Reloading 45ACP with Lead SWC-Need Help with COAL and Powder Weight

[gerrym526]

I recently bought my first box of lead cast 45ACP 185gr SWC, cast to .452, with a gas check ring on the round.

Need advice on the COAL measure, and what weight of Bullseye to use.

Here's what the manuals state-in all cases jacketed bullets sized to .451 are referenced.

Lyman

185gr JSWC, .451
OAL 1.135
Bullseye 3.5-5.6gr

Hornaday

185gr FMJ SWC .451
OAL 1.135
Bullseye 5.4-6.6gr

Speer

185gr TMJ SWC .451
OAL 1.275
Bullseye 4.5-4.9 (Speer notes that charge shown is well below max, popular with target shooters)

What OAL do I use? 1.135 or 1.275?

What's a safe powder charge range for this bullet?

Thanks in advance for the help.
Gerry

 

[NWcityguy2]

Either OAL will work. The most important thing about OAL is that if feeds/cycles in your gun. It is not some hard and fast rule that it needs to be what they recommend.

As far as safe powder range, use any of the ones you have listed. Work up from a reduced load and watch for signs of pressure. Depending on the hardness of your SWCs you might not want to go very fast. OTOH a lot of those are hard cast and so they can be pushed as hard as any hard cast bullet. It sounds like you bought hard cast bullet and the gas check ring you are talking about is more commonly called a lube groove.

If you are looking for something more specific I would use the 1.275 OAL and Lyman load as a starting point, but wouldn't worry about working up to the higher Hornady max load if there was something to gain by it.

 

[Hansli]

Go to the powder manufacturer for this info, it's free and easy. As for oal the previous poster is correct that if too long the shell won't feed. I keep the shoulder of the swc even with the top of the brass.

 

[NWcityguy2]

Alliant dropped most of it's load data back in 2006. The 2004 and 1996 manuals are great go-to sources for older loads no longer published. For bullseye they publish 5.4gr max for 180gr LSWC and 6.7gr max for jacketed 185gr bullets. Either can be used for this application.

 

[918v]

Either OAL will work.

1.275" will not work with a 185gr SWC in a semi-auto 45 ACP.

 

[rcmodel]

Need advice on the COAL measure,

There is no "correct" OAL book measurement with mystery mold made SWC bullets.
Unless your book has that specific bullet mold# design in it, a book measurement cannot be right.

Just seat them with about a thumbnail thickness of front driving band sticking out of the case.

Whatever that measures is the correct OAL for that bullet.

rc

 

[NWcityguy2]

1.275" will not work with a 185gr SWC in a semi-auto 45 ACP.

So you've tried that in my gun and it failed to work?

 

[rcmodel]

So you've tried that in my gun and it failed to work?

You wouldn't have to try it to know it wouldn't work.

There has never been a .45 ACP chamber cut with a long enough leade for a SWC seated that long to miss jamming into the rifling.

1.275" is only SAAMI max length for the cartridge with any bullet shape to fit in magazines.
It is shown in the SAAMI drawing with a GI 230 grain FMJ-RN bullet that has no front driving band to jam in the rifling seated that long.

rc

 

[NWcityguy2]

I seat that far no problem in my DW 1911. If you don't know the nose profile of the SWC you have no idea what the maximum OAL can be. Nose profile is everything when talking about SWCs OAL.

 

[Canuck-IL]

1.275" will not work with a 185gr SWC in a semi-auto 45 ACP.

So you've tried that in my gun and it failed to work?

Not to mention - how much of a 185s bearing surface will there be in the case at an OAL of 1.275?

/Bryan

 

[Steve C]

For SWC's in the .45 ACP I don't bother with a OAL measurements. Simply adjust your OAL so the bullet seats as shown below, no caliper needed. If you seat a SWC out too long the shoulder will engage the rifling leade before being fully chambered. seated as shown the rounds will feed and chamber correctly.


Use lead bullet data for your powder charge and work your loads up to the most accurate for your handgun. For a 185gr LSWC a Bullseye load should be between 4.9 to 5.4grs.

 

[NWcityguy2]

Or for newer reloaders here is the difference mad obvious...

Three different 185 SWCs, three different nose profiles, three different maximum OAL before they have problems chambering.