Squashed shoulders

[hdwhit]

Joe-ker wrote:
Hdwhit: yes I am applying a light crimp as I am putting these through an AR, right or wrong. To this point I've always done in one step with no issues.

The consensus among the reloaders I've encountered on sites like this one is that crimping 223, for use in an AR is not necessary.

That said, my attitude is that if the bullet has a cannellure, I'm going to crimp into it.

But to do that successfully, you have to adjust the die so that you have the bullet reaches the right depth just as it gets crimped.

HiBC in Post #6 gives a pretty much one-and-done way to get the dies adjusted.

The approach I described is a little more trial and error; backing the die out as you advance the seater stem until this stops crushing cases. It's a little more agrarian, but either way will get you there.

 

[mehavey]

You can see by the OP's pics that the case mouths are not in the crimp cannelure.

OP: seat the bullet (without any crimp at all) to near the top of the groove; then back off the seating stem and screw the die body down to where it "lightly" crimps as you describe it. Lock the locking ring at this position.

Screw the seating stem down to contact the bullet... and lock it there.

you can now seat/crimp in one step.




(But i'd not crimp at all if you can handle it)

 

[JeepHammer]

Altough dogma says you won't modify the dies...

*IF* you are getting bullet set back into the case under normal conditions,
I usually try Lapping/Honing the expander ball which tightens up the neck a little,
Holding the bullet more securely.
Lapping compound is cheap and you get it at the larger reloading adding supply places, like Midway USA or Brownells.

Spin the rod/ball in a drill, use compound on leather, like an old belt.

If you still get bullet set back, then crimp.
Use ONLY as much crimp as needed and No More!
Crimping is hard on case mouth/neck.

If you intend to trim necks every time, roll or taper crimp will work.

If you don't want to trim every time, trim to minimum and use a collet/factory crimp die.

 

[5whiskey]

If you are committed to crimping bottleneck rifle cartridges (I am for ARs and AKs myself), do yourself a favor and get a collet crimp die. No muss, no fuss, and its affects are very visible so you can very easily see if youre over crimping.

 

[44 AMP]

If you intend to trim necks every time, roll or taper crimp will work.

In my experience, (45 years of reloading) it is a very rare thing if you need to trim, every time. CHECKING FOR LENGTH should be done EVERY TIME, trimming should only be done when needed.

Cases usually grow when fired, they get longer. How much depends on many variables. Some cases even "grow" in reverse (get shorter). Every case can be an individual, some stretch more than others, some less.

 

[F. Guffey]

Cases usually grow when fired, they get longer

I am the big fan of measuring before and again after; grow or get longer? I understand it must be difficult to keep up with, my cases can get longer from the shoulder/datum to the case head and shorter from the shoulder/neck juncture to the end of the neck. I have no ideal why reloaders insist the case gets longer from the end of the neck to the case head. And then they insist the case stretches between the case head and case body (one more time), if that was true the case starts the process of case head separation when the case stretches between the case head and case body.

Put another way. if the case stretches between the case head and case body the case gets longer.

And then there is stretch or flow or is it both and reloaders have an old saying; it goes something like 'brass has to go somewhere or is it brass has to come from somewhere". To complicate thing worst reloaders insist they can move the shoulder back by bumping; if it was possible to move the shoulder back it would be possible to shorten the case when sizing, I insist it is impossible to move the shoulder back with a die that has case body support. Reloaders can shorten a case from the shoulder to the case head but they can not move the shoulder back.

F. Guffey