45 acp and seat+crimp or just crimp?

[stgdz]

Dillon 550 user here with a 3 die setup. I currently seat and roll crimp with the 3 rcbs die but I get a little wrinkle on the case of my rainier bullets. I have debated about going to taper crimp but I don't know if my combo die has enough throw if it was raised to reduce it from crimping to increase the seat depth.

I can take a picture if need be.

 

[lgbloader]

Please post a picture, It sounds like maybe you are pulling the plating off because you are not belling enough but without a pic, it's hard to tell. I would suggest getting a Lee crimp die as well, they are only $10 bucks or so and worth every dime.

Good luck, Mate and let us know how it turns out.

 

[LB7_Driver]

Roll crimp a .45 ACP?!!

Roll crimp a .45 ACP? That's your problem right there.

Use a taper crimp. Roll crimps are not appropriate for this caliber.

Also, I highly recommend that you seat the bullet in one stage, and crimp in the next. The 550b makes this easy to do.

 

[lgbloader]

Ahh... LB7, you nailed it. I brain farted on the Roll. The whole time I was thinking... "How the hell is a taper crimp doing that?"

 

[Steve in PA]

Taper crimp as the others have already pointed out.

 

[JerryM]

In my 550 I use a combination seating and crimp die, and in the final station use the Lee Factory Crimp die. I would not be without the Factory Crimp die.

Jerry

 

[Johnny Guest]

Most efficient: Seat and crimp separately

In a 550, set up for .45 ACP:

Station 1, resize and deprime on upstroke, reprime on downstroke.

Station 2, bell the case mouth as little as will work for your bullets, and drop powder.

Station 3, seat bullet ONLY. Back out the die to where you're barely removing the mouth bell as you seat the bullet to exactly the depth you want.

Station 4, crimp ONLY. If you're lusing another seat/crimp die, then back the seating stem well out so you don't disturb the already-seated bullet. If you're shooting the .45 ACP in an autopistol, use a taper crimp. If you're shooting them through a revolver, then a roll crimp is okay, but don't mix these up with ammo for an autoloader.

Since I have both autoloaders and a 1917 revolver, I taper crimp everything, except for .45 Auto Rim. No danger of chambering an AR rount in a 1911.

Best,
Johnny

 

[Chief-7700]

I operate a Dillon Xl-650 with Dillon dies in .45ACP. Question why toss a Lee die in the mix?
Station #1 resizing depriming
Station #2 Belling case mouth powder charge on onboard
Station #3 powder level check
Station #4 seat bullet
Station #5 tapered crimp.

Never had a problem with Dillon dies and have well over 25K in .45ACP reloaded on this set up.
Chief-7700

 

[Jacka L Ope]

Taper crimp only due the .45 ACP headspaces on the case mouth.

 

[Griz44]

For 45 acp Taper crimp seems top be the best solution. I use a 5 station Lee,
#1 Decap and size
#2 Universal mouth flare (.001) on top- this will re-round even a stepped on case. In the Lee progressive, this station also primes the case from below.
#3 Bell and through the die powder drop
#4 Bullet seat - adjusted to provide NO CRIMP
#5 Taper crimp (Lee factory crimp die)

This combination seems to work really well for me.

 

[stgdz]

Regarding my station three and the seat and crimp. The adjustment screw, I believe it is the seating stem, that I use for seating with my RCBS die doesn't have that much room left. I fear if I back off on the crimp I won't have enough turns left on the seating stem to seat the bullet.

I will be picking up a taper crimp die today though.

 

[rcmodel]

My question would be:

How the heck did you get an RCBS 3-die set in .45 ACP that included a roll-crimp die?
The standard seating die in a .45 ACP die set is for a taper crimp.

Are you sure you don't just have the taper crimp seating die screwed in too far until it's rolling the case mouth over?

Do some measuring of your loaded rounds.

If the necks are much at all under the prescribed .473", you have your taper crimp die screwed in so far the ridge in the end of it is bending the case mouth over into a poor imitation of a roll-crimp and ruining your bullets.

rcmodel

 

[stgdz]

Its a(RCBS) taper crimp die, not certain where I got it in my head that it was a roll crimp. I also picked up a Lee factory crimp die today, should I feel a bit of resistsnance when I push/pull it out? It feels like it is resizing it(which it should do apparently)?

Regarding the crimp diameter. I should not go below .473 the correct? What is the range of the crimp?

 

[mek42]

I also do not crimp on the seating die but use a factory taper crimp die. After totally destroying some of my revolver brass (not 45) trying to figure out how to adjust the seater die to seat and crimp, I figured it would be easier for me to just do seating and crimping separately. Also, since I am not yet decided on a favorite bullet for my 45 handloads, I can freely adjust my seating die as needed when changing bullets without worrying about messing up my crimp setting.