Which crimp die for 44 mag?

[ioon44]

I use the Redding Profile Crimp with Hornady dies for .44 mag, I also have Lee dies setup for .44 Spl, I had to remove the carbide from the Lee FCD so the cast bullets were not swaged down in the brass.

[onelight]

I use the carbide factory crimp die for 44 it roll crimps and is easy to adjust ( no lock ring ) the carbide ring on my set does not touch the case on .430 or .431 bullets . I also have the rcbs crimp die but like the Lee better.
I don't find any difference in the two on the crimp . The Lee die adjusts to just touch the shell plate at the same time the size die does and may help keep the shell plate from rocking because the crimp is adjusted by the collar inside the die not the body. This probably makes no real difference in results people load with all brands and have good results

[mdi]

I've been reloading 44 Magnums for quite a while. I have used standard roll crimps, separate from seating, (Lee and Hornady), Redding Profile, Lee Collet crimp, and my Lee FCD now resides in a landfill somewhere in S. OR. Normally when using cast boolits, I'll use the Profile crimp. Many thousands of 420421s and RD RNFP bullets have been crimped this way. Next most used is the collet crimp, which I've used with both cast and J bullets. I don't trim my brass and I do get very consistent crimps and pretty consistent accuracy. I still use a stock roll crimp but mainly with loading 123 gr balls...

[RedHawk357Mag]

Great input fellas. Guys that are using the lee dies, what do you prefer? The carbide or the collet? Both are labeled as factory crimp for the 44.
The Redding die really isn't that much more either.
Decisions, decisions...
Ken

Carbide has the ability to squeeze some oversize, soft alloy, or thick walked cartridges or Bullets. If the picture comes through carbide has B8 stamped and the Collet has J1 stamped. I prefer the collet over Carbide but mostly since I have never really needed to test carbide out yet.

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[1hole]

I've been reloading since '65. I've used a lot of crimpers of one sort or another.

IMHO, Lee's FCD straight-wall case crimpers with the carbide post seating size ring are the best PISTOL crimpers made because there will be no failure-to-chamber events due to fat ammunition. Lee's collet FCD crimpers are the best available for both bottleneck rifle cartridges AND large revolver cartridges because they are quite tolerant of (modest) case length variations.

IME, Redding's Profile Crimpers are beautifully made but they won't do anything properly adjusted Lee crimpers can't do.

[bobthenailer]

I use all 3 types of crimps on straight walled pistol depending on the load , taper , roll and pro crimp ! Reddings pro crimp is a taper and roll crimp combo for the tightest crimp.

[Sig]

Another vote for the Redding profile crimp die.

[David2011]

The first rounds I reloaded were .44 Mag in 1978; still loading them. As with all revolver loads I seat and crimp in separate operations. RCBS dies work just fine, even for 1600 fps .44 Mag loads.

[curioushooter]

Most of the time I seat then crimp, especially with flat meplat type bullets. I only use flat nose bullets in 44 caliber, so I always seat then crimp.

I use Hornady New Dimension dies (which I got used for eBay for less than a set of Lee's). I seat with the expander die which has a flat face on it. I've found I can maintain very precise seating depth consistency this way and since it doesn't crimp at all it wont shave off a little bit of lead at the end and it wont put an ugly ring on the bullet nose.

I then crimp with the seating/crimp die adjusted so the seater pluger wont interfere. All it does is give a nice firm roll crimp.

I usually use the softest alloys I can get away with. I haven't shot 44 magnum in years but I've had no trouble with leading using Heavy Keith loads and an alloy of 96-2-2, which is pretty soft. Soft enough that seating dies will mark the ogive if the bullet is slightly oversized (I size .431).

[Evoken]

Most of the time I seat then crimp, especially with flat meplat type bullets. I only use flat nose bullets in 44 caliber, so I always seat then crimp.

I use Hornady New Dimension dies (which I got used for eBay for less than a set of Lee's). I seat with the expander die which has a flat face on it. I've found I can maintain very precise seating depth consistency this way and since it doesn't crimp at all it wont shave off a little bit of lead at the end and it wont put an ugly ring on the bullet nose.

I then crimp with the seating/crimp die adjusted so the seater pluger wont interfere. All it does is give a nice firm roll crimp.

I usually use the softest alloys I can get away with. I haven't shot 44 magnum in years but I've had no trouble with leading using Heavy Keith loads and an alloy of 96-2-2, which is pretty soft. Soft enough that seating dies will mark the ogive if the bullet is slightly oversized (I size .431).

