Lost my crimp die.......

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viking499

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Finally got my new Dillon 550B in. In the process of u boxing and setting it up and thought that I had better get my dies out and have them ready to installed. So, I opened up my drawer and pulled out my RCBS 3 die carbide set, open the lid, and only see 2 dies.............hhmmm.........where is my crimp/seater die.........hhmmm.......don't know.:confused:

Looked all over, though all drawers, no luck.

So, it looks like I need a new seater/crimp die for my 9mm setup.

What is a good crimp/seater die for the 9mm?

Does it matter what die I use for my Dillon? Recommendations? RCBS, Diilon, Redding.......

I just need the seater/crimp die. Was going to get a RCBS to complete the set, but don't see one by itself anywhere.
 
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Nope, looked all over. I found the insert to go in the die, but no die body........

Setting up the 550, I need a seating die and a crimp die. So, I am only missing one die, but just figured out that I need to buy two. One to seat with and one to crimp with.

Does the seating and crimp die need to be carbide or just the sizing die? Any problems with using a non-carbide die for seat and crimp and having a case get stuck?
 
But, on the 550 press, I have seen it set up to where you size in #1, expand and fill powder in #2, seat in #3 and crimp at #4.

If that's the case, I need a die to seat and a die to crimp.
 
But, on the 550 press, I have seen it set up to where you size in #1, expand and fill powder in #2, seat in #3 and crimp at #4.
Click to expand...
If you have the extra station, then why not? Crimping after seating will give a little more consistency if your cases are tight and/or your bullets are soft, and especially if you need to use a firm crimp. But it's totally optional for jacketed bullets. I would certainly buy two dies for cast bullets or for fragile hollowpoints or plated bullets.

I bought my first crimp-only die earlier this year. My 45ACP boolits have a crimp groove, so no problem. My 9mm cast bullets don't need any crimp, at all. But when I started loading cast 40SW, I had to move to separate operations. As a bonus, I found out my Lee crimp-only die acts as a brass thickness gauge. Some of my brass was too thick to fit in the die, and I discovered this as the cause for the light fouling I had been experiencing. The thicker case mouths were getting a respectively deeper crimp just to barely get them to chamber... leaving no room for the crimp to open up and pass the bullet. I sort out my 40 brass by headstamp, now, and any stragglers that the crimp die catches get disposed of in my 10mm. I wonder if all the Lee pistol crimp-only dies are intentionally made that tight for this reason. I think it's better than an FCD. It only scratches/binds on the bad rounds, alerting you to the problem rounds, rather than swaging down a lot of the good ones, too.

I'm pretty sure I just got a tight die body within a range of tolerances, though. In hindsight, my 380 seater/crimp combo die body also exhibits this behavior with oversized bullets and thicker brass.
 
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I was trying to figure how someone loses a die also. Check other die boxes, I'll bet you unintentionally put it back in the wrong box.

I put everything back where it came from, before I move onto the next phase of the process. Helps eliminate miss placing something. Except for the TV remote, I lose that daily:confused:

GS
 
The seating crimp die could be used with a other caliber. So you may check your other die boxes. I'm one that TC in a separate step, just get better uniform OAL. I know the 9mm, 380, 357/38 can all use the same TC die.
 
I always put things in a "safe place" and then cannot find them when I look...
At least I know they are in a safe place. I usually find the item when looking for something else. Ahh, the golden years...
 
I don't think I actually lost it, I now don't think I actually got it.....

I acquired this set of dies along with some 44 mag dies and some other stuff in a trade. Never checked everything, just brought it all home and put it away. Got these dies since they were carbide and I wouldn't have to mess with lube and gave my non-carbide dies to a friend awhile back when he wanted to get into reloading.

Who knows, maybe it wasn't in there or maybe I did have it out for some reason and just don't remember it........age does funny things......

Just placed an order for the RCBS (thanks Rule3) and a Lee crimp die. I will be up and running next week.
 
I know what happened to it from experience. Little green men from outer space come and steal reloading bits and pieces. For some reason they only seem to pick on people over 50. :D

You can pick up a new Lee 4 die set for about $40 then you would have a spares in case the little green men come back for your decap/resize or expander dies, it would also give you a Lee FCD to try.
(I have found they do return once they find an easy target like me, they also are capable of eraseing memories so beware)
I happen to like the FCD, some people hate it.

I also have a set of Hornady 9mm dies that I like as well (546516) . They have 2 sets, one is listed as having the taper crimp die 546516,
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/11...die-set-with-taper-crimp?cm_vc=ProductFinding
the other is listed a roll crimp 546515. (roll crimp 9mm for revolvers maybe???)
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/11...-die-set-with-roll-crimp?cm_vc=ProductFinding

The Hornady nitride decap die is smoother than the Lee, but in my sets, does not seem to size quite as tight as the Lee.

Not suggesting there is anything wrong with the other two seaters suggested, I haven't used them but I am sure they are probably good dies.

Oh, I left out that the little green men will also return to deflect your bullets flights on the way to the targets if they decide to mess with you.
 
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The seating dies also crimp, just set the new one up to crimp and your seating die to only seat. The LFCD only crimps, it does not have the ability to seat. Some folks like them (I do) others think they are a gimmick and only to fix mistakes.

That is whole other can of worms and endless discussion.

So lets please leave it alone here.
 
I'd say just get a plain old seat/crimp die and a separate crimp die (no need for a Lee FCD!). While many seat and crimp in the same step, same die, the adjustment can be really touchy. Biggest problem is the bullet being seated against the crimp (bullet still moving when the crimp is already applied and shaving and or case buckling occurs). I've tried both and I prefer to seat and crimp in different stations...
 
The seating dies also crimp, just set the new one up to crimp and your seating die to only seat. The LFCD only crimps, it does not have the ability to seat.
Click to expand...
Some manufacturers, including LEE, also make a plain-old crimp die. It's exactly like a seater die but without the threading to take the seater stem. It's a little cheaper. There's no carbide ring, no stem. You just turn the whole die to adjust the crimp, like a seater die body.
 
Shooter1niner, I had to laugh when I read that, "safe place". My wife is always teasing me when I can't find something, cause I always tell her "I put it in a safe place". Except when it concerns my reloading gear, I'm extremely anal about putting everything back in it place. Now watch, I'll lose something in the near future, I'll blame it on "the curse of the lost seating die".

All joking aside, you can buy just the seat / crimp die separately, RCBS and others sell them separately.

GS
 
viking499 said:
But, on the 550 press, I have seen it set up to where you size in #1, expand and fill powder in #2, seat in #3 and crimp at #4.

If that's the case, I need a die to seat and a die to crimp.
Click to expand...
I have my 550 setup the same way.
 
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