problems with Lee taper crimp die

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jon1985

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I picked up a Lee 9mm die set for my Hornady LnL AP and got around to setting it up today.

I have the deprimer, expander and seating dies working properly but when I try to taper crimp it I am having issues. I have the die adjusted as deep as the press will allow, and the adjustment knob all the way bottomed out and I can still push the projectile into the case with very little effort.

Any tips would be great, I am about ready to buy a different set of dies.
 
Your problem might be with the expander/ bullet diameter/neck tension.
The expander should be smaller in diameter than the bullet (.002 sounds about right).
 
If the expander is smaller the the bullet how does it expand the case enough for the bullet to sit in?

The expander is set to the projectile will sit about 1/16" into the case, barely enough to stay put long enough to seat it proper depth.

I may be misunderstanding something you are saying though...
 
jon1985 said:
If the expander is smaller the the bullet how does it expand the case enough for the bullet to sit in?

The expander is set to the projectile will sit about 1/16" into the case, barely enough to stay put long enough to seat it proper depth.

I may be misunderstanding something you are saying though...
Click to expand...

I maybe wrong but it sound like you are over expanding your cases using the expander
I can still push the projectile into the case with very little effort.
Click to expand...

if you deprime your brass and try to sit a bullet on top it should not go in ( if it is a bevel base it might sit --- but you can not push it it --
to push it in or start it you have to bevel the case ---- just enough

you sound like someone new to reloading
have you made a dummy round and done a plonk test
if not stop and find out / make a dummy round and do a plonk test ----or---> :) will be :(
 
I'm inclined to think you're having a similar issue to the one I had with Lee taper crimp dies. I got the dies from a friend & figured for the price (free) I'd put'em to use. They aren't the best dies in the world, but they work...except that crimp die. I screwed around with it for the best part of an afternoon, got fed up with it and bought a set of Hornady dies. I tried everything I could think of to get it to do what it was supposed to, and wound up with either insufficient hold on the bullet, or a trapped bullet in the die. (No, I'm not a new reloader; I know HOW they should work, how to adjust them properly).

To this day I don't know why I can't get it to work properly. BTW, I talked to the guy I got them from; that was the reason he gave them away...same issue. I don't know if it's a problem inherent with the Lee design, or if it's just too complicated for us dumb Canucks....
 
jon1985 said:
I picked up a Lee 9mm die set for my Hornady LnL AP and got around to setting it up today.

I have the deprimer, expander and seating dies working properly but when I try to taper crimp it I am having issues. I have the die adjusted as deep as the press will allow, and the adjustment knob all the way bottomed out and I can still push the projectile into the case with very little effort.

Any tips would be great, I am about ready to buy a different set of dies.
Click to expand...

Take the adjustment plug right out of the crimp die, there should be a piece inside about a inch long that has a shoulder machined on it. No piece, no crimp. Shoulder goes to the bottom but if it was upside down, all your brass would be crushed.
 
Yes, I am new to reloading.

I built some dummy rounds and plopped them onto the barrel. They sit the same as the factory ammo. I was able to load them into a mag an cycle them through the gun with no hang up or anything and they measured the same OAL when they came out.

For some reason I didnt start having the crimp issue until I added the powder and primer.

Yes, resizing die is all the way to the shell plate and then lifted about 1/32" off the plate.

Yes, there is a piece inside the crimp die.
 
When i set my crimp die. I have the shell holder just touching the die body. I then loosen the adjuster on top of the crimp die and cycle a test round up. I tighten down the top adjuster till it is snug on the test round. Then remove test round. Tighten adjuster a half turn and cycle a loaded round. Measure neck of brass before and after, think mine are usually around a .002 crimp. Either tighten or loosen adjuster until desired crimp. There isnt very much resistance when using the crimp die. Only real resistance I encounter is when a round is post sized in the crimper as that is the other function of the die.

Lee's instruction video. Short but googleing can find you tons fo vidoes and even the instructions if your die didnt have them.

 
Just get the FCD and be done with it. Taper crimp is too fidgety. Once you go FCD you never go back. Use it for my 9mm, 357, 44 and 45.

Got the HDY set for my 357mag; ended up buying LEE FCD, just that much easier.
 
jon1985 said:
If the expander is smaller the the bullet how does it expand the case enough for the bullet to sit in?

The expander is set to the projectile will sit about 1/16" into the case, barely enough to stay put long enough to seat it proper depth.

I may be misunderstanding something you are saying though...
Click to expand...

The case mouth is flared in the charge die.
The press uses leverage to force the slightly oversize bullet into the case neck.
Friction holds the bullet in place,
the crimp is just icing on the cake.
And removes the flare on the case mouth.
 
Turns out a few of you guys were right. I was talking to a few guys at the IDPA match I shot today about my issues and they suggested I wasnt resizing deep enough. I pulled the resizing die out when I got home and set it up from scratch and low and behold it all works now.

Finally forward progress....until the next road block
 
obviously a user issue, crimp is only used to remove the bell, not to hold the bullet...
if bullet wont stay there, 1 thing possible:

not resized properly

you cannot really flare a mouth enough to remove tension without destroying the case... so if the case wont hold the bullet, its not resized properly.
 
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