to crimp or not to crimp auto pistol rounds?

[oldpapps]

"flareing would add a whole nother round through the press to flare them. Right now ita just twice through the press, one to decap and resize, and once to seat bullets."

Your DIE set would determine when any 'belling' or flairing would occur. RCBS (and many others) it is size (first DIE), de-prime with the ability to bell (second DIE) and seat with the option to crimp and what degree of crimp (third DIE). LEE with the through the DIE powder charge DIE, any belling is the second DIE.

Go with what you like and have. I have both and depending on the need, use both.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

"flareing would add a whole nother round through the press to flare them. Right now ita just twice through the press, one to decap and resize, and once to seat bullets."

Your DIE set would determine when any 'belling' or flairing would occur. RCBS (and many others) it is size (first DIE), de-prime with the ability to bell (second DIE) and seat with the option to crimp and what degree of crimp (third DIE). LEE with the through the DIE powder charge DIE, any belling is the second DIE.

Go with what you like and have. I have both and depending on the need, use both.

That what I said back in Post #21, it's only a die adjustment...

 

[oldpapps]

^^^

Yup, you did that.

 

[gamestalker]

Blue, so true, uniform neck tension isn't going to be any better than using any other method, however, knowing with almost certainty that I won't encounter any set back issues is paramount for me cause I load full tilt.

And regarding expander and belling, it seems there was some misunderstanding, I've always referred to belling as opening the case mouth slightly so as to easily accept the projectile without shaving. And expanding as setting the case mouth to uniform internal dimension. The latter is something I sometimes employ with rimless, such as when using mixed head stamps, and always employ with rimmed cartridges. So that's why I said earlier that I do agree with some of the thoughts here. Consistency can clearly be achieved by seating without belling, only belling, other wise you get "only" maximum neck tension. I just feel that belling can cause problems with set back if brass length isn't uniform.

GS

 

[rfwobbly]

This is because those cases which may be longer than others will receive more TC than those which the TC die was adjusted for, which decreases neck tension.

Those which are shorter than what the TC is adjusted to, will receive less TC, thus also creating a loss of neck tension due to the bell not being closed up.

This statement would be true if all TC dies worked the same. They do not.

► Some, like the Lee, work on an internal taper. And 'Yes', the further up into the die they go the crimp diameter gets smaller.

► Some, like the Redding, work more like a straight-wall sizing die and take the case mouth to one pre-set diameter no matter how deep the case goes.

 

[Walkalong]

While true about the Redding, if one pushes the case mouth up past the top of the tapered part of the die before the second ID, it is over crimping IMO. It can't grossly over crimp like some can though. The die has one diameter where the case enters, then the tapered crimp ledge, and then another diameter all the way to the top. Kind of like an RCBS seater die with a taper crimp built in.

I just hammered a .45 ACP case in a Redding TC die and it dropped the OD to about .458/.459 at the case mouth. An expanded case with no bell was about .465.

 

[Potatohead]

Potatohead's Crimping Analogy And Im still taking suggestions for improvements/corrections:


If you buy pants that fit right (good neck tension), you can get away without needing a belt (crimp). But a belt completes your outfit and makes you look good (smooth feeding), and can also help hold your pants up under duress (heavy recoiling loads, fully igniting slow burning powders).


Eh, it's a work in progress...specifically, I'm looking for a better example for "smooth feeding".