, but that's just me. I have only recently began loading 454 myself and haven't shot very many of my handloads yet. So I don't have a very good feel for hoow much crimp I really need. To start with though, I have been doing a pretty heavy roll on them just like you did there. All the info I have read keeps saying that a very firm roll crimp is mandatory for the 454. Yesterday I was reading about the Redding profile crimp. It sounds like it combines a roll crimp AND a taper crimp to get the ultimate crimping. Not sure if it's necessary though.

[cali92rs]

Yea, I thought about seating the bullet further too, but my dillema is differing OAL from different sources.

For example, my hornady manual has a min OAL of 1.745" with a max of I believe around 27.3 gr (going of memory so just ballparked it). But from the lee manual and an online souce it gives a max charge of 26.0 gr at 1.765".

So I decided to make the OAL 1.765 to be on the safe side.
Make sense?

[Doodlebugger45]

Yes I totally understand your dilemma. I am a long ways from the max charge, so I felt comfortable seating them deeper in my 5 shot BFR. There is a lot of variation from different manuals regarding OAL and max charges so I start out pretty close to the recommended starting charges.

[RidgwayCO]

Cali92rs, that looks just like the crimp applied by my Redding Profile Crimp Die in .44 Magnum.

Am I correct, or do I have to go back to remedial crimp school?...

[Unclenick]

No. When you overdo a roll crimp in a standard seater/crimping die, the brass bulges outward under the turn in the crimp. As the brass work hardens with increased numbers of reloadings, that tends to get worse, decreasing the total brass contact with the bullet underneath the crimp. In other words, you tighten the crimp at the expense of loosing part of the friction hold the case has on the bullet. The profile crimp constrains the case to prevent that outward bulge from forming when you cirmp hard. That way you get maximum hold from both the case friction and the crimp, combined.


Cal92rs,

That looks good, except your first photo indicates you got a little confused. Cartridges need to be inserted into the chambers to work. The trigger guard is not an effective substitute.

[cali92rs]

I did mine with the Lee Factory Crimp die...with a full turn.

Everything i have read says that you should crimp the cr@p out of 454s.

[cali92rs]

I got the urge to fire these guys off soon...but damn the closest outdoor range is 1 1/2 hours away
I dont want to touch these off indoors

[ted 40]

I have a similiar issue with outdoor range----but I just " had "to shoot my 454.

So I went to our local gun store range----

I only did this once--- shot 6 rounds, then noticed the range was real quiet--at least 8 other shooters were out there------ they all quit shooting----

I quickly realized 454 was obnoxiously loud-- still --it was fun for a little while

[mrawesome22]

They look almost identical to mine, but I have the bullet seated a little deeper. I'm using 240gr XTP's under 36gr H110. Holy Cow! Those rounds are not for the weak of heart! LOL

[Unclenick]

They aren't called hand cannons for no reason.


Cali92rs,

The heavy crimps help slow powders ignite more regularly and consistently. But the other problem heavy crimps address in heavy revolvers is that when they go off the cylinder is pushed back against the case rims by recoil. This acts like a backward-operating inertial bullet puller. Inertia makes the bullets want to stay where they are, while the force pushing back against the rims tries pull the cases from them. Kind of like the bullets are being pants'd. The result is they can be backed out of the cases if the crimp is weak, and if they back out far enough they will protrude from the cylinder and jam it from revolving.

Because inertia is responsible for that, the heavier the bullet is, the more of a problem this is, unless you go to reduced energy loads. I have a friend who owns a snubnose titanium revolver in .45 Colt. He says he absolutely cannot fire even 250 grain commercial loads in it. That light gun mass can't absorb much recoil, so it recoils back against the cartridge rims so hard it will pull any bullet over 200 grains, no matter how firm the crimp. I suggested he get some pitch to melt and paint it inside the case mouths the way the military seals ammo, gluing the bullet in. I don't know if he's tried it yet? The point is, more bullet weight or heavier charge makes the crimp work harder.

COL has ballistic significance in your revolver only as it relates to seating depth. The 1.765" number is the SAAMI maximum number for the .454 Casull cartridge, and it is a limit simply for the purpose of insuring the bullets won't protrude from cylinders in SAAMI compliant revolvers or jam throats in SAAMI compliant rifles. Some revolvers have extra cylinder length, and some rifle have extra freebore, but not all. By keeping COL within that number, you ensure the ammo is able to fit in all guns chambered for it.

For your Hornady bullets, you'll get best performance and least likelihood of the bullets backing out if you get the case mouths crimped as much over and into the cannelure as you can. That means seating just a little deeper into your cases.

[cali92rs]

Thanks for that explanation uncle nick

Next batch i will seat a lil deeper, but do you think these will be ok to fire from a safety standpoint?

[Doodlebugger45]

They'll shoot just fine.