I've been reloading .38 Spl for a S&W K38 for a couple of years, using a Lee hand tool (don't laugh), mostly 148 gr HBWC over Bullseye. I'd like to get a 1911 in .45 acp but only if it's going to be feasible for me to reload for it. From looking online it seems that the Lee hand tool is not suitable for a semiauto cartridge. Is it difficult to reload .45 acp on a single stage press and get the right overall length and of crimp? I don't reload in volume, and I shoot slow so don't mind reloading slow. I like the safety of a simple device with no risk of double charging. (Currently I reload with my son and we both check the reading on the scale for every cartridge.) Also, is it feasible to use lead bullets? I'd appreciate any comments from the voice of experience.
45 acp beginner setup?
- Thread starter AlexisCreek
- Start date
It's very easy to reload on a single stage or progressive, I started my reloading career with 45acp on a lee pro1000 progressive press. If your not looking to spend alot of money check out the lee reloader press (Link). More then enough press for 45acp and 38 spl, I've even loaded 500 mag with it (4k worth, though with lubed cases). you'll need a way of priming the cases so you can either use a hand primer or get a press mounted priming tool to do them one at a time. Then of course you will need a set of dies for 45acp any brand will work. Another great thing about 45acp is it's perfect for lead bullets with it's lower velocity. Funny enough 45acp is also the first calibre i started casting with as well.
Lee's on press mounting tool https://leeprecision.com/ram-prime.html
Lee's on press mounting tool https://leeprecision.com/ram-prime.html
- Location
- Calgary, AB.
I reload 45ACP on my Single Stage Rock Chucker Supreme and I really enjoy it. In my opinion it is the easiest cartridge to reload and one of the safest(due mainly to it's short, wide case).
I don't reload in volume either; just take an hour a few nights a week and reload a couple hundred, then go shoot em. Assuming I have prepped casings to work with, I'll do ~100/hr including powder, seat & crimp.
That said, I got REALLY tired of measuring with dippers and tricklers and stepped up to a Hornady L&L powder measure. I'll drop until I get the desired weight, then make sure I get measurement repeatability over 3 drops. This usually takes a minute or two, then less than a minute to fill 50 casings. Best investment I've made so far.
I use RCBS hand priming tools. I keep one set up with Large Pistol for my 45, and one set up for Small pistol for my 9mm and 40S&W
Another thing I did was grab two sets of carbide dies. One is set up for 230gr Round Nose at 1.260" and the other is set up for 200gr Truncated Cone at 1.155". Saves a ton of time and PITA if you load more than one bullet type like I do. I just kept an eye on the EE until I found a good deal so I only ended up spending ~$125 for both sets.
I always use plated bullets, but gobs of people use lead for 45ACP.
I don't reload in volume either; just take an hour a few nights a week and reload a couple hundred, then go shoot em. Assuming I have prepped casings to work with, I'll do ~100/hr including powder, seat & crimp.
That said, I got REALLY tired of measuring with dippers and tricklers and stepped up to a Hornady L&L powder measure. I'll drop until I get the desired weight, then make sure I get measurement repeatability over 3 drops. This usually takes a minute or two, then less than a minute to fill 50 casings. Best investment I've made so far.
I use RCBS hand priming tools. I keep one set up with Large Pistol for my 45, and one set up for Small pistol for my 9mm and 40S&W
Another thing I did was grab two sets of carbide dies. One is set up for 230gr Round Nose at 1.260" and the other is set up for 200gr Truncated Cone at 1.155". Saves a ton of time and PITA if you load more than one bullet type like I do. I just kept an eye on the EE until I found a good deal so I only ended up spending ~$125 for both sets.
I always use plated bullets, but gobs of people use lead for 45ACP.
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Rocket Surgery
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
45acp is very easy to load. You could buy any press available and have no issues.
I have the Lee reloader single stage, the one without the priming system installed. It's cheap and works well, but you'll need the ram prime, or the hand priming tool to use it.
The Breech Lock Challenger press has the priming attachment, but costs a bit more. It's a decent press as well.
