Crimp For .45

[SVI4ME]

I am loading .45's with 4.0 or Vit 310 and looking for some guidence for some of the more experienced .45 shooters. What kind of crimp do you apply? I am using a 230 FMJ Montana Gold bullet.

[DougCarden]

Quick and dirty reply, .468-.470, depending on your cases and bullets. Another way to do it is to size the case, mike it with calipers, then bell the case, and then crimp the case until you get the same measurement from resizing. Then load a bullet and adjust the crimp from there. You should be really close, and remember the crimp is just getting rid of the case mouth belling, the bullet is held in by the case mouth tension. Good luck, DougC

[BroncoGlenn]

I crimp to 0.469"

[TBF]

.469 - .470

Measure this at the very edge of the case.

Travis F.

[JD45]

.469"-.470".

The final test, as you know, is to hold the barrel as a gauge and make sure they fall in flush or below.

[Harmon]

when in doubt, measure a factory round.

i can feel a round and tell if it is crimped enough and look at one and tell if its overcrimped..most handloads get overcrimped.

[scorch]

on BE reload video a few years back he said .001 -.002 crimp

[RickB]

when in doubt, measure a factory round.

i can feel a round and tell if it is crimped enough and look at one and tell if its overcrimped..most handloads get overcrimped.

When I started my reloading, about ten years ago, I took that approach. I measured 8-10 different commercial and G.I. rounds, and they averaged .473". I had a bunch of feed failures, and after showing the rounds to my "gunsmith", he suggested a tighter crimp. I've been using .470" ever since, with no regrets.