What am I doing wrong? 12 gauge crimp - Picture

[Hanzy4200]

I am very new to the shot shell scene. I'm working off an old MEC Jr. and loading 00 buckshot. I also added the newer Spindex pre crimp, which helped slightly. When I load using Win AA's, I am having moderate success. With Federal Gold Medal, I get swirls every time! I've adjusted my pre crimp, I've tried adjusting the final crimp. Its the same every time. Any help at all would be appreciated.

Sorry for the rotated picture.

[NSB]

Those swirls won’t hurt a thing. Most crimp problems are a result of the total stack height of powder, wad, and shot either being too high or too low. It’s usually the wad. Have you looked up the recommended components to be used in the Lyman Shotshell Reloading Manual? It’s the “bible” for reloading shotshells. It lists every case to use with what wad and what powder to avoid things like this and keep the pressure safe.

[Capt.Red.44]

With Mec machines and Dillon machines you have to set the crimp depth and pre crimp for one specific hull. If you alter the hull and do not change settings on crimp dies, they will be at the inncorrect depth. Download the manual for your machine ( mine are mec sizemaster 12 ga and Dillon SL 900 12ga). There will be a section on setup of dies and it will explain exactly what your looking for. The swirl is normally caused by final crimp being too deep if I remember correctly. Pre- crimp should close it about 50-60% and final crimp is adjusted little by little down, until it is completely closed.

[Capt.Red.44]

https://www.mecoutdoors.com/owners-manuals-sr

Also I highly recomend lymans book on shotshell reloading. It features mec machines.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101316692

Good luck! 12ga reloading is a BLAST! The best hulls for reloading are the red AA hulls. NOT THE SILVER SUPERSPORT hulls, they are different and need different settings on your machine.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/902206513

[Capt.Red.44]

The swirls wont hurt, but they will wear out your hulls faster. I generally reload em about 10-12 times before I toss em.

[Hanzy4200]

The only manual I have is the Buckshot manual from Ballistic Products. It's somewhat useless to me as it only lists specific powders and only Rio and Cheddite type hulls. The Lyman manual was sold out anywhere with a reasonable price, at least when I looked last.

[too many things]

i dont know how many you want to reload, if this is just a few, dont worry
if you want to do 1000s
then go to BPI products and get the their super crimp about $35 or so but it will clear up many problems

[upnorthwis]

Even when loading all the same type of hulls you will have some with swirls and some with holes. Seems every batch is a little different. Ones with holes, I stuff with paper towel.

[Minerat]

One with holes a drop of candle wax. Swirls are because you need more height in the wad colume. With buck shot the larger pellets either under or over fill the shotcup. The way to fix that is to add card wad(s)under the shot. You can make them out of those magazine inserts that fall in your lap when you get a magazine and they don't need to be fancy just rough fit the bottom of the shot cup. You can also put them on the top of the shot. You want the top of shot to be just even with the fold so when you crimp you compress the shot column a little.

[MOA]

Hanzy4200
Your cam is out of adjustment. The cam is what is causing the problem on your crimp.
Google "MEC 600 Instructions". Section 5 covers the swirl issue..
Hope that helps. You might want to download it for future reference.

[Hogtamer]

^^^^^
What he said

[243winxb]

. The die body is going to low. This puts a taper on the side wall of the case. The taper on factory shells, help auto loader shotguns feed better.

[Hanzy4200]

Hanzy4200
Your cam is out of adjustment. The cam is what is causing the problem on your crimp.
Google "MEC 600 Instructions". Section 5 covers the swirl issue..
Hope that helps. You might want to download it for future reference.

Thanks MAO

[HeadLead]

I was having issues with my MEC 600 in 410 with swirls and chambering. It turned out to be a couple of issues I had not taken in to account.

First, hull height variance plays a big part in crimp quality. Even new hulls vary, so expect some degree of change.

Second, the Final Crimp Die has a roller at the top that the cam runs across. The die body on my crimp die has 2 roll pin locations. Originally, the bottom pin hole was used and this did not allow for the cam to depress the die body low enough to impart a taper crimp. I moved the roller up to the top pin location and this solved my taper crimp issue for chambering. It also gave me more adjustment for the final crimp quality.

This may be possible for all gauges, but I can't be certain because I have yet to try my 20 and 12 gauge presses.

[bcp477]

Geez Loiuse ! Every time I see one of these threads (about the agony and complication of getting crimps right)...it makes me deliriously happy that I do NOT crimp my shells.


....Just sayin'....

[1hole]

Geez Loiuse ! Every time I see one of these threads (about the agony and complication of getting crimps right)...it makes me deliriously happy that I do NOT crimp my shells.

Crimps of any kind are only done to retain the otherwise loose shot. Without any kind of crimp, what keeps your shot from pouring out?

[Ausglock]

All my slug and buckshot loads get roll crimped.
All normal shot gets 8 star crimp.
I load on an old Pacific DL-105.

[bcp477]

Crimps of any kind are only done to retain the otherwise loose shot. Without any kind of crimp, what keeps your shot from pouring out?

I place an overshot card on top of the load stack...then dribble in melted parrafin wax. Works very nicely, both with shot and my (round ball) slug loads. And....it does not tear up the hulls, as crimping does. So, I get lots more loads from each hull than possible otherwise. (I am one of those silly people who doesn't believe in wasting perfectly good hulls...or anything else, for that matter.) I've been told by some that this all is "nonsense"....but screw them, I don't care. It WORKS.

[centershot]

Okay, playing Devil's advocate here......If we use a 2-3/4" hull (which is really 3" long) can we load a 3" payload into it and seal it shut as descrbed above for use in a gun with a 2-/4" chamber (which is really 3" long)? Would that be safe?

[megasupermagnum]

Okay, playing Devil's advocate here......If we use a 2-3/4" hull (which is really 3" long) can we load a 3" payload into it and seal it shut as descrbed above for use in a gun with a 2-/4" chamber (which is really 3" long)? Would that be safe?

A 2 3/4" hull is 2 3/4" long. In the past, I've been known to put a 3" load in a 2 3/4" and roll crimp, but the conditions have to be right, as you are still loosing about 1/8" vs the 3". I no longer do that.