Roll Crimp vs Fold Crimp

[Stephen Hodges]

Having never reloaded using a roll crimp, what is the advantage of it vs fold? Does it lower PSI? Thanks, Steve

[Mike Koneski]

Roll crimps do give a lower PSI. Usually you're using a built-up wad column instead of a plastic one-piece wad, but depending on your load, you can roll crimp over a plastic wad and OSC. The built-up wad column also helps reduce pressure. Most of what I load pretty much have good pressures as I don't make snotty game loads. Even the 8g loads are technically low pressure compared to what they used to shoot in those guns.

[Daryl Corona]

Mike is correct. Most guys do it because they like the way it looks "vintage". All my loads are below 10k psi so to me the squeeze is not worth the juice. Besides they are not conducive to volume reloading. But they do have that cool factor.

[Rick Roemer]

In the last six months or so I’ve gotten heavily into roll crimping. Lots of good advice given from members on this site and some trial and error have yielded what I consider pretty good results. If you want advice on it, feel free to reach out. I’ve had the loads tested alongside regular crimp loads and find they do have lower pressures.

[Clark McCombe]

It’s just one of those things…
I shoot a Trojan but also a Damascus hammer
I drive a Chevy but also once in a while my ‘76 Triumph
My Mec can punch out the 12ga target loads, but there is just something about the slower process of loading a box of perfect 2” roll crimped shells.
The next step will be paper hulls :)

[Keith Doty]

Beware! Paper hulls may be addictive.

[Mike Koneski]

Some paper hulls definitely load better than others. I find Federal Gold Medal and Fiocchi paper to load the best whether they are fold crimped or rolled.

[CraigThompson]

I’ve only roll crimped 8 and 10 gauge . And all that were rolled were for buckshot , balls or slugs . I find it a bit time consuming but then again I find single stage presses time consuming . Sorry the only pics of rolled in my phone are 10 gauge balls and slugs .

[edgarspencer]

It’s just one of those things…The next step will be paper hulls :)
They're almost too pretty to shoot
Beware! Paper hulls may be addictive.
No argument there, Keith
Some paper hulls definitely load better than others. Buzackly! Cheddite 12 and 16 paper roll perfectly, but the yellow paper 20s don't. They looked like a kindergarten art project.

Many years ago, I had Tom Armbrust test my 12 and 16 roll crimp loads and from several recipes i had for plastic star crimped loads. What I found was interesting, in that they resulted in approximately 500psi lower pressures, irrespective of recipe or gauge. A 6700psi 12gauge load came back at roughly 6200psi, and a 6000psi 16gauge load came back at 5550psi.

Something someone told me, or maybe I read, was that is was important to keep the depth of the rolled edge the same as it's width. Excessively deep rolled edges can produce Higher pressures.

[john pulis]

Never had or felt the need to roll crimp since all of my reloads were low enough pressure. Not all paper hulls are the same, Federals are the best for “aroma therapy,” Cheddites are ok but I only get 3 or 4 reloads before they show songs of deterioration.

[J. Scott Hanes]

In the last six months or so I’ve gotten heavily into roll crimping. Lots of good advice given from members on this site and some trial and error have yielded what I consider pretty good results. If you want advice on it, feel free to reach out. I’ve had the loads tested alongside regular crimp loads and find they do have lower pressures.

What differences, if any, do you see in the patterns they produce. When roll crimps were the norm many decades ago, the manufacturers touted the move to crimping to prevent "blown" patterns. Any truth to that in your experience?

[Keith Doty]

I'm getting ready to finish up a pile of spent 12 ga. hulls. When I do 16 ga. paper hulls is next, finally got some from BP (been out for some time.) When I do I'm going to load some with the same load but roll vs. crimp. Then off to the pattern board. Several of us here in my area have discussed this over and over, only the pattern board knows for sure. I'll report to all with result. I've switched from the magic marker and counting holes to the photo app and special targets. Costs not a lot and REAL easy!