Leading Problem

[FallRun]

I have a new .45 ACP Springfield XD W/a 5" barrel and it's leading up pretty good. I tried to do a good job breaking it in with jacketed stuff before switching to lead like I did with my .40 (and that worked awsome) but not this time. Since there are a lot of reasons for leading I am looking for a short cut to figuring this out since I can only go to the range 1 day a week. I think maybe 1- my barrel sucks 2- the bullet lube sucks or maybe I'm pushing them too fast. My recipe is 200 gr swc over 4.5 gr bullseye any thoughts? after 100 rounds it took me 1 hour to clean the barrel and it's still not as good as I would like it's just pretty clean. Thank You Guys for any help in this matter. Glenn

[trooperdan]

FallRun, we need some more info about the bolits you are using. Are you using your casts or commercial? What is the diameter and what is the boolit? What lube are you using?

At first blush, undersize boolits cause leading quicker than anything I know!

[FallRun]

FallRun, we need some more info about the bolits you are using. Are you using your casts or commercial? What is the diameter and what is the boolit? What lube are you using?

At first blush, undersize boolits cause leading quicker than anything I know! OK Dan the bullets as stated above are 200 gr swc and they are sized at 452 I don't know how hard they are cause I buy them from a guy down south they are tumble lubed by him with alox 350 cut with mineral spirits and I'm pushing them at about 810 fps

[44man]

Most likely they are soft and the LLA sucks too. Put some good lube on them and try again. Leave the Alox and just fill the grooves. Get ALL the remaining lead out before shooting again.

[FallRun]

I don't have any kind or tool or machine to lube them with and I found out they are 14 to 16 on the Bernal scale. Is that ok? Don't know if that's hard or soft

[Pilgrim]

Your boolits are medium hard. Roughly like ACWW with a extra dab of antimony thrown into the melt. They aren't too hard, but then again they don't need to be that hard for the velocities you are running. I also suspect the lube. You don't need a lube sizer to lube boolits with lube grooves. You can use (buy) a LEE "cake cutter" set up, or just use a small pan that will hold melted boolit lube and boolits.

If the boolits have lube grooves, get a small pan that you can set the boolits in on their bases. That is, boolit nose up. Melt some lube (pretty much any lube for your velocities) and pour it around the bullets. It is best if you use a "double boiler" (just a pan inside of another pan with the first pan containing water). The lube should melt in the second pan just due to the water temperature. Anyway, after pouring the lube into the pan where the boolits are setting upright, let the lube cool to a solid. Putting them in the freezer speeds things up a fair bit, but isn't necessary. After the lube & bullets are a solid mass, take the lube cake + boolits out of the pan, and simply push the boolits out of the cake, base first (that is, push on the noses). If you did it right, the lube grooves should be full of lube and you are good to go.

If the boolits do not have lube grooves, I'd tumble lube them with LLA (perhaps double tumble them), let the lube dry and try again.

If neither lube option works, IMO you are probably getting gas blow-by before the boolits are fully into the rifling. In that case, the best bet is to try another boolit from somebody that shoots the .45 in your area. If the leading goes away, you know it is your boolits. If the leading remains, I'd look at my loading (OAL) and my barrel. FWIW........Pilgrim

[klausg]

Glenn- I am going to agree with 44man, LLA has been nothing but headaches for me; some guys swear by it though. You can always pan-lube, check out goatlips' site for a good pictorial how-to:

http://goatlipstips.cas-town.com/casting.html

From reading some other threads, your rate of fire also has an effect on how well LLA will work. Once things heat up, it starts to break down. I personally just avoid the headaches and use more conventional lubes. I have pan-lubed bullets that were previously LLA'ed with no difficulties; I would just get a couple of sticks of regular lube & pan lube a box or so and give it a shot. As stated previously, make sure you get everything out of your bore before hand. Hope this helps

-Klaus

[SharpsShooter]

Alox 350 diluted 50% with mineral spirits in your application is like no lube at all. Two coats of Full strength Lee Liquid Alox will work just fine at the velocity you mention. I use it for 260gr Keith boolits in the 45lc at higher velocities than your ACP. I use it in the 8mm up to 1900fps with no problem. Make no mistake...your boolit must fit correctly. Slug the bore and select diameters of .001-.002" larger.

SS

[Uncle R.]

At 14-16 BHN your bullets should be plenty hard enough for ACP velocities. If anything they're probably a bit too hard instead of too soft. I struggled with lead in my ACP barrels for a long time and finally cured the problem by going to softer bullets and increasing the tin in my mix.
I'm probably going against the grain here but I've had fine results with LLA and 200 gr. SWCs in the .45 auto. I wouldn't trust the stuff for 2000 FPS rifle loads but for for 900 FPS pistol loads it worked fine in my testing as long as I used plenty of it. I'd suggest that you try it - but lay it on thick. Two heavy coatings of LLA with a 24 hr. drying time between coats. If that doesn't cure your problem I suspect that you're looking at throat / barrel dimension issues.
Good luck!

[FallRun]

Thank all of you for your suggestions. I will try them and post my results on Sunday when I get home from the range

[FallRun]

LLA did the trick Thanx Guys

[SharpsShooter]

Doncha love it when something works:-D


SS

[tomf52]

Fallrun - You can cut the cleaning of that leaded barrel to nothing by making one of those pot scrubber brushes. Use a worn bore brush of the proper caliber for your gun and wind it with strands taken from a Chor Boy or similar brand COPPER pot srubber. Use a magnet to make sure the pot scrubber pad you use is 100% copper. Wind the strands aroun you bore brush and tie off with thread and pass this though the bore with some solvent. Will clean the leading out pronto.

[handyrandyrc]

Measure the barrel on that XD... Mine measured out at .442 on the lands and .448 in the grooves! A leetle bit tight if you ask me!

[Lloyd Smale]

ebay always has a selection of lyman lube sizer presses for about 50 bucks. Alox sucks in the 1911s anyway its just to dirty and guns them up fast. Im a little predudice anyway as ive never had real good luck with it in anything.

[DPD]

FallRun,
An alternative solution is to use the boolits as is but add a wax gas check from CF Ventures in Bloomington IN (they will mail them directly to you).
They are flat sheets of wax about 1/16 inch thick. You just press the sheet down
with your thumb over the flared, primed and charged case, then seat the boolit.
Easy to use and work great, but could be a pain if you use a progressive press.
Anyway they perform as well as guilding metal gas checks in my experience.