reloading 45 acp

[dickn52]

I reload large primers only. That way if they don't fit on the first push with the 21st Century handtool, I pull it, look at it again and set it aside if it's a small primer case. I NEVER force anything when it comes to primers.

 

[Riesel]

Wow my Federal measures .170 +_ and the Starline measures .205+_
So they do make small and large 45acp primer pockets as you guys said. We have never seen this before. I guess I 'm not a rocket scientist lol. I talked to a guy that told me they can have both in the same box of factory ammo.
The 4.5 grains of BE doesn't cycle but the 5.0 seems to work fine.
thanks guys.

Copy that rocket science part, who knew? When it come to .45 brass, I like em all.

 

[reloader wannabe]

Hi all. This is my first time reloading .45 ACP. (I've several hundred 9mm.) I used 240 gn. Hornady XTP bullets with 4 gn. of #5 (Note: 4 gn. is the min. loading for a 250 gn. XTP and I have no data for 240 gn. XTP - it was the only bullet I could find available.) The round performed well fired from my Glock: 20 rounds tested no misfires, no feed failures, good group. Before I test fired the rounds, when I was checking how the round fed from the mag by manually cycling the slide on the Glock, I noted that sometimes a round would not feed. It would hang up on the mag - I think. I checked those rounds carefully and noticed that the brass seemed a bit roughed up on case edges (the leading part that head spaces). I was surprised because before I reloaded the brass, I trimmed all the brass to the correct length - after sizing it - and I lightly chamfered trimmed edges to remove any roughness due to the trimming. I also put a very light taper crimp on each round. Any suggestions for this .45 ACP beginner?

 

[reloader wannabe]

Sorry - that would be 6 gn. of #5...

 

[Capt45]

Way to make a new member feel welcome Dub. BTW, you still beat your Dog?

To the new member, welcome, most members here are cordial and helpful. Dub probably is at times himself. As to your problem, probably hanging up on the magazine as you suspect. Check the mag for any irregularities. BTW, don't think I ever trimmed 45ACP brass, I just clean and load.

 

[gambleone]

Hi all. This is my first time reloading .45 ACP. (I've several hundred 9mm.) I used 240 gn. Hornady XTP bullets with 4 gn. of #5 (Note: 4 gn. is the min. loading for a 250 gn. XTP and I have no data for 240 gn. XTP - it was the only bullet I could find available.) The round performed well fired from my Glock: 20 rounds tested no misfires, no feed failures, good group. Before I test fired the rounds, when I was checking how the round fed from the mag by manually cycling the slide on the Glock, I noted that sometimes a round would not feed. It would hang up on the mag - I think. I checked those rounds carefully and noticed that the brass seemed a bit roughed up on case edges (the leading part that head spaces). I was surprised because before I reloaded the brass, I trimmed all the brass to the correct length - after sizing it - and I lightly chamfered trimmed edges to remove any roughness due to the trimming. I also put a very light taper crimp on each round. Any suggestions for this .45 ACP beginner?

Welcome, sometimes guys get there shorts in a knot on this site. Just move on. As far as your cases hanging up a bit, i wonder how your crimped edges looked. Were the ones that hung up that
disfigured? Was the oal within spec? Was this new brass or used? What brand of brass?

 

[reloader wannabe]

Sorry about dredging up an old thread - it's what I came up with on a search. There was is so much good info! Chalk it up to a lack of experience with .45 ACP and forums like this. Old brass - mostly Winchester but mixed, some PNC. I didn't know what I was dealing with so I cleaned and trimmed. Cases all looked pretty good to me - case length max was set by the trimmer tool but I inspected each. I used my micrometer to check oal on each round and visually inspected out of an abundance of caution. I didn't make that many... I compared to some commercial rounds and dimensions were very comparable. But, I'll look more carefully at the brass. Many thanks.

 

[mac86951]

Welcome, sometimes guys get there shorts in a knot on this site. Just move on. As far as your cases hanging up a bit, i wonder how your crimped edges looked. Were the ones that hung up that
disfigured? Was the oal within spec? Was this new brass or used? What brand of brass?

And I might add a recommended device; LE Wilson case gauge; but wait you can do it for free if you disassemble your barrel and set all your dies to the "plunk" test. Joking aside, use your chamber as a go-nogauge for the round. Often when sized with just a little clearance, the rounds make a nice "plunk" sound when dropped into the chamber. Certainly it'll show you the ones that don't fit. Most likely the crimp, you're using a taper crimper right?

 

[hrlincoln]

Hi all. This is my first time reloading .45 ACP. (I've several hundred 9mm.) I used 240 gn. Hornady XTP bullets with 4 gn. of #5 (Note: 4 gn. is the min. loading for a 250 gn. XTP and I have no data for 240 gn. XTP Any suggestions for this .45 ACP beginner?

Double-check your load tables/re-loading manuals. I think you are using bullets more suited for the .45LC. Might be better off using 230gr, 200gr, or 185gr for the .45ACP.

