Let’s talk about roll crimpers!

[Blood Trail]

I have quite a few roll crimpers. Seems everyone has a BPI roll crimper. Nothing wrong with them, once you get the hang of them. Leaves the mouth of the roll a little thick and at times, lumpy.

The nylon crimper from SlusRUs are absolutely junk, IMO.

GAEP are great roll crimpers, but are very sensitive to RPM’s. Wasted many 12 ga hulls trying to mail it down. Not to be confused with their finishing roll crimpers which I’m in love with.

The Reloaders Network 4 pin roll crimpers are the best I’ve used so far. They give factory roll crimps and aren’t too fussy about RPM’s.

Here’s a video I did comparing the BPI single pin roll crimpers verses TRN’s 4-pin roll crimper:

https://youtu.be/JCZCrXakcMM


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[megasupermagnum]

It may be over simplified, but it sure seems to me that with roll crimpers, the more pins, the better they are. Good to see you back at it, I assume you all overcame Covid-19 with no drama. I've got both a 1 pin, and the 2 pin roll crimper in 12 gauge from BPI. I'm not impressed with the 1 pin at all. I also have the 1 pin in 16 gauge, and again, not impressed at all. It seems you have to be so careful, or you can easily crimp them crooked. The 2 pin is miles ahead better, but only available in 12 gauge.

I've heard good things about the crimper from Precision Reloading, but have not tried them myself. I also have an old Lyman roll crimper, that has an arm you push in. It works great with 2 3/4", but nothing else. I may have to try these 4 pin crimpers. Have you tried them on once fired fold crimped shells?

[Blood Trail]

It may be over simplified, but it sure seems to me that with roll crimpers, the more pins, the better they are. Good to see you back at it, I assume you all overcame Covid-19 with no drama. I've got both a 1 pin, and the 2 pin roll crimper in 12 gauge from BPI. I'm not impressed with the 1 pin at all. I also have the 1 pin in 16 gauge, and again, not impressed at all. It seems you have to be so careful, or you can easily crimp them crooked. The 2 pin is miles ahead better, but only available in 12 gauge.

I've heard good things about the crimper from Precision Reloading, but have not tried them myself. I also have an old Lyman roll crimper, that has an arm you push in. It works great with 2 3/4", but nothing else. I may have to try these 4 pin crimpers. Have you tried them on once fired fold crimped shells?

I have. I’ll have to post pics.


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[tomme boy]

I took my BPI single pin today and added 2 more pins. It really works good now.

[AndyC]

Here’s a video I did comparing the BPI single pin roll crimpers verses TRN’s 4-pin roll crimper:

https://youtu.be/JCZCrXakcMM

Dang, what a difference

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have three of these tools. A BPI single pin which was my first one, a Lyman which has 6 bumps, and the 4 pin one I got from the Reloader Network. It works the best.

I run mine on my Bridgeport Mill because I can control the speed on that machine better than any other. I have found that 150-200 rpms works the best. I use Vaseline applied with a Q Tip to the inside to the Roller, and I also pre heat the Tool with a heat gun so my first crimps come out perfect.

Once you get the hang of using these tools you can make Professional Quality Shotshell Ammo.

On a side note; I have one of the Russian made hand operated Roll Crimpers and it has three "ramps" in it instead of pins or bumps. It works OK and if you needed to load rounds away from your shop it would be a viable way to go. I think substituting a GAEP Roll Crimp Head for the Russian made head on the manual tools would produce perfect crimps.

Speed appears to be less of a factor than the overall design of the tools.

Randy

[Tatu]

Could someone please post a picture of the roll crimps to which you are referring to?

Thank You,

Tatu

[Blood Trail]

Could someone please post a picture of the roll crimps to which you are referring to?

Thank You,

Tatu

For 12 and 20 ga?


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[Blood Trail]

Here’s BPI’s single pin roll crimpers:





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[Blood Trail]

Here’s TRN 4 pin roll crimper:





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[tomme boy]

BPI changed the design of the 1 pin. Mine does not have the dish in the center pin like BT's. It is flat. I just got it last week so it must be something they are now doing.

[Blood Trail]

BPI changed the design of the 1 pin. Mine does not have the dish in the center pin like BT's. It is flat. I just got it last week so it must be something they are now doing.

They also started selling GAEP products too.


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[LeonCarr]

I am a fan of the metal Precision Reloading Roll Crimper. Less flat on the end of the crimp than the BPI tools, SEEMs to feed smoother in pumps and autos.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[Hamish]

I finally gave up and ordered crimpers from TRN a few days ago. Having read everything and watched every YT video on the subject, I thought it was worth the added cost to get basically any shell to recrimp and crimp nicely.

There is good work being done on this forum, as usual,,,,,,

[stubshaft]

I just use the cheap $16.00 roll crimpers off of e-bay from Russia. They have worked for thousands of rounds in my 12 and 16 gauge guns.

[W.R.Buchanan]

What I look for in a good Roll crimp is a full radius on the nose of the hull. The radius on the outside helps with feeding, and the radius on the inside helps the Crimp smoothly straiten out during firing.

Also the Radius on the inside tend to work the hull less.

The BPI crimpers leave a square edge on the outside which tends to leave a crease in the hulls mouth that doesn't straiten out very easily. As a result the hull is not as easy to reload and requires being reshaped.

The best slug hulls I have reloaded are the Blue Federal Low Recoil Slug hulls. Their crimps unfold smoother than anything I've seen. I also run them thru the mandrel with the heat gun on them and they end up re crimping perfectly. I use these strictly for loading Lee 1 oz Slugs and they shoot almost as well as the factory slugs do out of my guns.

Randy

[rancher1913]

dang you all to heck leon, there went 150 bucks

[Blood Trail]

Here’s what the 12 ga version looks like:






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[dsh1106]

I use the Lyman version designed in the early to mid fifties.
Scott

[tomme boy]

I have an antique hand crank that looks like the Lyman version. Problem is it will only fold over the crimp about 1/16".

Right now I need to find some pulleys to slow down my drill press. Or do you guys think a veriac would work? vfd's are way to expensive.