I recently loaded some .357 with mid-range velocity for .357. It is well over .38 velocity, but no where near the max velocity for .357. These are epoxy coated bullets, which can't take maximum velocity. I gave them a mild roll crimp into the crimp groove of the bullet.

I did worry about the crimping cutting through the coating. I also wanted to make sure the bullets didn't jump any under recoil. These could be used in a lever gun, too, where the tube magazine and the action can push the bullet into the case a little.

I haven't shot them yet - we'll see how it works.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
You can roll crimp over the ogive if you like, just reduce your loads and work up.

Seat it deep? Yeah... little voice in my head is saying "I don't like that idea very much"

"Seating it deep" can be a problem, or not. It all depends on your powder and its charge volume. Some powders, like Titegroup, use such a small volume of powder that it can be dangerous to use if you don't pay attention to double charges. For such, a deep seat will work, but you have to work it up to accommodate for pressure changes when you seat deeper. Other powders (WST, for example) fill the case more, and you have to be aware not of a double charge, but of a compressed charge when you seat deeper.
 

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
You might consider the Redding micrometer adjustable taper crimp die. It is not cheap, but it is the shiznitz (did I spell that right?).

You did. They don't make one for .45 Colt._

Wouldn't it be the same as for the .45ACP? They can use the same bullets. (That's assuming, of course, that we are discussing modern .45 Colt that uses .4515 bullets, not .454 ones.)

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
You might consider the Redding micrometer adjustable taper crimp die. It is not cheap, but it is the shiznitz (did I spell that right?).

You did. They don't make one for .45 Colt._

Wouldn't it be the same as for the .45ACP? They can use the same bullets. (That's assuming, of course, that we are discussing modern .45 Colt that uses .4515 bullets, not .454 ones.)

flashguy

Doh!

Good catch. Yeah, probably so.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
You might consider the Redding micrometer adjustable taper crimp die. It is not cheap, but it is the shiznitz (did I spell that right?).

You did. They don't make one for .45 Colt._

Wouldn't it be the same as for the .45ACP? They can use the same bullets. (That's assuming, of course, that we are discussing modern .45 Colt that uses .4515 bullets, not .454 ones.)

flashguy

Doh!

Good catch. Yeah, probably so.

Not the same, and the reason Redding's .45ACP micrometer taper crimp die is not listed for .45 Colt. Though they can use the same bullets, the cases are quite different. .45 Colt is strictly straight walled, same diameter all the way (0.4800"), while the .45ACP is a tapered case, from 0.4730" at the mouth to 0.4762" down at the bottom, by the ejector groove.
 

Re: Crimping .45 ACP vs. .45 (Long) Colt

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
Not the same, and the reason Redding's .45ACP micrometer taper crimp die is not listed for .45 Colt. Though they can use the same bullets, the cases are quite different. .45 Colt is strictly straight walled, same diameter all the way (0.4800"), while the .45ACP is a tapered case, from 0.4730" at the mouth to 0.4762" down at the bottom, by the ejector groove.
 

Very well. Thanks for the info. I'll stick with the Dillon Accu-Crimp.

Bought a Wilson case gage. Was the last one Amazon had in stock and they had the best price, so I pulled the trigger now, rather than waiting. What a Beautiful Thing for something so simple

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Bought a Wilson case gage.

The shiznitz, if you reload a lot of one caliber, is the 100 round case gauge available at Ben Stoeger's Pro Shop. You gauge 100 at a time, and they are machined to match up to the Dillon cases, so you just flip it over onto a Dillon case (of course they are now upside down in the case), then flip them again into another case, and voila.
 

For 45 Colt I'll be using a full-length resizing die. The case gage will only be used for setting up the crimp, as described previously.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ensigmatic,