577 Snider Taper Crimp?

[Shanghai Jack]

Okay - so on the advise of the learned ones in the British Militaria Forum and other places I'm looking at loading the X-ring Services .600 diameter. Its essentially a loose finger tight fit in the fired case. I'd like to apply a light taper crimp but I don't have any dies for the 60 caliber flavor (destructive device and all) Any thoughts as how to proceed.

Thanks

[Cyrus]

I have Lee dies for my .577 Snider. So far I have not used them, choosing instead the 24(?)28(?) gauge plastic hull with round ball for the little shooting I’ve done with it. I’d imagine a roll crimp could be fashioned using wire strippers drilled out to the case mouth diameter for a primitive pinch but can’t say for a taper. I was likely no help, sorry.

[DonHowe]

The $64 dollar question is what powder? If you plan to use black powder, lube the bullet, seat it with your fingers (slip fit) and shoot.
You could taper crimp but be prepared to pay handsomely for a custom die, unless you can make it yourself.
After initially using the Lee dies to form and load cases only to discover that they came out of the chamber with just a straight taper I took a different path. After slugging showed I needed a .595" bullet (at least) I thought,"Why not a neck size die?" When a fellow shooter/home machinist asked me to cast a quantity of BPCR bullets I saw an opportunity. The price for casting was a neck size die.
At it's base this die just accepts the 24ga brass hull then is a straight taper to the start of the neck portion (1/2" long IIRC). Running the case into this die sizes the "neck" just enough to give a slight interference fit on the bullet. I just bell the mouth a bit and start the bullet. A plus is that this die and the Lee shellholder is pretty much all a guy needs.

BTW on the British Militaria site (or maybe Google) look for loading info from a guy whose handle was Old Yoti. If you locate his info it is pretty much "The Bible" for BP loading. 577 Snider.

[.455 Webley]

Would the angles line up just right to use a 577-450MH sizer or seating die? Not all the way in mind you but just enough to kiss the case mouth on the start of the die shoulder? It's worth a shot.

[DonHowe]

I just measured a Snider case formed in a Lee. FL die and one of my neck -sized cases.
Compating the fired and neck-size case to published dimensions of the .577-.450 it appears that a .577-.450 FL die might actually taper crimp a Snider case with a .600" diameter bullet seated or if not the shoulder of the die would turn the case mouth in. Of course this only helps the OP if he has or can borrow the .577-.450 die or are willing to spend $100+ to get one.

Incidentally, the outside neck diameter of a case formed in the Lee Snider die is right at. 600" or the same diameter of the OP's bullet! The shoulder of the formed case is right at the same as the neck diameter as my case neck sized for a .600" bullet.

If the OP is using black powder then the finger tight bullet needs no crimp. If not, the Lee seater MAY roll crimp the case mouth. I have not loaded Snider ammo for a while so don't recall that detail.