Hi all. We've batted this around a bit - how to properly crimp a heeled bullet. I do 44 Colts with a heeled bullet and 38 Colts with a heeled bullet. I've had good luck with the 44 by just running the loaded round through a lee sizing die, I think 45 colt? But the 38 Colts is not that cooperative.
Glen ( AntiqueSledMan ) told me that a lee precision factory crimp die for a 35 Remington would do the trick however one must make a case holder / extension. I don't have the equipment to make the case holder, so I did this.
I used a screw which was slightly undersized for the die and a matching nut. Since the die is a collett and not a taper die, the round is free to fall after the taper, so a proper case holder isn't needed. In THIS case, the nut and the extended screw just happens to fit into the plunger base without a case holder:
and ...
So, from here, you need only adjust the length from the top of the nut to the neck of the case to the 35 remington case length and you will be close for a taper at the top of the case:
and ...
as seen from the top. This will take some adjustment to get the crimp located just right. But it seems to work. I finished with some blue thread lock on the screw to hold the nut at the proper spot.
An alternate option I used was a 38 s&w case resizing die which just engages at about case neck level. That remains to be experimented with....
Good luck.