Cupcake

First attempt at reloading. Set my dies and reloaded some .380 rounds. The hard part for me was figuring out how much crimp. After loading some, My buddy pointed out that the lee manual says that only lead or jacketed bullets WITH A CRIMP GROOVE should be crimped.

It would seem that some crimp is necessary, even if only to undo the flare. Are my .380 rounds gonna blow up?

95gr jacketed round nose
oal .981 (min in book was .975)
win 231, 3gr

__________________
Stupidity is not a crime...so you are free to go.

dukalmighty

Heres what I do take a factory bullet with the press all the way up adjust the die down til it stops,then turn about 1/2 turn more and crimp should be about right

__________________
I like Poetry,Long Walks On The Beach,And Poking Dead Things With A Stick

msgt/ret

You do need a bullet with a cannelure (crimp groove) in order to use a roll crimp. Since the 380 headspaces on the case mouth the above method will work, if you want to crimp a straight-sided bullet without a groove you should use a taper-crimp die after seating the bullet.

GC

Do yourself a favor a get a Lee Factory Crimp Die for each cartridge you load for. They are excellent dies and will apply the correct crimp (given you set them up correctly) for the cartridge they are made for. Taper crimps generally for semi-auto handgun cartridges and roll crimps for revolvers.

HotGuns

A very common misconception.

I have nothing but taper crimps and load 22 different calibers.

The taper crimp is actually stronger than a roll crimp. The roll crimp bites into the bullet with a small ring of brass, whereas the taper crimp has a lot more surface area holding the bullet.

Don't believe it? Take an inertia bullet puller and compare the effort it takes to remove a roll crimped bullet and then try a taper crimped bullet. It will make a believer out of you.

__________________
AR. CHL Instr.

To achieve world government, it is necessary to remove from the minds of men, their individualism, loyalty to family traditions, national patriotism, and religious dogmas.'
Dr. G. Brock Chisolm

Tubby45

For auto pistol rounds, you want to remove the bell in the case mouth you made during the expanding operation. That's it.

__________________
Freakshow Manufacturing LLC
"You can kill it. We can help."
07 FFL/ 02 SOT

Cupcake

Thank you. I think I'll pull those rounds just to be safe. Besides, it gives an excuse to make 12 more. (enough for 1 full mag for both mine and my buddies P3AT)

__________________
Stupidity is not a crime...so you are free to go.

alfack

What I usually do, for taper crimps, is put a caliper on a factory round, right where the brass ends and the lead begins. Then, put it in the same place on the round I just made and compare the two. They should be very very close, or the same.

I haven't had any problems, yet.

GC

That's a pretty big leap to call that a "misconception." The two types mentioned in my post are the generally accepted way of crimping for the two types of handguns and their cartridges. These methods have been working quite well for many, many, years and many tens of thousands of handloaders. I won't argue a taper crimp isn't effective for revolver rounds. But roll crimps properly applied to revolver cartridges work quite well as plenty of experienced loaders over many years have proven. I still like the Lee FCD and find it quite useful.

edr9x23super

+1 on GC's post.

Roll crimps for wheelguns

Taper crimps for everything else. Get yourself a set of dial calipers and measure the tip edge of the case and set your crimp according to the dimensions in your reloading guide. Don't get cute with this adjustment, as autopistol rounds traditionally headspace on the case mouth.

Good luck

__________________
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined". - Patrick Henry