Problems with .45 loads for 1911

[drbeans]

Hello all,

I am new to reloading, but have done my homework. I have been reloading successfully with my Kimber 1911 for a while now. So, I sold the Kimber, got a Springfield. I have a bunch of loads using HSM 230 gn flat point plated bullets seated to 1.200. These worked fine in my Kimber. I could not go any longer or they would not feed. Tried putting them in my Springfield, problems. The slide will not go all the way forward (will not go to full battery). If I push the rear of the slide and force it, it will close, and I can fire. When I extract one of these unfired rounds, I can see where the bullet is contacting the rifling in the barrel.

So my question, do 1911 .45 barrels have different space in the chamber? Is this the headspace? Can I simply push the bullets down into the cases of my existing loads to 1.190 and try again, or is something else going on?

Thanks in advance.

 

[k4swb]

I have five .45 ACP handguns and no two have the same chamber dimensions. To keep from having to segregate ammo I load to the shortest so it will chamber in all of them.

I see no problem running your ammo back through the seater die and pushing the bullet a little deeper. I have done this. I would also retouch the crimp if you do crimp yours.

 

[Cherokee]

If your load is not a max or nearly max load, should not be a problem seating the bullets deeper. Going to 1.19 should be fine.

 

[drbeans]

I am loading 3.8 of Bullseye, should be fairly light.

Should the bullet be contacting the rifling at all?

 

[m33p0n3]

No, the bullet shouldn't be contacting the rifling. As Cherokee mentioned, loading a little shorter won't hurt with the exception of a near max load. Loading to a shorter OAL will raise pressure, but with your light load it should be alright.

 

[rcmodel]

do 1911 .45 barrels have different space in the chamber?
Is this the headspace?

No, it is not the headspace.

Headspace is the actual chamber depth where the case mouth stops against it.
Headspace has nothing at all to do with the bullet seating depth.

What you are dealing with is the rifling leade, or taper leading into the actual rifling.
Some guns have longer leades cut to accept most anything including Truncated Cone and JHP bullets with a lot of full dia bearing surface sticking out of the case.

Other guns, like yours, are chambered to GI 1911 mil-spec, and have shorter leades designed to give best accuracy with a FMJ-RN bullet.
A round-nose bullet begins getting smaller in diameter right at the case mouth due to the round ogive shape, so less leade is necessary.

rc

 

[drbeans]

Thanks all. Playing with seating depth now.

 

[drbeans]

OK, so I pushed my bullets in to a OAL of 1.19 and the bullets are still touching the rifling when I drop a round in the barrel. I have taken some factory loads and measured the bullet diameter at the case mouth, .444. My bullets at the case mouth, .451. Factory rounds drop right in, no issues. Are these bullets just not going to work with this barrel? I cannot push them into the case any more without the rounds becoming very short.

 

[Furncliff]

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[918v]

Some factory ammo is so overcrimped the bullet does measure .444" at the case mouth.

 

[918v]

FWIW, Federal 185gr SWC Gold Medal stuff is loaded to 1.166" OAL.

 

[USSR]

I cannot push them into the case any more without the rounds becoming very short.

I have to seat my Lee .45-230 TC bullets to an OAL of just 1.150" to get them to feed in my Gold Cup. No problem, just reduce your charge weight by about 0.2gr.

Don

 

[soloban]

Lee Factory Crimp Die. I've never had an issue with a 45 round in my 1911A1.

 

[Walkalong]

Neither have I, with thousands of non FCD'd rounds.

 

[ranger335v]

If an autoloader cartridge is hitting the lands, seat the bullets deeper; that's the sum total of it.

 

[Jeff H]

Lee Factory Crimp Die.

Not really sure why the FCD would have anything to do with the bullet hitting the rifling...

Neither have I, with thousands of non FCD'd rounds.

LOL

 

[drbeans]

OK gang, I just kept tightening the die until I could drop a round in the barrel without the bullet touching the lands. So now I am at a OAL of........1.140. I loaded a magazine and ran all the rounds through it, they cycle fine. I think these particular bullets just stay at .451 longer than other bullets??

This seems really short. Am I OK with powder charge at 3.8 of Bullseye? It was a light load, but that was .060 ago.

 

[Seedtick]

OK gang, I just kept tightening the die until I could drop a round in the barrel without the bullet touching the lands. So now I am at a OAL of........1.140.

I don't know if you've figured this in or not but you will also need a little 'fudge' factor. You should seat enough deeper to allow for the variance in your seating depth. Don't worry yourself to death trying to hold your OAL to exactly 1.140" because, it ain't that critical and it will vary.

When loading 9mm on my Dillon SDB I hold my OAL to a .006" tolerance. Why did I choose that particular amount? Simply because that is about how much my OAL varies when I load 9mm on it.

HTH

Seedtick

 

[Cherokee]

At 3.8 BE you should still be good with the shorter OAL. I'm at little surprised it has to be so short but their version may have a longer body than the Hornady FMJ TC or the cast TC's I use.