[Coltdriver]

I just got a set of Redding titanium carbide dies for .357

In loading my first rounds I am having a problem with creating a very slight ripple in the case when I seat and crimp the bullet. The ripple shows up about mid way down the case after the seating operation. It is not happening in all of the rounds but it is happening in enough of them to concern me.

Is the distance from the tip of the bullet to the top edge of the case a standard measurement??

Are you supposed to seat in one operation and then crimp in a separate operation??

Am I just applying too much pressure to get the crimp set in the top of the shell??

Anybody else have this problem?? What did you do to fix it?

[Sheldon]

It sounds like you might be crimping some of the cases too much. If you have different aged or brands of brass, you may get some cases with a great enough variation in length to possibly cause the problem.

You can crimp and seat the bullet at the same time, but a lot of people feel you get better results doing the steps separately. The crimping takes place right at the end of the stroke of the press handle and at the same time the bullet is being seated still.

[SASS#23149]

Sounds like the crimp is getting a smidge too tight.
I have always felt that seating then crimping is the way to go,otherwise you're fighting the seating as the crimp is applying friction to the bullet,and usually shaving material off.
speaking of which,If you are over-crimping it might show as 'too much' baterial being shaved at that die station.
Also,crimp/seat dies need to be cleaned out once in a while as this die will accumulate shaved material over time.

[Standing Wolf]

The advice given so far is excellent. Here's my additional two bits' worth: switch to a taper crimp die. It'll hold the bullets every bit as well, wear your brass less, and spare you the weirdities you're encountering.

A friend suggested I try a taper crimp die. I put it off, put it off, put it off, and kept putting it off until I started reloading the .45 A.C.P. Ah-hah! Suddenly, the idea made sense.

I now use taper crimp dies on all my rounds.

[steveno]

back the die off several turns and just seat the bullet until the end of the case is in the middle of the crimping groove of the bullet. now back off the bullet seating plunger quite a few turns or take it completely out of the die. now turn the die down until you get the proper amount of crimp. now turn the bullet seating plunger down until it hits the top of the bullet and now you are done. lock all settings

[Jim Watson]

A "ripple" mid way down the case may just be the bullet base bulging a thick piece of brass. Or it might be the case buckling from too much crimp, although that is usually right below the crimp. Are you loading mixed brass that might be uneven in either length or thickness?

Otherwise follow Steveno's procedure. There is no reason not to crimp revolver ammo in the seating die if the die is good, the bullet has a proper crimp groove or cannelure, and the brass is all the same length. If that is troublesome, Redding will cheerfully sell you a Profile Crimp die that will cure all ails... they say.

I do NOT taper crimp revolver cartridges and certainly not magnums. You need more of a grip on the bullet than a taper provides.

[stans]

The ripple shows up about mid way down the case after the seating operation.

It could just be that the sizing die is really squeezing down the case and the when the bullet seats it expands the upper portion of the case and you end up with a bit of a Coke bottle appearance.

As for crimp, the case mouth needs to be rolled into the middle of the crimping groove or cannelure on the bullet. I have tried taper crimping revolver rounds, but even at reduced velocity the bullets tend to pull from the cases under recoil.

[ChristopherG]

Redding will cheerfully sell you a Profile Crimp die that will cure all ails

Yup. Frinstance, my reloads never scoot in my 340PD now that I have the RPCD; my mag powders burn cleaner; my accuracy is improved; and women find me strangely alluring ;)

I only use the crimp die as a separate stage for mag loads--for light loads, I just use the seating/crimping die and crimp lightly enough to avoid the kind of trouble you're having.

[Coltdriver]

Well I really appreciate the experiece you have all shared.

As a neophyte all shared knowledge moves me forward exponentially.

I have been working that balance between the crimp shoulder and the seating that steveno described and I think I have it just a bit "tight". So I will try the procedure you described to get it right on.

I noticed that the crimping/seating die is shaving off a case ring the width of a hair.

These are being shot from a new to me 1971 Model 27 with a 3 1/2 barrel.

I wanted to get up close to an Elmer Keith full house .357 load because you can do that comfortably with this 45 ounce revolver. So I thought the crimp important.

[Jim Watson]

"I noticed that the crimping/seating die is shaving off a case ring the width of a hair."

A CASE ring? Brass, off the CASE?
Something is bad wrong.

I have seen many rings of lead or jacket copper sheared off the bullet by bad die adjustment. That is fixed by correct adjustment of the seating-crimping die or by giving the case mouth more flare in the expander die.

[ChristopherG]

I noticed that the crimping/seating die is shaving off a case ring the width of a hair

I've had this happen, too, when trying to get a tight crimp using a standard crimp die. You just can't go that hard. You're right that Elmer-loads require a good crimp, but you need to back it off until you're not shaving brass or crinkling cases. Or, get a Profile crimp die. I got mine used for 10 bucks off gunbroker (and no, you can't have it ;) ).

[Coltdriver]

These are new titanium carbide Redding dies. So they are a bit sharp. As noted above I will take a look at them to clean them with my next batch.

The case ring is so small you can crumple it in your fingers. It is less than a hair thick.

But I get that I need to adjust it and not gorilla seat it. I may go to separate seat and crimp stages too.

The ones that come out right are beautifully seated. The wrinkled ones are beginners lessons.

Shooting close to full Elmer Keith 158 grain loads in a 27 is heaven.