Crimping Pistol Bullets - A Discussion

[oscarflytyer]

I do and have always crimped ALL/EVERY handgun cartridge. Autos/headspace on the rim (45 ACP) get a very closely mic'd taper crimp. Cast bullets in straight walls (44-40/45 Colt/44 SPC/38/357/32, etc) all get a healthy roll crimp. My reloads with crimps shoot great and accurately, and almost never get a smoked case mouth (of course, bullet size helps!).

With the above, I have started using the Lee Carbide crimp dies. So far, I really like them. I had a slight shell holder cant issue in one of my presses (old vintage BAER I was gifted - love it because three silos and can set it up with two dies to bullet seat in one and crimp in other) that I didn't catch. But it seems, from shooting results, that the carbide crimp dies corrected the issue. I am sold on them. And now that I shimmed the shell holder to true it up, can only get better.