Roll crimp 12 gauge plastic hull life expectancy?

[Warden Callaway]

More than a year ago I bought a BPI roll crimp toll. But I got the forcing cones recut on the two old shotguns so I could use star crimped loads. Now I have an old Baker 12 guage made before 1918 that I started loading light black powder loads with roll crimp. I shortened the plastic hulls about 1/4". The loads packed perfect and the roll crimp looked perfect. But when I shot the first 4 test loads, some of the hulls had cracks in the mouths. The mouths of the hulls were all puckered in - the roll didn't fold out completely straight.

 

Are cracks and puckers to be expected?

 

I made a wooden "Spin-doctor" to iron out the pucker on the 4 hulls and reloaded them. They look fine.

 

I really don't want to go to the work of trimming hulls to get a couple of loads out of them.

[Noz]

My experience with roll crimps is "one and done". Mouths of cases crack and burn.

[Yul Lose]

What Noz said.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

I make up 2 1/2 inch roll crimp black powder loads for some of my antique shotguns.

I shoot 'em once and pitch 'em, like Noz said.

Not that hard to make 'em, and that way I don't waste any time trying to condition them for future loadings.

I make 'em outta the maroon federal hulls that my pards give me, rather than throwing them away.

--Dawg

[Mad Dog McGee]

My experience with roll crimps is "one and done". Mouths of cases crack and burn.

+1

[Warden Callaway]

I have about a bushel of non-AA, non-Gun Club hulls I don't mind using up. I'll need to prefect my method of trimming the hulls if I decide to use more than a few. I trimmed a bunch of new 10 gauge hulls by using a dowel rod with an Exacto blade driven in it. Insert rod into case and twist. It makes a spiral cut ending at a uniform hull length. It worked fine on the virgin 10 gauge hulls but not so well with cutting through the rumpled star crimp.

[Yul Lose]

I have about a bushel of non-AA, non-Gun Club hulls I don't mind using up. I'll need to prefect my method of trimming the hulls if I decide to use more than a few. I trimmed a bunch of new 10 gauge hulls by using a dowel rod with an Exacto blade driven in it. Insert rod into case and twist. It makes a spiral cut ending at a uniform hull length. It worked fine on the virgin 10 gauge hulls but not so well with cutting through the rumpled star crimp.

I made a sled for my bandsaw that does an excellent job of cutting the hulls to length and then use a BPI tool to prep them.

[Amarillo Rattler]

I trim AA hulls with a 1" PVC pipe cut o the length I want for the hull before the roll crimp and a folding utility knife, the ID of the PVC provides a snug fit on the brass base. Takes about 6 seconds per hull.

 

Use a cut proof glove, lesson learned.

 

BPI Spin Doctor and Roll Crimp tools to finish the job.

 

Shootin' the Soot,

Amarillo Rattler

[Warden Callaway]

 

I used the method shown in this video to trim new 10 gauge hulls. It worked just as easy as he demoed. But using the same method to trim fired Federal Top Gun hulls was more of a struggle. I'm cutting them just at the bottom of the old star crimp petals. With this method, it's more of a struggle cutting through each hump and valley of the old crimp. I may "spin doctor" a few with my improvised wood dowel tool to see if that improves the process.

 

I'm using my Lee Loadall II to size, prime, seat the Claybuster red wad, fill with 1 oz reclaimed shot, and seat the top card. I use a hex nut about 1/4" thick to space the hull up so the wad guides reach. I guess I could lower rhe guide but for short test runs, I've just not gone to the effort. This combination fills the hull to leave about 1/8" of hull to roll and produced a real nice looking loaded hull.

 

I hand dip Grafs "Reenactor" black powder. My first loads were 7/8 oz. They knocked down the knockdowns but not with confidence. My next loads have 1 oz. I'll see if that moves the knockdowns better.

[Noz]

I trim AA hulls with a 1" PVC pipe cut o the length I want for the hull before the roll crimp and a folding utility knife, the ID of the PVC provides a snug fit on the brass base. Takes about 6 seconds per hull.

 

Use a cut proof glove, lesson learned.

 

BPI Spin Doctor and Roll Crimp tools to finish the job.

 

Shootin' the Soot,

Amarillo Rattler

Yup!

[Sedalia Dave]

I also use the exacto blade driven into a wooden dowel method but I shaped the end of the dowel so that it would fit into the chuck of my drill. Run it at slow speed and hold the shell in the other hand with a cut resistant glove. Depending on how long the dowel is you can cut several shells before you have to unchuck the dowel and remove the cut off petals.

 

For this to work the cutting edge of the exacto blade has to be angled a few of degrees towards the base of the shell. This way as it cuts it feeds itself into the shell like an auger.

