To Crimp or Not to Crimp

[Mr Clean]

I picked up some British .308 at the gun show
today - $35 per 200, and I see it is crimped.
When my FN bullets arrive, should I be crimping it, too? I never have crimped the many 168 gr match loads for the M14. The
show at Salem, Oregon, was predictably not
great. Very small. I only saw 2 FAL's, one
an IAI version for $750. Thanks, John

[Kilowatter]

I believe the purpose of crimping for semi or full autos is so that when the bullet nose hits the feed ramp it isn't pushed back into the case.

[BUFF]

If the ammo is intended for a match rifle (like my M1A SuperMatch) or hunting or target ammo in a bolt rifle, no.

If it is mil ball I am trying to duplicate, like with the FMJ 147 grain and am likely to shoot it in a semiauto like the FAL, then, yes, I crimp it.

My .308 and 7.62X51 ammo is mostly shot in my FAL and Remington M-7 Scout, at paper targets and jack rabbits, so most of it uses FMJ bullts and is crimped.

[This message has been edited by BUFF (edited April 09, 2001).]

[Master Blaster]

If you are reloading for the FAL definitely crimp your loads. The crimp is important because it keeps the bullets (When loaded in a magazine) from being driven back into the case under recoil. It also helps prevent the situation that Kilowatter made reference to. Lee makes an inexpensive and very functional factory crimp die that duplicates the one on factory loaded ball. HTH
Jim