XD45 Tight Barrel

[bullseye308]

Not having slugged the barrel on an XD45 that I will be casting for, I tried to mic the inside of the barrel to try to get an idea of which sizer to buy. What I come up with is .445. Using this same method I get .352 from my GP100 .357, and .3545 from my Astra 9mm. None are clean at the moment, but the 45 has only a few jacketed rounds through it so far, the others eat lots of lead.
I will be casting for 4 different 45's and this is the first one that I have received for testing as I do not have a 45 myself. The others will be a Kimber, SA 1911, and a SIG220. Should I expect to have problems with the XD and wait for the SA 1911? I almost cast up a few thou Lee 230 round nose but decided to wait. I will cast a few pure lead slugs from this mould and try slugging the barrel with them, as well as clean the barrels and measure again, but I think I'm still missing something. :banghead:

 

[rcmodel]

It is highly unlikely you have three guns from three different manufactures with .003" - .005" under-size bores.

It is almost impossible to measure the inside bore diameter with a dial caliper and get an accurate reading.
That is why you never see it suggested to do it that way.

But you do always see slugging suggested as the only accurate way to measure a barrel.

Slug the barrels and measure the slugs and I think you will find all three guns very close to what they are supposed to be.

rcmodel

 

[ReloaderFred]

You're using the wrong measuring method, which results in the wrong measurements. Slugging the barrel is the only way to tell the true diameter of the bore without using specialized measureing tools designed for that purpose.

Lead bullets sized to .452" will work fine in your .45's, including the XD. I use them in my XD, 1911's and Witnesses, and they shoot just fine.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[bullseye308]

I realize that the way I measured is not the right way, and I will slug the barrel, but the point was that if the 357 and 9mm were measuring just a couple thou under the 45 should have to, right? I do cast for the 357 and 9mm sized at .358 and .356 respectively with no problems. I'll clean the barrel and slug it, then see where I stand.

"It is highly unlikely you have three guns from three different manufactures with .003" - .005" under-size bores."
Like I said, they haven't been cleaned yet, I was just looking to see if it was close enough to .452 to go pick up a sizer. I expected it to be only off by .002-.003 like the others, not .007. Had it been .450 I would have been happy.

After looking this all over I realise that if I had said that I was just measuring to "guestimate"(?) which sizer(.451 or .452) to buy, I wouldn't look like such a dipstick:banghead:. I will be casting for 4 pistols and only have one in my posession right now. When I get them all together they will all be slugged and noted in the log. Then I get to load some and test them out before returning those nice pistols.

 

[neal7250]

I have a XD 45, and I use 260 gr rebated boattail bullets made by this company www.customprojectile.com . This bullet is .452 in diameter, and I did have my doubts about trying them, but after talking to Bullet Bob (the owner of the company), and reading an article about them, I gave them a try.

I load them with 6 Gr of Unique, and at 50 yards, you can get a really nice group. They have been advertized to mark well at 100 yards, but I have never tried that.

Give Bullet Bob a call. He is a very knowledgable guy. He can give you a lot of info on .452 dia bullets in an XD.

By the way I also use these bullets in my Springfield 1911, and my Colt 1911.

 

[bullseye308]

Just got the springfield and using the same method as before it measured .450 like I was hoping it would. Not an exact way to do it, but I think all the lands and grooves in the XD is what threw my caliper off. So, I will still slug the bores just for the practice and get a .452 sizer.