I’m using a rifle seating die to taper crimp my 45acp. It is a 7.7x58mm seating die. A 7.7x58mm case is tapered from approximately .472” at the base to .429” at the shoulder. The seating dies taper is slightly oversized, when the 45acp case has entered the die a little over half it’s case length it gets crimped down to .472”.
So here is why I’m doing it this way. I want to seat and crimp in two different steps. I have two single stage presses and one set of 45acp dies.
I think that this is going to work great (fingers crossed). Or, I’m swaging the bullet down over too gradual a taper and creating an undersized condition.
The crimp is super smooth and there is no bulge. I think that every thing is gonna be alright (again fingers crossed).
I’m using the Lee 452-230-2R. I’ve made a dummy cartridge and done the plunk test.
Here are my current numbers.
OAL 1.265”
Crimp .472”
So my question is. Has anyone else taper crimped with an “alternative” die? And if so how did it work for you?
JM