We start with:
I have 358156 and have used it for many years, good mold. I also have a brand new 358429 which I have yet to even heat up...and I've been wondering if I can use the crimping groove for .357 Mag and still chamber ammo in my Black hawk. I am assuming the answer is yes, reading between the lines of your post, but is that correct?
That is correct RR. That bullet seated to and crimped in the crimp grove will also fit Smith models 27, 28, 19, 66, 586, 686 ect.
But then we have:
this is a solution in 27/28 revolvers as copy/pasted from another forum: "I can tell you for sure that it will fit Smith 586/686, Smith M-19, Ruger Security Six and will not fit Smith M-27/28 if crimped in the crimp groove.
My solution for the M-27/28 was to seat deeper and crimp into (not over) the front driving band, shortening the overall cartridge length to where the bullet was just below flush with the front of the cylinder. I never measured this length, so I can't post it, but the setting is fairly easy. Set your bullet seating die to seat but not crimp. Seat the bullet to the crimp groove and insert the cartridge into the cylinder. Observe how much of the bullet protrudes from the front face of the cylinder. Screw the bullet seating stem down aproximately equal to the amount of bullet nose protrusion you observed and seat the bullet deeper. Check the round in the cylinder again. Repeat this cycle until you have the bullet nose just below flush.
Now, unscrew the bullet seating stem as far as possible so you don't seat the bullet deeper when you adjust the crimping function of the die. Adjust the crimp to your requirements, then, with the cartridge all the way in the die (press handle down), screw the seating stem down until it makes firm contact with the bullet. Then lock the seating stem with its lock nut.
That is a perfect description of how I do it Ron and I thought everyone did it that way.
