SWC reloads in new Mil Spec

[jr_roosa]

I got a new SA Mil-Spec and started breaking it in today. Seems to love WWB, but I couldn't resist feeding it some reloads (SHHHH! Don't tell!).

I had a little trouble and was looking for advice before I reload another batch.

I have Oregon Trail 200gr .452 SWC over 3.6 or 4.0 grains of Bullseye with just a touch of taper crimp. They eject well, and I don't get any 3-point jams, but about 1/3 don't quite come all the way to battery and need one last nudge. They're very snug in the chamber. I think the .452 bulges the brass a bit more than the .451 factory bullets.

I don't feel like messing with the springs or mags at this point, but I was thinking this is as good a time as any for some advice on making reloads as reliable as possible in a tight new chamber.

So, any suggestions other than wait for the gun to get fully worn in? More taper crimp? Do SWCs just slow down feeding too much? Maybe get some 180gr SWCs so there's a little shorter bulge?

-J.

 

[Quoheleth]

Check your OAL and make sure you're not too long for it to feed successfully. It took some careful tinkering with my dies to get my 185 SWCs to feed reliably.

I am using a 185 SWC .452 (http://www.missouribullet.com/shop/details.php?prodId=64&category=&secondary=13&keywords=) over 5.6 of Universal without a problem in my Springer GI. I give it a bit of a taper crimp...maybe that helps a bit...and leave just a hair of shoulder sitting above the brass. Don't drop the shoulder of the bullet flush with the mouth of the case, or it'll snag in the chamber.

If the SWCs are bothering you, get some 200gr round nose. Or, heck, just load up some 230s and have a blast.

Q

 

[Iron Sight]

Was shooting a buddies genuine military Colt a short time ago. Had constant problems problems with it returning to battery. (Factory Winchester 230 G RN) With the slide locked back applied a generous (Dripping) application of "Break Free" lubricant. The pistol functioned without a problem through over 100 rounds from that point including some of my low power RN lead reloads. I suspect our pistol was new and had hardly been fired?

 

[Steve C]

Quoheleth is probably right about your OAL. If the shoulder of the bullet is set a bit to long it will engage the rifling of the barrel before the action closes completely. You can check if you are seating deep enough by using the barrel removed from the gun. Drop in a factory round and note the position of the cartridge base relative to the end of the barrel hood. Then drop in some of your handloads and see if their base is in the same location. If they are backed it it should be obvious.

When you can nudge the slide closed your OAL is very close to being correct but you are either seating the bullet a bit depper or just pusing the soft lead into the lands.

 

[jr_roosa]

The OAL is as recommended by Oregon Trail. The shoulders are just past the case mouth, maybe by 0.05 or so. The action hangs up a little further back than that.

The gun was never fired before that day. Yeah, it's a snug fit especially compared to my USGI M1911, but I checked a few rounds and they go in flush to the barrel hood. I'll check a whole batch and see what happens.

I don't think I seating the bullets deeper since I don't have to push with nearly that much force...just a nudge forward to lock things up all the way.

I think that I might get some RN even if it's just for kicks.

We'll see if any of your suggestions help. I think I might just be stuck doing lots of shooting with this pistol to get it good and broken in. Darn.

-J.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

To solve the ejection problem I think upping the charge a bit will probably do the trick. If you're interested is suggestions on powders I would charge 4.8gr of W231 make a nice soft load which cycles reliably in my 5" Springfield 1911A1.

Hodgdon recommends a starting charge of 4.4gr W231 and a Max charge of 5.6gr W231 under a 200gr LSWC bullet. My favorite load is 5.5gr W231 under a 230gr LRN bullet but that's not a light load.

Another powder you might consider is AA#5. It was specifically designed for use in the .45 ACP. I've also made up some rounds using Hodgdon HS-6 but haven't tested them enough to recommend a load yet.

 

[jr_roosa]

Ejection is fine, surprisingly. Even with my lightest loads.

I checked how the cases headspace, and there isn't much of a difference between factory and reloads. The reloads hang back a few thousandths...just enough to feel the difference with my finger. I think that correlates with a small amount lead shaving that sits just ahead of the case mouth. Neither are actually as snug as I thought, but the reloads fill the chamber a little more than factory.

Interestingly, when I put the barrel in the slide, the cases don't touch the breech face.

I'm going to try using a little more bell on the case mouth so that I don't get the little bit of lead shaving...if only to keep things consistent.

I think that the problem is in the pistol itself. The last 1/8 to 1/16th of travel has a lot of friction as the barrel lugs engage the slide.

We'll see how it goes.

-J.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Good luck getting everything to work together well.

 

[jaholder1971]

I had a similar problem with my Milspec.

I found that parkerizing was built up in the grooves of both the frame and slide from manufacturing and was offering enough resistance to prevent lighter loads from going completely into battery. Factory loads worked OK.

I tore it down, added a few drops of Rem Clean (the Remington abrasive solvent) to the slide and frame and worked them back and forth while watching TV until it smoothed out. Took about 20 minutes.

 

[Fourbits]

Sig 220

I had similar problems with a new Sig P220. After a few hundred rounds all the problems went away. 4.6 Bullseye with a 200 grain LSWC is my current load for the Sig with the stock spring (green).

I also think taper crimp is very important for reliable functioning in many 45 ACP pistols.

Fourbits