crimp?

[dark star]

does the crimp add pressure to the load...can it be over crimped?
I am new to reloading and loaded up some 45 auto using 5.6gr of unique powder and 230gr RN lead bullets...do you think this is a safe load?
Is it possible to over crimp?

[bigmoose]

You must crimp all cartridges intended to be used in a revolver. The main reason is: upon recoil the unfired bullets want to back out of their cases. They have this tendency because they are obeying one of Newton's laws... "a body at rest wants to remain at rest" etc. When a bullet backs out sufficiently from its case, it renders the revolver USELESS! The cylinder will not rotate because of the bullet(s) protruding from out in front...hitting the sides of the frame as the cylinder rotates. I learned this the hard way...luckily at the range. Reloading is a lot of fun and definitely saves a lot of money, enabling you to shoot more, plus you end learning more about ballistics etc.. Keep doing what you are doing....ask questions and learn from our and your mistakes.
My advice...if you are loading bullets without a crimping groove, still give 'em a little squeeze with the crimping die.

I cut and pasted the above from one of my previous posts and realize it didn't quite answer your question. The .45 auto will require a taper crimp. Yes, it will add some pressure but this is ok. With today's presses it shouldn't take too much force to properly crimp. If it seems like it does, closely inspect cases for any deformation.

Someone should be along shortly to comment on your recipe.

Welcome to reloading...it can be very rewarding.
Cap

[john16443]

Originally Posted by dark star

I am new to reloading and loaded up some 45 auto using 5.6gr of unique powder and 230gr RN lead bullets...do you think this is a safe load?

According to the Hornady, Speer, Lyman, published information for lead, your load is OK. BUT according to the Alliant information, they recommend a max load of 5 gr. for lead. Check this information out, and as always, verify against published data.

45 ACP Load Data - Handloads.Com

[cjw3]

Originally Posted by dark star

does the crimp add pressure to the load...can it be over crimped?
I am new to reloading and loaded up some 45 auto using 5.6gr of unique powder and 230gr RN lead bullets...do you think this is a safe load?
Is it possible to over crimp?

The current Alliant website lists 5.8/Unique for that bullet in .45 Auto so you should be good to go there.

Whatever crimp adds to pressure (and I suspect it is very little) is more than worth the positive aspects. As bigmoose said, in revolvers it prevents bullet movement out.

In semi-auto cartridges, it prevents bullet movement IN. The bullet can be forced back into the case during chambering. The space in the cartridge is reduced and pressure will quickly rise to dangerous levels.

Some powders require a sturdy crimp to burn properly; Unique not so much, but some such as 2400 or H110/296, most definitely.

As for whether it's possible to over crimp, I think if you damage the case or need two hands to do it that could probably be thought of as too much. With a taper crimp, I look for a shiny band about 1/8" long around the circumference of the case mouth. With roll crimps, I prefer to see the case mouth tucked well into the crimp groove to varying degrees depending on the expected recoil and/or powder in use.

[SMSgt]

The answer to all three of your questions is: yes.

Some calibers are sensitive to pressure changes due to crimping tightness. The .45 ACP not so much. It's a pretty forgiving cartridge.

Assuming you're loading for a semi, the .45 uses a taper crimp versus a roll crimp--where the case mouth is actually rolled over into the crimp groove or over the end of the bullet.

With a taper crimp, it's the friction between resized case and bullet that holds the bullet in place more so than any real crimping. The .45 headspaces in the chamber on the case mouth, so any "roll" crimp would/could cause chambering issues.

I don't use Unique powder, but you should be following established loading data. I find the better sources are from the powder manufacturers themselves rather than bullet makers.