Taper crimp or not?

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alanwk

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I have the 3 die set from Lee for .45 auto. I am reading that you should not crimp with the included die (just seat with it) and then use a taper crimp die. However in the Lee website they say the taper crimp die is not necessary. What say you? Thanks
 

alanwk

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They call it the factory crimp die. Then they say:

LEE CARBIDE PISTOL DIES

We use a solid carbide insert, ground to a special contour that does not leave the objectionable belt mark on the case, common to ordinary carbide dies. With a carbide sizer, no case lube is needed, and you don't even have to clean your cases.

No need for a taper crimp die, plus better accuracy with Lee Dies. Taper crimp dies are used to correct the problems caused by the improper expanding plug design or adjustment. They distort the bullet shank and reduce accuracy. Because the Lee Expander flares the minimum amount, consistent with easy bullet insertion, all of the flare is removed with the bullet seating die, thus eliminating the need for a taper crimp die.
 

gl89aw

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The Lee factory crimp die is ok if you are using the tumble lube bullets that may be a little big as it will basically size the case/bullet so it will chamber ok. on sem-auto rounds I prefer to seat the bullet at one station and crimp at another, its hard to beat a standard taper crimp die. If you use the Lee factor crimp I don't believe it is a true taper crimp and I would definitely adjust the die out far enought so it doesn't crimp, adjust the seating stem to seat to the correct OAL, run all the loads thru and then back off the seating stem and screw the die in until it crimps just enough to remove the bell and let the round chamber freely.
 

Rod Snell

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You need to use something to take out the bell from the front of the case, and for .45 ACP, an ordinary taper crimp die is prefectly fine. Just adjust it to take out the bell plus .001 to .003; don't overdo it

The Factory crimp die is for fat bullets and buldged cases, which you are more likely to deal with in .40 S&W, especially range trash brass.

I use some Lee equipment and dies, but their "purple prose" literature gives me hives.
 

Shadowrider

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The Lee factory crimp die is ok if you are using the tumble lube bullets that may be a little big as it will basically size the case/bullet so it will chamber ok. on sem-auto rounds I prefer to seat the bullet at one station and crimp at another, its hard to beat a standard taper crimp die. If you use the Lee factor crimp I don't believe it is a true taper crimp and I would definitely seat and crimp (just enough to remove the bell) in different steps.

+1 to this. I've heard of people having big problems with plated bullets being swaged down in dia. They don't even like a hard taper crimp. I'd go with a dillon taper crimp die and don't go to crazy. A light crimp is plenty if your sizing and expander dies are right. But the bell has to be crimped back down and a Dillon or Hornady TC die is the best thing out there for a semi-auto cartridge.
 

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