Loading .45 ACP ?

[leadhead]

Do you guys use a separate crimping die when loading 45 ACP, or do you just use the
seating die with the crimp? What kind of 45 ACP dies seem to work the best?
Thanks for any replies.

[Finster101]

I get better results seating and crimping in separate stages, but I am using a 5 stage press. If I were loading on a 3 stage press I would be sorely tempted to find a setup that runs through my gun and call it a day.

[leadhead]

I have the Lee set of dies with the FCD that I never really used to much and never seemed to have problems
with chambering until lately. Now I'm having chambering problems some times. I'm loading the RCBS 200 gr
SWC bullet. The Lee seating die has a crimping setup in it and that's what I normally used.
What is the crimped case diameter at the neck supposed to be after crimping?

[marvelshooter]

Separate seating and crimping is better for .45 acp. You don't want a roll crimp for .45's like you do on revolver cartridges. You want a taper crimp that does little more than remove the bell from the expander die.

[mdi]

I too separate the seating/crimping operations. I have tried seating/crimping in one operation, but getting the adjustments just right seemed too much for just eliminating one step.

FWIW; I do not crimp any semi-auto handloads. I just deflare with a deflaring die (aka taper crimp die). Neck tension keeps the bullet in place. I just remove any flare in the case mouth to insure a good plunk...

[Kosh75287]

It's been too long since I bought it to remember, but MY separate .45 ACP taper crimp die was made by either Redding or Forster. Its use has done a GREAT deal to tighten groups and improve function in my .45 ACP reloads. I still use single stage presses (about 3 or 4 of them), so it IS a fair amount of extra work to use the crimp die separately from the seating die, but for "failure is not an option" ammo, it's what I always use.
One would THINK that, with enough time spent on adjustment, the use of a die that seats AND taper-crimps in one step would produce similar results, but that has not been my experience. When I compare ammo batches in which I seat & crimp in one step vs. batches in which I taper crimp in a separate step, I find that my Lee dies give the greatest variation (benched accuracy and velocity), and my RCBS/Lyman dies give the least. Other brands of die sets seem to fall somewhere there between. I should point out that I have never used a "Match Grade" set of dies of any brand in this comparison, so that might be an entirely different can of worms.

[Kraschenbirn]

Not much 'comparison' to offer here. I ordered a set of Dillon .45 ACP dies (including a separate taper-crimp) when I purchased my first Dillon press in the early 1980s (an RL-450 that I still have and, occasionally, use) and have never had cause to look back. Over the years, that press/die combination has loaded nearly a half-million rounds, from 'soft-ball' paper-punchers to all-out 'Major' loads without issue. As a sidebar, I've also used those same dies to load .45 ACPs specifically for my S&W 1955 Target (revolver) without resorting to a roll crimp.

Bill

[pworley1]

I seat then crimp with a taper crimp die.

[Winger Ed.]

I seat & taper crimp seperately on all semi-auto cartridges.

[45workhorse]

I load my .45ACP on a Lee Pro 1000! Have had it since the late 199?
I just don't prime on it. So a 3 die set up.
It works for me, set it up so it will fit (plunk test) and load up plinking rounds. Load for 1911's and a GLOCK!
YMMV

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I've done it several ways, but currently use a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die. It crimps and also assures that it will feed well in the pistol as each round is passed through a carbide sizing ring-- extra insurance.

DG

[leadhead]

Yes I've been playing with the Lee FCD. I see people talking about it reducing the bullet diameter but I've
checked that and it doesn't change the diameter on my .45 ACP ammo.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

It will only do so if the bullet is oversized to start with. If your resizing die is a good one and you don't bell the case mouths too much to accept the bullet, most rounds will enter and leave the FCD like butter. If the mouths are over belled it will size them back down on the way in, and I think that's what most critics think is the bullet being resized. Sometimes the seating die won't squeeze the bell back down enough to avoid resistance when the round enters the FCD, and once it passes through the FCD you are guaranteed that it will feed and function in the pistol. The die gives a very nice crimp, and you can tinker with it until it's exactly what you want. Now in the case of the .45 ACP, with .452" being the common diameter, if you are loading some .454" bullets they might get squeezed. The solution, if you're stuck on that combination, is to get ahold of Lee for a custom die.

DG

[david s]

With a Dillon 550 I seat in one die and crimp separately. The dies are a RCBS three die set with a separate Lee crimp die. When all I had was a single station press, I would seat and crimp at the same time though.

[GONRA]

GONRA sez - can "fix" lottsa crap auto pistol handoads by running 'em thru yer LFC die!
Everybody should have one....

[Hick]

I just use the lee die that seats and crimps all at the same time. never had a problem with chambering.

[Mk42gunner]

With most cartridges I seat and crimp in one step. I have not had a problem adjusting dies to do this.

With the .45 ACP however, I set and crimp in separate steps. Primarily because I have a hodge podge of different dies for the .45 and use a CH4D Speed Seater die to seat my flat nosed boolits. If I were to start over tomorrow with a standard set of RCBS or Lyman dies, I would go back to seating and crimping in one step; and expect I would have no problems doing so.

Robert

[lx2008]

.470 dead nuts crimp on a 200gr swc. i use a separate redding taper crimp die.

[ioon44]

I use Hornady dies with my 550 for .45ACP, using a Hornady taper crimp die in the last station. I keep the crimp around .470" for the 200gr SWC.

[Soundguy]

when I can use a 4 die set.. like my 4 hole turret.. i like to seat and crimp in 2 steps.. with ot without a fcd.. on a 3 hole like a pro 1000 I have had 0 problems with seat and crimp in 1 step.. and that's how I did it on many single stages in the past.