Originally Posted by Perry M. Kissam
Originally Posted by Stanton Hillis
This is my setup for roll crimping. Drill press and a MEC Super Sizer. The SS does double duty. It resizes the case heads then, when bolted to the drill press table, it is the best case holder imaginable.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
Will someone be so kind as to walk me through the actual process / procedure that happens in this picture?? I am not a reloader but I am aware of the procedures. But, this drill press has me totally confused in regards to crimping the case. Any help to my understanding would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I posted the pic, Perry, and I will gladly explain it.

Wha you see is a .410 case being held in a MEC SuperSizer, a tool that was intended to resize the metal heads of fired shot shells, in a separate operation from the resizing station on reloading presses. It utilizes a collet that squeezes the metal all the way around at the same time. Some presses have this feature themselves, but many have a ring that the case head is pushed through, with quite some effort required sometimes to resize and eject it. When you buy one it will come in the gauge of your choice, but extra collets are available for other gauges.

In use, to resize cases, the tool is bolted to a bench top. I get extra duty out of mine by bolting it to the table of my bench top drill press, and carefully aligning it with the roll crimper which you can see in the drill press chuck. The pic above shows a case that has just been roll crimped. I have a foot switch wired into my drill press which allows me to turn the drill motor on and off while keeping both hands free.

Start to finish goes like this: a loaded but uncrimped shell is placed in the SuperSizer and my left hand gently pushes on the lever which causes the collet to grip it tightly. My right hand lowers the quill on the drill press, while my left foot has the switch depressed causing the crimper to be turning at a fairly low speed. When the crimper contacts the open case mouth I pause there a few seconds while the friction warms the case mouth, then I steadily lower the spinning crimper until I get the roll crimp completed. Then, my foot releases the drill motor switch as I release the lever and allow the collet to release the case head.

Sounds like a lot going on I know, but in practice it only requires a few seconds per round.

May God bless America and those who defend her.