Sizing .411 boolits to .401

[MikeS]

Hi All.

This week I bought a 400 corbon barrel for my PT1911 (a brand new Accumatch for $63) and currently I don't own any 40 cal boolit moulds, but do own a couple of 41 caliber moulds. I currently have both 170gr & 200gr boolits cast, lubed, and ready to go, so I was wondering if sizing them down .010 in a Lee push thru sizer would work? I imagine I'll eventually get a 40 cal mould, but for now want to use boolits I already have on hand.

[captaint]

I think that's gonna be a stretch, Mike. If you have TL boolits, forget it. You'll have no bands left at all. If they're regular loob gruv boolits, you can always give it a try. What's the worst that can happen ?? Lube them up good and shove them through. Let us know how it works out. enjoy Mike

[runfiverun]

the worst that could happen is they are long for thier caliber.
lose definition,soften the bhn.
lube some first and try it.

[2wheelDuke]

Sounds like alot to swage down. You better have alot of leverage on your press for that.

Are you going to be at the HRPC meeting tonight? I can bring you some .401 boolits or loan you my mold.

[littlejack]

Hey Mike:
Using my Rockchucker press, and a Lee .314 push through sizer die, I sized 8mm, (.323)
jacketed down to the .314. It worked very well. The first was the hardest, because of the die
being dry. Prelube the die before you do your first boolit. I lubed with lanolin. I would think that lead
and or lead alloy would be very easy.
Jack

[popper]

1) will the nose still fit the bbl? 2) I hear it is advises to leave the lube on them to prevent the grooves from disappearing. 3) assume they are low BHN for 41? 4) base first may keep the base clean, but the nose might not fit. I tried with 40SW (high BHN and .404-.405 dropped, .401 sizer) and ended up with REALLY fat noses and short CBs.

[.22-10-45]

Chances are the base is going to be distorted..that metal has to go somewhere. The other day, I wanted to size down some Ideal 412263..these were fairly soft range lead & 50-50 solder. they drop around .412" dia. I use these sized to .410 with smokeless in a .408 groove .40-70 Sharps. I wanted to try them over a black powder load in a Remington rolling block..so sized to .409..These were fully lubed with SPG. Reducing dies are Corbin reloading press type (nose first). Tried in one pass..bases cupped & uneven. I then first ran them thru the .410 die & then .409. Now bullet surface gleamed like a mirror & bases were nice & flat.

[MikeS]

Well, the .411 boolits I have are bevel based, so I figure the bevel will give the boolit someplace to put the lead, and they'll end up as plain based boolits. At least that's the thoughts behind it. Duke has given me some of his .401 cast boolits, so I'll probably load those first. Thinking some more about it, I think I'm going to have to get Accurate Molds make me a mould, as I don't think any of the production 40 cal bullets have a crimp groove, and as the 400 corbon is a bottlenecked cartridge it would probably work better with a roll crimp than a taper crimp. I'm pretty sure the normal reloading dies will do a roll crimp, and once I've proved my theory on that (actually gotten in the dies I ordered and tried them), and if in fact they will roll crimp I'll probably buy an extra Lee seating die body as I can get it for about $11.00 where as their factory crimp die (the collet rifle style) is about $19.00 and I'm not convinced that it's crimp when using a boolit with a crimp groove isn't better than a standard roll crimp.

My next big decision is if I want to buy some virgin Starline 400 corbon brass to start rather than forming some from the 45ACP brass I have here. I have about 100 or so small primer 45ACP brass, but it's currently all loaded with 45ACP. I can either pull them down (I have many hundred loaded 45ACP, so pulling down a few won't be a big thing) or buy the Starline, but the Starline is nickled brass, and I always hear how they won't last as long a plain brass, although I've never really noticed it myself.

[leadman]

I have sized .410" lubed boolits with standard lube grooves to .401". In my RCBS luber they came out fine.
I cast alot of boolits with the Lee 6 cavity for the 40. It was the 175gr truncated cone mold. The boolits just flew out of that mold! Probably the fastest production mold I ever owned. The boolits shot real well also.
I think you are right in not using the Lee Factory Crimp die.

[MtGun44]

Lube first, then size down, and you will keep your grooves.

Bill

[MikeS]

Lube first, then size down, and you will keep your grooves.

Bill

That's the plan! I have a couple hundred .411 SAECO #416 (170gr SWC) already cast and lubed, so when I get my Lee .401 sizing kit I will try sizing some of them and see how it goes.

[Moonie]

All of my 400 corbon Starline brass is non-plated so they do have it. I believe I got it through midwayusa. Keep in mind that the 400 corbon brass is made on +p brass and has a thicker web than 45 acp brass. If you are going to use reformed 45 acp brass keep the loads at the starting levels.

The only 40 caliber mold I have is the 145 SWC from lee, it work well in the 400 corbon but now that one of my sons has a 40 S&W he needs to get another mold, more than 2 cavity.

Oh and a little trick to keep from having to lube your cases, size in a 45 acp size die then the 400, no lube needed as the 400 will only size the neck and bump the shoulder. I set them up this way in my progressive.

[MikeS]

I should have said that only the nickel was in stock! If plain was in stock I wouldn't have hesitated a moment.

[lwknight]

Mike , keep us posted on the results.
Filling the grooves with lube will preserve them at least somewhat intact.