Roll Crimp for .45 ACP

For cast bullet handloads in .45 acp revolvers I use AR brass and the
RCBS roll crimp seater die. Works great with no worries about bullet
creep.
 
I would use a taper crimp for any 45 ACP gun that headspaces on the case mouth. For a revolver with moon clips, headspacing on the case mouth is not an issue, so a rolled crimp would be good.
 
Not saying to crimp............
since my OLD Speer manual shows a 125 gr. soft point .356 dia.
bullet with a Cannelure on it and....... ( 9mm )

it states.... " so the mouth of the case is crimped into the grove in the Speer bullet." ( page 153 )

On page 385, a .45 ACP , " the case mouth should be taper crimped, into the crimping grove,
leaving enough case mouth wall to headspace the cartridge properly.".................
since most loaders don't have asphaltum cement, that the factory uses to hold the bullet firm.

Just tossing that info out there.
 
Last edited:
Back in the mid seventies, when I first started handloading, I couldn't even find a taper crimp die. Seems like some genius at RCBS thought everyone was going to shoot .45acp through revolvers, because acp dies were roll crimp dies. That made it necessary to just slightly bump the case mouth with the crimp shoulder to remove the bell from expanding. What a freaking pain if one was wanting to load any kind of volume, because I had to kind of feel for the right amount of crimp due to case lengths all over the place. I felt like I went to heaven when I found the Redding T/C die a few years later. Still using it to this day.

Didn't have internet then, you got what you got at the LGS and that was about it, and the manuals said don't crimp .45 acp for semi's. You can imagine how well my first acp handloads fed, but hey, I was following directions...

If .45acp lead bullets are full roll crimped, the cartridge headspaces off of the extractor in a semi auto, which can cause the tiny little hook to break off of the extractor, or jam the case mouth into the throat. I don't want either situation happening in my pistols.

In revolvers, rimmed cases or using clips, roll crimping is just dandy if it needs it. I can't really say anything about taper crimping in revolvers, because I never did it. In my revolvers I trim my cases to be the same and roll crimp into the crimp groove for cast or the cannelure if I use jacketed. I do not use jacketed bullets without a cannelure in revolvers, but I guess that if I did I would want to taper crimp them to remove bell.

Like has been pointed out, I don't THINK a normally loaded, taper crimped bullet in a revolver is going to jump crimp, unless it is too heavy or too hot, or no case hold.
 
Back
Top