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Roll Crimping! I’m HOOKED


Scarlett

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4 hours ago, Chuck Steak said:

gotta show my ignorance - is there a benefit to roll crimping or is it just cool looking...

...i do think its cool looking so "cool" is good enough for me

Yes, a roll crimp reduces chamber pressure somewhat, somewhere between 500-100 PSI according to what I have read.  Using fiber wads and paper/cardboard over powder cards and over shot cards will also reduce pressure.  It SEEMS to reduce muzzle velocity as well.  

 

Using a published load for smokeless using fiber wads and roll crimps for skeet loads slowed muzzle velocity of the bird shot down enough that I had more misses.  Using a short plastic wad, a roll crimp and a slightly heavier powder charge resolved that problem.

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Howdy Abilene,

 

Regarding shucking shells from an SxS, I think you may be right. More significant to '87 shooters, my limited experimentation seems to indicate that the shorter shells without the extra length of the crimp "fingers" work much better given that the '87 was originally designed for shorter shells. I realize that new Chinese versions have longer chambers, but the action does not seem to have been modified for the longer shells. 

 

The above is based on a little experimentation and a lot of surmise by me. So, do your own homework and consult a real expert.

 

Rev. Chase

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1 hour ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Don't roll crimped shells have less chance of sticking in the chamber when shucking the SxS?

That is my HOPE!! :D

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

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4 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I started roll crimping my BP shells when I was given a bag of RIO pre primed hulls. I use an antique roll crimper. While I think they look cool and period correct. I've yet had anyone notice! As they are in a box or my belt! Only the brass pickers might notice the melted square mouths.

You need to show them off! 
Hugs!

Scarlett

 

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10 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Here ya go, maybe! Don't know how on phone to copy from Google photos, so created a link!

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AA6SuBmJLv9ED32y8

Those are PERFECT!! I added the picture for you so others could be envious, too! 
 

Hugs!! ScarlettB193B15E-53EB-4F9F-B224-DC0822AD5D2A.thumb.jpeg.34bb2a86c1a375855a3f22ae77d201bd.jpeg

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I’ve been roll crimping both 10 and 12 ga for a few years.  As @Reverend P. Babcock Chase said in an ‘87 they’re easier to extract.  Since I use BP in all my shells I’m a one and done guy.  For trimming them I use a Super Cutter custom made for me by @Sedalia Dave that mounts to the drill press, makes it all easy-peasy. 

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9 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Thank you Scarlett :wub:

My pleasure!


Hugs!!

Scarlett

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I used to do this for some BP loads. I used it for some Fiochi high brass hills that I could not crimp crimp in a Mec hr. I used an old Mec jr to do all of the steps and then moved to a drill press with the roll crimp tool and hull vice from Ballistic Products. This was using lubed fiber wads, over powder and over shot cards. The mec definitely does things up.

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On 1/27/2023 at 4:21 PM, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Don't roll crimped shells have less chance of sticking in the chamber when shucking the SxS?

I used high brass when I did it. Cant recall any problems. But maybe the extra weight at the high brass base helped.

I had picked up 1000 new primed dark brown Fiochi high brass from Franklin Guns back in the day for $30 per thousand. They had 30-40-50,000 of them. I bought one box of 1,000 and was disappointed when the Jr wouldn’t crimp. I was years later when Dash Caliber was loading for a vintage 10 ga 1887 that I discovered roll crimping. I have not shot a match in a good 10 years, if not more. Sold all that off to T-square. Not sure what he made of it.

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On 1/26/2023 at 11:43 AM, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

I thought you made some guncarts where you pour your empties in the top, roll it around for a while, and loaded ammo comes out the bottom. 

Don't give him ideas!  You've seen what he can do with them!

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Hollifer A. Dollar is my black powder mentor.  He gave me some roll crimped Goex charged shells when we shot EOT in Indiana.  He told me that fired hulls never stick.  Not one of us shooting that ammo experienced any issues shucking the hulls.  I assumed it was because there are no “petals” from an opened star crimp to drag on the chamber walls.

 

Scarlett made a good point-if you roll crimp your Frontier Cartridge shells you can tell them from your smokeless ammo.  Aha!  I like being able to tell ‘em apart if they are unboxed.  I try to use STS hulls for my APP/Black MZ shotshells but I run low on them and sometimes have to use the AAs that I’d like to reserve for smokeless.  Shorter roll crimped FC shells would solve that problem.

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On 1/25/2023 at 10:32 PM, Scarlett said:

I got a drill press for Christmas because I wanted to start roll crimping my FC shotshells. Got it set up - finally - on Monday and only messed up a couple of shells. It’s SO REWARDING to get virtually perfect shells every time - and that will gauge!! Thanks to @Texas Jack Daniels, SASS # 8587 for telling me what equipment to get and to @Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409 for telling me which wads etc to get and how to use it all!!
 

Pretty tickled so far! We will see how they do on Saturday! Fingers crossed!

 

Big ROLLIN’ hugs!!

Scarlett

 

C0AA9CA5-8C04-4EC1-B892-EA796DEA49F7.thumb.jpeg.66f66baa011ad7cd7ab10582d0b7e7b9.jpeg02737201-276E-4FE5-8824-92B061265454.thumb.jpeg.ae07b00945231fcb3554409c8d49e689.jpeg 082F899D-BA56-4C99-A167-650B39439F6C.thumb.jpeg.aa06d47aab760bbcfa4fd11273777a0a.jpeg

Looked like it worked out pretty well for you from where I was standing. And, I was standing pretty close!

