#1 should give the best accuracy. If the bullet seats tight and does not move due to recoil while the round is in cylinder, I would stick with the #1.

 

Actually, I always read that crimping on revolver rounds is essential to avoid setback, but to tell you the truth , while I was testing with seating and crimping I had a hard-time removing the bullet with a 'bullet-puller' even with the slightest crimp. It required 3 or 4 hard blows to get it off. I guess setback will be even less on light loads. Still, any input will be more than welcome.

 

All of them are correct as long as you pay attention to the OAL.

Cheers.

 

All will work, but I'd go with the third from the left in the bottom pic for heavy loads. The last one is over-crimped. Working brass that much can cause cracks and fatigue, limit brass life.

Actually a good CONSISTENT crimp will not hurt accuracy and it will insure that the bullet stays put in light guns under recoil. This is probably not a consideration in a medium frame .38 special, but in a 12 ounce scandium .357 magnum, it is more important, to quote the extremes.

 

Great info people. I thank you all. Will adjust the dies again tonight. Texan, from what you said I thought I'd go for the second one considering I plan on shooting light loads and at the same time prolong as much as possible the life of the brass.

 

My dies are set to give the crimp in number 3, but, like another poster said, all four will work just fine in most instances - even number 4 which is obviously over crimped.

 

I like #3

 

I like #3 its got a nice uniform crimp with no bulges or tight angles just stick with the recommended length and you should do fine.

 

++ on the nbr 3! If I'm doing mid-range loads, particularly for my wife to practice with, I'd go with the number 1.

But with my 605 or 66, where I might load both 38's and 357s together, I want to make sure the shaking of the 357 going off doesn't dislodge the 38s. Just an old guy's paranoia.

 

In .38 special in an all steel gun, number 2 crimp will be fine. In a light load, it'd be fine anyway. I generally crimp to number 3 just because the dies are set up that way. I could back off some on the wadcutter, I realize.

 

Number 3 .

 

Hi all,

Thanks to all for the feedback.

I was doing some tests yesterday and realised that even the make of the case makes a difference in the crimp. Some cases crimp more(or less ) than others with the same setting.. Will have to re-adjust the die once I have the actual fired cases.

 

Hi all,

Thanks to all for the feedback.

I was doing some tests yesterday and realised that even the make of the case makes a difference in the crimp. Some cases crimp more(or less ) than others with the same setting.. Will have to re-adjust the die once I have the actual fired cases.

This is not a function of the make of the case, but of case length. To get the exact same crimp on every case, you must trim them all to exactly the same length.

 

I'll go with #3.

 

This is not a function of the make of the case, but of case length. To get the exact same crimp on every case, you must trim them all to exactly the same length.

+1 If you don't have a case trimmer, you need one. The cheap and simple lee arbor and trimmer/length gauge system works very well. Some of the trimmers out there seem to be made of platinum or something. Lee works for me. Once you get everything sized and trimmed, you won't really have to worry about it on straight wall cases after that.

 

Oh I see what you mean. A longer case will be 'reached' more by the die hence the crimp will be more pronounced. Have I understood you right ?

Will have to get the trimmer as well then. Thanks to all for the info. you've all been a great help.

 

Oh I see what you mean. A longer case will be 'reached' more by the die hence the crimp will be more pronounced. Have I understood you right ?

Will have to get the trimmer as well then. Thanks to all for the info. you've all been a great help.

The longer case will seat deeper in the die, giving an increased crimp. Conversely a shorter case will not seat far enough into the die to reach the crimp shoulder. Unless one is repeatedly loading very hot loads, trimming straight-walled pistol cases is a one-time process.

 

Gotcha. Great info , and thanks to everyone

 

Gotcha. Great info , and thanks to everyone

You're welcome. There's always something new to learn, especially in reloading.

 

One other consideration. It appears from the photos that the lead at the bullet nose is a bit smeared. Are you seating and crimping in a single operation? I have always gotten more consistent accuracy by backing off the crimping die and seating to depth first. I then back the seating stem off and set the crimp in a seperate operation. This represents an additional stroke in the reloading operation but it can be worth it. Also some die sets (Lee) will provide a seperate taper crimping die and this works well as a 4th stage on a progressive press or a seperate operation.
Just a thought.

 

Hi all, I settled on a crimp like number 3 considering the majority agreed to it. I talked to some friends and they suggested a similar amount of crimp, to get those initial pressures to a decent level.

RE The the smearing of the lead. well the bullet in question is a flat-point, the lead is exposed, but the jacket does not seem to mate neatly with the lead. I think its this particular brand. I prefer FMJ as these are the easiest to seat but thats what I found available. It seems there's a little bit of lead edge on the rounds that get flattened on seating. I am seating and crimping with the same operation. I imagine that this might effect accuracy but nothing else. I was more concerned on the safety factor ( the crimp ). This is my first time with a revolver so it will be factory loads for now, I guess it will be a while till bullet accuracy will be 'visible' in my groups.

 

FWIW, when it comes to seating plugs, one size does NOT fit all.

Most seating plugs are shaped for round-nose bullets. If you are loading flat-point or JHP or Keith-style SWC, you need a seating plug that matches the bullet shape. This will eliminate deformation of the bullet's nose. Most die makers offer seating plugs for different shapes. If not, modifying an existing plug is not all that difficult - a Dremel tool and body putty or epoxy is all that is needed.

And to back up what another poster said, you really want a separate crimp dies and seat and crimp in two different operations. Lee makes crimp dies that works well with any brand of reloading dies. The only time I would seat and crimp in the same die is if I were making only plinking loads for shooting at cans and blocks of wood. If accuracy is any consideration, seat and crimp in separate operations.

 

Hi all, I settled on a crimp like number 3 considering the majority agreed to it. I talked to some friends and they suggested a similar amount of crimp, to get those initial pressures to a decent level.

RE The the smearing of the lead. well the bullet in question is a flat-point, the lead is exposed, but the jacket does not seem to mate neatly with the lead. I think its this particular brand. I prefer FMJ as these are the easiest to seat but thats what I found available. It seems there's a little bit of lead edge on the rounds that get flattened on seating. I am seating and crimping with the same operation. I imagine that this might effect accuracy but nothing else. I was more concerned on the safety factor ( the crimp ). This is my first time with a revolver so it will be factory loads for now, I guess it will be a while till bullet accuracy will be 'visible' in my groups.

None of the crimps shown are "unsafe" as long as the bullet doesn't move under recoil, although the degree of crimp can make a difference in pressure. This really is only a concern in maximum performance loads.

 

longshanks, I think you will be missing out on a lot of the fun of reloading if you go with factory ammo for your revolver shooting. There is a lot of useful advice here. But also the revolver loads are a lot more forgiving when it comes to COL. I'm not saying you don't have to be careful but with a revolver you aren't concerned about the shell fitting into a magazine. In revolvers, especially light loads for target shooting, a crimp is not necessary anyway. If you do wish to crimp, most of the reloading books I've read say the beginning of the shoulder of the crimp groove is the proper place to crimp.
JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH.

 

Number 1 [in the pics] looks like a heavier crimp than #2......if so,
#2 would be my choice.
If you have no movement on the other rounds when firing, I would not crimp tighter.
I don't use range or 'picked up' brass.......but in new brass, even as I load it over and over,
I use very little crimp, more like your pic #2, and NEVER have a problem.
I generally load W231 around 3.7-4.0grs and never have movement with the charge that light.
More crimping, more stress on the brass.....and your loads are light, you shouldn't need
or experience either......but I would have no way to determine your situation with someone elses
brass that was acquired.