John Wayne
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1,133
Hey guys,
I just started loading .45 ACP for the first time. I'm using Lee carbide dies and once-fired brass that has not been sorted, on a Lee single-stage press.
I am full-length sizing the cases (decapping at the same time), but my finished rounds do not chamber in my gun's barrel. I am shooting a Glock 30 with a LWD .45 barrel. The finished rounds go in a little easier in the stock barrel, but they do not chamber in it either. This happens with two different bullets that I've tried, the Georgia Arms 185 gr. JHP (.451) and the Georgia Arms 230 gr. LRN (.452). I verified that the bullets are the correct diameter with digital calipers. Both bullets are seated below maximum OAL, but are not quite at minimum OAL.
I've been reloading .38 special for about a year and have made a few thousand rounds without any problems. The only auto pistol cartridge I load for is 9x19, and I have made fewer than 1,000--none of which failed to chamber and all of which shot just fine.
I ran the rounds loaded with the jacketed bullets through my Lee FCD and now they all chamber and drop out just fine. I am hesitant to do this with the lead bullets though, as I have heard the FCD can cause problems with cast bullets coming loose and getting set back in the case. I would also like to eliminate using the FCD all together, since it just adds and extra step and there is no reason I shouldn't be able to load ammo with just the regular resizing/decapping, expanding, and bullet seating dies.
I noticed there is another thread where a poster is having similar issues with loading the .45 auto cartridge, but I did not want to hijack that thread. I am also using different equipment than him. Since I have issues with the few rounds of each, I only loaded 20 rounds (10 JHP, 10 LRN) until I figure out the problem.
*edit: Forgot to add that the Lee FCD is designed to post-size out of spec rounds. Judging from the resistance encountered, it resized each of the 10 rounds I ran through it. Before using the FCD, none of the 10 would readily chamber and all 10 chamber just fine afterwards.
Any ideas?
I just started loading .45 ACP for the first time. I'm using Lee carbide dies and once-fired brass that has not been sorted, on a Lee single-stage press.
I am full-length sizing the cases (decapping at the same time), but my finished rounds do not chamber in my gun's barrel. I am shooting a Glock 30 with a LWD .45 barrel. The finished rounds go in a little easier in the stock barrel, but they do not chamber in it either. This happens with two different bullets that I've tried, the Georgia Arms 185 gr. JHP (.451) and the Georgia Arms 230 gr. LRN (.452). I verified that the bullets are the correct diameter with digital calipers. Both bullets are seated below maximum OAL, but are not quite at minimum OAL.
I've been reloading .38 special for about a year and have made a few thousand rounds without any problems. The only auto pistol cartridge I load for is 9x19, and I have made fewer than 1,000--none of which failed to chamber and all of which shot just fine.
I ran the rounds loaded with the jacketed bullets through my Lee FCD and now they all chamber and drop out just fine. I am hesitant to do this with the lead bullets though, as I have heard the FCD can cause problems with cast bullets coming loose and getting set back in the case. I would also like to eliminate using the FCD all together, since it just adds and extra step and there is no reason I shouldn't be able to load ammo with just the regular resizing/decapping, expanding, and bullet seating dies.
I noticed there is another thread where a poster is having similar issues with loading the .45 auto cartridge, but I did not want to hijack that thread. I am also using different equipment than him. Since I have issues with the few rounds of each, I only loaded 20 rounds (10 JHP, 10 LRN) until I figure out the problem.
*edit: Forgot to add that the Lee FCD is designed to post-size out of spec rounds. Judging from the resistance encountered, it resized each of the 10 rounds I ran through it. Before using the FCD, none of the 10 would readily chamber and all 10 chamber just fine afterwards.
Any ideas?