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Member Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 134 Location: Idaho

To the group, I am reloading some new activ cases. My mec is not doing a good job with the crimps. If I reload once fired the crimps are fine. Any suggestions for reloading new active cases? Thanks in advance. Larry

This will help immensely.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Super-Crown-Crimper-Large-Bore-8-Pt/productinfo/0740007/

James

Making a New crimp requires a different starter adjustment than does starting an old one. I have found that the plastic mec crimp starter does not work very well on a new crimp, because there are three or four alignment guides on the inside of the starter than make creases in new hulls. BPI has a brass crimp starter that is made to do this. You can remove the guides with a dremmel tool on the plastic starter but that doesnt always work.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 823

Hmmmmm byrdog, I removed those guides and never had a problem with starting new crimps. I also took the same mec crimp starter and put it on different make press with no problems. I have had a problem from time to time with the final crimp on active. But I found if I just start the final crimp with a little amount of pressure the bring the arm back up and rotate the hull and apply final pressure that usually takes care of the problem. But I think the problem lies more within the type of components and powder. Switching components often many times causes for a little tweaking.

Joined: 09 Aug 2015 Posts: 30 Location: CT

It's been a while but as I recall my experience's with new Activs, allowing time for the crimp to form helps a lot. I believe I would take the time to crimp a little deeper each time, gently, over 5-6 handle strokes; this being on a 600 jr. Holding the crimp starter in place for 3-5 seconds on each stroke. Once formed in this manner I could crimp in one step normally when reloading. Only had to do this the first time I loaded those nice, new cases. ( Found the bag holding the leftovers that I thought I had, too!).

I would have to check and see if that loader has the old brass starter or the plastic one.

It has been years since I used new activ hulls, that said, i recall the six crimp was a better option than 8 point. The earlier comment to let the pre-crimp set a bit before going to final crimp is a good way to go

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2349 Location: West MI

Member Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 134 Location: Idaho

Thanks to all for the help. I have the new crimp starter from BPI. It cuts the new cases and does help with the once fired cases. Although the results are intermittent. I might try to file the sharp edges of the starter and see if that helps. Any more suggestions would be appreciated. Larry

The new type Activ hulls are not unibody but polyformed hulls. They and Cheddite polyformed hulls are the same or so closely similar, the differences are almost non-existent. Both hulls have non-tapered hull walls and are offered new, primed, and are not skived..

Therein lies the problem. Forming brand new crimp folds in hulls which have not been previously skived and crimped through special tooling and techniques used in producing factory ammo can be very difficult and frustrating. This is why I gave up on it decades ago. I obtain only factory loaded once fired hulls for reloading and bypass the entire problem.

Perhaps there's another option here though. Although I've never roll crimped any of my loads and do not have any roll crimping tools, I suspect it would be far easier to roll crimp new, never crimped hulls rather than fold crimp them. I'm sure some of the folks who regularly roll crimp their loads can weigh in here and enlighten us better than I can.

The guide lines inside the MEC crimp starters have very little to do with crimping new hulls. For Cheddites. I never touch any adjustment and they crimp well regardless of what I am using for components.

Activ's were always a bit different as they have such a large capacity that you almost never have enough wad column height to get a nice tight crimp. Either you have to add a filler or you have to back off the crimp depth and possibly give it a little less cam. Sometimes you have to play with the precrimp also.

hey Mark , how goes it !!?? You are right on with the unfired . They can be a PITA ! mine like to twist and flatten - always takes a while to get them to act correctly . Almost like they are a little too thin .