 

[mousegunner]

I've said this before get a Lyman M die to "flare" your cases for seating. I got 9mm and .45 coming. Also I don't trim/chamfer/deburr 9 or .45 unless I see one that has some damage from hitting the cement. I make some dummy rounds when I get a different bullet to check the seating and cycle the slide to make sure they go in right. Don't baby the slide let the spring do the work. My .02 cents.

 

[reloader wannabe]

Thanks to everyone for the abundance of good advice. I'm using a taper crimp, yes. I will check into the Lyman M die for flaring the case neck, thank you. I pulled the barrel out and "plunk" tested my rounds and a factory round - I now understand the "plunk" test - it's a good, quick, go / no go gauge.

 

[divingin]

Many yeas ago I used 3 grains of Bullseye for target loads and it was very accurate. I experimented with the lightest load of Bulleseye I could use and still function the slide and I got the load down to about 2.5 grains of Bulleseye before it would not lock the slide back. It was very accurate and easy to shoot.

My load with a Gold Cup was about 3.1 BE, running (I think) a 7 lb recoil spring. Very little recoil, reasonably reliable, but you had to be careful with the seating, as there wasn't enough slide energy coming forward to overcome drag from bullets seating a little wonky (bulged cases at the bullet base.)

My similar load was (as I recall) 3.2 or 3.3 of 452AA; I chronoed it, and it was running about the same speed as my air pistol - 520ish fps. Accurate enough at 25yds, but I don't think it would have done too well on the long line (not that I'm shooting competitions anymore, but still...)

I've since respringed the gun (14 or 16 lbs) and I'm running 3.6 Titegroup at around 700fps.

 

[ToddKS]

Federal and Blazer are the most common SPP 45ACP cases. Win NT is also small primer and crimped as is Federal NT. These are the ones I encounter most commonly. I have seen one or two others but only a single digit number of cases out of 10's of thousands sorted. I believe one was Hornady and another was GFL but don't quote me on those. It has been a while since I saw them.

 

[reloader wannabe]

Regarding hrlincoln helpful comment. Yes. I believe you are correct. My Hornady reloading handbook lists bullet weights from 185 to 230 gn so 240 gn is an uncommon load. Although the data that came with the reloading dies has load data with several powders for up to 250 gn bullets, I think I'll stick with the handbook next time...

 

[Steve Ladino]

Putting a small primer in the 45 ACP case is one of the
biggest PIA for shooters in a long time!

How does an Old Cowboy know this ?

 

[AckleymanII]

I HATE the invent the small primer for the 45 acp. I just ran into a bunch of Speer brass with small primers.

 

[2506]

First pistol rounds I ever started loading was 45 ACP 40 years ago. I had just gotten married and was poorer than Job's turkey. If I did not grow, shoot or catch it we did not eat. I did some work for an old man and the pay was a pretty ruff Colt 1911A1 WWII bring back. Story was that this old man was a Marine and took the pistol off a dead Jap who had taken it off a dead Marine no doubt. I can't remember which island he was on. In the jungle things rust really quickly especially if they have blood on them. Most of the finish was gone off the pistol and it had slight pits in it on one side which no doubt from their shape where from where blood droplets had been on it. The barrel was toast from shooting corrosive primed ammo and not being cleaned. I cleaned up the metal as best as I could and used cold blue to put a finish on it. I acquired a new barrel and recoil spring from a fellow that was in the national guard. Ask no questions and I will tell no lies as to how he "acquired" them. I was given wheel weights from a tire store and a friend had a 200 gr SWC bullet mold and loading equipment which I could use. We worked up a load using 7 grs. Unique which was a stout load but safe. Reason for this stout load was I was so poor at the time that I could load a 45 ACP round for about 3 or 4 cents. A shotgun buckshot load cost much more. There were plenty of deer in north east NC where I was living at the time. It was not legal at the time to deer hunt with a pistol but a man has to do what a man has to do to feed his family. I would hide that pistol on me and go into the swamps carrying my shotgun. I would set up to where I would not be shooting over 50 yards. I could put one of those 200 gr SWC in the vitals of a deer of which it was a complete pass through cutting a 45 cal hole and it let the air out of them quickly. I killed a good number of deer over the 4 years a lived there with this pistol. When I move and got a much better job with more pay I decided I needed a new pistol and sold the old war horse to help fund the new one. I kick myself for that now. The new pistol was a stainless 1911 AMT which was basically a Colt Gold Cup especially after I had the armor for the USMC shooting team do a little magic on it when the team came to the WV state bullseye match at the club I was a member of and was shooting bullseye matches by this time. Using a wheel weight cast 200 gr SWC from a RCBS mold with 3 grs Bullseye powder was what this pistol liked. I did clean it between each match. I still have that pistol and shoot it once or twice a year for fun.
Like someone said I also have NEVER trimmed a 45 ACP,9mm or 380 case and have loaded and shot thousands.
Best thing I have ever discovered is the Lee Factory Crimp Die. For the pistol rounds it makes sure that the whole case is sized properly while putting a taper crimp on. All my semi auto 45 and 9mm and 380 pistols run like a Swiss watch after I started using this die.