Crimping Quetion

[98sr20ve]

I made a mistake while reloading and pulled my first bullet using my new puller. The Lee FCD I am using is set to do a "mild" crimp from the instructions. The pulled bullet has a ring all the way around the bullet. I have no idea what a hard vs soft crimp really looks like. I am using Rainer bullets so I know I don't want to overcrimp them. This is on my 9mm bullets btw.

[Flexmoney]

I'd back off the crimp until the ring goes away..then...maybe add a little bit of crimp back in.

[MichiganShootist]

In my experience plated bullets are more "touchy" than others to crimping. The plating is brittle and you can actually "break" the plating by over crimping.

Flex gave you good advice.

[98sr20ve]

In my experience plated bullets are more "touchy" than others to crimping. The plating is brittle and you can actually "break" the plating by over crimping.

Flex gave you good advice.

I was able to dial caliper it. Bullet is .355 Crimp is to .3535. Should I be able to see/measure a crimp after a "properly" crimped bullet is pulled.

Edited December 3, 2006 by 98sr20ve

[n2ipsc]

Couple of suggestions...

1) If you don't already have a minimum chamber gauge (e.g. Dillon, et al), get one - crimp only until your loaded rounds drop freely into and out of the gauge.

2) Once you've established this level of crimp, press the loaded round - hard - against the floor or other unyielding surface, and measure OAL again. If the crimp from #1 above is insufficient to keep the bullet from being pushed back into the case, increase the crimp by slow degrees until it is.

I wouldn't worry unduly about a "ring" around the bullet (I can't speak to the effects of "breaking" the plating on plated bullets, as I don't use them), unless you're planning on routinely pulling and re-using them. I've never seen any measurable impact on accuracy between "ringed" and "un-ringed" rounds...YMMV...

[LPatterson]

9MM should have a crimp around .380 at the crimp bullet junction.