My personal recommendation is to get the Lee turret press with auto-disk system. It allows for you to do each step as if you were using a single stage, and you can prime on it. The auto-disk measuring system will throw powder charges within .1 grains depending on the powder. You get all the sensitivity of a single stage for about the same price as the overpriced brands, and you don't have to swap out your dies constantly because the toolhead holds 4. Once it's all set up, you can load realistically 150 rounds an hour on it. If you want to load rifle, you can do this as well. You can get the press with the auto-disk measure for $175 bucks.
I have the Lee reloader single stage, the one without the priming system installed. It's cheap and works well, but you'll need the ram prime, or the hand priming tool to use it.
The Breech Lock Challenger press has the priming attachment, but costs a bit more. It's a decent press as well.
My personal recommendation is to get the Lee turret press with auto-disk system. It allows for you to do each step as if you were using a single stage, and you can prime on it. The auto-disk measuring system will throw powder charges within .1 grains depending on the powder. You get all the sensitivity of a single stage for about the same price as the overpriced brands, and you don't have to swap out your dies constantly because the toolhead holds 4. Once it's all set up, you can load realistically 150 rounds an hour on it. If you want to load rifle, you can do this as well. You can get the press with the auto-disk measure for $175 bucks.
Rocket Surgery nailed it - his recommended Turret Press setup is just about exactly what I use to reload 9mm, 45ACP, 45 Colt, and a couple of rifle calibers. I'd add the Auto Disk riser just so the Auto Disk powder measure isn't hitting the Safety Prime every time it comes around.
One thing to keep in mind when reloading 45ACP is that Winchester (and others such as Wolf) are now making brass with small primers. 45ACP was originally designed with LARGE pistol primers, so the reloader has to keep an eye out and separate the brass. Failure to do so will result in jammed primers should the reloader try to put a large primer in a small primer pocket.
One thing to keep in mind when reloading 45ACP is that Winchester (and others such as Wolf) are now making brass with small primers. 45ACP was originally designed with LARGE pistol primers, so the reloader has to keep an eye out and separate the brass. Failure to do so will result in jammed primers should the reloader try to put a large primer in a small primer pocket.
- Location
- West Quebec
Loaded all my Pistols including my 45ACP on a Forster single stage for a couple of years using Bullseye with no issues till I upgraded to a Dillon 650 ..
I started reloading with 45acp cartridges. Used Lee classic cast turret. You can remove the indexing rod to make it function as a single stage with advantage of turret so you don’t have to keep removing and jnstalling dies.
If you're ok with Lee loaders, you're gonna be ok with a single stage. Any of them will do, even the cheapest. It's faster and easier. After you've tried reloading 45acp with a press you're probably gonna get dies for your 38 too because you'll see how more convenient a press is compared to loaders.
I would buy the Lee dies if I were you, they're the least expensive and come with a shellholder so you save quite a bit, and for pistols they're as good as any die. For a press I would buy a small Lee C-type press and for priming I would buy a hand primer, any brand except Lee (they use a different set of shellholders).
I would buy the Lee dies if I were you, they're the least expensive and come with a shellholder so you save quite a bit, and for pistols they're as good as any die. For a press I would buy a small Lee C-type press and for priming I would buy a hand primer, any brand except Lee (they use a different set of shellholders).
Like others here I don't load in large volume for my revolvers, so use a single stage press, hand primer, carbide dies (no lubing/cleaning lube off cases), and a powder measure (way faster, more than accurate enough for the purpose and very safe when set and checked properly). This will all work just as well for. 45ACP as well.
The best way to approach this is to batch load- processing the brass in groups (boxes or whatever you consider a batch), then priming the batch, then charging powder for the batch, then seating bullets for the batch. It saves time switching between stages of the process constantly while loading, and reduces the chances for errors by focusing on only one phase of the process at a time for every case you are working with.
