Dedicated Crimp Die ?

[hylander]

I just got the Lyman die set for my .44 Mag.
I know the seating die will also crimp, but wouldn't it be best to crimp seperatly.
If so what is a good dedicated crimp die for the .44

[MT Chambers]

I don't crimp separately unless I absolutely have to, I don't like any extra steps, esp. for loads not to be used for serious target work.

[jimkim]

It all depends on what gives YOU the best results. If crimping after seating produces better ammo for you, then it's the right thing for you. That's all that really matters.

[Kraschenbirn]

Dillon taper crimp die for any straight-wall round that actually needs to be crimped.

[r1kk1]

Personally I like dedicated dies. I've used separate crimp dies for a number of years. I can see it being an extra step on a single stage or turret press, not noticeable on shell plate systems.

take care,

r1kk1

[MGySgt]

I have been using a seperate Crimp Die for a number of years now. If you are using a heavy crimp (like 44mag, 475Linbaugh, 45ACP in a revolver, etc..) I was getting a little shaved lead at the crimp point.

This was also deposited in the lead in the lead of the chamber and can cause chambering issues as well as accuracy.

I buy a seater/crimp die from Lyman and chuck the seater plugs and set them to a crimp suitable for that cartridge.

Works for me and I really don't mind the extra step.

You only need one crimp die per caliber.

Drew

[LUBEDUDE]

You really may not need it -- till you get burned.

Then, they are really nice.

[geargnasher]

I'd say that roll-crimping for the .44 Magnum in a separate step is not an option. Lee's roll-crimp dies work fine for me in all calibers, although most of the .30 caliber seat/crimp dies Lee makes have to be sanded out a tad for use with .311" cast boolits because the crimp restriction is about .3105". Other .30 caliber brands can have the same issue. I have both RCBS and Lee .44 dies, both crimpers do the same job but one costs three times as much. Both will accept at least .4315" boolits with no shaving of the ogive or nose band.

Gear

[hylander]

I'd say that roll-crimping for the .44 Magnum in a separate step is not an option.
Gear

Why is that ?
I have the Lyman die set and it has you seat a nd crimp in two seperate steps.
First seat, then back off the seater and set it for crimp.
I just don't want to keep resetting the die

[RACWIN375]

Lee Factory crimping die is what you want

[bobthenailer]

I was using seperate crimp dies for all of my handgun cartradges before first Dillons came out , before my P&W p200 and when i used a single stage c press about 45 years for all of my straight wall handgun calibers i now have to 3 crimp dies , taper for light loads , med roll for med loads and Redding profile crimp die for heavy loads that way my crimps are allways consistant and yes i check & trim all of my revolver brass , every so many reloads

[geargnasher]

Why is that ?
I have the Lyman die set and it has you seat a nd crimp in two seperate steps.
First seat, then back off the seater and set it for crimp.
I just don't want to keep resetting the die

I meant that the roll crimp for .44 Magnum is not an option, it's a requirement in my book.

Lee FCDs in pistol calibers with the carbide post-sizing sleeve are death to cast boolit loads. I don't know if the Lee .44 Mag FCD has the sizing ring or not.

Gear

[Recluse]

I guess I'm weird, but I use a separate crimping die for taper, but typically seat and roll crimp with the same die.

That habit started with my Pro1000 when I only had three stations and it's kind of stuck with me for over twenty five years.

For rifle calibers, it simply depends on the ammo and gun combination as to whether or not I crimp--but any crimping done is ALWAYS a separate operation.

:coffee:

[Ickisrulz]

I am a messy pan luber. I get lube on the bullet noses sometimes. I find that when I use the die to seat and crimp in the same step, my die gets gummed up fast and my depth changes.

By doing the seating and crimping in two steps, I can run the seater stem out further and lube doesn't get all over the stem. Then by crimping without the stem in place, the extra lube has somewhere to go and no effect the cartridge.

I hope it explained it well enough.

[mdi]

I've been loading .44 Magnums for over 22 years and learned early to separate the seating/crimping operations. Sure, it can be done in one step, but there is no tollerence, and usually ends up in some kind of problem. I like my bullets seated all to the same depth and I like all the crimps to be even. I don't like buldged brass or shaved bullets. I use a Redding Profile Crimp die, and I've had no problems making even/uniform crimps.

[hylander]

I meant that the roll crimp for .44 Magnum is not an option, it's a requirement in my book.

Lee FCDs in pistol calibers with the carbide post-sizing sleeve are death to cast boolit loads. I don't know if the Lee .44 Mag FCD has the sizing ring or not.

Gear

OK, understand now
I'm a little slow sometimes :oops:

[dauntlessdave]

I don't load 44 Mag but do load 41 Mag and would agree with those who treat crimping as a separate step. I've had great luck with the Lee Factory Crimp die. It works and it's inexpensive.

[Char-Gar]

I roll crimp sixgun rounds and taper crimp autopistols rounds. I use a seperate crimping die for all calibers.

[MtGun44]

"Lee factory crimp die is what you want" - I STRONGLY disagree with this comment.

That POC is a answer looking for a question and has been the primary cause of many
members problems with leading and inaccuracy when it sized down their boolits inside
the case. There is NOTHING that a post sizing die like this is needed for if you have a
properly made set of dies and are using them properly.

Avoid this like the plague that it is. The best I have ever heard is that it sometimes works
like only a taper crimp die and doesn't do any damage. SO - buy a taper crimp die.

As to the original question. I have Redding profile crimp die for the .44 and IIRC I think I got
one for .357, too - maybe not. In any case, I have used it and it is a nice die, and works just
fine but I do probably 95% of my revolver loads with a seating and crimping roll crimp die. Seems
to work fine with boolits with a nice crimping groove.

