The best roll crimping tools out there, are the old Lyman tool.
They're hard to come by, but they have them on E-bay from time to time.
There's a 10 gauge tool on there now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:B:BCA:US:1123

Thanks, Dave. Good to see that you are still amongst us. JF

Charlie - I am always on the hunt for a solution to a situation without spending a lot of money. I trained myself to completely ignore the shell holder for roll crimping at Ballistic Products which costs $40 plus shipping.

Eureka!!! I finally found a $5 solution to fill the need for a 16 gauge roll crimping operation. It is a used plumber's flaring tool for copper tubing with 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" sizes. The 1/2" will hold a .410, the 5/8" will hold a 28 gauge and the 3/4" will hold a 16 gauge hull. If someone wanted to use the flaring tool for only 12 gauge, the 3/4" hole (.745) could be opened up to .8125 with a 13/16" drill bit.

thanks john im glad someone is on the lookout to save us reloaders some moola.....the idea of yours is a great one and i want have to buy one..my dad gave me the old flaring tool years back...but i never would have thought to use it for a shell holder...thanks again... charlie

I think the cheap one is plastic, the other metal. In all of mine the pin that does the rolling over is straight, so they should work either way - CW or CCW. Paul

boy i sure havnot learned how to crimp plastic shells with the old paper crimping tools yet....must not be holding my mouth right....charlie

Charlie - I think you need the Michael Jordon tongue-out technique?

I did a lot of reloading of 12ga black powder shells for a damascus Ithaca S/S with a Lee Loader until someone broke into my little remote cabin and stole all my reloading stuff. It worked quite well. I started reloading when I was about 13 with an old Winchester set of my grandfathers. I still have some of the kit. Those old hand crank roll crimpers did a great job on the paper and plastic shells I was using back then. I did learn that they are not all created equal. One of mine has a nice solid brass machined head with a nice crimping groove that worked very well; the other, for 10ga unfortunately or I'd use it today, has a pressed sheet brass head that doesn't work worth a damn.

im glad somebody else has trouble with the old crimping tools...richard i guess some of those old crimppers would do a good job on plastic but the ones i have will not...but i still have some paper hulls to crimp so i will still get to use them.... charlie

If you roll crimp do you use the same load? Do you have to shorten your shells? I want to do it I like the way they look and gives you something to wright your load on. ch