Griz44
Member
Is a factory crimp on a rifle cartridge (30.06) considered a roll crimp? I read all the data I could find, and it does not seem to be classified anywhere.
LEE FCD crimp die for rifles.
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The Bushmaster
Member
I believe it is a tapper crimp, but why crimp .30-06 anyway...It's not needed...
SSN Vet
Member
If your shooting lead and bell the neck to avoid shaving the bullets, I think it would make sense to hit them very lightly with the LFCD.
Any one reloading for a Garand? Is a crimp required to prevent bullet set back?
Any one reloading for a Garand? Is a crimp required to prevent bullet set back?
No. I have fired thousands, if not ten of thousands of rounds through Garands, and you need a tight fit in the neck, but you don't need a crimp, at all.
The Lee Factory Crimp Die attempts to duplicate the crimp the military uses on its ammunition. The US military also uses tar around its bullets. (or used to). The reasons have to do with the operating characteristics of the weapons. The military does not like having to segregate ammunition by platform. It is far easier to be able to use ammunition in each and every platform that will chamber the round.
Some of these platforms have extremely high feed rates. Gatling type guns for example. The US military uses that crimp and tar to keep the bullet from popping out during the slamming, banging, stop and start, of the feed cycles.
As for using the LFCD on cast bullets, I don't do it. If the belling is too much for my cast rifle bullets, I lightly roll or taper crimp the neck back. Lead is very soft and I am concerned about deforming the bullet with a crimp.
mkl
Member
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and assert that the Lee FCD gives neither a roll or a taper crimp.
I was using the FCD yesterday and pulled out a 12 power geological microscope to look at the crimp out of curiosity. The FCD seems to crimp a "ring" a few thousands of an inch in depth into the case. The bottom of the ring is the same diameter as the top -- hence no roll or no taper.
The specific cartridge I was looking at was the 7.62x45 Russian, but I'd think the FCD would use a similar crimp pattern on most if not all of its cartridges.
I was using the FCD yesterday and pulled out a 12 power geological microscope to look at the crimp out of curiosity. The FCD seems to crimp a "ring" a few thousands of an inch in depth into the case. The bottom of the ring is the same diameter as the top -- hence no roll or no taper.
The specific cartridge I was looking at was the 7.62x45 Russian, but I'd think the FCD would use a similar crimp pattern on most if not all of its cartridges.
snuffy
Member
The lee factory crimp die for bottlenecked rifle/handgun cartridges is a collet style crimp. The shell holder pushes a collet into a taper inside the die that squeezes the collet against the neck at 90 degrees to the neck. The finished crimp will have 4 segments to it, with a small gap between the segments.
So it's neither a roll or taper crimp. My name for it is a stab crimp, but that's not accurate either.
Straight wall rifle shells like the 45/70 also use a collet. Mine for the 45/70 works just fine.
For the bottle necked handgun rounds, like 357 sig, 30 mauser, 7.62X25, they are also collet crimpers.
As for the ongoing fight about whether to crimp or not to crimp semi auto rifle rounds, I never do, but whatever floats your boat.
So it's neither a roll or taper crimp. My name for it is a stab crimp, but that's not accurate either.
Straight wall rifle shells like the 45/70 also use a collet. Mine for the 45/70 works just fine.
For the bottle necked handgun rounds, like 357 sig, 30 mauser, 7.62X25, they are also collet crimpers.
As for the ongoing fight about whether to crimp or not to crimp semi auto rifle rounds, I never do, but whatever floats your boat.
Hoosier Reloader
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I crimp all my rifle handloads using factory crimp dies. Been doing it for years. Using FCD's will provide consistant tension between the bullet and the case. I like factory crimp dies because they crimp straight in at 90 deg to the case. I can also adjust the depth of the crimp and FCD don't change the OAL of my handloads.
Taper crimp dies can/will affect OAL of your loaded cartridges.
HTH's
Hoosier
Taper crimp dies can/will affect OAL of your loaded cartridges.
HTH's
Hoosier
Griz44
Member
OK, so I guess it is neither... I am crimping - lightly - because I am loading hornady interbond boat tails long so I can get the pencil sharp bullet out to the rifling in the barrel.
Moving them out that far and crimping has resulted in an extremely accurate round for my gun. The range has proven to me that accuracy is much better with these bullets and my particular rifle if I crimp. I have ran through 250 rounds working every angle and combination to get this as best as possible. I will be going out this next weekend and trying to push it to 500 yards and still get a consistent kill shot. I am going pronghorn hunting next year, and those can be some really long shots.
Moving them out that far and crimping has resulted in an extremely accurate round for my gun. The range has proven to me that accuracy is much better with these bullets and my particular rifle if I crimp. I have ran through 250 rounds working every angle and combination to get this as best as possible. I will be going out this next weekend and trying to push it to 500 yards and still get a consistent kill shot. I am going pronghorn hunting next year, and those can be some really long shots.
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