I am going to try this, why didn't I think of it before.....duh. I load and shoot pretty much the same way you do, flat tops, and 96-2-2 alloy. I want them to expand. Thanks for all the help fellas. Eventually I will get a set of Dillon's once they become available again, but I think this above method may serve until then.
I was loading some 45 colt yesterday with the dillon dies, single stage and remembered why I like them so much!
Thanks,
Ken

[curioushooter]

Evoken, I always bell the case mouth with the expander die, too. This is essential to good performance with oversized bullets in my experience.

What is annoying about this is that you have to mess with the lockring. I suppose if I could get another cheap expander die I would.

[Evoken]

Evoken, I always bell the case mouth with the expander die, too. This is essential to good performance with oversized bullets in my experience.

What is annoying about this is that you have to mess with the lockring. I suppose if I could get another cheap expander die I would.

Agreed, however I have several different expanders. I use the noe style if I am running on the single stage press, and the powder through expander when I run the dillon 550. So the flaring/belling die that came with my hornady dies was essentially unused.
I actually ran some 44's early this morning to run a few new ladder tests and the hornady expander worked perfectly to seat before crimping. Thanks for the tip!
Ken

[Mk42gunner]

I normally prefer to seat and crimp in one step, but recently ran into problems while loading some .38 Special WC loads.

After getting advice here, I solved my problems by getting a Lyman M-die for expansion purposes, and a Redding Profile crimp die.

I must say that I am impressed with the Redding die, and it really isn't as expensive as you would think on hearing "Redding."

Robert

[curioushooter]

I've basically become allergic to Redding because it seems everything they have is about 2x what it should cost IMO...but I will look into that profile crimp die.

[mister gizmo]

I'm with OutPost75 on this one. The Redding Profile Crimp is adjustable and tailors my loads to perform at 25 and 50 yards.

[Shawlerbrook]

Lee crimp die is foolproof.

[roysha]

OK. I'll plead to being dumber than a river rock, so what does a redding profile die do that a regular crimp die, if used as crimp only, can't/won't do. Way back in the mid 60s I started loading with an RCBS 4 die set and still use that die set today, except for replacing the steel size die with carbide. I'm loading in a HOR Progressive press using virtually every brand that has ever been made of 44 MAG brass and none of it is trimmed. I use the separate roll crimp die that came with the original set and have never had a problem. No bulged cases or bullets shifting out of the case from recoil. Seems to me someone is over specing the job. But then, as I stated earlier, because of being dumb, I'm probably missing something and need to figure out what it is so I can complicate a simple procedure.

[Mk42gunner]

roysha, As I remember the directions (yes I occasionally read them) the Redding profile crimp die is a combination taper and roll crimp die. The deeper you screw it in the more roll crimp you get.

The crimp wasn't my problem with the aforementioned .38 Special WC loads, it was the expander from a an old set of RCBS dies probably from the same era as yours that wasn't expanding the mixed cases deep enough.

Since I had to pay shipping on an M-die anyway, I went ahead and got the Redding. IIRC it was around $29.00. I didn't really need it, but it does put a pretty crimp on my loads. Is it really any better? I don't know.

Robert

[doulos]

roysha, As I remember the directions (yes I occasionally read them) the Redding profile crimp die is a combination taper and roll crimp die. The deeper you screw it in the more roll crimp you get.

The crimp wasn't my problem with the aforementioned .38 Special WC loads, it was the expander from a an old set of RCBS dies probably from the same era as yours that wasn't expanding the mixed cases deep enough.

Since I had to pay shipping on an M-die anyway, I went ahead and got the Redding. IIRC it was around $29.00. I didn't really need it, but it does put a pretty crimp on my loads. Is it really any better? I don't know.

Robert

I do pretty much the same setup for my .44. Lyman M expander, Redding profile or Redding taper crimp. And have added the Redding Dual Ring Sizer. Yes I might be a fool who throws money after things. But that is what most hobbies are.
I just started using the Lyman expander and Dual ring. But I have been using the Profile crimp for a long time now. I like it. Very easy to set up as any crimp is when not in conjunction with seating.

[doulos]

I've basically become allergic to Redding because it seems everything they have is about 2x what it should cost IMO...but I will look into that profile crimp die.

I hear ya. They dont have anything cheap. Ive seen the Profile Crimp for 26.99 at Natchez