[CoyoteUGLY]

to crimp or not to crimp?

I've run them w/no crimp at all & i've crimped the snot out of them, both on advice of others.

I prefer the slightest crimp, just a bit of a taper, hard to see w/the naked eye... but a gs friend said i'll pull tighter groups if i add a good solid crimp... i've had others say the opposite...

I'm casting these mostly... 230gr 0 ogive...

This is the heavy crimp... and they do make nice groups, but the reason i ask is because with the crimp the JHP let's the boolit enter the rifling pretty solidly, which might help, i dunno, but it does make it tough (bordering on impossible) to eject by hand...

so... i hear varying things from friends & forums, whats the official HPFF stance on crimping .45ACP guys?

 

[Super_Virgil]

I use a light crimp will the FCD just for the post sizing.

 

[CoyoteUGLY]

I use a light crimp will the FCD just for the post sizing.

FCD? Post sizing? Sorry, I'm still kinda new... :embarrassed2:

 

[Super_Virgil]

lee factory crimp die Resizes the case ofter you seat the bullet.

 

[Trinot1911]

I know that 2TN_Mules uses the FCD on his .45's, they work great in my gun. I also use the FCD when I make 45's, they also work great, haven't had a single FTF or FTE or jam of any kind. I might be wrong, but as I understood it the FCD is really just there as an extra safety measure, or as the manual says; the FCD is "a fail safe tool for the occasional bad round that could ruin your day". 8)

 

[CoyoteUGLY]

hmmm, i suppose that would be nice if cycling a bunch of rounds through a progressive, but i've gotten to the point that the less i handle each round the better. I re-size & prime on the same arm-throw with my single-stage and don't worry if it's not pretty (go figure, me, ugly? haha) then i mash & crimp with a later session...

but how much should i crimp?

some pics of what you guys are turning loose would be cool if ya get time. (I'm definately a visual-learner) :eat:

 

[2TN Mules]

CU,

I use the lee factory crimp die (FCD) on all my 45 and 9mm reloads. It is the 4th die on the turret. I have it adjusted to put a moderate crimp on the rounds. I put very little crimp on with the bullet seating and crimping die and let the FCD do most of the work. My JHP shoots more accurate than the operator. I'll try and get a pic up for you but don't make any promises with the camera I have.

As with everything you'll get many opinions on both sides of the issue.

 

[CoyoteUGLY]

:brow: ...maybe it's time for me to graduate to a progressive??

but I think i can still load faster than I shoot... so I'll work on that part first. :devilsidesmile:

...As with everything you'll get many opinions on both sides of the issue.

I'm sure you're right about that TN.

I ran about 50 of the rounds through the JHP at lunch with minimal crimping. No feed problems... but need more evaluation of whether the shoot any differently.

 

[lbreevesii]

I haven't gotten my .45 load exactly nailed down yet crimp wise. Hell I need to do load development too, but I have had really good results w/ the fcd on .40's. i'm gonna pick one up for .45.

 

[mauser98]

The 45acp headspace on the case so you need to crimp enough tohold the bullet and still headspace. i use a small crimp and so far it works I cast a 200gr fn and it works . just play with e crimp till it works for your gun

 

[CoyoteUGLY]

Yeah i think i'll minimize the crimp. After several reloads of the heavy crimp my local guy suggested i find my brass is in rough shape. With a single stage press I'm not inclined to want to have to re-flare everything each time, but if i don't then the chamfer eventually destroys the opening. Never had this problem when i didn't crimp, nor when i only taper-crimped.