New to reloading - how badly can I screw up a 1911?

[oneounceload]

Careful/cautious is one thing; overly paranoid about them is another. If you fit the former, load them up in your Scorpion and go shooting. if you are the latter, sell your reloading equipment and buy factory ammo in bulk and save yourself the stress so you can focus on shooting well

 

[blarby]

New to reloading - how badly can I screw up a 1911?

With 11 grs of blue dot, pretty damn badly.

With 5 grs of unique, not at all- unless you get violently creative.

Most of the good advice has already been given.

Good guns ? I have to consider every single one of my 45's may end up going through a Kimber Royal II...in my wifes' hands, no less.

No pressure.......

I wouldn't hesitate to use a test gun if it made ya feel better- but know that what works and functions in one, may not in another- especially with hybrid bullet tip shapes.

I'd say start with a 230 FMJ or analogue, and go from there.

 

[orionengnr]

If you are even reasonably competent, you have very little to be concerned with. Very early in my (progressive) handloading career, I had what (upon further reflection) was almost certainly a double charge of 231 in my Kimber 1911. I was having some primer feeding/seating problems and was apparently devoting too much attention to the primer seating and too little to the powder charging.

That imbalance was shortly rectified.

Bottom line--I sacrificed a set of wooden grips (split), a magazine (blown out and bulged) and a case (blown at the rim--it is a memento and a reminder to never do that again).

I took a faceful of brass fragments and a few wood chips to the palm.
The 1911 was fine (aside from the grips and mag). Also a severe blow to the ego. None were permanent.

I guess your are asking how much damage you could do to your 1911 with a badly loaded round. Well honestly a lot.

Bolshevist. My 1911 is just fine, and has shot many thousands of rounds since that day.

Don't overthink it. Learn from our mistakes, but don't obsess on them. The .45acp is one of the best rounds to start reloading with--it is a low-pressure round in a big case, fired from a strong pistol.

 

[NORA]

First thing I would suggest to you is to read your loading manual several times before doing anything. Second pick a powder that cant be double charged into the case your loading. Third weigh every charge you throw until your absolutely sure that your measure is throwing accurately every time. Then check weight every 3-5 shells. Enjoy yourself, I've been loading for over 55 years and still have all my parts.

 

[Steve2md]

Should you buy another gun just to test loads in? Sure! any excuse to buy another gun is a good one, but the loads you test and work up in one gun may not be safe in another, so it's probably not the way to go about it.

 

[Woolecox]

I thought I Was Anal!

.....for running ALL my loaded auto ammo through a case gage. Those that don't pass get plopped into the barrel of the intended gun.

.....for throwing all charges through a high quality power measure, weighing charges often, and then inspecting each case as it sits in the block with a bore light. Very easy to see squibs or double charges.

Now, I load on a progressive. It is manually indexed. Every case is looked at as it goes by to ensure it has powder in it. I watch to see (and feel) every primer that comes from the tube to the seater. Every round still gets case checked, same procedure.

I have caught squibs, double charges (overflow), primers seated upside down and sideways. Cases that have been dumped into the bin with no bullet in them (messy), cases that were not crimped.

These thing rarely happen and are easy to catch if you pay attention. The biggest problem are distractions! Wife, kids, dog, phone, getting another beer, etc. So far, after over 3 thousand rounds, no "others" have made it to the range. Just make sure that when you sit down at your bench, you can devote your full attention to loading with no distractions.

You probably could not wear your Sig out in your lifetime if you tried. But if you did, all the parts are factory or aftermarket replaceable with as good or better parts.