[Yul Lose]

 

I used the method shown in this video to trim new 10 gauge hulls. It worked just as easy as he demoed. But using the same method to trim fired Federal Top Gun hulls was more of a struggle. I'm cutting them just at the bottom of the old star crimp petals. With this method, it's more of a struggle cutting through each hump and valley of the old crimp. I may "spin doctor" a few with my improvised wood dowel tool to see if that improves the process.

 

I'm using my Lee Loadall II to size, prime, seat the Claybuster red wad, fill with 1 oz reclaimed shot, and seat the top card. I use a hex nut about 1/4" thick to space the hull up so the wad guides reach. I guess I could lower rhe guide but for short test runs, I've just not gone to the effort. This combination fills the hull to leave about 1/8" of hull to roll and produced a real nice looking loaded hull.

 

I hand dip Grafs "Reenactor" black powder. My first loads were 7/8 oz. They knocked down the knockdowns but not with confidence. My next loads have 1 oz. I'll see if that moves the knockdowns better.

[/quote

Edited January 3, 2016 by Yul Lose

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

I found this cool little cutter at the Log Cabin Shop, a muzzleloading shop in Lodi Ohio.

Don't know when it was made, but I have a fondness for old Shotgun loading tools.

Anyway, it has an adjustable dowel that you push the hull on, and an arm to which you affix a single edge razor blade.

It swings down and cuts the hull, while you rotate the tool.

I do 'em a shoebox full at a time, sittin' by the woodstove in the living room, while watchin' westerns.

I've already determined the length I want them cut to, and I load 'em with black powder and Circle Fly wads on my MEC up to the adding shot stage.

Then I take 'em off the machine, push in an over shot card with my thumb and roll crimp 'em with a BPI crimper on my drill press.

I used to use a hand roll crimp device. They're cool and I still have a half dozen or so in my collection (Did I say that I have a fondness for old shotgun loading tools?), but they are slow and cumbersome compared to the BPI

--Dawg

 

[Sedalia Dave]

PD that is the best tool ever sold for trimming shells. However AFAIK it is no longer sold in the US.

 

The biggest issue with those currently sold is that the cost is obscene.

 

I tried the band saw method but is leaves a ragged edge on some shells. The exacto blade / dowel method works well and leaves a very nice edge. I can trim at least 100 hulls an hour

 

I even found pics of one made of metal with replaceable blades but it is no longer being made.

[Warden Callaway]

I've figured out that a sharp knife cuts the cleanest. I found a box cutter with sharp(er) blade and it restored my hull trimming performance. I'll just set a basket of hulls on the bench and a bucket on the floor and set up and assembly line. I also demonstrate my nearly free spin-doctor tool.

 

[watab kid]

im a one and done as well , have lots of hulls and a good supply for more ,

[Nate Kiowa Jones #6765]

For my BP reloads I use the old Activ all plastic hulls.

 

But, I trim off the crimps. I use a drill press with a dremel style cutoff wheel chucked and a wood guide to run the hulls into the cutoff. When loaded I glue a card over the shot. These have been reloaded several times.

[Warden Callaway]

 

What can I say. It was a nasty day yesterday and I didn't have to go out so I made a video of my method of loading black powder, roll crimped 12 gauge shells. I'm a little clumsy in places having to reach around the camera.

 

It's down to just about zero out. I may have to load some with fiber wads.

[Lucky R. K.]

Here is the rig I use to trim hulls for roll crimping. It is a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel mounted into a jewelers lathe. I use a vintage hand tool to form the crimp.

 

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l361/decapper/PICT0336.jpg

 

[Chantry]

More than a year ago I bought a BPI roll crimp toll. But I got the forcing cones recut on the two old shotguns so I could use star crimped loads. Now I have an old Baker 12 guage made before 1918 that I started loading light black powder loads with roll crimp. I shortened the plastic hulls about 1/4". The loads packed perfect and the roll crimp looked perfect. But when I shot the first 4 test loads, some of the hulls had cracks in the mouths. The mouths of the hulls were all puckered in - the roll didn't fold out completely straight.

 

Are cracks and puckers to be expected?

 

I made a wooden "Spin-doctor" to iron out the pucker on the 4 hulls and reloaded them. They look fine.

 

I really don't want to go to the work of trimming hulls to get a couple of loads out of them.

 

Since you want multiple loads out of them, it is going to depend on the hull and plastic the maker uses. I use a 10g and I've gotten at least 4-5 loadings out of some my Remington hulls because the plastic they use is fairly ductile. On the other hand, I have some Federal hulls and I doubt I'll get more then 2-3 loadings because the plastic is much stiffer.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Chantry

[FriscoCounty]

You can trim the hulls to 2-1/2", load the shell for 2-3/4", put an overshot card in, and then do a standard crimp. The crimp will only partially cover the top, but it will hold the overshot card in place. Not as cool as doing a rolled crimp, but you don't have to change your reloading press from 2-3/4", and you will get multiple uses out of the shell.

 

Not my idea, but the inventor's name escapes me at the moment.