Got my press set up, and im getting my dies dialed in, resized my new winchester brass, I am just making dummy rounds, getting bullet seating and crimp set, i think i put to much crimp on them, i compared them to factory winchester and Hornady and Magtech rounds. i put more crimp on mine. maybe to much!
Is there such a thing as to much Crimp?
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To answer your query, yes, there is such a thing as too much crimp. We had a beautiful S&W K-38 Masterpiece club pistol blow up at our range. The arrogant doofus was shooting his handloads and destroyed the pistol. He protested most vigorously that it wasn't his ammo. The club president took the remaining handloads home to examine them and what a mess! The casings hadn't been trimmed to consistent length so some of the rounds were so over-crimped he couldn't even get them out with the bullet puller. Mind you, some were also overcharged so that would have been a contributing factor.
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If the case is bulged just below the case mouth, you have over-crimped
If the bullet can freely rotate/spin (only being held by the crimp), you have over-crimped
If you pull a bullet and it has changed diameter, shape, or has a crimp ring, you have over-crimped
If there is no longer sufficient case mouth to head space, you have over-crimped
If the bullet can freely rotate/spin (only being held by the crimp), you have over-crimped
If you pull a bullet and it has changed diameter, shape, or has a crimp ring, you have over-crimped
If there is no longer sufficient case mouth to head space, you have over-crimped
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90 Posts
Might suggest:
Check brass length from load table - if your loading for a revolver this isnt that critical but the batch your loading needs all cases to be about the same length so your crimps come out the same. Your brass looks new but can still be irregular lengths sometimes.
Check over all length for the bullet.
Normally with those two right your brass will end at the far end of the groove. (Should see just a very little bit of the knarled mark)
Reset the die by the instructions that came with the die set.
You look like you may be 1 turn or more past contact with your crimp plug or die wall. 1/2 turn after stop usually is about right +/- just a bit. Work for this process is at the end of the stroke when the leverage is the strongest so it doesnt take much effort at all to make a crimp. If the bullet sticks when pulling it out after crimping (you get a knock sound) you have gone too much - back off until its a smooth extraction and you shouldnt have the sharp dent - just a smooth rolled or tapered edge.
Die instructions usually say 1/2 for a lite crimp and 1 turn for a tight crimp but 1 is usually too much. Jacketed bullets usually dont need as much crimp as cast lead. W296/H110 needs tight crimps but most other powders just need enough for the bullet not to move from loading in a tube or from recoil jump. You dont have a tight crimp you are overcrimping.
Good luck.
Check brass length from load table - if your loading for a revolver this isnt that critical but the batch your loading needs all cases to be about the same length so your crimps come out the same. Your brass looks new but can still be irregular lengths sometimes.
Check over all length for the bullet.
Normally with those two right your brass will end at the far end of the groove. (Should see just a very little bit of the knarled mark)
Reset the die by the instructions that came with the die set.
You look like you may be 1 turn or more past contact with your crimp plug or die wall. 1/2 turn after stop usually is about right +/- just a bit. Work for this process is at the end of the stroke when the leverage is the strongest so it doesnt take much effort at all to make a crimp. If the bullet sticks when pulling it out after crimping (you get a knock sound) you have gone too much - back off until its a smooth extraction and you shouldnt have the sharp dent - just a smooth rolled or tapered edge.
Die instructions usually say 1/2 for a lite crimp and 1 turn for a tight crimp but 1 is usually too much. Jacketed bullets usually dont need as much crimp as cast lead. W296/H110 needs tight crimps but most other powders just need enough for the bullet not to move from loading in a tube or from recoil jump. You dont have a tight crimp you are overcrimping.
Good luck.
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348 Posts
wagszrx,
On a side note, I notice you're using a Lee Challenger press. There should be a small piece of metal about 1 1/2 inch square with a small hole in one side. It goes on the left side at the bottom as you're looking at your press. It is the spent primer catch system. The little screw should be there too.
As for too much crimp, don't know what caliber you have there, but there is a canelure on the bullet. That being said, I decided to trim all of my straight wall pistol cases one time to insure consistency. It isn't absolutely neccessary but it helps IMO and you won't need to do it again. Then get your crimp set up and you're good.
On a side note, I notice you're using a Lee Challenger press. There should be a small piece of metal about 1 1/2 inch square with a small hole in one side. It goes on the left side at the bottom as you're looking at your press. It is the spent primer catch system. The little screw should be there too.
As for too much crimp, don't know what caliber you have there, but there is a canelure on the bullet. That being said, I decided to trim all of my straight wall pistol cases one time to insure consistency. It isn't absolutely neccessary but it helps IMO and you won't need to do it again. Then get your crimp set up and you're good.
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7,681 Posts
I know that there are a lot of folks who say not to trim straight walled pistol brass. I trim all of mine. That helps a bunch when setting the crimping die and makes for even crimping on all of the cases. You just want enough crimp to firmly hold your bullets in the cases.
Thats the main reason im triming them so i can get the crimp the same on all the bullets
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