Is this round crimped properly? (pic)

[docsleepy]

roll crimping would also not give the nice sharp EDGE for the cavity in the barrel to headspace off of. If you look at drawings of how the reamer makes the cavity in the barell, you'll see that they ahve a definite spot at which the case is supposed to "catch", setting the case at the proper position.

With the roll, your rounds would potentially go a bit too far in. Again, it may not make a lot of difference (unless you have a round get STUCK!!!!!!!!) but the firing pin may make a light strike. I would be more concerned that the roll would cause it to advance the case too far.

The factory rounds you wisely looked at have the nice sharp end of the case. I'd suggest you make yours the same. A taper crimp die would be better than a roll crimp.

After you reload several times, the case mouth may become somewhat work hardened and may not grasp the bullet as well (I have no experience in pistols, just in .223 remington rifles) and then the taper crimp would be of greater importance. Its only $16.

 

[RustyFN]

It's more crimp than I use but it looks safe. It might just be me but in the bigger picture the lead bullet actually looks a little crooked in the case.

 

[John Wayne]

I understand the difference between taper and roll crimping. I am not in any way trying to roll crimp a 9x19 autoloading pistol round. My post is concerned with how to properly apply a taper crimp to this round.

I want the minimum taper that will securely hold the bullet, and it is my understanding that you only want to remove case mouth flare, and nothing more. I was concerned with the case mouth on the round in the pic I posted--specifically that it might not headspace correctly, and be relying solely on the extractor to hold it in place (which I know is not good).

My dies are the Lee carbide 4-die 9mm Luger set, which includes the Factory Crimp Die. I have not yet used the FCD because some say it can cause lead bullets to work loose. That, and I know that autoloading bullets can properly be reloaded using only the 3-die set, so I want to do that first.

I want to maintain a nice sharp edge at the case mouth. I also want to make sure that the bullet is not pushed into the case when chambered.

These cases were expanded/flared by putting an empty, primed, sized case in the shellholder, raising the ram to the top of its stroke, screwing the Lee Powder Through Expander Die down until it makes contact, then gradually down until I can start a bullet in the case by hand. Even if my caliper measurements do not reflect this (because of my user error in using the calipers), the expansion has taken place--before, a bullet will not start at all and after it starts easily.

I tried measuring again using significantly less pressure on the calipers (wasn't crushing them before, just applying firm pressure). My measurements were .377 on the finished round. A factory round, measured the same way, measured .377 as well. Are these measurements within specs?

Again, none of these measurements reflect the round in the original picture. It has been discarded as unsafe to fire.

 

[John Wayne]

Sorry, more huge pics...at least they're easy on the eyes

One is my handloaded round dropped into the chamber of my XDM9 barrel. The factory round seems to protrude the same length. These are the same as in the picture next to it in this post.

Next is a pic of the newest batch of handloads (making them 5 at a time). Bullets were first seated, then light taper crimp applied. I did not want to seat the bullet deeper since it would then be under minimum OAL (which is listed at 1.125, but for a LCN bullet). The bullet and case look dinged up because the round slipped when I tried to push it againt a desk top to check for adequate tension...needless to say it didn't move. Can't say as much for the desk finish.

How do these look?

 

[docsleepy]

Hi John Wayne, congrats, that round looks good to me. If the bullets aren't sticking in the rifling of the barell, then they aren't too long. The edges of the case look good. Think you're on the right track.

I'm assuming you felt a reassuring bit of resistance as you seated the bullet, and from your (table) test you found they were in there pretty good. I have not enough experience to say anything more.

 

[John Wayne]

Yes, there was resistance when seating. Fired five of the above rounds today and all went well, the only difference between them and the factory rounds was that nice cloud of lead dust

 

[243winxb]

In your first photo

My dies are the Lee carbide 4-die 9mm Luger set, which includes the Factory Crimp Die.

Lee dies taper then roll crimp. Turn the die down to far and you get what is in your first photo,a little to much roll crimp. Great photos, not to large, they have to be large to see correctly. Go look at Lee's die info. http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/faq/index.cgi Plus seat your bullet a little deeper.

 

[243winxb]

added below

 

[243winxb]

Its been this way since 1986. Here is the email.

Re: 45 ACP DieWednesday, September 23, 2009 11:43 AM
From: "Lee Precision" <[email protected]>View contact detailsTo: "Joe1944usa" <[email protected]>The seater/crimper die in all of our Carbide Die Sets (including 45 ACP) does both a taper crimp and roll crimp as stated in the die explanation you have below.

Thank You
Lee Precision

At 10:16 PM 9/22/2009, you wrote:

HI, Does the seater/crimper die in the 45 acp Carbide die set do both, taper and roll crimp?? As stated in your Die set explanations? "Carbide die set

Carbide handgun dies contain the carbide sizer, the powder through expanding die, the seater/crimping die, a powder dipper, shell holder and load data. The seater/crimper die applies a modified taper crimp and eventually a roll crimp negating the need for a separate taper crimp die." Thank you, Joe.

 

[243winxb]

Setting the COL using your barrel.