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I am starting to reload for my semi auto pistols. On the revolver ammo I seat the bullets then roll crimp them in two different steps.

On the 9mm, 10mm and 45acp do you guys seat and crimp in one step or seat and cripm two seperate steps?

If I do it in two steps I think I will buy the Lee factory crimp dies for the calibers I will be loading for.
 
I apply a gentle roll crimp on my semi-auto rounds in a single step using my RCBS seating die because I don't have a FCD for my 9mm yet. It seems to work well as long as I don't over-crimp.
 
Another vote to separate steps.

Most revolver bullets have a notch in the bullet for the roll crimp to go into. IE as the bullet is still moving on one axis and the brass is moving in a separate axis they don't interfere.

Taper crimp starts placing horizontal pressure to a bullet still going in a vertical direction.

I still, to this day, have no idea why dies where made to do both at the same time.

If someone could explain it I'd definitely listen.
 
So the revolver takes the roll crimp and semi takes the taper crimp?
Not really. Certain bullets take a roll crimp. Certain bullets are better with a taper crimp. Loading for a revolver may require taper crimp if not using bullets designed for a roll crimp.

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When I load for my rifle rounds I use an FCD and like the results in my AR as well as my bolt action. I think this is a common practice.

Some who have more roading experience than me do not crimp their semi-autos handgun ammo while others do it religiously.

Perhaps crimping for semi-auto is a new practice?
 
I apply a gentle roll crimp on my semi-auto rounds in a single step using my RCBS seating die because I don't have a FCD for my 9mm yet. It seems to work well as long as I don't over-crimp.
I'm pretty sure Lees factory crimp die for 9mm is just a taper crimp die.
 
slight taper crimp on the seating stroke for ammo that headspace off the case mouth and roll crimp on the seating stroke for ammo that headspaces off a rim
What he said, unless you have some place to crimp your case mouth into, you are just basically removing the bell you applied to allow seating, and maybe then a little extra. If you don't trim your brass, you will soon find out its a bad idea to attempt both in the same operation.
 
I've always applied the taper crimp in the same operation as seating the bullet for decades until just recently.

Never saw any ill effects. I just do it now in a separate step because I've become more anal in my reloading process. Or maybe I just read to much internet stuff. :D
 
I loaded close to a hundred 9mm for us to shoot this weekend. The 9mm die was set up gor me. I have no idea how it was set. I think it was set to just seat the billet. They worked great in my 9mm Ruger SP101 with the moon clips. But in my Glock 17 they dod not wamt to cycle right.

I looked at the instuuction booklet from Hornady and seen how to adjust them to do it in one step.
But i think it makes more since to do it as a two step operation like I do for my revolvers.

Like i said I am just syarting to liad for my semi autos.
The Lee Factory Crimp Dies are only about $20 a piece. Once bought it's over with, part of the reloading processs.

I have extra seater dies for the revolvers that are set up just for crimping.
 
I've looked at forum contents going back to 2006 (HIghRoad) and this discussion is fraught with a lot of conjecture and confusion; some say yes, some say no. Some say roll, some say taper. For new reloaders like me this can be confusing and frustrating.

I found another article that will either clarify this discussion or add to the confusion. What the heck! ;)

Handgun Cartridge Crimping - MassReloading
 
I've looked at forum contents going back to 2006 (HIghRoad) and this discussion is fraught with a lot of conjecture and confusion; some say yes, some say no. Some say roll, some say taper. For new reloaders like me this can be confusing and frustrating.

I found another article that will either clarify this discussion or add to the confusion. What the heck! ;)

Handgun Cartridge Crimping - MassReloading

It does not make sense to roll crimp any case that head spaces off the case mouth . It's just enough to take the bell out of the mouth and a slight grip on the bullet , very slight , a taper crimp isn't much of a crimp at all .
On cases that have a rim , head space off the rim and are usually a revolver round .
The reason for the roll crimp is to really grip the bullet to not let the bullet creep out of the case upon recoil , preventing the cylinder from advancing because the protruding bullet won't clear the breech end of the barrel . The reason you can roll crimp those bullets are because they are suspended buy the rim and don't need the step of the case mouth to hold it from sliding down into the barrel .
Just for pistol there different reasons for rifle .
 
The only that I've reloaded is 9mm, but I have done at least 10k. Based on consensus from multiple forums, I crimp with a Lee FCD, check with a case gage and pull an occasional bullet. During the beginning of a reloading session, I check every bullet for length and with a case gage the first ten or so. Once I feel comfortable with everything, I drop down to checking a few out of every batch of 100. I need to reload the primer tray and the case feeder and put the rounds in boxes and 100. That gives me a chance to check that everything is running right including primer depth.
 

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