Almost ready to reload

[Markus]

I've got my bench and press all set up and I've just made a few practice rounds without powder or primer and think I'm ready to start. Here's a picture of my practice rounds I'm wondering if it needs more crimp perhaps?



My load data is

.40 S&W
180 gr berrys plated
5.2 gr of unique using the lee .57 powder disc
Wolf primer

Also I was shooting for an overall cartridge length of 1.13 but I find it varies up to .005 either way I know it's not that much but I'd like to know if it's a problem or just little differences?

[SixPointEight]

In a pistol, .005" is nothing, and is perfectly acceptable. Your charge looks good if I remember the load data right. I load much lower than that for my IDPA load. Hard to see any crimps from above, but, the cases look straight, which is ideal for .40s&w

[Markus]

I was also wondering what effect over/under crimping has?

[Nodda Duma]

Think of crimping as trying to fit a Volkswagen beetle into a 3-car garage. Plenty of room for error.

Use a set of calipers to measure the case mouth diameter as you incrementally increase the amount of crimp on your first round by adjusting the die. Once you get under the specified diameter, move to next round. If it is over, then adjust the die a little bit more. When you've gotten close, you should only be stepping down by .001 or .002" as you adjust die to increase crimp. After about four or five rounds you'll find that they should all be getting in under case mouth diameter.

Now, prior to reloading live rounds, you should have done this with dummies to verify the round chambers in your gun with no issues. If it does, then you're set. Tighten down the die, then check as you load more until you've convinced yourself that you are hitting desired case mouth diameter.



The key is to get calipers and measure what you're doing.

[Revoman]

"I load much lower than that for my IDPA load."

Not to thread jack here, but what kind of load do you use for IDPA? I have been trying a 40 load with 155gr LSWC and 4.9gr Unique with not good results. Lots of unburnt powder and a few primer piercing....in a revolver I might add.

[SixPointEight]

"I load much lower than that for my IDPA load."

Not to thread jack here, but what kind of load do you use for IDPA? I have been trying a 40 load with 155gr LSWC and 4.9gr Unique with not good results. Lots of unburnt powder and a few primer piercing....in a revolver I might add.

primer piercing at 4.9gr? That sounds odd. I'm dropping 4.4gr behind a 180gr. Just barely makes .40 major. Though I'm having an odd issue. In the colder weather it was working just fine. When it's warm, sometimes my slide won't lock back on the last round. So I may have to bump up a little.

[Bill Steele]

On the crimp, you just want to take the belling out (i.e make the case straight again). If you overcrimp you will likely damage the bullet (especially on a bullet like a Berry's plated, which are very soft). The step where the lip of the case ends and the bullet begins (at least the part you can see) should be the thickness of the brass.

Although hard to tell from that angle, your crimp looks fine.

[Markus]

What heppens if the bullet after it's been pulled has a ring around it?

[SixPointEight]

What heppens if the bullet after it's been pulled has a ring around it?

You divided by zero. The world has ended.


Nah seriously, it's fine

[Markus]

So with the berrys plated bullets they recommend you use low to mid jacketed bullet data. According to my lee manual it's 5.2 gr of unique for lead and 5.8 gr for jacketed. That's starting loads of course so I thought I'd try for 5.5 grains since that seems to be what my powder thrower likes to throw think this will work?

[SixPointEight]

let me put it this way. You will never have a problem starting low and working up, checking for signs of pressure.
The same can't be said for, "starting at a suggestion". Those are probably the max's for those two loads? What is the minimum listed value? I would start there, and work up in .2gr increments, looking for a nice balance of accuracy and recoil

[Fishslayer]

I was also wondering what effect over/under crimping has?

The .40 uses a taper crimp. The worst you'll get is maybe a decrease in accuracy if you overcrimp.

[vwynn]

just do a light crimp to remove any belling from the expander. n youre good to go. Less is more and more is less.

[jwest]

So Markus - you shot them yet?

[Markus]

Shot em... Still got all my fingers too... I need a micro charge bar for my lee pro powder measure... I'm trying the next disc down see if that changes anything.