Ongoing issues with my .45 handloads (in Nork 1911). I've cleaned the dies and used different bullets (Wolf 230 gr. LRN and LSWC 200 gr. from another company). When I release the slide to chamber the first round, it doesn't go all the way into battery (if I'm using the right term). Sometimes I can push the slide ahead and it will fire a couple of rounds, then jam again, necessitating the ejection of a live round. I'm wondering if my rounds are just ever so slightly too large in diameter, or the lead is gumming up the leading edge of the case. I do use the Lee Crimp Die following the seating of the bullet. Any ideas?
Probs w/.45ACP
- Thread starter pontcanna
- Start date
Remove the barrel from the gun and use the barrel as a shell checker. You just drop the loaded rounds into the barrel and the weight of the complete cartridge should fall completely into the chamber, until it is flush with the hood on the top of the breech. A slight amount of help is okay, but if they won't chamber this way some won't chamber when you shoot them. If they don't chamber they may not be completely resized, or the overall length may not be right( for the 230 RN it should be very close to the same length as a factory 230 RN), but the reloading books have the lengths listed. What brand of dies are you using and are you following the manufacturers instructions on adjustment for the sizer ( sometimes you have to change the adjustment if it isn't working)?
Your first problem is that you are using lead...
You probably need to screw down your crimp die and maybe your seating die...
The Lee Factory Crimp die is a fabulous thing to have but it needs 2 things;
A resonably good round going in
and to be setup properly...
When you bell your cases how much to you open them?
What is the make of the barrel...
Get out you calipers what is your OAL and what is the diameter after you crimp at the mouth of the case. Is it flush or does it dig into the lead a little bit?
And as a shameless plug Dillon sells case go/nogo guages so you don't need to keep taking your gun apart and they are way cheaper then a spare barrel...
You probably need to screw down your crimp die and maybe your seating die...
The Lee Factory Crimp die is a fabulous thing to have but it needs 2 things;
A resonably good round going in
and to be setup properly...
When you bell your cases how much to you open them?
What is the make of the barrel...
Get out you calipers what is your OAL and what is the diameter after you crimp at the mouth of the case. Is it flush or does it dig into the lead a little bit?
And as a shameless plug Dillon sells case go/nogo guages so you don't need to keep taking your gun apart and they are way cheaper then a spare barrel...
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Check the OAL, I had the same problem a while ago, and I shortened the OAL by about .025" and never had that kind of jam since. Cartridges too long 'hang' on the upper side side of the chamber. There's no magic OAL, each gun it's own, which can be found mostly by trial & error.
Or, as Bear pointed, be sure not to put too much bell on the case mouth, even when properly crimped, a case than has been excessively 'belled' will have a larger diameter near the mouth, affecting the chambering of the round.
Or, as Bear pointed, be sure not to put too much bell on the case mouth, even when properly crimped, a case than has been excessively 'belled' will have a larger diameter near the mouth, affecting the chambering of the round.
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Cocked&Locked
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Both of those rounds will feed fine if you do your part. first make sure your overall length matches what your manual says. I doubt this is it, if they're camming into the chamber and failing to go to battery, but might as well check. The most likley culprit is reidual belling of the case mouth. Are you roll crimping or taper crimping? If your roll crimping switch to a taper crimp. The lee factory crimp die is one way to do this and it will remove any case bulge down at the base. I've used both of these bullets in a couple of 1911's and never had a problem that wasn't related to the case mouth, and once I started using a taper crimp die, never had a problem period.
Oh, and make sure your chamber is clean. Look down the barrel, you should see a definite ring where the chamber ends and the rifleing starts. Powder/fouling can pack in there and shorten the chamber, not allowing the round all the way in.
Good luck and keep us posted
Oh, and make sure your chamber is clean. Look down the barrel, you should see a definite ring where the chamber ends and the rifleing starts. Powder/fouling can pack in there and shorten the chamber, not allowing the round all the way in.
Good luck and keep us posted
If I understand your problem correctly I suspect your OAL of your cartridges are to long. Bullets from different manufactureres or molds can weigh the same, be of the same design but be shaped differently. The most significant variation is in the bullet olgive. Two 230 gr RN bullets can be very different. You can do the chamber test as suggested above or take a look at your cartridges that would not seat. Can you see rifling marks on the nose of the bullet. If you do then the cartridges are definitley to long.
Not removing the belling usually, but not always cause the cartridge to hang up on the barrel hood. I haven't seen to many instances where once past the hood a cartridge would not chamber if it was the belling by itself. Do not roll crimp the .45acp. All that is really necessary is to remove the belling with a very slight taper crimp. The .45acp is retained within the case by friction not by a roll crimp.
The Lee FCD is said to do magical things to .45acp cartridges. Personally have not used one. Alwyas had a problem with the concept. Seems to me if you flatten out any bulge in the case you must be deforming the bullet within the case in the process but like I said I don't own one and won't until I see I need one.
Take Care
Bob
Not removing the belling usually, but not always cause the cartridge to hang up on the barrel hood. I haven't seen to many instances where once past the hood a cartridge would not chamber if it was the belling by itself. Do not roll crimp the .45acp. All that is really necessary is to remove the belling with a very slight taper crimp. The .45acp is retained within the case by friction not by a roll crimp.
The Lee FCD is said to do magical things to .45acp cartridges. Personally have not used one. Alwyas had a problem with the concept. Seems to me if you flatten out any bulge in the case you must be deforming the bullet within the case in the process but like I said I don't own one and won't until I see I need one.
Take Care
Bob
the other point would be to check the gun itself- if it feeds fine on factory ammo, then your loads are the culprit- if it does the same thing , it's possible that your mainspring is weak/tired/whatever- i've got a woff 18 pounder in mine after my factory COLT got tired- the symtoms sound exactly like what you've got going on
