45 ACP crimping

Bittermansbro

Bittermansbro

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I just bought the Lee carbide 45acp dies along with some excel 23gr LRNs for reloading this weekend. As I got set up and organized, I had a question pop up about how much crimp is sufficient and how deep to seat the bullet.

How does everyone else do it? What's your personal loads?

The bullets I am using have a little ridge before the rounded nose starts, do you crimp slightly over that or on it?

THanks in advance!
 
Without knowing the OAL of the cartridge with the bullet seated to the ridge, I doubt I'd seat it any farther. Probably just so the ridge is visible above the case mouth. Take this info with a grain of salt.

As for the amount of crimp......
...with your bullet seated to length and your crimp die body adjusted properly, back out the crimp stem and cycle the cartridge into the die. Lower the stem until you feel it starting to tighten up. Lower the cartridge, then adjust the crimp another 3/4 turn in. This is how I have mine set up right now.

Hope this helps a bit.

(E) :cool:
 
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Taper crimp only for a .45. It headspaces in the case mouth. And use just a wee bit. With good eyes, you can see about a 1/16" long taper.
 
All you are doing when you crimp the .45acp is removing the belling you may have applied before loading the bullet. Most measure the case mouth and want .469 - .471 crimp. Personally I try for a .470 crimp which essentially is a straight case. The bullet in the .45acp is held in the case by friction.

As has been stated the .45acp headspaces on the case mouth so you don't want to roll the case mouth over like you would when loading jacked rifle bullets.

If you don't have the manufactures recomended OAL to guide you try this.

Remove the barrel from the gun. First measure the length of the bullet. Drop the bullet into the chamber and measure from the base of the bullet to the top of the chamber with your calipers. Add the two measurements together than back off a few thousanths. If you find the OAL of your cartridge to long to load in your magazines then back off until they will. The latter is unlikely but it could happen.

I hope this helps.

Take Care

Bob
 
THanks guys, I don't have much of a crimp on it now, when I drop the round into the barrel it makes a nice clunk as it drops in. When compared to a FMJ factory ball round, it sits in the same spot, no difference.

I feel much better now, but like with loading for any new round, I don't want anything to go blooey.
 
As has been said before, only crimp enough to remove the bell. Seat the bullet to the OAL listed in your reloading manual for your powder/bullet combination. If you want to adjust the OAL, do it in small increments with only the starting powder charge and watch for pressure. If you get to the desired OAL with no pressure signs, you can start working up the powder charge with the new OAL.
 
I should have added my favourite load for my 200 gr LSWC is 5,3 gr of Win 231. Excellent powder for the .45acp. Load makes PF for IDPA/IPSC. Very accurate in al my 1911's.

Take Care

Bob
 
THanks guys, got things working. All I have to say is 'gaddanged Unique powder!' Fun to shoot, but makes the brass look like it was shooting blackpowder!

Anyone tried TrailBoss for the 45?
 
Canuck44

All the .45 cases I have are about twenty thousandths undersize, there is no way they can properly headspace on the case mouth. I'ts the same with all the .45 brass I have seen.

I keep my OAL a little oversize, this way the OAL is adjusted to the correct length by the breach block when chambering and eliminates any headspace. Is this what you are getting at when you say "back off a few thousandths" ?
 
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Spencer

'All the .45 cases I have are about twenty thousandths undersize, there is no way they can properly headspace on the case mouth. I'ts the same with all the .45 brass I have seen."

.45acp brass will shorten over time with resizing. What happens with your loaded cartridges is the case moves forward (in theory) and headspaces off the mouth. Some have suggested the cartridge will headspace off the extractor but if you look there is ample room for the case to move when the firing pin strikes the primer. I have yet to find unfired brass that measure .898 which is the spec for .45acp brass.


"Is this what you are getting at when you say "back off a few thousandths" ?"

No. I found that if you load to the maximum OAL sugested by your measurements you will eventually get some cases that won't chamber. The reason for it is we are using hobby equipment. By backing off a few thousanths you are adjusting for the odd bullet that is a few thou longer than the others. I cast my own and it is not uncommon to have one bullet come out of the mold a couple of thousanths longer than the average. Too, there is room for a few thousanths of error when we measure.

I have yet to have a cartridge fail to load by backing off my measurements a few thousanths. By doing so accuracy has never been compromised and there is no practical difference in pressures.

Your cartridge headspace off the mouth of the case and OAL of the cartridge does not have any impact on headspace issues. It does have an effect on the ability of the cartridge to chamber as the bullet, if the cartridge is to long, will hit the rifling and prevent the cartridge fro chambering. I hope I have explained this clearly enough. If not PM me.

Take Care

Bob
 
I understand almost all of what you are sayng perfectly.

My OAL is five though oversise using the method for guaging the OAL that you have described. I full lenth size and also 'crimp 'if that's the right word for it as you have described.

The bit I don't understand is how a bullet that is a few thou oversize can have an effect on the OAL as the bullet will be seated a few thou deeper in the case by the seating die.

I cast my own too.
 
PS my expeience so far is that the breach will adjust the OAL so that headspace is non existant. ( we are only talking about a knats whisker ) It seems to work perfectly with my cast bullets, I'm not sure that it would work with jacketed bullets.
 
Spencer

If you were to do the measuring like I described using a caliper and you were to max out the OAL all would be ok until you ran into a bullet that was just a few thousandths longer or it had a small ridge on the bullets shoulder. THe longer bullet could catch on the shoulder for example and be stopped by the rifling causing the cartridge not to fully seat in the chamber. That plus the fact that while our equipment is good, I use a Dillon 550, IF for any reason your bullet happens to seat just a tad longer than normal you run into problems. That is why I suggest after measuring you just back off a few thousanths. Just gives you room for error.

Because I load for several different 1911's I try to stick to suggested OAL as published by the bullet mold makers. When buying commercial bullets this information is not always available and it is in those cases I go to measuring method.

Take Care

Bob
 
You are right about the equipment. I have a Lee challenger press. I think it's about time to upgrade. Come to think of it I should have upgraded about ten yrs ago.
What gets me is that the progressive type equipment does not seem to be any use for full size rifle ammo. I guess I've been waiting for the do it all press to be invented.
 
I use my Dillon 550 as a speedier single stage when reloading rifle. That said I have loaded .303 using ball powder with it as a progressive and it works just fine. For stick powders I like to weigh each load so I just remove the case in Station 2 and weight and trickle then replace the case in stage two and rotate. A little faster than using a single stage.

I load lead bullets for my M 14, Win 94, #4 Longbranch and my 30-06 so I have ordered a RCBS Supreme to do the resizing on. That way I can prime and bell in Stage one. Kust allows me to do the resizing without having to change dies in my Dillon. I have to clean primer pockets and trim anyway so I really am loading during two different time frames.

Take Care

Bob
 
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