How to know when you have a Light Crimp?

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Glocker45ACP

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Just Wanted to know how you would go about knowing when you have done a light crimp or taper crimp on the bullet using lee taper crimp or factory crimp dies.
 
I use dial calipers to measure taper crimps and magnification to eyeball them.

Here is a light taper crimp.

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No amount of crimp can make up for poor neck tension in auto calibers such as the .45 ACP. All you nee crimp wise is to remove the bell or a hair more.
 
Another way is use a Kinetic bullet puller and measure the bullet. If using plated bullets this a good way to see if you have too much crimp, cutting through the plating. I only use enough to remove the flare caused by the expander. Use your barrel to see if you have enough if in dought.
 
Using your gun's barrel is good, but who wants to constantly be disassembling/reassembling pistols just so you can chamber-check?

I use these http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/25548/catid/3

They are minimum-sized. If your ammo fits in there, it'll fit anything in that caliber. You should hear a "tink" noise if your case mouth is making proper contact with the edge of the chamber. It should also loosely slide into and out of the gauge.
 
If your ammo fits in there, it'll fit anything in that caliber.
Click to expand...
No, it won't.

I have a SIG P6 and a National Match 1911 that have short leades and chamber gages will not detect bullets seated to long to fit either one of them.

All the Dillon or Wilson gages can tell you is the cartridge will fit the chamber & magazine.

They can tell you nothing at all about if OAL with a specific bullet shape will fit your barrel.
Or not.

rc
 
No, it won't.

I have a SIG P6 and a National Match 1911 that have short leades and chamber gages will not detect bullets seated to long to fit either one of them.

All the Dillon or Wilson gages can tell you is the cartridge will fit the chamber & magazine.

They can tell you nothing at all about if OAL with a specific bullet shape will fit your barrel.
Or not.

rc
Click to expand...

Yep same thing with a CZ 75. If you don't do a barrel check to set OAL you will more than likely be disappointed when you get to the range.
 
No, it won't.

I have a SIG P6 and a National Match 1911 that have short leades and chamber gages will not detect bullets seated to long to fit either one of them.

All the Dillon or Wilson gages can tell you is the cartridge will fit the chamber & magazine.

They can tell you nothing at all about if OAL with a specific bullet shape will fit your barrel.
Or not.

rc
Click to expand...

I should've been more specific. I was referring to taper crimping and case dimensions. OAL involves the leade, and you would have to check the barrel itself.

If the bullets are hitting the rifling, you're gonna have a bad time.
 
Case gauges are great, but I agree, they don't tell you if the round will fit your gun.

I have a Yugoslavian Tokarev, that appears to have an undersized chamber.
Even though my dies are supposedly at minimum, I still am having issues.
 
What's the old saying about torque......tighten the bolt until it strips, then back it off 1/2 turn!

Same with crimping, I developed a "feel" for it. Unless your brass is all exactly the same brand and length, it's going to vary.
 
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