hi all

i am using a 45 cal lead bullet and i was wondering if there is suppose to be a crimp on this. i know when a rifle bullet has cranular (sp) it needs a crimp. but what about handgun bullets?

thanks
lojack

I don't crimp unless I have too. For my 44mag, I have to crimp. For semi autos, I have to crimp. If I see the bullet is changing COL as I fire, I crimp. For you case with cast bullets in a 45LC, I would crimp.

What caliber are you loading for? The information that you want varies with caliber.

Geo.

45 acp. i am using lee carbide dies. i dont remember anything in its instructions mentioning about crimping. i could be wrong though. when it seats the bullet, does it crimp at the same time?

thanks
lojack

lojack, the .45ACP utilizes a taper crimp. Sometimes a person can get away w/o it, but I'd use one.

Case tension alone dosen't guarentee the bullet won't move. Bullets are not only subject to the forces of recoil, but also must pass over the feed ramp without moving. It is a "must" for reliability.

packrat

The .45ACP really should have a taper crimp. I suspect that your Lee dies are giving you that crimp and you did not realize it. It sort of depends on just how you have the crimping die adjusted. Go to a reloading manual that gives the correct mouth diameters and mike the cases, adjusting the die until the case mouth is within the correct alloable tolerance. Although a roll crimp is also allowed on the .45ACP, most people prefer a taper crimp as the roll crimp is difficult to get just right.

By the way, just because a rifle bullet has a cannelure into which a crimp can be applied, it does not mean that it absolutely has to have a crimp.

Get yourself a Wilson .45ACP cartridge gauge. It is set up to just drop the loaded round into the thing and it will show you where problems are, if any.

At any rate, the case mouth should be closed against the bullet with jacketed bullets and crimped into the lead a little with lead bullets. Use the case gauge and a micrometer to determine the correct or allowable size.

Geo.

NEVER use a roll crimp on a straight semiauto case. A taper crimp might be necessary to keep a bullet from being driven back into the case, but maybe not!! I don't crimp my .45 ACP stuff at all, but I do test it before trying to shoot it. I remove the barrel from the gun, and insert each round by hand to make sure it will drop freely into the chamber to its proper, full depth before shooting them! I use a relatively large charge of Unique, which seems to be enough to keep the bullets from entering the case too far when the round feeds.

I NEVER crimp rifle ammo! The fact that a bullet has a cannelure (crimping groove) on it does NOT mean it MUST be crimped!! If you use a sufficiently small expander button, the neck tension on a rifle cartridge is sufficient to prevent the bullet from moving! I proved this to my satisfaction with in a 7.5 pound M71 Winchester in .450 Alaskan caliber firing 400 grain bullets at 2400 FPS!!

[ 07-02-2003, 23:57: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

eldeguello--You should read the NRA realoading book, wherein it gives the proper specs for a roll crimp. Trouble is the thing is out of print and it doesn't look like there will be another edition.

It was not too many years ago when even RCBS sent .45ACP dies with a roll crim die and the taper crimp die was extra charge.

Geo.

The other posters are right, the 45acp should be crimped.

You should give your loads a taper crimp that will leave the EDGE of the mouth about .470" depending on the brass used. This is at a point as close to the end of the case as you can get, 1/64" back is too far, measure right at the edge. I run mine at .472 with Fed and .470" with Win, the differance is caused by the brass thickness.

The crimp is best applied as a seperate step until you figure out how much you need with the brass your loading - remember case lenght also changes the crimp tension- then set your die to seat and crimp if you wish. The suggestion to use your barrel or get a cartridge guage as a guild is good advice.
I prefer to do my crimping as a seperate step. The problem with seating the bullet and crimping in one step is you run the risk of crimping while the bullet is still being seated. This can cause the case to buckle behind the crimp and cause the ammo to not chamber reliably, or at all, if too badly bulged.

I`m not convinced that the crimp does much more than insure smooth chambering as the case tension on the bullet should be enough to hold the bullet IF the case is sized properly. I hear alot of shooters recommending the Lee carbide crimp die. The die sizes a second time while crimping the case insuring proper tension. Most users swear by them. I have no experiance with them except as to what I hear.
The rifle ammo I`ve loaded has only been crimped when it`s going in a lever action or semiauto, the rest is good to go with just neck tension holding the bullet. I`m not even sure the lever needs a crimp but, with the tube mag and the cartridges in the front hammering the ones in the rear I do it for peace of mind.

lojack, First seat your bullet to proper length, making sure thet when you screw your seater die down it doesn't touch the mouth of the case, after all the bullets are seated, turn out your seater plug about 3 turns should be enough, or take it out completely, now while you have a cartridge in the press and up, turn your seater die(body) down till it touches the mouth of the case, while noting how the mouth looks before you do this, turn the body down 1/16 turn at a time until you notice the mouth is getting a nice little taper crimp on it, shouldn't take too many adjustments before your all set, I think no more than 1/3 of a turn might do it, it's been awile since I did my 45ACP, but I know it didn't take much of turn before I had a nice crimp, don't ever roll crimp a 45ACP when using in an Automatic, cause it headspaces on the mouth of the case instead of the rim like a 44 or 357Mag. Jay