450Bushmaster.net

wildcatter wrote:As per-usual, BD has it down.

The primary use of the Crimp is indeed to keep the bullet from traveling in the case, and nearly as important, is to induce "Bullet Pull", or that hesitation, before the bullet start to move in the case. The longer that period, the better the powder burn. So, we try to keep both of these things in mind when crimping, hence the LeGendre Side Crimp.

But, TEX, brings out an important point about getting a LSC Die made.

Question, do I need to make up a couple of dozen of them an peddle them to those in Tex's shoes? Who'd be interested?..

..t

I might be. Let me check out one more option.

WC, a short run of dies might help to standardize the position of the crimp. If we can get that down, we might be able to convince Lee to make them. I know a couple of small shop guys who'll make stuff like this as well. They can have issues with inventing things from scratch, but given a good drawing, or CAD, they'll spit them out. I'll buy one of the "standard" ones as well if you run a few.
BD

BD1 wrote:WC, a short run of dies might help to standardize the position of the crimp. If we can get that down, we might be able to convince Lee to make them. I know a couple of small shop guys who'll make stuff like this as well. They can have issues with inventing things from scratch, but given a good drawing, or CAD, they'll spit them out. I'll buy one of the "standard" ones as well if you run a few.
BD

K-BD, so how wide do we need the crimp. I make mine about .020". The Lee crimp is .100". We could make them thicker or thinner? Thinner means, we can put a crimp on a bullet closer to the base, without disrupting the base, causing terrible accuracy. If we can agree on a thickness, then it will be a snap to decide how far down the side of the case to go. Right now I'm something less than an eighth inch from the case mouth and my crimp is far deeper than what you guys are doing (more on that later, let's see if we can come up with a standard). I'll try to exactly, measure up my current crimp, for posting tomorrow. I say try, cause I'm right in the middle of a machine rest build and I might forget.. I kinda get single minded, when I am inventing/engineering. In the mean time, suggestions and personal needs, might be helpful..

..t

I beveled the edges of mine so the crimp profile is a soft truncated cone. This pic is before I did the beveling. The band where it contacts the bullet is now about .030 - .040 if memory serves. I did that as repeated use was putting a pair of lines on the case which I thought might weaken the case mouth over time. I put my crimp about .10 back from the mouth, but that's really just an arbitrary dimension that was convenient when milling down the collet. I go pretty deep with it on cast boolits where I'm crimping into a lube groove. On jacketed not so deep, but I'm using .284 brass for jacketed loads which has pretty good neck tension on it's own. To date case life has been good in both loadings. The Hornady cases I use with the cast boolits sized .453 get too short before they wear out and the .284 brass seems to last a very long time.
BD

This goes back to my Lee FCD Mod Step-By-Step w/images thread, but if you machine your collet so that the crimp is further down the case, you can then move it up toward the mouth by sliding shim washers over the case so that you engage the collet sooner on the upstroke. I make mine out of SS flat washers.



Hoot

BD1 wrote:I beveled the edges of mine so the crimp profile is a soft truncated cone. This pic is before I did the beveling. The band where it contacts the bullet is now about .030 - .040 if memory serves. I did that as repeated use was putting a pair of lines on the case which I thought might weaken the case mouth over time. I put my crimp about .10 back from the mouth, but that's really just an arbitrary dimension that was convenient when milling down the collet. I go pretty deep with it on cast boolits where I'm crimping into a lube groove. On jacketed not so deep, but I'm using .284 brass for jacketed loads which has pretty good neck tension on it's own. To date case life has been good in both loadings. The Hornady cases I use with the cast boolits sized .453 get too short before they wear out and the .284 brass seems to last a very long time.
BD

I didn't get a chance to make exact measurements, golly, I'm busy these days. But, as to your truncated cone shape crimp, well mine is quite narrow and spherical is shape, maybe more like a half-moon. I also open the slots in the collet, about twice the width, using a Dremel Fiber Cut-off disc, this way I can put in a much deeper crimp, my choice.

I'll try again tomorrow to get those measurements and then we can start Head-Shedding this Standard we like to achieve..

..t

I'm looking at the Midway catalog and I am not seeing the Lee stock number for the die that is referenced in this thread as being the one that can be modded to the Le Gendre side crimp die.
Is it the same as the Midway stock # 747-243?

Texas Sheepdawg wrote:I'm looking at the Midway catalog and I am not seeing the Lee stock number for the die that is referenced in this thread as being the one that can be modded to the Le Gendre side crimp die.
Is it the same as the Midway stock # 747-243?

TSD-
Yes.

Midway's stock number for the Lee 45-70 Factory Crimp Die is 747-243. The Lee number for that die is 90856. If you're using their printed catalog, it can be confusing.

Usually Midway is very helpful in providing the manufacturer's ID in their description of the items on their web site. Clicking on the item in their catalog-type listing pages will usually bring up a descriptive web page for the item, including the mfr ID number. I think this link should get you to the Lee 45-70 FCD page on Midway's site, with the mfr number shown on the same line as the Midway number: Lee FCD 45-70 Govt.

--Bob

pitted bore wrote:

Texas Sheepdawg wrote:I'm looking at the Midway catalog and I am not seeing the Lee stock number for the die that is referenced in this thread as being the one that can be modded to the Le Gendre side crimp die.
Is it the same as the Midway stock # 747-243?

TSD-
Yes.

Midway's stock number for the Lee 45-70 Factory Crimp Die is 747-243. The Lee number for that die is 90856. If you're using their printed catalog, it can be confusing.

Usually Midway is very helpful in providing the manufacturer's ID in their description of the items on their web site. Clicking on the item in their catalog-type listing pages will usually bring up a descriptive web page for the item, including the mfr ID number. I think this link should get you to the Lee 45-70 FCD page on Midway's site, with the mfr number shown on the same line as the Midway number: Lee FCD 45-70 Govt.

Thanks, Bob!

--Bob[/quote]

I have been wondering what the 450 Bushmaster case looks like after it has been fired when the Le Gendre side crimp has been used and does it leave a permanent score mark on the case? Also, does using this crimp shorten the life of the brass?
Can some one post some pics and elaborate?