WTK: Best Crimping Die for 40/10mm

[md66948]

WTK: Best Crimping Die for 40/10mm.

I have used Lee Crimping Dies for some of my Pistol & Rifle cases. What works best on a 10mm? I will be shooting poly coated & jacketed bullets.

[sqlbullet]

Crimp in 10mm is just removing any flare.  While I like Lee FCD for bottle neck cases and roll crimp, for taper crimp I have found the Lee FCD can cause issues with lead bullets.  It can swage the bullet size down which can cause leading in a traditional cast/lubed bullet.  Powder coat are more resistant, but can suffer as well.

My "go-to" is just a standard 40/10mm taper crimp die.  I know I have two or three and that at least one of them is RCBS, but I could not say that any out-performs the others.

[Graybeard]

Crimp in 10mm is just removing any flare.  While I like Lee FCD for bottle neck cases and roll crimp, for taper crimp I have found the Lee FCD can cause issues with lead bullets.  It can swage the bullet size down which can cause leading in a traditional cast/lubed bullet.  Powder coat are more resistant, but can suffer as well.

My "go-to" is just a standard 40/10mm taper crimp die.  I know I have two or three and that at least one of them is RCBS, but I could not say that any out-performs the others.

Absolutely concur. A tiny bit of taper crimp on hard bullets, fmj or jacketed hollow points, may be used. But it's best to just remove any belling of the case mouth. Resizing lead bullets or tearing into the plating of plated bullets should be avoided. I mostly use the Dillon carbide die set for 10mm. Any 10mm taper crimp die should be fine.

[The_Shadow]

Hello md66948 and welcome to the forum!
I use the RCBS carbide dies and the Crimp Die is a taper crimp. I will add that if you are using alloy and/or coated bullets you will need to fully seat the bullets to proper depth before any crimping occurs!     What tends to happen with most dies is while the bullet is in motion the case enters the upper tapered section of the seating/crimp die.  If the bullet is in motion the case mouth can snag the moving bullet, thus causing the plating/coating/or alloy to be cut, rolled on the edge of the case mouth.  In some instances it can buckle the case itself!

The best way to handle these processes is to seat bullets without any crimp applied or closing of the case mouth against the bullet while in motion.  Then in a separate step crimp to finish your cartridges...
I use a 1/8" spacer to raise my seating/crimp die up so I do not have to adjust the lock ring that is set for proper crimp application.
A poly coated bullet sized to 0.4015" you will measure a 0.4220" - 0.4225" on the finish crimp on the very edge of the case mouth.
I agree with sqlbullet the Lee FCD can cause issues with lead bullets and can swage the bullet size down which can cause leading in a traditional cast/lubed bullet.  Personal experience showed this using the LEE FCD.   However the FCD makes a great pass through die for sizing the brass where other dies miss!

The die shown is more of a roll crimp. On a true taper crimp die it would have an angled section to push the case against the bullet...

[jazzsax8]

Loading on the 5 hole Hornady progressive for most jacketed loads using the Hornady die without crimp to seat to length then the Lee FCD that on average restores the case mouth to .422.

My 220gr lead bullets are .402 and I have to load them on the single stage like Shadow not using the FCD.  They end up .424 and many times will not plunk test in the tighter KKM chamber.  They do seem to go into the larger Glock chambers just fine.

Do you think I need to get another taper crimp die for the progressive to replace the Lee FCD for even jacketed bullets?

[md66948]

I have a Mighty Armory 40/10 Sizing die and their 40 cal Expander Die. I will be reloading for 40 S&W and 10mm so I am planning to buy an RCBS Micro Seating Die. I just need to get a good crimp die to take out the flare.

[Graybeard]

The Dillon carbide taper crimp die for 10/40 is in stock on their website. $26.99 and they'll ship you one. Mine works great.

[CtYankee]

The Lee FCD for pistol calibers has a carbide resizing ring in the base. It resized the cartridge before it crimps it. With lead bullets this ring MAY resize the bullet down to jacketed diameter. I knocked the carbide ring out of my 38 Spcl die, but was unable to do that with my 10mm FCD. I use a standard taper crimp die, SAAMI chamber specs will allow a bullet sized to .401, I don't know about .402.

[md66948]

Thanks Everyone for your input!

[jazzsax8]

Back when I was loading mostly lead bullets I remember using the guts from my 10mm FCD in my .44mag FCD body.  This provided more control in the taper crimp process than using the 10mm FCD that was too tight.

Now that I am loading ALL jacketed bullets is there any negative/positive in using the 10mm FCD or .44/10mm FCD for the final taper crimp.  I kind of like using the 10mm FCD for positive chambering but if it affects accuracy that would be an issue to consider.

[The_Shadow]

Back when I was loading mostly lead bullets I remember using the guts from my 10mm FCD in my .44mag FCD body.  This provided more control in the taper crimp process than using the 10mm FCD that was too tight.

Now that I am loading ALL jacketed bullets is there any negative/positive in using the 10mm FCD or .44/10mm FCD for the final taper crimp.  I kind of like using the 10mm FCD for positive chambering but if it affects accuracy that would be an issue to consider.

I do not like the LEE FDC for final crimping for all the reasons stated above...
If you use that 10mm LEE FDC as a pass through sizer (AKA Bulge Buster) that should eliminate any chambering issues related to the case expansion just above the extractor cut!
I run all of my 10mm / 40S&W brass through the carbide ring of the FCD to eliminate any and all bulge on the case.

I use my original RCBS 10mm seater crimp die (produced before 40S&W came out) as my taper crimp die to finish my seated cartridges.  BTW because these dies were made before the 40S&W came out so it will not do the 40 S&W crimping, the die body is too long! 

[jazzsax8]

Just to point out, I need TWO crimping dies using the Hornady progressive.  I really like the Hornady crimp die as it has the little sleeve that falls down to help center the bullet as it starts into the case.  I use it to seat for depth only.

Now the question again.  I have two options for the second die.  The Lee FCD no guts needed puts the case mouth at .422 loading jacketed bullets.  Or I could use the Lee .44mag FCD and put the 10mm taper crimp guts into it and adjust it to just remove the case mouth probably still at .422. 

I could probably buy another Hornady crimp die as well if it was actually necessary.  Since I am now loading only jacketed 180/200gr bullets would there be an accuracy difference in using the two FCD's above to finish off the case mouth?

[bigboredad]

I use option 2

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[jazzsax8]

bigboredad

Thanks for weighing in but help me understand which one is option #2.  Right now I assume its the .44mag FCD with 10mm crimping guts.

Marshall

[md66948]

Just to point out, I need TWO crimping dies using the Hornady progressive.  I really like the Hornady crimp die as it has the little sleeve that falls down to help center the bullet as it starts into the case.  I use it to seat for depth only.

Now the question again.  I have two options for the second die.  The Lee FCD no guts needed puts the case mouth at .422 loading jacketed bullets.  Or I could use the Lee .44mag FCD and put the 10mm taper crimp guts into it and adjust it to just remove the case mouth probably still at .422. 

I could probably buy another Hornady crimp die as well if it was actually necessary.  Since I am now loading only jacketed 180/200gr bullets would there be an accuracy difference in using the two FCD's above to finish off the case mouth?

I purchased a Mighty Armory 40/10 sizing die. Wayne, owner of MA, told me his sizing die will remove the entire bulge on 40/10 brass. I also purchased a MA .40 expanding die. I still need a crimping die and I plan to purchase a Redding Micro Seating Die in the near future.