Trouble with .45 acp rounds

[KMO]

I've run some .45 acp reloads on my Dillon RL550B, and I'm hoping someone has a solution for me. This is a 4-stage press. The first stage decaps and resizes the casing. After stage #1, the casings slide easily into my cartridge gauge. After stage 3 (seat bullet), and stage 4 (crimp), the finished rounds no longer slide into the cartridge gauge. The rounds fire nicely out of my revolver, but they are too snug for me to try them in my 1911. One guy suggested that I run the crimp die further down the finished cartridge on the final stage. What do you guys think?

 

[Blue68f100]

Back off the crimp. Suspect your buckling the brass. The TC is only to remove the flare done for starting the bullet. I'm assuming Dillon dies.

 

[KMO]

Back off the crimp. Suspect your buckling the brass. The TC is only to remove the flare done for starting the bullet. I'm assuming Dillon dies.

Thanks...will do that...

 

[BSA1]

Are you taper or roll crimping the case mouth?

Taper crimp is for semi-autos.

Roll crimp is for revolvers.

Big difference in the two. There are two different crimping dies.

 

[heymarine1833]

had this happen too. found out the cast bullets i was using were not sized to .451 like they should have been. think its a bullet issue? even if you slightly flare the case mouth when filling with powder to accept the bullet, the seating die should taper crimp this back to normal. however, if the bullet is not .451 in this case, it will not fit well in the chamber. i would double check the bullet diameter. if that's ok, screw the sizing die all the way down to the plate and back off 1/2 turn. if it still doesnt work...call dillon

 

[Lafitte]

To answer the question it would be better to know why it won't go into the case gauge. What stops it? What kind of crimp die are you using?

Lafitte

 

[KMO]

To answer the question it would be better to know why it won't go into the case gauge. What stops it?

The diameter of the cartridge stops it (too wide). But, the .451 bullet and the forward portion of the cartridge slide into the gauge. It really gets hung up in the final 1/8" toward the breech end of the cartridge.

 

[KMO]

BSA1...Yes, it's a tapered crimp die for this semi-auto setup. The advice I got to set it lower was actually from the Dillon tech when I called. I did not follow his advice, as I felt he was wrong. Twice during my conversation with him I had to remind him this was .45 auto, and not .45 Colt. He was a nice old guy, but I think I might do better if I call & reach another tech. My buddy & I are putting our heads together on this later today...will post our solution afterward...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If the case fits in the gauge after sizing but not after you seat the bullet it might be your seating die. If the adjustment is off and the bullet is crimped before you complete the throw you can be causing the case to bulge at the bottom. If your seating die does not crimp the crimp die can do the same thing. If the bullet can no longer move into the case because it's crimped and you continue to push the case will crush slightly resulting in that bulge you are reporting. I hope I explained that well enough.

 

[JohnnyFlake]

Try avoiding the crimping stage completely. The .45acp is not a high pressure round and really does not need to be crimped. By using the crimping die you are most likely causing a buckle to the lip of the brass.

 

[KMO]

Thanks for the input all. As much as I like this Dillon press, I have to say that the advice I got from their tech led me astray on this problem. The stage 2 die on the RL550B inserts the powder, and flares the casing to accept the bullet. I adjusted the flare (aka "belling") almost completely out of this stage, and my cartridges are coming out perfect now. With the casing not opened up very much, I'm guiding each bullet by hand up into the bullet seat die, but I'm fine with that, as long as I'm not getting bulged rounds.

 

[shooter1]

The Dillon rep gave you sound advice. It's common for the resizing die to be improperly adjusted, not sizing down far enough on the case causing the gauge problem. .451 is the correct diameter for a jacketed bullet, cast usually run .452. You need just enough bell to allow the bullet be seated without shaving. A properly adjusted taper crimp die should be adjusted just enough to remove the bell. Often the crimp die has to be tweaked a bit to allow the finished cartridge to chamber. After you've loaded for awhile, you'll develop a feel for fine tuning your loads. Glad you've got the problem worked out. It's likely to pop up again when you change to a different bullet.
str1