For Semiautos - I strongly recommend a separate taper crimp die. IME, the primary cause of most
.45 ACP failures to close is inadequate or nonexistant TC.

Bill

[Twinkiethekid]

LEE FACTORY CRIMP DIE! Crimps with no canulure. I think I spelled that right lol.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Hylander: The resaon you seat and crimp in to separate operations is because you can adjust the dies separately and control each operation independently.

You kind of got the idea from the instructions telling you to seat the boolit and then back the seating stem off and then crimp.

With a dedicated crimp die you don't have to change your boolit seating depth to crimp. You have another die to do it.

What this does for you is it gives you a lot more control over every aspect of your loading process. It also makes it so you don't have to change a correctly set die everytime you use them.

You will always have to make small adjustments everytme you start a loading run to insure that the fine points are correct.

You always have to check everything every time you load. This is the one thing that will make it so you produce the best ammo possible..

Check, check, check!

Randy

[geargnasher]

I've had a .45 ACP blow up because of the boolits deep-seating in the mag. The issue was case tension too lighte (expander too large), thin, WW brass, and boolits WAY too soft. Crimp doesn't do much for .45 ACP unless you swage the case mouth into the sides of the boolit.

The problem with trying to seat and crimp a revolver cartridge in one step is that the boolits are subject to pull under recoil, and as the die rolls the mouth, it's also pushing the boolit deeper. It's possible to roll crimp in the groove this way, but the inside of the case mouth will not be crimped against the boolit, so the boolit can jump a bit forward under recoil in the cylinder and mess up your seating depth.

Gear

[mdi]

"Lee factory crimp die is what you want" - I STRONGLY disagree with this comment.

That POC is a answer looking for a question and has been the primary cause of many
members problems with leading and inaccuracy when it sized down their boolits inside
the case. There is NOTHING that a post sizing die like this is needed for if you have a
properly made set of dies and are using them properly.

Avoid this like the plague that it is. The best I have ever heard is that it sometimes works
like only a taper crimp die and doesn't do any damage. SO - buy a taper crimp die.

As to the original question. I have Redding profile crimp die for the .44 and IIRC I think I got
one for .357, too - maybe not. In any case, I have used it and it is a nice die, and works just
fine but I do probably 95% of my revolver loads with a seating and crimping roll crimp die. Seems
to work fine with boolits with a nice crimping groove.

For Semiautos - I strongly recommend a separate taper crimp die. IME, the primary cause of most
.45 ACP failures to close is inadequate or nonexistant TC.

Bill
Yahooo! 100% agree.

[MGySgt]

Well - I just received 4 seater/Crimp dies - all 30 cal - that now has me at 6.

2 Seater dies and 1 crimp for 30/30
2 Seater dies and 1 crimp for 308 Win.

Drew

[1hole]

"... wouldn't it be best to crimp seperatly."

The "best" way to crimp is a strong word and really doesn't apply here; crimping while seating or seperate is a matter of preference, not what's best.

I often get amused at loud proclimations on the web about what's 'great' and what 'junk'. Lee's FCD with its post seating sizer ring is a different kind of critter but it's neither a cure-all nor an automatic disaster. It's not an accuracy tool, per se, but it can and sometimes does accomplish that too, but it's primary purpose is to insure that handgun ammo will chamber reliablity, every time, and it does that quite well. So it's use depends on what you need, not what some "expert" on the web says about it.

[joec]

For my 45 Colt revolvers I use Lee's seat/crimp die, semi autos 9mm and 45ACP I use the FCD and for my 45 Colt rifle I use the Lee FCD as modified and sold by http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/ I have no problems and all work well once adjusted properly.

[1bluehorse]

Why is that ?
I have the Lyman die set and it has you seat a nd crimp in two seperate steps.
First seat, then back off the seater and set it for crimp.
I just don't want to keep resetting the die

I think you misunderstand the setup on the seater/crimp die. Unless Lyman dies are different (doublt it) you screw in the seater die until it contacts the case, then place a bullet in the case and seat to whatever depth needed, then back off the seater stem, lower the ram and adjust the die in until you get the crimp you want by running the seated bullet into the die...THEN you turn the seating stem down until it contacts the already seated and crimped bullet. No more adjustment is necessary unless you change bullet size or shape. If I misunderstood what you are saying then please disregard above...or if I misunderstand the proper usage, then advise me...

[hylander]

I think you misunderstand the setup on the seater/crimp die. Unless Lyman dies are different (doublt it) you screw in the seater die until it contacts the case, then place a bullet in the case and seat to whatever depth needed, then back off the seater stem, lower the ram and adjust the die in until you get the crimp you want by running the seated bullet into the die...THEN you turn the seating stem down until it contacts the already seated and crimped bullet. No more adjustment is necessary unless you change bullet size or shape. If I misunderstood what you are saying then please disregard above...or if I misunderstand the proper usage, then advise me...

I think I might have read their instuctions wrong :-?
For some reason I was thinking they wanted you seat all the bullets then set it to crimp seperate.
Don't matter anyways, I took them back and got a set off Lee dies and a redding profile crimp.
The Lyman sizing die was sizing my brass to small.

[nicholst55]

I have a Redding profile crimp die for .45 Colt, and it works well, although it was somewhat pricey. I use an extra seating die with the seating stem removed for both .44 Mag and .357 Mag; they both work well and they were less expensive than the corresponding Redding dies.

For .45 ACP I have an old set of steel RCBS dies that have been supplemented with a carbide sizer and a separate taper crimp die. I agree that a taper crimp for the .45 ACP is mandatory for reliability.

Do what works for you. If it's the Lee FCD, with or without the carbide ring, the Redding profile crimp die, or whatever. Experiment a bit, use what works.