COAL for 200 gr Missouri Bullets SWC

[SSN Vet]

I'm going to load these up in 45 ACP and am looking for a COAL recommendation for reliable feeding in a steel framed 1911.

I loaded this bullet a couple years ago and used 1.25" and I did have a couple FTFs.

Should I go a little longer?

 

[Wil Terry]

EVERY one can quess but only your pistol can tell you this information, and that, only through impirical testing. Get busy.
And so it goes...

 

[Walkalong]

Try 1.260, and shorten from there if needed.

 

[rbernie]

I've started them long and gradually shortened them to 1.125 (which isn't all that short, really, due to the truncated nose).

 

[LiveLife]

rbernie, I think you meant 1.250" not 1.125" OAL?

For both Missouri 200 gr SWC bullets (12 BHN Bullseye #1 and 18 BHN IDP #1), 1.250"-1.260" OAL has worked well in most 1911s (Kimbers, RIAs, etc.) but for my Sig 1911 that has tighter match chamber and very quick start of rifling (almost no leade), I must load them shorter than 1.245" OAL or the shoulders of the bullet (bearing surface) will hit the start of rifling and keep the round from fully chambering.

For any new bullet, even though they are the same SWC design, the length of nose tip and the angle down to the shoulders may vary and you should determine the Max OAL and Ideal working OAL for reliable feeding/chambering in your pistol.

I use Walkalong's excellent thread to determine the Max OAL and feed/chamber from the magazine to determine the Ideal OAL that works reliably.

 

[mbopp]

I find my Springfield likes 200gr SWC's seated so that about 1/32" of the driving band is above the case mouth. Sorry, I don't have a specific measurement.

 

[jjjitters]

I make all of my 200gr swc's to 1.260 and they have worked in my 3 1911 barrels.

 

[spoondog]

Load mine to 1.255. Work well in all my 1911's.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm not sure how you tell someone what OAL a SWC should be unless you are using the same exact bullet from the same mold design??

The place to start with Any SWC in a .45 ACP is to seat it so you have about a thumb nail width of front driving band sticking out of the case mouth.
So you have something left to taper-crimp against.

Any properly designed SWC seated such will have the bullet ogive hit the feed ramp in the same place a 230 FMJ-RN military bullet hits it.

If your gun won't feed that, you have a gun problem, not a OAL problem.

Whatever that OAL turns out to be is the correct OAL for that SWC bullet design.

rc

 

[CZ57]

I agree with the old opinion of a nails breadth of the driving band above the case rim, or about 1/32". It's how I learned anyway. My SA XDm is kind of short throated so for it I load to 1.240".

 

[jr_roosa]

I use 1.255" and that's determined by Walkalong's method noted above with a Colt Barrel. Seems to feed fine.

-J.

 

[918v]

Maybe the OP should take the barrel out of his gun and see what works in his chamber. Missouri's 200gr LSWC is a #68 pattern bullet and should be fine at 1.250". This is easily confirmed by removing the barrel and seeing if 1.250" chambers or not. He can then adjust it as needed.

 

[SSN Vet]

Thanks for the replies....

the issue is not that the loaded rounds won't chamber... they chamber check in the barrel just fine.

The issue... which so far has been very infrequent and minor... has been a FTF resulting in the bullet tipping up and missing the chamber.

The gun is a Colt Commander that has never hiccuped with any RN or HP bullet. If I recall correctly, I had two "tip ups" the first time I loaded this MB SWC.

My understanding (though admittedly limited) was that 1911s tended to feed more reliably with ammo at the long end of the COAL range, than the short end... and that this was related to timing.

I'll go ahead and load a box at 1.26" and see how that feeds.

 

[rbernie]

rbernie, I think you meant 1.250" not 1.125" OAL?

Actually, I misread my notes - I'm running the IDP4s at 1.125" and the IDP1s at 1.175".

My Sig 1911 does NOT like either of them loaded out so that much of any shoulder is exposed past the case mouth (although my other 1911s will work with them loaded to max OAL). They work just fine at the shorter lengths, and I get to run starting loads and still get a decent pop outta them....

 

[The Bushmaster]

WOW!! Sitting here reading all these numbers is giving me a head ache.

I use Missouri Bullet's 185 grain SWC (18 BHN) and seat them to 1.245. My Colt Series 80 and my Kimber UCC II eat-em up. No problem.

 

[918v]

The issue... which so far has been very infrequent and minor... has been a FTF resulting in the bullet tipping up and missing the chamber.

Then try different OAL's and alter the load a bit. Slide dynamics are important.

 

[rbernie]

Quote:
The issue... which so far has been very infrequent and minor... has been a FTF resulting in the bullet tipping up and missing the chamber.

That's often a magazine issue, due to the feed lips releasing the round too soon. You might wanna try other magazines; I've had excellent luck with the Checkmate GI style feed lips.

 

[Walkalong]

Excellent mags.