Hello,

I have a Hornady AP Progressive press and I typically seat and crimp separately. I am trying to adjust the taper crimp die, which is a Redding die. Can anyone please help with the complete steps to adjust this die with the proper crimp?
Thanks

Well, you do not want any crimp on a 9mm; only set the die to form the bell you put in the brass with your expander die, back where it belongs; the case should be straight; NOT crimped into the bullet, which in 9mm, probably won't have a crimp groove anyway. Aren't there instructions with your dies? 9mms headspace on the mouth, which is why you do not crimp them. Just keep adjusting the die down until the bell is gone.

since the 9x19 headspaces on the case mouth, you want just a minimum abount of taper. just enough to make sure that the brass is gripping the bullet well and not leaving any to hang up on the feed ramp

I believe you're asking about a process here, not an outcome (though the two are related).

Hope this will help.

Crimping works best when the cases are of the same length. The greater the variation in length, the greater will be the variation in how firmly or loosely the crimp grasps the bullet. I crimp for two reasons: I don't want recoil to seat bullets in the magazine deeper than they should be, and, in checking my rounds for . . . what . . . "chamber-ability" using the chamber of my disassembled firearm . . . some rounds seem to chamber a little less cleanly if not crimped enough. (Does that make sense?)

And it is very important not to over crimp, for head-spacing reasons, already mentioned by others.

Here's how I set up a separate taper crimp for use in my RCBS Pro 2000.

1) Seat the bullet.
2) Position the cartridge at the station with the taper crimp die.
3) With the die screwed well out, so that it does not contact the cartridge, I raise the ram to the top of its stroke.
4) Screw the taper die down until it stops against the case mouth.
5) Lower the ram/cartridge.
6) Screw the taper die in ⅛ turn further. (I often go ¼ turn, and it seems to work fine.)
7) Raise the ram/cartridge to the top to effect the crimp.
8) Check crimp - are you satisfied?
9) If yes, lock lock-ring in position.
10) If not, screw the die in a little further or screw it out a little until you are satisfied. Then lock the lock-ring in position.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Well, you do not want any crimp on a 9mm; only set the die to form the bell you put in the brass with your expander die, back where it belongs; the case should be straight; NOT crimped into the bullet, which in 9mm, probably won't have a crimp groove anyway. Aren't there instructions with your dies? 9mms headspace on the mouth, which is why you do not crimp them. Just keep adjusting the die down until the bell is gone.

Roll crimp, no. But I don't see any drawback to a taper on a 9mm. I don't load the 9mm, but I taper crimp all my 45 ACP loads.

You really don't need help. You have read your manuals and you have read your die instructions, so do as they say and set your die up accordingly and be done.

If you do not have a GOOD manual and you do not KNOW what the taper is supposed to do get a few good manuals.

Exactly, Steve. And I still say that you don't need any crimp at all on a 9mm; (or a .45 for that matter) just make the brass straight so it will chamber. Drawback to a taper crimp; none if not overdone. Benefit if correctly done? None. This is from loading thousands of 9mm rounds over the past 40 years.
BTW, taper crimping does not require that the brass all be the same length since you are not working specifically on the mouth like a roll crimp.