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  1. #1
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    Default Shotgun ammo crimp

    I know nothing about shotguns, my complete experience is 2 shots at a clay target with an O/U, and one COF at a IPSC club match using a colleague's pump action. Stupidly, I never did shotgun competency years ago, and again neglected to do it when I SLR, so now I'm going back for the third time... mensdom, and all that...

    So the shotgun proficiency manual says a start crimp is used for birdshot, and a roll crimp for buckshot. Out if interest, is this always the case? I always thought that star crimping is just "newer" and replaced roll crimping, regardless of the type of shot. Some insights on this would be appreciated.

    :- P

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Lack of real estate is the biggest problem.

    Buck uses a card and roll crimp, because with the increased shot column there isn't much case left to close a star crimp.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Not always true. The Hornady Tap and Critical Defense buck has a star crimp. As does at least some of the Fiocchi. I’m sure there are others.

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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Back in the 70's,we were already loading shotgun ammo,mostly 3's for geese and 9's for quail.
    Shells were still of cardboard construction and my dad's re-loading press roll crimped the shells.There were also no plastic wads with the 'fingers' into which the pellets went,the wad was simply a high density foam with a cardboard disc on either side. We shot many thousands of these over the years. I remember that the shells were Hirtenberg. I certainly think the star crimp is easier to use to seal the case and is possibly more durable [certainly on hand-loads.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Just had a squizzie...i have a few different makes of shot shells ranging in bird shot from no.1's up to no.9's with the cardboard disc and roll crimps. Factory ammo,albeit rather old stuff.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Gleock..you have a point but not exactly true in all cases.
    Where extra capacity is required in a shot shell,a shorter wad is used to make space for larger pellets.

  7. #7
    Moderator KK20's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    I have reloaded buck with star and roll crimp and not noticed much os a diff down range .
    live out your imagination , not your history.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Quote Originally Posted by Pirate View Post

    So the shotgun proficiency manual says a start crimp is used for birdshot, and a roll crimp for buckshot. Out if interest, is this always the case? I always thought that star crimping is just "newer" and replaced roll crimping, regardless of the type of shot. Some insights on this would be appreciated.

    :- P
    That is generally true for modern (plastic cased) shotgun ammo but is definitely not always the case. You will also find star crimped buckshot ammo and roll crimped birdshot ammo. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and even between different ranges of ammo produced by the same manufacturer.

    I've noticed that older (paper cased) ammo seemed to use roll crimps more often than is the case with modern ammo, but again this is a very general observation. It also seems to me that old ammo in the smaller gauges (.410; 20Ga & 16Ga) is more likely to have roll crimp than 12Ga. I just had a look at my collection of .410 ammo, consisting of about 50 different cartridges both paper and plastic cased and there isn't even a single star crimp with shot sizes varying from AAA to no.10 shot which is tiny pellets. This makes sense because it would be difficult to put a star crimp on a cartridge with that small a diameter.

    You are correct, star crimp is "newer" than roll crimp and is better suited to mass production than roll crimp. I'll stick my neck out and speculate that it would be almost impossible to find a roll crimp in really high production quantity ammo like 12Ga 28g/7.5's used for clay pigeon shooting.

    As an aside, most star crimped ammo seems to have 6 segments but some also has 8 segments.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Thanks guys, my curiosity is generally satisfied...

    Would roll-crimped ammo not allow "longer" cartriges, because the chamber does not need to accommodate the extra length of the unfolded star crimp?

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Shotgun ammo crimp

    Quote Originally Posted by Pirate View Post
    Thanks guys, my curiosity is generally satisfied...

    Would roll-crimped ammo not allow "longer" cartriges, because the chamber does not need to accommodate the extra length of the unfolded star crimp?
    That was an added advantage as I got in one extra shell without undue stresses to the spring.
    live out your imagination , not your history.

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