The Truth About Plated Bullets

[Deavis]

I'm starting to think the separations above are a result of either an ambitious roll crimp cutting through the plating, or the plating's so thin that the rifling is cutting all the way through to the soft lead.

I used Berry's plated exclusively until I started buying jacketed in bulk (Same price if not a little cheaper). I played around with all sorts of crimping just to see the effects and I was never able to taper crimp enough that I broke through the plating. I'd pull the bullets and there would be a heck of an impression from the crimp but never a break in the plating. I would taper crimp the brass before I broke the plating

Recovering a few from the bore due to... uh... powder misalignment... early on in my reloading career, showed that the rifling of my pistols (HK poly and Sig traditional) didn't really indent them that much. I pushed them out the end of the bore, not the breech. I would have to wonder if it isn't roll crimping that becomes the problem...

 

[BluesBear]

Taper crimp no. But excess roll crimping can damage the plating. I have discovered that many more reloaders crimp excessively* than crimp insufficiently.


*Especially on light loads.