recrimping

#1 · August 24, 2015, 1:58 am

Total newb here. I did manage to do a few "test" rounds of .45acp yesterday. quick trip to the range,and they all fired. got my best results with 5 grains. loaded up 110 rounds in about an hour last night.

this morning I decided to try .45 Colt (long colt). did quite a few "dummy" loads (no primer or powder) before I got results that were within the specs of the Lyman. seemed to have more of a "lip" where the bullet meets the brass than my factory loads,but was within spec,so I thought I was good to go. I did 10 rounds of 6 grains,10 rounds of 6.5 grains,and 10 rounds of 7 grains. all came within spec again,but with the same "lip" where the bullet meets the brass. took the cylinder out of my new model Blackhawk. factory loads slip right out when turning the cylinder upside down. when I put MY loads in,I can see where they are not quite going in all the way and they do not just slide out when I tip the cylinder upside down. I put the cylinder back in gun,go outside,put one round of MY load in the cylinder and try to rotate it. only goes about half way around. hmmm

I decide to screw the crimper die down a bit more. make another dummy round (no primer or powder) and try it in the gun. cylinder spins freely and the round slips right out and within spec. (I know,I know,I should have tried some of my first "dummy" rounds in the gun before making live rounds!)

finally to my question: can I take my 30 live rounds and recrimp them safely with the "new" setting? or do I right them off as a rookie mistake? thanks

Dillion 550B

#2 · August 24, 2015, 2:17 am

also: now the "lip" from the bullet to the brass is nice and smooth. not exactly smooth,but like the .45 acp loads I did yesterday. the new "dummy" round also feeds and ejects smoothly out of my Henry Big Boy .45 Colt too.

#3 · August 24, 2015, 5:18 am

Batman,
Go ahead and "recrimp". It sounds like you didn't get a crimp or too little of one. That's the final step in the process and you haven't done it ... Yet. As long as you are within specs of OAL and not exceeded max powder charge, things will be fine. If you have a chronograph, check these and all experiments to get to a load that you want and works in your gun.
Enjoy, JJ

#4 · August 25, 2015, 12:50 am

Thanks JJ. I called and confirmed with Dillion this morning,I had some parts to order anyway. I recrimped all the rounds from the day before. all were sill within spec,and they all fit into the cylinder and the cylinder rotated freely on the Blackhawk. off to the range. since the woods are closed,had to go to the indoor range. all the rounds fired,and well. good groups with all. 6.5 grains seemed to be the best for both the Blackhawk,and the Henry

#5 · August 25, 2015, 10:33 pm