Newbie questions (of course)

[ChiefPilot]

I recently started reloading .45 ACP for my 1911 and this weekend ran though 375 rounds. The 70 or so I shot at the range yesterday worked fine, with one minor exception. Before I start the next batch, I have a couple of newbie questions I hope someone can help me out with :

1) I have a round loaded with starline "45 Super" brass - I found it in my output bin after I apparently missed it when going through the brass. I know 45 Super is a 45 ACP on steroid, essentially, but I don't know if that means the brass is compatible. It's loaded with 4.0gr of Bullseye under a 230gr plated LRN. Can I use it as is? It's the only one I could find (I looked at everything else a second time), so my inclination is to break it down and discard it, but I thought I would ask first.

2) Anyone know how much Bullseye a .45ACP case can hold with a 230gr projectile? The reason I ask is that I've read of the possibility of double charging a case, but I'm not sure that there is that much room in the .45ACP like there would be in a .38spl. As I mentioned above, I'm loading 4.0gr of Bullseye under a 230gr plated LRN which I understand to be a reasonably conservative load. As such, I was concerned about double charges.

Thanks!

 

[Jim Watson]

1. .45 Super is the same externally as .45 ACP, which is why you were able to load it without noticing. It is beefed up for higher pressures which means the brass is thicker and the case volume is smaller. Which will give higher pressure for a given load. However, your load is not even close to maximium and I think, repeat THINK, it will shoot normally. I load in mixed brass and would not expect to notice a difference.

2. There is enough room in the .45 case for a double charge of Bullseye. Hatcher's Notebook describes how he duplicated damage to a wrecked 1911 by loading a round with 12 grains of Bullseye when the Army's hardball load was 4.6 grains. But a double charge will be obvious to the Mk I eyeball if you just look at each charged case before you set the bullet.

You be careful, now, you hear?