Did I set up the crimiping die correctly?

[NicVerAZ]

I put in a once-fired case, raised the plate, lowered the die until it touched the case, lowered the plate and then lowered the die by one half of a turn.

The instructions call for one quarter of a turn but Brian Enos in his video calls for one half.

It seems to me there is still a bit of belling. Does not look like a commercial cartridge at that level.

My caliper readings are inconsistant between the base right above the groove, the middle and the rim of the case.

The rounds fit the case gage as well as the barrel (removed from my GP6).

I am just trying to make sure I have every piece right.

Thanks!

Forgot to mention I am reloading 9x19

Edited March 27, 2012 by NicVerAZ

[mcracco]

If any bell remains you need to go further. Don't try to replicate commercial ammo and I wouldn't get locked into 'it has to be x amount of turns.' All you are trying to do is remove 100% of the belling so the case wall is straight. You are not actually crimping.

[Dangasaur]

I put in a once-fired case, raised the plate, lowered the die until it touched the case, lowered the plate and then lowered the die by one half of a turn.

The instructions call for one quarter of a turn but Brian Enos in his video calls for one half.

It seems to me there is still a bit of belling. Does not look like a commercial cartridge at that level.

My caliper readings are inconsistant between the base right above the groove, the middle and the rim of the case.

The rounds fit the case gage as well as the barrel (removed from my GP6).

I am just trying to make sure I have every piece right.

Thanks!

Forgot to mention I am reloading 9x19

1st. what crimp die are you using?

2nd. you need to adjust the crimp die with a bullet seated and measure before/after to make sure you aren't changing the OAL

3rd. if your cases are over belled then you will have to lower the die stem further to take out more bell

4th. the "crimp" on 9x19 should just make the mouth of the case have no gap around the bullet doesn't need to be biting into it

[NicVerAZ]

I put in a once-fired case, raised the plate, lowered the die until it touched the case, lowered the plate and then lowered the die by one half of a turn.

The instructions call for one quarter of a turn but Brian Enos in his video calls for one half.

It seems to me there is still a bit of belling. Does not look like a commercial cartridge at that level.

My caliper readings are inconsistant between the base right above the groove, the middle and the rim of the case.

The rounds fit the case gage as well as the barrel (removed from my GP6).

I am just trying to make sure I have every piece right.

Thanks!

Forgot to mention I am reloading 9x19

1st. what crimp die are you using?

2nd. you need to adjust the crimp die with a bullet seated and measure before/after to make sure you aren't changing the OAL

3rd. if your cases are over belled then you will have to lower the die stem further to take out more bell

4th. the "crimp" on 9x19 should just make the mouth of the case have no gap around the bullet doesn't need to be biting into it

I use the Dillon die set. I bought the press with it as my starting caliber.

Gotcha on the bullet seating thing. I will sacrifice a lot of bullets but I can always separate them later. I guess I can also look and check to make sure the case is not biting too hard into the bullet, correct?

I am not planning to shoot my first batch until next week, anyway, I am in no hurry. I have a few commercial boxes to go through.

[kalaur]

Don't use a fired case to set crimp, a fired case is often quite larger in diameter than a sized case. Continue to work your crimp die down until there is no longer any flare remaining. Also note, that you want to *adjust* your dies when the shellplate is full, otherwise your adjustments will be off. Only tighten the locknut when the shellplate is full and in the up position, so the cases are actually in the dies. This keeps the dies centered in the toolhead before tightening.

[gm iprod]

When setting up you should only have cases and bullets in your machine. No powder and no primers. You should make ONE round at a time and seat the bullet too long to begin with an adjust incrementally downwards on that die until the bullet is at the correct length, then move to the crimping station. This way you can immediately put aside anything that is not correct.

I think Dangasaur is spot on.

[tomj44]

(I guess I can also look and check to make sure the case is not biting too hard into the bullet, correct?)

Yes, this is a good way to see if you over crimped.If you distort the bullet,accuracy goes to hell.

[Dangasaur]

I put in a once-fired case, raised the plate, lowered the die until it touched the case, lowered the plate and then lowered the die by one half of a turn.

The instructions call for one quarter of a turn but Brian Enos in his video calls for one half.

It seems to me there is still a bit of belling. Does not look like a commercial cartridge at that level.

My caliper readings are inconsistant between the base right above the groove, the middle and the rim of the case.

The rounds fit the case gage as well as the barrel (removed from my GP6).

I am just trying to make sure I have every piece right.

Thanks!

Forgot to mention I am reloading 9x19

1st. what crimp die are you using?

2nd. you need to adjust the crimp die with a bullet seated and measure before/after to make sure you aren't changing the OAL

3rd. if your cases are over belled then you will have to lower the die stem further to take out more bell

4th. the "crimp" on 9x19 should just make the mouth of the case have no gap around the bullet doesn't need to be biting into it

I use the Dillon die set. I bought the press with it as my starting caliber.

Gotcha on the bullet seating thing. I will sacrifice a lot of bullets but I can always separate them later. I guess I can also look and check to make sure the case is not biting too hard into the bullet, correct?

I am not planning to shoot my first batch until next week, anyway, I am in no hurry. I have a few commercial boxes to go through.

You don't have to sacrifice anything. Take one round, size/deprime, skip priming, skip powder, seat a bullet, then with the same case just keep running it through the crimp station over and over until the die is adjusted and the case looks good. Then, verify in a single pass with another case/bullet. That's only two that you have to pull. If you are doing this on a progressive disable priming, disable powder, and disable case feeding until you can take a case and bullet and make it all the way around and still be in spec.

Then, unfortunately, you will have everything set up for just one case when the reality is that you will have all stations full when loading progressively. This will throw things off a bit, typically you will get longer OAL and potentially less crimp with all stations full. This isn't a huge deal because with 9x19 an oal variance of .005 isn't going to end the world but still be aware that there's usually a tweak or two that you do once every station is full. The first few rounds of each session might come out a few thousands long and a smidge less crimp but just gauge them and go.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Dillon set the crimp perfectly for my

new Square Deal in 9mm.

I didn't have to adjust it at all:)

On the old reloader, I experimented

for OAL and crimp, until it chambered

well and shot accurately.

[juan]

why not take a sized case with no flare

to your crimping die and run your die down untill it touches the unflared case.

then adjust from there.