Redding Profile Crimp ?

[BlueMoon]

I have a RCBS die set for my 38/357 and it didn't put a good crimp on so I bought a profile crimp die several years ago. It's hard for my to see how much crimp I'm putting on and mostly go by feel. Looks like the beginning of a roll or taper crimp that gets turned in at the mouth of the case.

Anyway I was loading some #358429 in some .357 S/L cases and some mixed nickel plated cases. Looked like the die ironed the case down around the bullet so that you could see the base and almost the bands. The nickel cases were even worse, felt like I needed some lube. Does this die size my .358" bullet down even more? I've had good results ever since I've been using it but it's hard to tell how much crimp I'm using. Anyone else have experiance with the profile crimp die?

Bill

[fourarmed]

I used one in .41 mag, and was satisfied with it as long as I used R-P cases. When I switched to Starline, I had to retire it for the reason you note. The Starline cases were thick enough that the die pressed too hard on them over the bullet. I was using jacketed at the time. Now that I'm using cast, I think the problem would be even worse.

[felix]

If I were going to shoot a favorite gun most of the time, I would have the dies custom made for it, sending along finished boolits and new brass just for the gun alone. Stillwell says he will modify existing dies when he has time, but prefers not to because of the toils and trouble of heat treating for working and then rehardening where necessary. ... feix

[arkypete]

I use the Redding profile crimp for 45 Colt, 44 Spec, 357, 45-70 and 405 Winchester. I like them!
The way I use the Profile crimp die is.... I polish the case neck expander down a few thousandths, this includes the Dillon powder through expander for the pistol caliber. I don't polish down the part of the expander that flares the case, just the portion that expands the case body. When I seat a bullet, I shoot nothing but cast in these calibers, I can see where the bullet base is in the case body. When I use the Redding Profile crimping die I too can see the grease groove impression in the case.
The bullets are sized .454 for 45 Colt, .430 for 44 Spec., .3585 - 359 for 357, .459 for 45-70, .414 for the 405 Winchester. I get the final sizing in seating the bullet.
The seating stem cup? for the seating die for the three pistol calibers have been drilled out so the leading edge of the seating stem cup rests on the shoulder of the SWC and not on the nose. For the rifle calibers I drill out the cup so that the flat portion of the at the bottom of the cup pushes on the flat nose of the bullet. This causes the bullet seating to be done by the seating stem pressing on the nose and the base of the case. All rifle cases are trimmed.
Hope this helps.
Jim