Shotgun loading-crimping-handtool?

[ascast]

Just wondering of the common handtools, which is better and why. I understand that roll crimping is a better way to go, so if separate tool is needed please comment. I do not load shotguns much.
I want to know about the Lee vs RCBS vs Lyman All American vs Thalson vs Lyman Straight Line ( many variations ). I would just as soon not learn the hard way.
Can folded crimps be reused as roll crimp? or folded and glued? heated?

thanks all in advance.

[HWooldridge]

I reload star crimps then cut them down for roll crimps after a couple of cycles. A separate tool is needed to properly roll the end and you will need some overshot cards to keep the pellets contained. A good resource is to visit the BPI website. https://www.ballisticproducts.com/

[centershot]

Of all the tools you mentioned the only one I have experience with is the Lee Load-All. It was a good tool and made good ammo, pretty simple to use. If you aren't loading hundreds of rounds per week it would serve you well. It is a "fold-crimp" machine, no roll crimping here.

If you need to roll crimp, you can pick up a tool from many vendors on the net. Roll crimp tools that have more than one point of contact produce consistently better crimps than tools with only one. Keep your RPM's around 4-500 and a little bit (a LITTLE bit) of lube, like vaseline, on the crimper will get you started. Read the roll crimping stickey at the top of the page in this section, there's a lot of good info there!

Yes you can roll crimp previously fold crimped hulls, jus cut off the folded portion of the hull as evenly as possible.

Good Luck!

[TNsailorman]

The old MEC 400 tool was designed to do roll crimps only and it does a great job. It will not do a star crimp very well although it does them after a fashion (it will not correct any imperfections in crimp itself). The real problem with the 400 machines is that there is one die that is separate from the machine, not part of it. Therefore most of the machines available on ebay or other sites do not have that one die as they have been misplaced or lost over the many years since these machines were manufactured. Therefore you can load a shell up to the final crimp and that is all. I have 3 of the 400's (1 of 12 gauge and 2 of 16 gauge). I did not have a 16 gauge die ( # 448 16) but I had two 448 12 dies. I tried for over 10 years before I found a 448 16 die. They are not a Grabber or a 900 but do just as good of job producing a shell, just a little slower because you have to move the shell from station to station. I am still trying to find another 448 16 die. james

[Finster101]

Just getting in to shot shell reloading. When using new hulls and roll crimping, what length do they need to be? Are they good to go without trimming?

[David todd]

I often trim my fold crimped shells back a bit after they get frayed, and roll crimp them , but others I roll crimp right off the bat because of their chamber lnegth.
I use both the drill press roll crimpers and vintage crimpers.


David

[KMD]

I used to us the Drill Press Roll Crimp when I started now I use a Russian Roll Crimper and it works like a hot damn. I load Brass hulls by hand except for the primer I have am old 10 gauge primer tool that I resized with JB Weld and a 12g hull with a touch of oil on it.
https://www.amazon.com/Shotshell-Rel...s%2C200&sr=8-1

[swamp]

I have that tool for 12 and 20 ga. Works great. Can't do the very short shells;
swamp

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have a Pre Lee 12 ga Loader. I got it at a Gun Show 30+ years ago. It has all the same tools as a Regular Lee Classic Loader. I paid $10 for it. Now most of the Lee 12 ga. Hand Loaders are pushing $150 on Ebay.

I had a lot of issues getting teh crimp to close with mine then I finally figured it out and all it takes is using a Lee crimp starter to close the crimp down to where there is only a 1/8-3/16" hole in the middle and then keep pushing the crimp closed until it finally does. I used my Little Arbor Press to get enough on the tool to fully close the crimp. You could do the same using a Drill Press as the Arbor Press. I also have one of the Russian Roll Crimp tools as well as several Roll Crimp Tools to be used in my Drill Press.

If you want to Roll Crimp your shells you can make a De Priming Punch with a nail and a piece of 5/8" Dowel, then another piece of 5/8" dowel to install the new primer on a flat surface, and then use it again to seat the wad. You can get a Roll Crimper from BPI for @$30 or one of the Vintage tools off Ebay for like $30.

If you are only going to load a few rounds every so often then it makes sense to just make your own tools. I'm sure there are many tutorials on You Tube on how to do it.

Ballistic Products Inc is the Goto place for all info and components for Reloading Shot Shells. https://www.ballisticproducts.com/

Hope this helps

Randy

[Der Gebirgsjager]

All good info here, and you can't argue with David todd's results (photos, above). I have a MEC Jr. for .410 loads and use the Lee Load All II presses for 12, 16, and 20 Gauges. It does fold crimps. Especially on new hulls, I've found that the Load Alls will press the folds closed, but that they are sometimes prone to slowly re-open a bit. Also, previously loaded folded crip hulls sometimes have a little hole right in the center where the folds meet. So what I do is put a dab of silicone sealant right in the center and it keeps the new ones closed and plugs the hole on the used ones. This sealant has many applications and comes in many forms--just a dab is needed and a tube goes a long way. Some folks use hot glue for the same applications. As for the roll crimps, I have a drill press and bought a roll crimping tool from BPI. It's a great thing that one can cut off and shorten hulls to get rid of old fold crimps, but you'll have to adjust your shot column (shot, wads, cards) accordingly because of the reduced length, and also it's sometimes tricky to get the column exactly right to crimp again for either fold or roll. Also, it's unwise to vary from published loads as relates to amount of shot and type of powder. So, if you're a newbie to shotgun reloading (no shame there, we all were sometime ago) it would behoove you to become good friends with BPI as they publish several very specific reloading manuals, plus selling all the components you could ever desire!

DG


.410 fold crimped, MEC Jr. -------------- 12 Ga. fold crimped, Load All II-------------12 Ga. roll crimped with BPI tool


Mistakes--shot column too long.

[Petander]

This is a very good crimper. I'm a bit tool-a-holic... bought one five years ago,no regrets.



https://www.omvshop.com/shop/smart-box/

[W.R.Buchanan]

Nice machine Petander !!!

Most people don't know that you can finish both Roll Crimps and unsightly Fold Crimps with a Roll Crimp tool. In fact GAEP (sold by BPI) makes a tool that is made specifically for finishing Fold Crimps.
Adding the Radius on the mouth of the shell as a finish step greatly enhances the feeding of the shell into Pumps and Semi Autos, but it also makes the shell look nice.

News Flash: Better Looking Ammo Shoots Better.!!!

Randy

[Milky Duck]

with a break open gun...you can get away with allsorts of not so flash crimps.....
with star crimps.you can redo them by hand without too much effort..try it with a used cartridge...then fill it up with something and try it again..you will see how easy it can be done..not fast but its doable.