I ran into some feed issues at the last PPC match with my SW PPC kframe.

I use a Dillon 550 and dillon dies to load the above rounds. I seat the outside edge near flush and crimp using standard Dillon but I believe it to be a taper crimp as the crimp does not roll.

anyway, I had at least 3 hangups when speedloaded rounds did not fall in and I had to press the rounds sideways for it to fall in the cylinder.

I feel its my crimp. there is a slight cyl chamfer and when my gun was tuned I guess I should have specified with a lil more chamfer.

Factory Remmy rounds are rolled over the top of the slug.

I went digging through my dad's single stage dies and found RCBS and Redding .38 caliber dies.

the RCBS is marked "Seat 85" with a nice tapered opening.
the Redding is marked "Pro Crimp D4" with a disappointing slight chamfered opening.

I have no time behind any Lee dies but I hear so much about factory crimp. I did some reading and Lee Factory Crimp for 38spl is a rolled crimp.

I read where the Redding Pro Crimp dies is a roll crimp but it lacking a tapered opening to be used with a progressive loader. I could not find any intell on the RCBS Seat 85 and I will have to test if its a roll crimp.

Should I get the Lee and will it function well with my D550B loader? http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=251707

I just want to slightly roll the top over to aid in loading of my 2.8 BE loads.

here is a pic. I think I need to drop the slug a tad further and slight roll over the top. any suggestion would be a great help.



thanks in advance

I would definitely seat these wadcutters flush with the case mouth. Your rounds look uncrimped to me; I use a very slight roll crimp and have had no problems in my Model 52 and a wide variety of revolvers (including a Model of 1899!).

HK, they are crimped. very slight. my original setting was ringing the top edge and I did not want to deform the softer remmy slug so I backed off just to close the belled end with an additional 1/16 turn for crimp.

do you use a roll crimp on a progressive....if so, what is your set up?

The 85 on the RCBS die probably means it was made in 1985.
You probably just want to pretty much duplicate the appearance of a factory round or at least somewhat until you get them to feed like you think they should.

__________________
Lynnie, Professional Pest

A revolver die set for the .38/.257 will typically comes with a roll crimp in the seating die unless one would order a special taper crimp die. According to the Dillon literature http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/...Dandy_Dies.pdf their revolver dies have their accu-crimp which is a roll crimp die. Its likely you just need to adjust your Dillon crimp die to provide more crimp.

There should be no need for the Lee FC die. IMO the Lee FC dies work great for semi automatic cartridges and in rifles but do no better than the supplied die for revolvers.

Steve, thanks for the info.

these are older dies when the machine was bought in the late 80s.

I am going to go play right now.

I had about 40 loaded rounds left over from the same batch.

I screwed down the seat die and sat them eyeballed flush.

I turned on the crimp die called Accu Crimp to the point where is a definite nudge upon full stroke.

It removed a thin ring of brass and notice the edge or mark it is leaving. I feel this crimp die is not roll crimping.

I found the reciept (my dad kept everything) and it (the dillon and dies) were purchase 1990.

should I go a little further (crimping) to see what happens?

What few paper-punching competitions I was ever in, I used round nose bullets to eliminate the 'feed issue' you're having.

Are you required to use wadcutters?

I tried the Redding Pro Crimp

pushed the slug further in

still not rolling



actual Remmy rounds dont seat flush and look at the nice roll. How can I get that?

not required to use these rounds, but I have to reload where the others are funded by their depts for actual remmy rounds.

they cut very clean easy to score holes and the hollow base adds accuracy.

I will stick with these slugs for now just need to improve the feed, and I will start with the crimp....if I can figure this out.

So do semiwadcutters and they feed a lot better from a speedloader.

I shot a PPC match and a Service Revolver match.

I shot my 148 reloads and my only issues where speedloader feed issues. one of the competitors told me to start two rounds with the speed loaders and the tip the rest in. I have always done a straight shot and did not want to change to something I have not practiced.

My cylinder could have used a bigger chamfer.

I had to shoot 158 factory rounds and my buddy at the academy stocks 158 remington lead round nose.

I had no feed issues with the service match.

to answer your question, yes SWC will feed easier. Round nose will feed even easier.

Your adjusting your crimp down TOO far. Put a loaded round in the crimp die, turn the die in till the CRIMP part touches the CASE (assuming your seater is turned out far enough you don't hit the bullet first).

NOW...... a little bit at a time (like a 16th of a turn), screw the crimp in till it looks like you want. (work the ram, turn in a little, work the ram..... using the same loaded round)

OK, gonna try that.

.......I backed out my crimp die (went back to the Dillon AccuCrimp die), and gave it a slight turn and could not achieve a roll crimp. it rings the top edge of the brass as in the first pictures shown. I will just leave as is for now and maybe get new dies. Remembering back, my crimp with this 38 dillon die has always left a ring and not a roll. maybe there is a problem with the die and I will contact Dillon.

thanks to all

I shoot a match this friday, so I will just use whatever crimp it gives me and deal with the feed issue, hopefully there will not be any.

One step that I use now is to run all my match ammo through a case gauge, which helps to eliminate any ammo that is not "just right". The info shovelwrench gave you is excellent. I have always used a taper crimp on mine, but as you pointed out some of the factory loads do appear to have a slight roll crimp.

And nothing cuts as nice of a hole in paper as a wadcutter, which helps to get points on those close shots.