TheDomFather
Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2017
- Messages
- 469
Before anyone flames me, I have read about 5 million threads about the differences between .45 SPP and LPP cases, and about 2 million of them were here on THR.
I am just getting into reloading .45 ACP after loading only 9mm and rifle rounds for a long time. I just got a brand new 1911, and have decided that I might actually start shooting enough .45 ACP to warrant reloading for it.
I have been collecting .45 brass for a while, but not really pursuing it actively, and I have may 500-100 cases collected that are most likely a mix of SPP and LPP.
To break in my new gun, I bought 1,000 rounds of factory ammo, 500 with SPP (CCI Blazer Brass) and 500 with LPP (S&B). After these 1,000 are gone, I will be reloading from then on (at least, that is my plan).
My original plan was to stick to LPP, but I am now starting to rethink that plan. I load an absolute boatload of 9mm each month (Dillon XL650), and I have a large amount of SPP on hand to draw from.
However, I do prime offline (I know, go ahead... flame me) on an RCBS APS bench priming system. I think it is much more reliable and safer than the Dillon tube system, and I can honestly whip through the cases pretty quickly, it is worth the extra effort... FOR ME. (YMMV)
Someday however, I might finally give in and just start priming on the press, and then it would be advantageous to just stick with SPP for both 9mm and .45 ACP.
To my question... (finally!)...
If you were just starting out to reload .45, would you load SPP, LPP, or segregate and load both?
It probably makes sense to make the ultimate decision now before I get into it too deeply.
A lot of the threads I have read say that the manufacturing trend is moving towards SPP, so maybe it makes sense in the long run to just standardize on SPP myself.
Maybe I will just start out with SPP, and continue to save the LPP cases in case I change my mind, or use it for trade fodder to swap the LPP for more SPP cases.
I did read somewhere here on THR that the LPP rounds seem to generate a few more FPS than SPP rounds (15-25 fps I think I remember reading). This is probably not a big deal to me, I am not sure how much competitive shooting I will be doing with the 1911 vs. all my 9mm guns, but it may rear its ugly head sometime in the future.
I just ordered some RMR 230 gr. FMJ RN and some SNS 200 Gr. SWC bullets. I have a lot of W231/HP-38 that I no longer use in my 9mm rounds, so I will probably start there, but I also have a bit of Power Pistol and a TON of TiteGroup that I might try. I also will probably pick up a lb. each of Bullseye and AA#2 just to try out.
Thanks for any input...
I am in the same boat as you are my friend and I prime off press on a Lee benchtop primer and it works frigging great. I will no longer prime on press as I find mine to be A: unreliable and B: pain in the ass to switch from large to small and back and I load mostly .45 ACP and 9mm so taking it off press is the right decision from me. I have about 1000 cases of LPP brass, once those are worn out I will switch exclusively to SPP, yes there is a slight difference in velocity but its very slight and I dont load to maximum anyway. I try to religiously stay .2 grains under maximum load as I know my powder measure in my hornady LNL will sometimes throw .1 or .2 grains over and have no need to shoot max velocity for target ammo or even in a competition. Also having to have only SPP on hand is better than having to have both. All this being said brass seems to last me for a long while. I am shooting my 9mm brass 10 - 15 times before the brass is no good anymore, Havent gotten that far with .45 yet but once all the LPP brass is gone it will be SPP only.