Lead 45 ACP loads
- Thread starter MTM
- Start date
By hangup I'm assuming you mean failure to feed and or lock. Silly questions, is your feed ramp polished? Polished mine with a Dremel and a felt bob, seemed to function much more smoothly. How much powder are you using? Lastly, how many rounds since the recoil spring was replaced?
I had a problem with feeding, part of it was the ramp and the other part was the crimp. If you are using a Lee loader, some folks will tell you that you need a "factory crimp die", I've had good results by just carefully setting up the regular dies and watching the crimp closely. Works for me, your mileage may vary. I use 200 gr semi-wadcutters all the time now without any issues.
I have two 45s, a brand new Norc commander and a Stainless series 80 thats had a few mods done. Both guns run perfect with factory ammo. As I said the previous owners handloads worked perfect in the colt. He gave me 200 rds. with the gun. I've just got my Dillon running and obviously have a small issue to work out. While I'm at it, the progressive makes it possible to mess up on a huge scale.
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MTM remover your barrel and use it as a case gauge. Your reloads should drop into the barrel and seat flush. Set your OAL for the bullet you are using about 1/1000 to 3/1000 less than the OAL of your chamber to the start of the rifling. For my guns 5.1 gr of 231 under my 200 gr LSWC meets power factor for IDPA. Load is very accurate, again in my guns.
Depending on the make or the mold they drop out of 200 gr LSWC will vary in length depending on the shape and length of the olgive. Just takes a bit of experimenting.
To measure the OAL of your chamber. First measure the length of the bullet. Drop it into the chamber and mesure from the base of the bullet to the top of the chamber. Add the two together and you have the maximum length of the chamber out to the rifling.
Male sure you are removing the belling on your cases as well. Taper crimps can be set at between .469 - .471 in the .45acp case which should leave yu with a straight sided bullet. In the case of the .45acp the bullet is held by case tension not by a crimp per se. If you leave some belling on the case, you wil get cases hanging up on the barrel hood just as the bullet enters the chamber.
Take Care
Bob
Depending on the make or the mold they drop out of 200 gr LSWC will vary in length depending on the shape and length of the olgive. Just takes a bit of experimenting.
To measure the OAL of your chamber. First measure the length of the bullet. Drop it into the chamber and mesure from the base of the bullet to the top of the chamber. Add the two together and you have the maximum length of the chamber out to the rifling.
Male sure you are removing the belling on your cases as well. Taper crimps can be set at between .469 - .471 in the .45acp case which should leave yu with a straight sided bullet. In the case of the .45acp the bullet is held by case tension not by a crimp per se. If you leave some belling on the case, you wil get cases hanging up on the barrel hood just as the bullet enters the chamber.
Take Care
Bob
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I try to set my crimp at .470. The .45acp cases shorten with use but hasn't made much of a difference to my crimps. The nice thing about ,45acp cases is they last forever. I shoot them until they either split at the mouth or length wise.
Take Care
Bob
Take Care
Bob
My Excel truncated cone plated I have at 1.222 OAL in front of 5.5 of 231(modern reloading).
I have no experiance with lead truncated. I have found that if I make up 10 in one length, try them work/don't work, make 10 up 5 thou longer, try them, but my test range is close, short commute.
I have no experiance with lead truncated. I have found that if I make up 10 in one length, try them work/don't work, make 10 up 5 thou longer, try them, but my test range is close, short commute.
