Dominion .45 Colt brass issue

[Armored Metal]

Hey guys,

I'm new at reloading the .45 Colt catridge and ran into a problem last night. I was resizing some once fired brass that a friend gave me and everything was going well until I tried resizing some Dominion brass. It just won't fit into my Lee #11 shellholder.

Upon further inspection, I noticed that the undercut just below the rim is absent on the Dominion shells. Would a Lee#14 shellholder or any other brand fit this brass?

Thanks,

Dominion on the left, Starline on the right

 

[bsand]

I personally would not reload those cases. If they cheaped out on forming proper cases, imagine what they cheaped out on what you can't see?

 

[Gun-adian]

I'm wondering if you found some old balloon head brass. They don't have the relief cut above the rim like modern brass and don't fit the shell holders.

Here's a side by side......

http://s17.photobucket.com/user/the...Cartridge45ColtSolidHeadvsBAloonHead.jpg.html

 

[Armored Metal]

I'm wondering if you found some old balloon head brass. They don't have the relief cut above the rim like modern brass and don't fit the shell holders.

Here's a side by side......

http://s17.photobucket.com/user/the...Cartridge45ColtSolidHeadvsBAloonHead.jpg.html

That sure looks like it!

Can I still reload that brass using a shellholder made for a larger cartridge?

 

[Mark-II]

I've some of that brass too. The solution was to not bother with it and buy some starline.

For one it just doesn't have much of a rim for your shell holder, if you can find one, or extractor , if you shoot it in something besides a single action, to grab

 

[Armored Metal]

I've some of that brass too. The solution was to not bother with it and buy some starline.

For one it just doesn't have much of a rim for your shell holder, if you can find one, or extractor , if you shoot it in something besides a single action, to grab

It is for a single action. Maybe you're right and I should not bother with it.....but I would use the brass if there's a simple fix to it.

 

[DaveF]

You can use an RCBS #20 or a Lee #5 as either of them will work, although RCBS #20 has a little less play.
I still use old Dominion brass in 45 Colt and 455 Colt, and even though it's 'balloon head' I've never had a problem with it as I stick to published loads which replicate factory, and don't try to 'magnumize' my loads.
I don't have a Lee #14 to compare.

 

[tjsudbury]

I'd section one of them first, to verify that they were balloon head brass, and chuck them if they were

 

[wbaad]

As long as you are keeping the loads reasonable balloon head brass is fine.
If you were doing rifle loads I wouldn't use it though

 

[DaveF]

You don't need to section one to determine if it is balloon head - you just need to look down inside the case.
You don't need to chuck them, however if you do decide to go that route, chuck them my way. Please and thanks.

 

[Armored Metal]

You can use an RCBS #20 or a Lee #5 as either of them will work, although RCBS #20 has a little less play.
I still use old Dominion brass in 45 Colt and 455 Colt, and even though it's 'balloon head' I've never had a problem with it as I stick to published loads which replicate factory, and don't try to 'magnumize' my loads.
I don't have a Lee #14 to compare.

Thank you DaveF. Looks like I'll be getting an RCBS #20. And, no "magnumized" loads for me either because I shoot them in a Pietta SAA clone, so only mild loads.