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Thread: R-P Brass for .45 ACP Failing to Crimp Properly?

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master



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    I shot IPSC, seriously, for several years back in the seventies. I, early on, learned to discard R-P brass. I was a formally trained machinist, back in the day, and after measuring R-P brass discovered the problem was very simple. R-P brass was entirely, and measurably, TOO thin. I discarded all R-P brass. My favorite brass, at the time, was military brass. It had "crimped-in" primers that required swaging the primer pockets, but that was a one time thing. Today, Starline brass is an excellent choice. I size all bullets at .452" (that is proper for my 1911's as well as my .45 ACP revolvers). I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die, and taper crimp to an outside diameter of .470" on my Dillon 550B, and have NO issues these days. NO R-P .45 Cases for me!

    Dale53

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy

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    The RP brass issue has been ongoing for ever, My solution turned out to be the Dillon size die that came with my first 1050. squeezed the snot out of them. They still go in the sub gun bucket though along with the other range load that I wont miss.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master 243winxb's Avatar
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    Lee. Undersize Sizing Die

    Lee makes a "Undersize Sizing Die 45 ACP" to deal with Remington thin walled brass. Its been an issue for 40 or more years. https://leeprecision.com/undersize-s...ie-45-acp.html
    Last edited by 243winxb; 08-02-2021 at 07:21 AM. Reason: Add title

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master
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    No amount of taper crimp will make up for loose frictional fit of bullet to case.

    You can take that as an absolute truth.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master VariableRecall's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 35remington View Post
    No amount of taper crimp will make up for loose frictional fit of bullet to case.

    You can take that as an absolute truth.
    I can agree. There's really no way that I can make use of R-P brass with my setup. One possibility is getting a Lee FCD (planning on getting one in the first place) and seeing if it works with the R-P Brass. Then again, there's so much variance in seating quality for the R-P Brass that I don't think it would be worth it.

    I'll be tossing any R-P brass in .45 ACP from here on out.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master slughammer's Avatar
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    You should change the title of the thread to be "My dies are failing to size and/Or expand R-P brass properly".

    Taper "crimp" dies should have been named "Bell Remover" dies. The only function they serve is to remove the flare from the case mouth. You can not rely on a taper crimp for tension. (A Lee FCD is no fix either.)

    Case tension and prevention of bullet set back comes from an interference fit of the boolit into the case. These do not come from crimp.

    Your size die and/or your expander are to blame. Either not enough sizing, or too much expanding. I've had to swap size dies and I've had to polish down expanders.

    Please keep this advice in mind as you reload any ammo for an autoloader. Case tension from an interference fit prevents bullet setback during feeding from the magazine to the chamber.

    Always check for setback when setting up dies for an autoloader. Push a large sample of loaded rounds against the edge of your bench to verify the dies and brass work together.


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    Happiness is a couple of 38's and a bucket of ammo.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    My early 1970's RCBS die set came with a roll crimp die. I just crimped into the front driving band, and the bullets stayed in place. Not the perfect solution, but it worked until I got other brass.

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I lean toward Slughammer's text as far as R-P brass is concerned. I recently acquired 1100+ pieces of once-fired R-P 45 ACP brass, and using my RCBS T/C sizer for the 45 Colt (sizes to .469" O/D) it still gets engagement drag with the .448" RCBS expander spud (for J-words of .451") and the Lyman Multi-Charge spud (.449"/.453") for the castings at .452". I don't have difficulties with the R-P 45 ACP brass, and I use it in both my bottom-feeders (Series 80 GCNM and SIG P-220) and my S&W M-625 interchangeably.
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by VariableRecall View Post
    Glad to know I'm not going crazy or something. What's the actual name the manufacturer that has R-P on it's headstamps? that would be something to avoid for me in case getting loaded ammo ever becomes convenient again so I don't waste my time.
    I'm sure you figured this out, but R-P is Remington-Peters. They have been making brass forever. I actually like Remington brass because it is thin, and doesn't seem to harden as quickly as some. It is my second choice after Federal brass. Because it is thin, it can cause issues like you are having. Some don't, as a lot of sizing dies grossly undersize brass as it is. In your case, your dies are perfect for most brass, but not for the thin brass.

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by slughammer View Post
    You should change the title of the thread to be "My dies are failing to size and/Or expand R-P brass properly".

    Taper "crimp" dies should have been named "Bell Remover" dies. The only function they serve is to remove the flare from the case mouth. You can not rely on a taper crimp for tension. (A Lee FCD is no fix either.)

    Case tension and prevention of bullet set back comes from an interference fit of the boolit into the case. These do not come from crimp.

    Your size die and/or your expander are to blame. Either not enough sizing, or too much expanding. I've had to swap size dies and I've had to polish down expanders.

    Please keep this advice in mind as you reload any ammo for an autoloader. Case tension from an interference fit prevents bullet setback during feeding from the magazine to the chamber.

    Always check for setback when setting up dies for an autoloader. Push a large sample of loaded rounds against the edge of your bench to verify the dies and brass work together.


    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
    Yes, this.

  11. #31
    Boolit Bub
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    Quote Originally Posted by GBertolet View Post
    My early 1970's RCBS die set came with a roll crimp die. I just crimped into the front driving band, and the bullets stayed in place. Not the perfect solution, but it worked until I got other brass.
    So.. a roll crimp on an ACP case.. not sure if I am following your method..

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy

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    Rem. brass has been unsatisfactory for me as well. Too thin. Not just .45 ACP, but .357 and .38 spl.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master bruce381's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slughammer View Post
    You should change the title of the thread to be "My dies are failing to size and/Or expand R-P brass properly".

    Taper "crimp" dies should have been named "Bell Remover" dies. The only function they serve is to remove the flare from the case mouth. You can not rely on a taper crimp for tension. (A Lee FCD is no fix either.)

    Case tension and prevention of bullet set back comes from an interference fit of the boolit into the case. These do not come from crimp.

    Your size die and/or your expander are to blame. Either not enough sizing, or too much expanding. I've had to swap size dies and I've had to polish down expanders.

    Please keep this advice in mind as you reload any ammo for an autoloader. Case tension from an interference fit prevents bullet setback during feeding from the magazine to the chamber.

    Always check for setback when setting up dies for an autoloader. Push a large sample of loaded rounds against the edge of your bench to verify the dies and brass work together.


    Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
    I do this before the crimp to make sure the expander is NOT over doing it (too big) if so I chuck in a drill press and file/sand down a tho or 2 to tighten up.
    As abovbe is 100% correct bullet tension should be good BEFORE the crimp or in the 45acp case the tapper is applied.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    I too had that problem with R-P .45 acp brass when I first started loading that cartridge. Later in my .45 acp career when I started loading bullets that were larger diameter or even unsized, the R-P brass worked out well because I could load the larger diameter bullets with less distortion.

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