45ACP for short barrel (Officer, Compact, 4-inch)

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ExMachina

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I'm starting this thread to hopefully provide a resource for 45ACP shooters who don't exclusively shoot "full size" guns (which most 45 ACP reloading data assumes)

I have had a lot of trouble finding data geared toward the shorter barrel and those of us w/ compacts are forced to start w/ full size, 5" loads and move on from there. However, because "ideal" 4" loadings will most likely be found w/ faster powders, the 5" data is not as comprehensive as we might like.

To date the most accurate load out of my Kimber Compact has been 6.1 grains of Unique under a 200gr SWC. Unfortunately, this is really a 5" load and out of a 4" gun the muzzle flash is excessive.

Would anybody care to share a favorite loading for their compacts?
 
2 3/4" barrel. Rapid Fire...

325pd_t.jpg

200 grain SWC Rainier plated
4.5 grains Bullseye
Federal 150 primer
Star-Line brass

Works well for me...

Joe
 
ExMachina, My Glock 30 barrel is a 3.78" stainless KKM. I'm shooting Kead 200 grn. LRNWC's (lead round nose wad cutters) these are similar to spire points with a rounded nose. The feed and accuracy is excellent. The load is:
4.2 grains Clays (straight clays)
AOL 1.265"
Crimp 469"-470"

Very clean load.
My theory is use a fast powder and light bullet out of a short barrel.
I use these as range rounds only. As I don't have a Chrono, can't give you a PF.

Hope this helps

Bronson7
 
I have a Taurus 455 Ti, a 4" revolver, and I've recently worked up some target and defensive loads with Tite-Group that I'm pretty happy with. The sights are regulated to 185 gr bullets which limits my selections somewhat. 185 gr XTPs with a listed max charge (5.5 gr) of Tite-Group in Starline +P brass with WLP primers and a slightly longer COL are going from 950-1000 FPS.

The listed velocity from a 5" barrel with a CCI standard primer and Speer standard brass is 956 FPS. The extra bump in pressure from the smaller case capacity and hotter primer seem to have more than made up for the lesser barrel length and should still be well under 45 ACP +P specs.

My target load is a 185 gr Berry's plated SWC @ about 850 FPS.
 
This morning I gave this load a trial run :

5.4 gr Red Dot
200 Berrys Plated SWC
Win LP primers
OAL=1.265"

Accurate and controllable round. Minimal muzzle flash. It was somewhat "snappy" but there were no signs of too much pressure.

FWIW, I followed up shooting these handloads with some factory CorBon 165gr +P PowerBalls-- their recoil "profiles" seemed nearly identical.
 
Hi Lloyd, good to know others use Red Dot :) I was thinking about paring down the load to 5.2 grains, but maybe I'll follow your lead and take it down to 5.0gr. Like I said, the 5.4 grains is very snappy, and I'm concerned about battering the gun.

Do you have any chrono data for this load?
 
The only non 5" bbl .45ACP I've reloaded for is my Sig P220 with a 4.4" barrel. You may be looking for loads for bbl's shorter than that though.

I only shoot 230gr FMJ or 230gr Hornady XTP's out of my 45's. With both of those the most accurate non +P load I've found for the Sig is:

5.5 gr HP38
Federal 150 Primer
OAL 1.200"

The most accurate load I've got for the Sig is a bit stronger than published maxes but less than a +P load so I won't report it here. E'mail me if you're interested.
 
My main IDPA gun is my S&W 625-3 with 3-1/2" barrel. It is a lot of fun to shoot and just a bit unusual when compared with all those semi-autos... An accurate, low-recoil load that I like and that meets the minimum IDPA power factor is 3.5 gr of Alliant American Select under the 230 gr Rainier RN bullet using WLP primers and whatever sorted brass that I have. About the same weight of Alliant Bullseye gives similar results but is much dirtier to shoot.

I had that load in Speer brass this past Saturday. I shot very well with it until we came to a stage with six 8-in round steel plates on a plate table. At 50 ft I found myself hitting the plates but not knocking them down. The 230gr bullet with that powder charge did not have enough oomph to knock them down unless the bullet hit in the upper half of the plate. Low hits would make the plate tip but not fall. I am going to load some rounds with a higher charge for those metal targets...

Dave
 
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