45ACP Case Longevity Update (Updated Again)

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Bottom line upfront: Other than remarkable case shortening discussed below, absolutely no signs of case damage or imminent failure after likely far more than a dozen loadings each.

After starting this project in May/June with several hundred Winchester cases, I later reduced the batch to only those .894" and longer.

Due to significant and accelerating case shortening, as well as some case loss, a few weeks ago I added to the batch about 50 cases .893" long. That meant going into yesterday's range session I had a grand total of 160 cases meeting or exceeding .893"

Yesterday I shot 110 45acp rounds and recovered 106 cases. Today I wet tumbled and then measured the 106 and discovered 71 are now .889"or shorter. Isn't SAAMI .888"? That drop is remarkable to me and far far greater than any prior week. The only cases I loaded for this week were .893" or longer!

Thirty three of the remaining 35 cases from yesterday are now just .890-.891". Only 2 are .892". What happened to all my long cases? I used to have scores over .894" and many up to .898" and yes one at .899". (Hint: they cannot all be among the 50 cases already loaded and ready for next week.)

What caused such as sharp drop in one shooting?

I initially suspected bad measuring technique or an out of whack micrometer. But I knew I had just zeroed the micrometer during another thread last week and I measured these cases today three times with same results. I concede that last week or even a couple weeks could've been bad measuring, but not that bad.

Anyway, soon, I guess I'll find out what actually happens when a case headspaces on the extractor. If in fact it does happen. Citing scripture again, the author of this passage didn't see it:

How many times can I reload 45 ACP brass? – Florida Reloading

www.floridareloading.com www.floridareloading.com
Any insight into what exactly I should be looking for WRT to head spacing on the extractor when shooting with a 1911?

That's it--Enjoy this for what it is.
Cheers

Edit: for latest please read my post #13.
 
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Could you start over from scratch and have three batches, where one you size with a 45 colt die, another with Redding dual ring and another with Lee U die and report back please? :D

Thanks for sharing
 
I load mine until they split or crack, or the primer pocket gets to loose, never measured one. Never had a problem in over 30 years of reloading them.
Not sure .001 (one thousands) of a inch is going to be a issue
 
AJC1 said:
I'm wondering how square these cases were or are....
Click to expand...
Yes, me too!

I turn them a couple of times and may/will get different readings but only by .001ish. (Actually I always measure case lengths that way.)

Any suggestions? I was thinking about trimming a few, but that would only correct (maybe) if the issue was at the mouth not the base. Or I'm probably way off in my understanding of the effects of trimming. (Affects of trimming?)
 
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Lo-Profile said:
I load mine until they split or crack, or the primer pocket gets to loose, never measured one. Never had a problem in over 30 years of reloading them.
Not sure .001 (one thousands) of a inch is going to be a issue
Click to expand...
Thanks

I understand and hear/read this all the time, but I'm after actually seeing a split or crack with my own eyes on these specific 45acp cases--a longevity test of only the original batch from late last spring.

And no, .001 isn't an issue, but many .001s is and we'll see how low they go.

I'm seeing (feeling) pocket tightening or shallowing BTW, not loosening.
 
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So here's an updated update...

From the 71 short cases above, twenty have a primer pocket too tight for the go/no go gauge. No big deal you say? Wrong! All of the cases I'm using have passed the gauge multiple times in the past (each week before I prime them). For those that didn't pass the gauge originally, I reamed them with a hand tapered reamer (was discussed on another thread if you recall).

Interestingly, of the 35 cases that are now still .890-.892", only three have overly tight primer pockets.

What does this mean? You tell me. As a layperson I say look to scripture for the answer--in this case the Florida Reloading article. As the author discovered, primer pockets in 45acp get smaller (shallower) and that's what I'm finding. The brass is being slammed to the head and landing in the primer pockets (fill in appropriate terminology).

Sure, go/no go gauges can be mis-sized, but we're talking relativity here...same gauge, same cases. Did pass, now don't pass. Like crop circles, strange indeed.

My dilemma--do I correct the pockets or declare victory? Or failure? Or crush those primers until they fit darn it!

IMG_4480.jpeg
 
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