DIY Taper Crimp Die?

[gzig5]

Has anyone made a taper crimp die? I can't seem to find anything that graphically shows the profile of the crimp taper in the die. Is there taper on the body portion or just a short section with a linear taper from one diameter to another? Thought I would ask before I try and map it out off my 10mm die and try to scale it down. Need one for 9mm and like every other tool and die for any kind of normal or popular caliber, everyone is sold out. I've made dies before but try to gather as much info as I can before I start so I have a chance of doing it right the first time. That doesn't happen often.
Going to have to make a case feeder plate for the LnL press feeder too.
I wouldn't mind these fun projects, but I have way too many other things to work on already.

[onelight]

There is a 40 s&w Lee taper crimp die on eBay $32 free shipping . Not a bargain but not bad with the shipping.

[billyb]

Think funnel shape, very slight taper. Bill

[onelight]

Titan is showing the Lee taper crimp die in stock. $11.00

[gzig5]

Titan is showing the Lee taper crimp die in stock. $11.00

I need a 9mm, already have a 10mm, but thanks for looking. I'm not a fan of the Hornady Seater and taper crimp in one shot so I will see what I can do. A shallow taper is easy enough to accomplish.

[pastera]

If you already have a seater/crimp die, then just make a seater die and remove the seater stem from the crimp die
The seater die is under much less stress from abrasive wear so even a 3d printed die will work (I have thousands of rounds through mine with the only failure from operator error)

[onelight]

With a long enough stem a 38 special or 38s&w might work to seat and use your 9mm seater for a crimp die.

[gzig5]

With a long enough stem a 38 special or 38s&w might work to seat and use your 9mm seater for a crimp die.

When I sold my revolvers, the 38 dies went with them. Lesson learned. Never sell anything.

[Moleman-]

I have made taper crimp dies and prefer lyman style as it is a true slow taper crimp and not an abrupt taper like Lee which tries to form a modified roll crimp. Lee isn't lying that it's a taper, but they're also not telling you they act like a roll crimp. Here's a pic of the cerrosafe casting differences between the lyman and a stadard lee taper and a lee CFCD button. The Lee taper is abrupt and the Lyman is spread out over a much greater area. I usually use barrel drops to make the taper crimp dies for wildcats by threading the outside, boring the hole to bullet dia or a couple thousands over. Then add in the tape using the compound and finally add in a tapered start and polish the hole thing. Test and re-adjust the taper until you're happy. The ball type hones help speed the polishing process along.

On some straight walled cases the sizing die (non carbide sizer*) can be used if the decapping stem is removed. Some sizers won't work if they have a reduced dia area that interferes with where the bullet would be. * Carbide sizers usually have the carbide sizer ring under case mouth OD and don't offer the gentle taper like the crimp dies do.

[gzig5]

Thanks Moleman, that is very helpful.

[Moleman-]

Here's a couple pics of a couple straight walled sizer dies I made that will work as taper crimp dies with the decapping stem removed. L-R Left- .375FUW die without the decapping stem installed. Middle- test sizer/taper crimp for 400FUW, right- final 400FUW sizer/crimp die although the test die might get churched up with some knurling and wrench flats for a dedicated taper crimp die.

[gzig5]

Turned one up yesterday. Nothing fancy. I used to gauge pins to assess my 40/10mm Lyman version and then transferred that to the steel. Made a form tool to cut the tapered section which turned out to be ~.020" over .150 or so and then honed the surfaces a bit to knock the barnacles off. Love that free-machining steel. The entrance is mostly straight with a short funnel. Seems to work and will get me by and allow separate crimping on the progressive. Can't seem to get the pic to load, but it looks like a die...

[deltaenterprizes]

Harbor Freight sells a taper reamer about 4” long that goes from 1/8” to 1/2” for about $3.50 that could be modified to cut the proper angle for a taper crimp die.

[deltaenterprizes]

Harbor Freight sells a taper reamer about 4” long that goes from 1/8” to 1/2” for about $3.50 that could be modified to cut the proper angle for a taper crimp die.

[ndnchf]

Check out post #14 in this thread. I made a neck sizer bushing to go in an inexpensive Lee universal expander die. You could make a similar one with a taper crimp.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?400207-Made-an-expander-plug-for-the-Lee-Universal-Expander