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01-09-2022, 01:43 PM
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Requesting some experienced-based reloading advice.
Greetings! Unfortunately, before cold weather set in, I was unable to cast any SWCs for my 44. Therefore, I begrudgingly purchased some Berry's 240 plated HP bullets for my 44. I have never handloaded plated bullets for a revolver before, and these particular bullets lack a crimping groove.
Should I just roll crimp these bullets and risk damaging the plating, or what? I am looking to put together a load moving about 850 fps in a 44 Special using Unique for a 3" 629. All advice is greatly appreciated!
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01-09-2022, 01:57 PM
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They will work just great for low to medium pressure target loads.
Just remove the case flare, like we do with our Auto-pistol ammo
and use a slight taper if needed for them to chamber and load w/o problems.
A light crimp can be done if the taper does not hold the bullet from jumping
but as mentioned in older messages, a medium crimp may damage the
light plating and dent the lead, which might cause inaccuracy in the load.
With a medium deep bullet seating, there should be enough tension from the case
to let the minimum taper on the case, pesent an accurate load after a few
test in powder amounts.
Have fun.
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01-09-2022, 01:58 PM
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I would just seat them like I would anything else. As long as you can't push them farther into the case with finger pressure it should be good to go. Not enough crimp and the slug will come forward in the case under recoil and cause the cylinder to lock up.
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Last edited by AJ; 01-09-2022 at 03:47 PM.
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01-09-2022, 02:06 PM
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I will note;
that with a new bullet.......
I will place it in a sized, belled case and see if it works. (no powder )
I have had bullets fall to the bottom of a case, due to the cylinder's diamiter......
or one of the "mixed cases" being larger or thin walled, from the rest of cases on hand.
Just make sure that you have a "Green Light" before you pump out 100 rounds !!
That is one reason I do not buy smooth wall pistol bullets for my revolvers.
No "Can".......... no can do. Jusy my 2 cents, worth.
However if that is all you have, go for it.
Last edited by Nevada Ed; 01-09-2022 at 02:28 PM.
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01-09-2022, 02:12 PM
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I don't know if a taper crimp die for 44 Special/Magnum is available, so I would try a very light roll crimp with very light loads. My experience with plated bullets has been so-so at best. Some .357" HP several years ago and if I crimped enough to hold the bullet in place under recoil, the plating got cut and I got leading. I tried again last year and bought some 9mm 125 gr HP. I could not get under .007" variation in OAL (my Co-Ax routinely gave +/- .0015" variation with premium JHPs). Upon close inspection with magnifying visor, strong light and mics, I found variations in ogive shape and slight variations in OD.; .002". I have 220 plated 9mm 125 gr "Hybrid" hollow points in the back of my bullet shelf, in case of emergency...
Last edited by mikld; 01-09-2022 at 05:28 PM.
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01-09-2022, 02:33 PM
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Crimping my style
I treat the Plated Lead bullets same as All Lead bullets.
As far as having no Crimp Groove/Cannelure I just
bump the flared cartridge mouth at the ogive to
secure bullet (with a Lee Factory Crimp Die roll
crimp).
Great question and discussion.
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01-09-2022, 02:59 PM
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I had some Teflon coated 44s & 357s with no crimping groove. They were both Kieth type bullets. I crimped lightly over shoulder of bearing surface.
I was only pushing 44s at 900-1000fps Target loads and had no problem.
As somebody said, I wouldn’t buy bullets without cannalure. Just bought a new 44 gang mold that can be HB or solid. Not a true WC but close.
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01-09-2022, 03:06 PM
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The problem with not using a roll crimp with a revolver is that a taper crimp makes using a speed loader or moon clips very difficult if you need to reload fast or easily. I use 0.358" 158 gr plated Berries round nose with a pretty good roll crimp at up to 850fps and never had an issue with plating damage, leading or accuracy.
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01-09-2022, 03:24 PM
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I have loaded hundreds of these. I roll crimp using a Lee bullet seating/crimp die. According to plated bullet manufacturers as long as you don't cut through the plating you are good to go. I've never had an issue. I guess you would say that I use a medium crimp.
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01-09-2022, 03:44 PM
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I have a few 44 molds for 240-245gr SWCs which I am comfortable loading, it's just that weather, health, and timing worked against me this year. These Berry's were purchased so I can try out a new revolver. I am too cheap to pay upwards of a dollar a cartridge in order to try my new Smith!
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01-09-2022, 09:02 PM
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If they were my Berry bullets.................
I would use one of your old accurate lead loads for that weight bullet with
a case with just the belling removed and one with a medium crimp at the standard OAL for that bullets length & style.........
and a third test load with the medium roll crimp right at the bullets Ogive, that prevents any plating damage.
I like to "Tinker" and see what happens with new bullets.
Are you just going to use Unique with this first outting ?
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01-09-2022, 11:38 PM
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I bought a 38/357 taper die for the times I load plated bullets, which is not often. I got lucky and bought the die used for only a few bucks.
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01-10-2022, 02:26 AM
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The way I have handled this in the past is to use the standard seat/crimp die which is set up for a roll crimp and does not have the ability to do a taper crimp.
I crimp lightly, by feel in the press lever.
I seat one that feels right — then pound it out with the kinetic bullet puller. When you do that, you can then inspect the bullet to see what your crimp actually does to it.
When I’ve done it the way I intended to, the bullet will now have what looks much like a very thin cannelure, but the plating is not cut.
Electroplating on a plated bullet is thinner than the thickness of a piece of paper, so you really want to avoid the gorilla crimp.
Plated bullets are a fine choice — but not at magnum velocities in magnum revolvers because you REALLY need a solid crimp for magnum level revolver rounds. As you hope to use these at .44 Special velocities, I think you will make very good ammo with them.
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01-10-2022, 03:31 AM
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If it were me I would explore .44 taper crimp options and T C to the case mouth spec.
Jim
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01-10-2022, 04:04 AM
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FWIW, I've reloaded other brands of plated 357 and 44 mag bullets with no cannelure. I used a firm roll crimp. Enough to "create" a little bit of a cannelure groove. I've recovered a few of them and there was no sign of the plating cracking or coming loose from the underlying lead. The plating is done electrostatically and bonds at a molecular level. Cracking and damaging it is pretty difficult if it is applied correctly. Don't believe it? Crush one in a vice and see how hard it is to separate the plating and lead for yourself.
I first learned of this when I bought some plated bullets that had come from disassembled factory ammo (pull downs). You could see that the case mouths had been crimped enough to form a ring around the bullet - a sort of cannelure. No signs of the plating cracking or separating.
I accomplish the crimp in a separate step with a Lee FCD. Maybe that is what makes the difference. When seating and crimping in one step you are crimping while the bullet is still being pushed into the case and I can see where that might cause the case mouth to cut the plating. But when it is done as a separate step I can tell you from my personal experience that the plating isn't damaged.
I think that if you just slightly crush one in you r vice and then give it a whack with a hammer to push it down into the vice I'll bet that will damage the plating, whereas just slightly crushing it won't damage it.
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Last edited by BC38; 01-10-2022 at 04:09 AM.
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