RELOADS WITHOUT CRIMPING = MORE ACCURATE?

Discussion on reloading the 9x18 and any other cartridge
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gemini1
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RELOADS WITHOUT CRIMPING = MORE ACCURATE?

Post by gemini1 »

I've recently tried reloading 9x18 mak for my P64. I'm using trimmed down 9mm cases, 93 grain cast from MBC and AA#2.
At one reloading session, I had a few rounds that didn't seat well. There were some lead scraping around the case mouth, guess I forgot to bell those cases or didn't bell it deeper. Anyway, I didn't noticed until after I was done crimping, three of those loads were seated a little too deep. I pulled the bullets, resized the brass and tried to seat the same bullets back. The problem though was, I couldn't seat it at the correct OAL, it went in deeper when I tried to crimp it again.
Being el-cheapo, I didn't want to waste the bullet. So I pulled and load it back after resizing again, but this time I did not apply any crimp, after seating it at the correct OAL. I tried to push the bullet in with my thumb, and I cant get it in, so I guess its tight enough.
When I shot those uncrimped rounds, at 7 yards, I was surprise to get a tight grouping. I took a picture before shooting the rest of my loads, as I figure, the other shots would surely not be as tight. Im not a good shooter, and never have I shot good groupings in one mag dump.
So my question to the seasoned reloaders, can pistol reloads be done without crimping the casings? I know everyone will say crimping is a must for pistols. But if I was able to safely shoot 3 umcrimp loads and got a very good grouping, why not try it again?
Here's my 3 shot group;


Image
Ketchman
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Re: RELOADS WITHOUT CRIMPING = MORE ACCURATE?

Post by Ketchman »

Because if you do NOT crimp and the bullet gets pushed too deeply into the case your chamber pressures could get high enough to seriously damage or blow apart your pistol while you are holding it, which is not something I am willing to volunteer for. Remember this is a blowback pistol not a locked breach pistol and therefore is not strong enough to handle high pressures. An extra 1\4 inch tighter grouping is not worth loading fingers / hand over. :?
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Ketchman
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Re: RELOADS WITHOUT CRIMPING = MORE ACCURATE?

Post by Ketchman »

Error correction. I am NOT willing to volunteer for. And I forgot to add that each round has a pretty violent trip out of the mag and up the ramp into the chamber which is how bullets get set back into cases. Chamber the same factory round by hand from the mag into the chamber a couple of times and check to oal against a fresh one and you will see what I mean.
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gemini1
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Re: RELOADS WITHOUT CRIMPING = MORE ACCURATE?

Post by gemini1 »

Thanks for your input Ketchman. I also posted this on the other gun forum I frequent, and the consensus is, as you said. Maybe I just got lucky, none of those 3 rounds exhibited any pressure/bullet set back when chambered and shot. I did get a tip on trying different OAL on lightly crimped rounds to see if I can duplicate the tight groupings I got.
Ketchman
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Re: RELOADS WITHOUT CRIMPING = MORE ACCURATE?

Post by Ketchman »

Hey sometimes it is better to be lucky than good eh? :hi:
Close enough for Government work will get you dead, ask any Vet.
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