Frustrated with Case Sizing 45 ACP

[joevilla71]

Hello to all,

OK, I've loaded my first batch of 45 ACP last night. It was about 455 rounds. I went out and shot them today and they were very nice. The first batch used all 230 Grain Round Nose Metal Jacketed Bullets and they ran fine.

The second batch today is using a semi wad cutter 215 grain all lead bullet. My issue is that using these bullets for some reason I am having case gauge problems. I have a Dillon case gauge and I try every round in the case gauge before putting them in the "good box", but I am having about a 50% failure rate on the case gaugings.

By failure I mean they fit into the Dillon Case Gauge, BUT the head stamp portion of the bullet doesn't quite fit into the gauge 100% ... the lip sticks out enough that you can feel it when you run your finger over the gauge.


I am worried about getting one stuck in my pistol when firing. I have heard of people who get them stuck in there and then can't get them out. This was not happening with the 230 grain bullets, but I am shooting USPSA and IPSC so I want lower grain bullets.

EDIT: the cases are all 45 ACP Aguila head stamp ... used from member here at THR.

What do you all think???

Thanks,
Joe
Sorry so long.

 

[Rod B]

Is your resizing die properly adjusted?

It should just touch the shell holder or shell plate. This assures that the cartridge is full length resized.

It sounds like your cartridges are a little too thick at the bottom. Adjusting the die will remedy this condition.

 

[Jim Watson]

How much of the semiwadcutter shoulder is above the case mouth? You could seat a little deeper as long as it was not below the case mouth.

Are you taper crimping? You could crimp a little more.

Are you scraping up a ring of lead at the case mouth? You should flare more.

You could get a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die and post-size the loaded rounds, most would then gauge.

Have you chamber checked your loads, in the barrel clean and out of the gun? Most real chambers are larger than the gauges.

 

[baker1425]

If you're using a lead bullet, it could be unsized or sized too large for your chamber

Your slightly rough rim is normal after a cycle or two of reloading a case

A dowell rod and a mallet will take care of many stuck cases at the range, they do happen.

Frustration is normal in reloading - golf - and every other hobby I know

 

[Walkalong]

A dowell rod and a mallet will take care of many stuck cases at the range, they do happen.

Maybe, but they shouldn't. Figure out the problem. The A.O.L. is too long or something.

Jim Watson had some excellent advise.

 

[jmorris]

As above the Lee factory crimp die is IMO necessary when competition shooting. Even then sometimes cases will have a spot that the extractor or ejector dinged up. Unless you’re using a Case pro roll sizer or a Magma pass through sizer you are not going to get those spots. If however, you put the offending round into the case gauge backwards and work it around a second, most will drop right in afterwards.

 

[SASS#23149]

I'm no 45acp expert,but

whenever I loaded cast bullets for my sons gun I had to make sure that none of the 'driving band' was above the rim of the case.If it was the gun would not go into battery.
I just reduced the powder charge some and put the bullet where it had to go to chamber.
I asked about this on several forums and all who responded had the same answer...seat it deeper until it chambers.


ok,the lawyer part...
DO THE ABOVE AT YOUR OWN RISK,I'M NO EXPERT.

 

[Steve C]

The second batch today is using a semi wad cutter 215 grain all lead bullet.

What brand or type of SWC bullet is 215gr for the .45 ACP? Never saw a SWC for the .45 ACP in that weight, they're usually 200gr or 185gr, may be a bullet designed for the .45 LC of that weight. Perhaps the problem is using a bullet designed for another cartridge and seating depth. Normally a .45 SWC should look like the picture below.

 

[joevilla71]

Steve C,

I did note that I couldn't find these bullets in any of my 3 books, but figured it was just not a normal load. I bought them on Ebay from a guy for about $20.00 and now I am wondering if he had the description of 45 ACP correct. I think I'll toss these bullets and buy some from a distributor instead ... I loaded another 50 today using some more 230 grain round nosed bullets that I just ran out and bought at my local gun store for testing.

EVERY bullet loaded and case gauged perfectly ... SO I think IT IS the bullets I was using.

Thanks for the reply from everyone.

Joevilla71

 

[Slamfire]

When I first started reloading 45ACP, the advice I received was to seat the bullet out and when the base of the cartridge was flush with the barrel hood, the seating was considered correct.

This was good advice as long as I used this in one 45 ACP. But I sent that M1911 off and had a match barrel installed, later also purchased a Kimber Custom Classic. Well what do you know, stupid cartridges were now too long. The new chambers had shorter/tighter throats and the occasional long round prevented the slide from closing. And more fun happened, the cartridges were jammed so hard into the throat that I was unable 1) unable to force the slide forward and shoot it out and 2) unable to rack the slide and clear the round with my bare hands.

This is where I found that recoil spring guide rods were an undesirable impediment. With the basic M1911 you can place the recoil spring plug on the edge of a table and press down. Either the round comes out, or the extractor breaks. But that slide is coming back. You can’t do this with a recoil spring guide rod. So you end up either carrying a pistol home, but it has a round in the chamber, and you can’t put the safety on, or place your expensive sights on the edge of that shooting bench and push against them to get that slide back. Fun, fun, fun.

This is when I decided that maybe cartridges that were a little short were a good idea, and that dumping the recoil guide rods were a great idea.

These are the OAL’s for the 45 ACP ammunition I shoot. Has to shoot in a number of 45’s. The case mouth is taper crimped to .469”, something recommended by Wilson Combat. The rounds function fine.

200 LSWC H&G 68 type OAL 1.250" taper crimp 0.469"

230 LRN Classic Round Nose OAL 1.250" taper crimp .469"

230 LFN Bull-X Truncated Cone Bullet OAL 1.20" taper crimp .469"

230 FMJ GI surplus bullets OAL 1.265" taper crimp .469"

 

[ReloaderFred]

Saeco makes mold # 058, which is a 215 grain SWC .45 acp bullet. It's primarily made for shooting bowling pins. I would guess that this is the bullet in question.

I would also venture a guess that they are being seated out too far and are engaging the rifling in a short throated barrel. This is pretty common and easily fixed. Just take a couple tenths of a grain off the load and seat the bullets until the round will fully chamber. If the rounds function, and are accurate with no pressure signs, then you've got your load for that bullet.

This is also assuming that there is enough case flare prior to seating the bullet, and no lead is being shaved to cause a false shoulder on the loaded round, and that the flare has been sufficiently removed in the crimping process. If the seating is being done correctly, then the fault lies in the over all length of the completed round.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[brownie]

I had the same problem with Speer 200gr. lead SWC's. I bought a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die, and since I've been using it I haven't had a single failure to gauge.

--Bill

 

[Dustinthewind]

SlamFire1 hit it right on the head. I had the same problem loadind SWC ammo for three different .45's all with different ranps and throats. Came up with OAL of 1.250 with Oregon Trail Laser-cast bullets. Solved my problems. I find that the Swc loadings are my most accurate loads.

 

[cheygriz]

Are you using a Factory crimp die, or a taper crimp die?? you may just need a bit of crimp.

 

[baker1425]

you can probably salvage those bullets by buying a .451 sizer die from Lee, they are pretty cheap and the bullets may be on the large side.