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14 hours ago, Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 said:

Hollifer A. Dollar is my black powder mentor.  He gave me some roll crimped Goex charged shells when we shot EOT in Indiana.  He told me that fired hulls never stick.  Not one of us shooting that ammo experienced any issues shucking the hulls.  I assumed it was because there are no “petals” from an opened star crimp to drag on the chamber walls.

 

Scarlett made a good point-if you roll crimp your Frontier Cartridge shells you can tell them from your smokeless ammo.  Aha!  I like being able to tell ‘em apart if they are unboxed.  I try to use STS hulls for my APP/Black MZ shotshells but I run low on them and sometimes have to use the AAs that I’d like to reserve for smokeless.  Shorter roll crimped FC shells would solve that problem.

I used a black permanent marker on the primer of every type of BP round I load.

 

Kajun

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44 minutes ago, Krazy Kajun said:

I used a black permanent marker on the primer of every type of BP round I load.

 

Kajun

Good tip.  Once the hull is resized and decapped it can be re-used as smokeless or FC.

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Scarlett, here's another tip for you.  My first batch I used over-powder wads that seemed to be punched out of a blank.  Several of mine were slightly out-of-round, to the point that a bulge was clearly visible from the outside of the loaded shell.  When I had shells refusing to shuck cleanly, it was with these wads. I switched to over powder wads from Eastern Maine Shooting Supplies.  They are much more uniform in shape and I've had no issues using them.  Ballistic Products also has "Maxi Nitro Cards" that also work very well.  They're darker in color and seem to be cut rather than punched.

 

https://www.emshootingsupplies.com/store/p222/12_GA_Over_Powder.html#/

 

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48 minutes ago, Diamond Jake said:

Scarlett, here's another tip for you.  My first batch I used over-powder wads that seemed to be punched out of a blank.  Several of mine were slightly out-of-round, to the point that a bulge was clearly visible from the outside of the loaded shell.  When I had shells refusing to shuck cleanly, it was with these wads. I switched to over powder wads from Eastern Maine Shooting Supplies.  They are much more uniform in shape and I've had no issues using them.  Ballistic Products also has "Maxi Nitro Cards" that also work very well.  They're darker in color and seem to be cut rather than punched.

 

https://www.emshootingsupplies.com/store/p222/12_GA_Over_Powder.html#/

 

Thanks Diamond Jake! I haven’t noticed any out of round nitro cards - I appreciate it. 
 

Big hugs!

 

E’Lane

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On 1/27/2023 at 8:55 AM, Chuck Steak said:

gotta show my ignorance - is there a benefit to roll crimping or is it just cool looking...

...i do think its cool looking so "cool" is good enough for me

The shorter shells are also a bit easier to load and shuck in an ‘87 lever gun. 

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i like the look and the idea , it just looks like a lot of extra work , im having trouble finding time for the stuff im doing right now - dont let anyone ever tell ypou you have free time when you retire  - it aint necessarily so [as the byrds said on one of their early albums ] 

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On 1/30/2023 at 2:46 PM, Krazy Kajun said:

I used a black permanent marker on the primer of every type of BP round I load.

 

Kajun

Same here - goex gets a black stripe, APP gets a red stripe and smokeless gets no stripe. I use the same procedure for brass rifle/pistol ctgs as well. 
TTB

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On 1/26/2023 at 12:51 PM, Scarlett said:

This is my first go at it. I didn’t get the skiver but might order one! I’m shooting them this Saturday and will see if I can use them again. 
 

Hugs!

Scarlett

 

What's the prognosis doctor? Were you able to reuse the hulls?

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On 1/27/2023 at 2:30 PM, Chantry said:

Yes, a roll crimp reduces chamber pressure somewhat, somewhere between 500-100 PSI according to what I have read.  Using fiber wads and paper/cardboard over powder cards and over shot cards will also reduce pressure.  It SEEMS to reduce muzzle velocity as well.  

 

Using a published load for smokeless using fiber wads and roll crimps for skeet loads slowed muzzle velocity of the bird shot down enough that I had more misses.  Using a short plastic wad, a roll crimp and a slightly heavier powder charge resolved that problem.

 

So to be clear, you CAN use a standard plastic wad with roll crimps?

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30 minutes ago, Blind Squirrel said:

 

So to be clear, you CAN use a standard plastic wad with roll crimps?

Yes you can! 
 

Hugs!

Scarlett

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36 minutes ago, Blind Squirrel said:

 

What's the prognosis doctor? Were you able to reuse the hulls?

I trashed them as they were my practice first try’s. Maybe future ones I’ll be able to keep. Stay tuned. 
 

hugs!

Scarlett

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33 minutes ago, Blind Squirrel said:

 

So to be clear, you CAN use a standard plastic wad with roll crimps?

All of mine have been. The plastic comes out easy with a little Windex/vinegar.

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2 hours ago, Blind Squirrel said:

 

So to be clear, you CAN use a standard plastic wad with roll crimps?

 

Yes, although you'll either need to find a plastic wad designed for the shorter shell or you'll trim the wad you are currently using.

 

I've been getting the shorter wads from http://www.ballisticproducts.com

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4 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

I use the Claybuster pink wad as is in AA and STS hulls. 

Me too!

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