My first 1911 and handloads

[prs]

I purchased my very first 1911 pistol last Saturday. I have had "feelers" out there to get this one for many months. I had my boolits (Lee TL-452-230-TC) cast and lubed and cases (Starline) and powders all on hand. None of the local and not so local dealers could get me a Ruger SR1911, but a new Cabelas opened nearby and they had/have several on hand for the opening. I gots mine. I may get another if/when one very helpful local dealer gets hold of it for me. Heck, I guy needs to fill both hands when real trouble starts!

I am kinda wishing my boolit selection was the TL 2R from Lee instead, but maybe later. I cleaned the new barrel, loaded an uncrimped dumby round and did the plunk test. The round was way too long when loaded to the nominal max length. The round was chambering on the shoulder of the boolit instead of the case mouth. I slowly increased the seating depth until she ker-plunked on the case. I then set the die just a teeny-tiny bit deeper and to apply a very modest taper crimp since the new cases were not externally chamfered at all. Fit was just right! But, with that boolit the OAL was kinda short. This pistol seems to be as accurate as any I have shot and way easy with which to get a sight picture. The Unique and WSF, and 800X, and TrailBoss all functioned flawlessly. I was surprised the TrailBoss could cycle the action reliably since its maximum load was still such a powder puff, but we shot a hundred of these trouble free (it was the favorite with my daughter and her boy friend -- the wussies). John Browning rocks! Ruger rocks! Very nice gun made right here in USA and very reasonable even with the close to straight retail price Cabelas charged. Plus, it will never see a copper condom projectile other than what "Mike Bassett", the Ruger inspector may have used. No leading observed..

Note to self, scrounge more lead and tin..........

prs

[L Erie Caster]

Note to self, scrounge more lead and tin..........

Get me some too.

1911 for over 100 years and still the best.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Ya, and get a sizer/luber and forget the tumble lube.

Try some of the White Label lube available here on the forum.

Sorry, not a TL or for that matter much of a Lee anything fan.

Just an Ol'Coot thing I guess

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[nwellons]

I knew very little about smokeless cartridge reloading when I decided to go with a 1911 and bought the Lee Lee 452-228-1R mold. I got it just because I liked the look of the boolit. Later i read the boolit was a bit hard to use and get it to cycle correctly.

After reading a lot more and learning about the thunk test, I ended up seating to an OAL of 1.210. I use an Alox mix for and the factory crimp die and have great results now. Great cycling and no leading.

I am not a target shooter, however. Just a plinker.

[Sonnypie]

Sounds like you're gonna love it.
I cast both of Lee's bullets, 228 and 230 for my 1929 Colt 45 ACP.
I HP the TL 230 mold right out of the box. Probably kinda silly for a 45 ACP to HP the bullet. But it can't hurt.
The lube grooved 228 is a 6 plop dropper with two lube grooves. Darn thing drinks lead and ****z boolits.

I have decided I don't like tumble lubing. I don't like the build up in my seating die that leads to varying seating depths and extra cleaning of my seating die.
So I take the extra step to clean the noses before seating.
When I work through my current mass of cast boolits for it I'm going to hot dip them like I do my rifle cast boolits.

I just finished off 250+ of brass a friend in Alaska sent me from his local range today. Made me another shot bag full of wammo.
My game is shooting steels at my local range. Lottsa fun!
Of the variety I've had, I pared it down to my favorites, 30-06 and 45 ACP.
The only varmit in North America that gives me concern is the Government.

[prs]

For my real gunpowder rounds in single actions and lever guns, I use real boolit lube and boolits with huge lube canyons (PRS boolits). But for the new fangled smokeless fad propellents I tumble lube to save time and lube large lots of boolits well in advance of need, thus they dry to a tough dry film with no tackyness or mess in the dies. The boolits I loaded this week were lubed last fall and winter.

I got to shoot steel with the Ruger again today out on the back 40 and its sweet. I always shoot one handed and shoot left and right handed, it would be a hoot to have two of these with one fitted with a left safety. And this stuff about limp wristing causing stove pipe jambs, seems to not hold up for one handed shooting with this iron. Then again, my one handed grip is not "limp" with eithe paw.

prs