Coming from a Lee loader, you're going to be amazed at how much easier and faster this setup is to use a press (single stage or turret), priming tool (hand, bench or press mounted-all are faster and safer than hammering them in with the Lee loader), powder measure (set it properly with your scale and check the drops occasionally-no need to weigh every charge if you set it right and use a powder that meters well through a measure), and press mounted dies (carbide dies are greatly recommended for straight wall cases-no lube required saves time, effort and mess and is well worth the added cost).
Lead, plated or jacketed all will work well in .45ACP as long as they are set up and loaded correctly for the gun in question. Depending upon the gun, semi auto's can be more picky on bullet shape when it comes to feeding, so bullet shape can be as much of a consideration as construction.
I haven't yet made it to loading for my brother in law's 1911, but at some point here I will, as he is burning through lots if ammo and complaining about the cost. As his collection continues to grow, the savings by loading his own will continue to add up.
Assuming your name reflects your location, I'm not far away at 150 Mile House.
The best way to approach this is to batch load- processing the brass in groups (boxes or whatever you consider a batch), then priming the batch, then charging powder for the batch, then seating bullets for the batch. It saves time switching between stages of the process constantly while loading, and reduces the chances for errors by focusing on only one phase of the process at a time for every case you are working with.
Coming from a Lee loader, you're going to be amazed at how much easier and faster this setup is to use a press (single stage or turret), priming tool (hand, bench or press mounted-all are faster and safer than hammering them in with the Lee loader), powder measure (set it properly with your scale and check the drops occasionally-no need to weigh every charge if you set it right and use a powder that meters well through a measure), and press mounted dies (carbide dies are greatly recommended for straight wall cases-no lube required saves time, effort and mess and is well worth the added cost).
Lead, plated or jacketed all will work well in .45ACP as long as they are set up and loaded correctly for the gun in question. Depending upon the gun, semi auto's can be more picky on bullet shape when it comes to feeding, so bullet shape can be as much of a consideration as construction.
I haven't yet made it to loading for my brother in law's 1911, but at some point here I will, as he is burning through lots if ammo and complaining about the cost. As his collection continues to grow, the savings by loading his own will continue to add up.
Assuming your name reflects your location, I'm not far away at 150 Mile House.
I recommend a Lee turret press as an inexpensive way of meeting your low-volume needs. A Dillon Square Deal would be a more upscale alternative if you only want to reload .38 Special and .45 ACP.
Dropping powder charges from a press-mounted measure then seating a bullet immediately afterwards is less likely to result in a double charge than charging the cases in a batch in a loading block.
Dropping powder charges from a press-mounted measure then seating a bullet immediately afterwards is less likely to result in a double charge than charging the cases in a batch in a loading block.
I control the chance of a double charge by keeping uncharged cases in a small bowl, charging them individually then dropping into the loading block. Filling the block with cases, then trying to charge them is clumsy with more risk of double charges and spills, at least with my setup. Others may do different, this works for me.
I will agree a turret or progressive mounted measure would be faster for charging cases (and loading overall), but my system works for the volumes I am loading and my budget. I can't justify the cost of upgrading for my volumes and my setup loads rifle rounds as well, so for me the versatility is also beneficial.
- Location
- West Quebec
When loading cases manually I usually skip a row in the block and then inspect under light and finally weigh them ..may take a bit longer but works ..
45ACP is one of those calibers that is very worth loading for.You can load for much less than factory ammo in comparison to 9mm which is not that much of a saving.It is also very easy to load for as the big cases and bullets are easy to handle.Theres nothing wrong with LEE equipment for the starting loader,they make their"anniversary"kits which have everything you need to start reloading.
I cheap single die Lee press and a set of dies will get you started. And it is not really very slow, either. You deprime, size and re-prime in one stroke and throw the primed case in a pail. Continue and do a pail of brass.
Then change the die and flare the mouth for the entire pail.
The drop powder and seat the bullet for the entire pail.
I would suggest the Lee carbide die, so you can skip the messy lube requirements.
Then change the die and flare the mouth for the entire pail.
The drop powder and seat the bullet for the entire pail.
I would suggest the Lee carbide die, so you can skip the messy lube requirements.
