Crimping Questions?
- Thread starter RANGER94
- Start date
Using a single stage press like the Rock Chucker I always seated and crimped in the same operation for both .45 ACP and .357 magnum. Always seemed to work okay for me. I used a taper crimp on the .45 and a moderate to heavy roll crimp on the .357.
Using a single stage press there's some handling of the round between seating and crimping and maybe the bullet could inadvertently get pushed farther into the case.
The big reason for me though was I started out seating and crimping in the same stroke, never had a problem, and was too lazy to add another step to my reloading process
That said, I think if I had a turret press or progressive that had room for the dies I'd seat and crimp in separate operations. It just seems like that MUST be 'better'. With so little time between seating and crimping I don't think there could be a problem with the bullet getting pushed farther into the case.
Using a single stage press there's some handling of the round between seating and crimping and maybe the bullet could inadvertently get pushed farther into the case.
The big reason for me though was I started out seating and crimping in the same stroke, never had a problem, and was too lazy to add another step to my reloading process
That said, I think if I had a turret press or progressive that had room for the dies I'd seat and crimp in separate operations. It just seems like that MUST be 'better'. With so little time between seating and crimping I don't think there could be a problem with the bullet getting pushed farther into the case.
4runnerman
New member
Crimping,,seperate operation here too.
buck460XVR
New member
In handgun calibers .45ACP., .357 mag and .44 mag, I seat and crimp in one step. Have done it both ways and found no appreciable difference in accuracy between the two. Never had a problem with bullet setback or being pulled by recoil. With the .460 S&W mag I seat and crimp in two steps because of the heavy crimp needed with a long length case that's prone to buckling.
IllinoisCoyoteHunter
New member
Seat and crimp at the same time for all calibers I reload. I have tried the Lee factory crimp die and am NOT impressed at all. It's carbide sizing ring makes my bullets (that I meticulously cast and sized to be 1 to 2 thousandths over groove diameter) undersized.
Lots of people have the hardest time getting their 3rd die set up properly to both seat the bullet and crimp it. Here is how I do it:
1. Put a case that has been sized and flared into the shell holder. Lower the handle on your press, which will raise the case to the top of the stroke. Then, screw the seating/crimp die into the press until you feel the crimping portion of the die contact the case mouth. Once this happens, back the die out one full turn. Tighten lock ring.
2. Make sure your bullet seating stem is backed almost all the way out. Put a bullet in the case and run it up into the die. At the top of the stroke, run your seating stem down untill you feel it contact the tip of the bullet. Lower ram and continue to screw in seating stem until you have seated the bullet to your desired COL (cartridge overall length).
3. Now, back your seating stem almost all the way out. Run the round back into the die. Loosen your die lock ring and screw the die body down untill you feel it come in contact with the case mouth (again...you did this in step #1). Once it comes in contact, you know that as you screw the die body down further, you will be applying more crimp. Keep screwing the die body down until you have achieved your desired amount of crimp. Once achieved, tighten die lock ring.
4. Run the round back up into the die and at the top of the stroke, screw in your seating stem until it comes in firm contact with the bullet. Now you can seat and crimp with the same die with no problems.
Good luck!
Lots of people have the hardest time getting their 3rd die set up properly to both seat the bullet and crimp it. Here is how I do it:
1. Put a case that has been sized and flared into the shell holder. Lower the handle on your press, which will raise the case to the top of the stroke. Then, screw the seating/crimp die into the press until you feel the crimping portion of the die contact the case mouth. Once this happens, back the die out one full turn. Tighten lock ring.
2. Make sure your bullet seating stem is backed almost all the way out. Put a bullet in the case and run it up into the die. At the top of the stroke, run your seating stem down untill you feel it contact the tip of the bullet. Lower ram and continue to screw in seating stem until you have seated the bullet to your desired COL (cartridge overall length).
