reloading procedure for 45acp

Most will suggest to crimp in a separate operation. I would recomend a Dillon crimping die IF you shoot a lot of lead. The die is very easy to clean and certainly works. Sorry I use a 550B press and the belling takes place when I drop my powder.

I have no reason to date to buy a Lee Factory Crimp Die but those who use them rave about them and they are cheap.

What press are you using now? If you are goping to shoot a lot of pistol I would be on the look out for a prgressive press. Dillon is the standard for which all other presses are compared to. Hornady makes the LNL press which is good value and less expensive then a 550B. Look around as good used presses come up from time to time.

Take Care

Bob
 
Move seaters also crimp. Redding, Lee, RCBS. There are some exceptions. The crimp is adjusted by the height of the die, not separately. Read the instructions that came with the dies - should be clear from there.
 
Canuck44 said:
Most will suggest to crimp in a separate operation. I would recomend a Dillon crimping die IF you shoot a lot of lead. The die is very easy to clean and certainly works. Sorry I use a 550B press and the belling takes place when I drop my powder.

I have no reason to date to buy a Lee Factory Crimp Die but those who use them rave about them and they are cheap.

What press are you using now? If you are goping to shoot a lot of pistol I would be on the look out for a prgressive press. Dillon is the standard for which all other presses are compared to. Hornady makes the LNL press which is good value and less expensive then a 550B. Look around as good used presses come up from time to time.

Take Care

Bob
Click to expand...

Roger that.
I haven't started loading .45 yet,
but it's on the horizon.
I've set my sights on the Dillion 550B.
From what I've seen/heard, it's the way to go.
I don't have any interest in shoot'n lead,
so jacketed is my cup O tea and I prefer
to load 185gr if I can find ones I like, and
if not, then 200gr.
I'll try crimping and seating in one step
to start with since I have the die for that.
I won't be surprised tho if I purchase a LEE
crimper die soon after.
Thx. fellas

...WW
 
roberti11 said:
I cannot comment on the RCBS dies, but my dillion taper 's scrimp die did not do the job. The only one that solved all the problems was the Lee carbide factory crimp die. You can buy this one die on its own, my resizing, and seating dies are dillion, I use the Lee die as the final step after seating. If you call Lee they will give you the order # you need to get the die all on its own, as I recall it was $30 CDN delivered to my door.
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I found the RCBS crimp/seat die gave a better crimp than my dillon taper crimp . not an issue for my 1911's but I had the odd hangup on moonclips with my 625.
 
Crimp die

Canuck44 said:
Thousands of reloads later and you tell me the Dillon die does not apply a taper crimp. Not likely! The Dillon and the RCBS both apply taper crimps you just have to set them up correctly. The Lee FCD certainly works but I am not sure what it fixes.
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The Dillion crimp die does not support the base before the crimp occurs, the LEE carbide factory crimp supports the base before crimping occurs. I used to lose 15% of my reloads to FTF after I used dillion dies only (using range brass picked up after IPSC matches, you can never get your own back). Since I switched out my Dillion taper die for the Lee die I have never had a FTF.
 
roberti11 said:
Watch your powder load, with most rifle loads (at least the ones I use) it is essentially impossible to get a double charge to fit into the case. With .45 ACP it is easy to get a double load in and seated.:mad:
Click to expand...

Witnessed a double charge Kaboom first hand.:eek: Instead of 5.6 grs of Win. 231, there was 11.2 grsin the case.......:eek: :eek: :eek:

BIG FLASH/KABOOM.............pistol was blown out of my buddies hands and landed around 10 feet away.He had powder burns on his hands/face, and small bits of brass stuck in his face.His right hand started to swell up quite quickly........

The mag follower was blown to the bottom of the mag and was stuck.Mag spring & follower were hooped.

Since the case head in a Colt is unsupported, the bottom of the case head blew out downwards into the mag/magwell.

We found the case and there was a opening blown out roughly 1/4" long by 3/16" wide were the case had no support.

The gunsmith that check the pistol over afterwards said thank God it was a steel framed 1911 series pistol and not a alloy or polymer framed pistol.He stated that if the pistol was one of the latter. it probably would have grenaded!!!!!:eek:

AS it was, there was nothing wrong with the pistol.It was a Colt Series 80 1991-A1.

SO load with CAUTION!!!!Especially on a progressive press.


Another one here who taper crimps his .45 loads.

SKBY.
 
The first caliber I tried reloading was .45acp with wildly ranging degrees of success. I reload single stage on a Rockchucker with RCBS dies. I bought the Lee Factory Taper Crimp die, which will be tested tonight. I stuggled with the right crimp (as done on my/your RCBS seater die) and found that only a light crimp with the RCBS die was good enough. My Lee die seems to leave a funny discoloration on my brass which makes me think it's stretching, but that could be the fault of me or the bullets and again, I'm testing tonight.

Try Clays for reloading, I find it gives less recoil but is a shade dirty.
 
I've reloaded a few 45 acp cartridges on a Lee Pro1000 set up .
The third die seats the bullet and taper crimps the case - but as previously mentioned it basically irons out the case to straight ( very slight taper ) .
The second bells out the mouth and adds the powder on the down stroke , reprimes on the up stroke .
The first resizes and removes the spent primer .
45 acp needs no case trimming ever - in my experiences .
45 acp is a low presure round and is very easy on brass , I have know idea why anyone would recommend annealing cases .
I loaded lots of jacketed bullets with no problems , but like anything in reloading it has to be adjusted corectly .
With lead bullets some gunk can build up in the die and on the rim of the case , I've found the easiest way to deal with it is to throw them back in the tumbler for a bit and then chamber check them .
Personally I don't like Win231 powder , its a very dense powder with low volume for the weight . It's a very easy powder to double charge in a 45 . I prefer fluffier powders , kinda hard to double charge when the case can't hold it . I've had excellent results with a powder called Rex2 , at $45.00 / kg it goes along ways .
 
I don't know much about reloading, but my Lee Pro 1000 is set up for .45acp and makes nice reliable ammo, currently I am shooting 200gr SWC lead with 4.5 gr of Titegroup. I use the auto powder measure and it's is very consistant and I can look into each case to check the powder level as I put the bullet on it, to be pressed home. So simple a monkey or myself can do it. Gunar at Armco set up the dies for me.
 
"The third die seats the bullet and taper crimps the case - but as previously mentioned it basically irons out the case to straight ( very slight taper )"
RUPZUK

So, can you guys that use the LEE taper die,
or anyone else for that matter that uses a
taper crimp die, can you actuall SEE the crimps taper ?
Or like RUPZUK said, iron'n out the 'bell', is none the less
performing a crimping operation but maybe not
as perfound as some of the other tapers, is this
'ironing out' considered just as acceptable ?
Thx. again

...WW
 
In 45 ACP you only crimp enough to remove the bell, no more. You don't want to see any of the brass crimping. The brass case is just a straight line from head to mouth. I think the case itself tapers, in that it's slightly wider near the head than at the mouth, but your crimp should not deviate from the taper of the case. The case wall from just above the groove to the mouth should be a straight line, no bending inward at the mouth from a crimp.

You *can* put a little crimp on, so the brass at the mouth bends inward a little, but it's not necessary, works the brass more, and is easier to screw up. Never put enough crimp on to mark the bullet. A pulled bullet should have no indentation or groove.
 
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