First Time Loading .45 Didnt Go Smoothly

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Adamg_55

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Toronto, Bantario
Hey guys, ive been reloading for about a year now, all on a progrssive press. I just got tooled up to crank out .45 ACP but it didnt go all that well.

Heres what im working with:
Hornady LnL progressive press
Lee carbide pistol dies
once fired .45 acp from a CGN
aim 200gr flat nose

So it was going well and then every once in a while i would have to put a little more pressure than normal to cycle the press and the result is pictured below.

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On some of them it seems like the case just shaved off part of the projectile, and on a couple of them the projectile wouldnt seat so it crushed the case!
I was using a case expander die, so im not sure. A couple of times i dont think the brass was sitting completely level.

Basically im not 100% sure how this happened and i would like to prevent it in the future.

Its strange i load .308 and 9mm with zero problems, but .223 and .45 seem to give me the most troubles.

Also i couldnt find in my manuals or online the best COAL for these projectiles, anybody know?
 
That used to happen to me a lot when I started loading .45ACP. Happens when loading non-boattailed bullets in unbelled cases.

Try to bell the case mouths a bit more. For me, it got to the point where I had to take extra care centering the bullet on the mouth before seating it, but I use a turret press. Not sure how a progressive press allows for that type of manual intervention.

Might want to slow down a bit 'til you find a more suitable (tapered-base) bullet or adjust the powder die to get a larger bell.
 
,,, then every once in a while i would have to put a little more pressure than normal to cycle the press and the result is pictured below.
Click to expand...

That would be a bad thing ! Once you get the normal feel, as when things are going right, be sensitive to changes in that feel and stop as necessary.

If I understand the problem correctly, you are not crumpling every case but only some, so, screw down (lower) your expander die and unscrew (raise) your seating die, just a tad on each. The situation should improve, if it does, continue these adjustments until the problem resolves 100%. Adjust COL with your seating stem.
 
Cerdan said:
That used to happen to me a lot when I started loading .45ACP. Happens when loading non-boattailed bullets in unbelled cases.

Try to bell the case mouths a bit more. For me, it got to the point where I had to take extra care centering the bullet on the mouth before seating it, but I use a turret press. Not sure how a progressive press allows for that type of manual intervention.

Might want to slow down a bit 'til you find a more suitable (tapered-base) bullet or adjust the powder die to get a larger bell.
Click to expand...

What he said. I would flare the case mouth out more, and than run them through the lee factory crimp die when done, not only does it crimp but it also re-sizes.
 
Yep, case mouth isn't belled enough. Don't go crazy belling the case mouths, however, as you can have too much of a good thing. You don't want to create other problems for yourself. Best of luck with it! :)
 
I agree with the rest, bell those case mouths more...in odd cases the bullet and the nose of the seating stem are not compatible, and some will be cocked at the time of seating, causing this condition.
 
The Lyman 'M' die is your friend. Puts a 'step' in the brass instead of a 'bell' (which leads to bullet tipping). Try it, you will like it.....
 
I think all my fellow reloaders posting here, have missed a vital part of the equation, that being the need to bell the case mouth. On my advice, try to bell the mouths a little bit more, and ignore the rabble ;)
 
I used to experience the opposite when reloading lead SWC for 45 ACP: the cases would shave off a bit of the lead and wax, and leave it in the seating die, which then got plugged and/or left a big wad of crud on every 5th bullet or so.

Only after I acquired a .44 kit and began loading for my other gun, did I realize that my "bargain" Lee speed die for .45 ACP just couldn't expand the mouth enough. The solution was buy a die that opened the mouth more, and I haven't had that problem since.
 
Ben might have added a wee gleam of enlightenment to the obvious - the seating punch may not be compatible with the bullet shape, allowing one in ten to ####, instead of guiding them correctly. Old RCBS boxes came with three different punches for .38/.357, but I don't know about .45, since when I bought my dies everyone shot RN. (My first .45 barfed if you fed it anything but RN, even after a Butcher Bob "polished" the feeding ramp.) Worth checking, especially if, after a good open bell you still get wonky bullet seating.
 
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