3. Now, back your seating stem almost all the way out. Run the round back into the die. Loosen your die lock ring and screw the die body down untill you feel it come in contact with the case mouth (again...you did this in step #1). Once it comes in contact, you know that as you screw the die body down further, you will be applying more crimp. Keep screwing the die body down until you have achieved your desired amount of crimp. Once achieved, tighten die lock ring.
4. Run the round back up into the die and at the top of the stroke, screw in your seating stem until it comes in firm contact with the bullet. Now you can seat and crimp with the same die with no problems.
Good luck!
You can set up a crimping die to seat the bullet too. Saves a step.
The .45 and 9mm use a taper crimp only. They both headspace on the case mouth. Feeding issues can be fixed just by putting on a light crimp too.
There's no need to crimp a .38 Special unless you're loading hot or using it in a rifle. Ditto for the .357. If you do crimp .38's or .357's, use just enough to hold the bullet in place. There is no actual measurement.
The .45 and 9mm use a taper crimp only. They both headspace on the case mouth. Feeding issues can be fixed just by putting on a light crimp too.
There's no need to crimp a .38 Special unless you're loading hot or using it in a rifle. Ditto for the .357. If you do crimp .38's or .357's, use just enough to hold the bullet in place. There is no actual measurement.
William T. Watts
New member
IllinoisCoyoteHunter I will try your method and see if it works, after I've loaded several rounds I will lock my slide open and check several of the finished rounds by dropping them in the chamber and see if they fall out when the pistol is turned upside down. If over all cartridge case length is repeatable then you have a winner, that is asking an awful lot for one operation! William
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William T. Watts
New member
IllinoisCoyoteHunter, just finished four rounds of Hornady 230gr Round Nose as a test and your method seems to work (OAL 1.260"), I'll shoot these (4) tomorrow and load a few more for confirmation, this has baffled me for years! Thanks, William
IllinoisCoyoteHunter
New member
Glad it works for you! Hopefully it will save you some time in your loading process! 
I was about to post that I always use the Lee Factory crimp die to crimp and I saw your post IllinoisCoyoteHunter so I said what the hell Ill try that.
I have never been able to get my Die setup to work right for my 45acp. Well I just set my dies up according to your instructions and it looks like I finally got it to work without destroying the bullet. I went ahead and loaded up 30 and will go shoot them tomorrow.
I load on a Lee Classic single stage so if I can save a step that is awesome. Im not going to toss my lee die just yet but it is looking promising! Thanks again for the info IllinoisCoyoteHunter!!
I have never been able to get my Die setup to work right for my 45acp. Well I just set my dies up according to your instructions and it looks like I finally got it to work without destroying the bullet. I went ahead and loaded up 30 and will go shoot them tomorrow.
I load on a Lee Classic single stage so if I can save a step that is awesome. Im not going to toss my lee die just yet but it is looking promising! Thanks again for the info IllinoisCoyoteHunter!!
I seat and crimp in separate steps.
If you keep all your brass trimmed to within .002" of the same length, you can get away with doing both in one operation, but most of us are not that careful.
Jacketed bullets are more tolerant of single step seating, cast or swaged lead bullets are less tolerant.
Think about it......doing both in one step involves a moving bullet and moving brass.....there's going to be some friction/biting/cutting going on, and varying brass length makes it worse.
If you keep all your brass trimmed to within .002" of the same length, you can get away with doing both in one operation, but most of us are not that careful.
Jacketed bullets are more tolerant of single step seating, cast or swaged lead bullets are less tolerant.
Think about it......doing both in one step involves a moving bullet and moving brass.....there's going to be some friction/biting/cutting going on, and varying brass length makes it worse.
IllinoisCoyoteHunter
New member
100% False. I have never even measured my pistol brass and have been seating/crimping LEAD bullets for years with no problems.
Not if your die is set up properly. OVERCRIMPING causes biting/cutting into the bullet. A taper crimp is used to JUST push the flare back to the case. Case neck tension is what holds the bullet. The taper crimp pushes the flare back so it will chamber properly. In fact over crimping can swage the bullet down smaller and if the brass is work hardened it may spring back a bit, causing LESS neck tension.