nOOb question- WW stick in my chamber! eww

[blsexton]

OK, so loading up WW is pretty easy, fun and CHEAP. And as the Lee manual I just bought states, I am attempting to let my chamber 'size' the WW--- Meaning I cast straight WWs (no tin or added metals), pour them in the Lee mold, use the lee Alox lube on em and then load them. Once loaded I'll chamber size them, (take out the bbl, drop each one in and ensure it will fit. If it doesn't I'll ditch it. I notice when doing this step if the chamber has been reamed real clean it's easier for them to go in/out of the chamber).

Shooting them as 200 LSWC over 5.0 of W231.

Problem arises when I have shot about 20 out of my 1911 with Wilson Bbl. The first 20 or so shoot fine, but then they start to stick about every 3rd. The slide will not go all the way forward, and it is difficlut to open the slide and pry the bullet out.

So-- do I need to start using a bullet sizer? (1 extra step I don't wanna do)

OR, do I need to add something else to the casting pot (like tin, antimony, etc?) in order to make the bullets harder so they don't leave such a residue/build up in the chamber?

Thanks!

[Blammer]

is your barrel leaded? Leading may cause your problems.

[fourarmed]

Are you using mixed brass? Some brands have thicker walls than others, and will hang up first. I have usually found R-P pistol brass to be the thinnest.

[cohutt]

I had to size all the way down to 451 for a kimber barrel, other wise same would happen at 452 sized bullets. unsized weren't even close, maybe 40% chambered.

the 451s are very reliable, accurate and no leading.
sizing with tl bullets isn'; that big a deal (or expense)
I use a flat brownie pan lined with wax paper to lube, go licghtly on maybe 50 bullets in the pan, size, dump back in the pan to roll some more and then to a flat surface to dry. goes by fast during football season, mindless activity while tv is on.

[JMax]

Check the chamber as one can get a combination of carbon and lead deposits that can lead to case sticking. I use either 4.9 of WW 231 or 5.1 gr of Unique with an H&G 68 200 gr SWC.

[454PB]

Another possibility, Lee liquid alox tends to build up in the chamber if the boolits noses are coated with same. Try using some "gunscrubber" degreaser to clean off the noses after they are loaded.

[blsexton]

Thanks to all who have helped me think this through so far.
YES- the nose has plenty of alox lube on it- I will try to scrub them off with the gun scrubber 454 Suggested- thanks!

The leading down the bore is pretty minimal so far. It seems there is just a build up of 'gunk' in the chamber that gets compacted. Don't notice a special style of brass that seems to do this, so I think the brass theory, although a good one, doesn't apply here.

If I go and buy a sizer die should it be 452 or to be safe 451?

[9.3X62AL]

I haven't examined a Wilson barrel, but many 1911A1 throats are pretty short and have fairly abrupt rifling origin. If boolits are seated out with the front drive band edge extending .030" ahead of the case mouth (as some sources recommend), full cartridge seating in the pistol's chamber can be compromised. This is a condition I've seen in several 45's, one 40, and several 9mm's. My fix is to back off the powder weight about 10% and try boolits at ".015" band extension" and "seated flush" with the case mouth. This trick has resolved many feeding issues with both SWC and TC boolit profiles.

Those minimally-dimensioned chambers can have a back edge to the accuracy sword they wield. Cohutt points out another avenue I would explore if the OAL length bit doesn't resolve the issue, and the R-P brass is another answer I would pursue.

[454PB]

You need to slug the barrel before buying a sizing die. Drive a lubricated soft lead slug through the barrel, then measure it with a micrometer. Generally it's a good idea to size .001" over bore size, as long as the loaded boolit will feed and chamber OK. Since the first 20 rounds chambered OK, I doubt that size is the problem. It's unlikely that #21 and up were larger than those first 20.

What Al said above kind of fits in with my suggestion that the Lee L.A. is building up at the rifling origin and causing a problem.

[blsexton]

I have been loading these to an OAL of 1.250"--- which results in 2 of the 'lubing ridges?' (don't know what they are called).
But 2 ridges stick out of the case, looking about what a normal LSWC would. Would loading these flush to the case, so only the WC part sticks out helP?

Hmm-- really great suggestions guys. Much appreciated.:???:

[dakotashooter2]

You may be getting a "slight" size variation in your bullets. That variation in combination with the brass thickness may be causing a "tight" or "tighter" fit to the chamber interfering with chambering. I had a similar problem with my beretta. You might measure your bullets and get a sizer die that will only size the oversized ones. The other option would be to try a lee factory crimp die. That seemed to improve the cycling in my gun vastly.

[DanM]

When I started out with casting and was using LLA lube, I had a similar problem with excess lube building up in the chamber and barrel. I found that I was using too much alox, and it was leaving deposits behind. Also, I was loading the boolits unsized, and accuracy was not great. There was enough variation in diameter to cause problems. A .452" Lee sizer cured this problem. The next thing I did was to get a Lee factory crimp die. The FC die is a big help in feeding mixed brass. It pretty much eliminates problems caused by sight variations in thicknesses and length of mixed brass.

[9.3X62AL]

Bisexton--

"Drive bands" are the full-caliber exposed lead portion of the boolit. "Lube grooves" are the radial indentations that contain the boolit lube.

I just went out to the shop to check overall length (OAL) of my loaded 200 grain SWC 45 ACP rounds. These are flush-seated Lyman #452460s, and their OAL is 1.170". If I were to give the boolits the .030" front drive band extension forward of the case mouth, OAL would be 1.200".

Different boolit designs will change the OAL slightly, but it sounds to me like your load has an overlength drive band exposure.

[454PB]

For those that don't know it, the Lee FCD will size the boolit in a loaded round if it is over .451" or if the brass happens to be a little thicker than the norm.

[JMax]

I haven't examined a Wilson barrel, but many 1911A1 throats are pretty short and have fairly abrupt rifling origin. If boolits are seated out with the front drive band edge extending .030" ahead of the case mouth (as some sources recommend), full cartridge seating in the pistol's chamber can be compromised. This is a condition I've seen in several 45's, one 40, and several 9mm's. My fix is to back off the powder weight about 10% and try boolits at ".015" band extension" and "seated flush" with the case mouth. This trick has resolved many feeding issues with both SWC and TC boolit profiles.

Those minimally-dimensioned chambers can have a back edge to the accuracy sword they wield. Cohutt points out another avenue I would explore if the OAL length bit doesn't resolve the issue, and the R-P brass is another answer I would pursue.

I use a match finishing reamer to cut a slight lead into the rifling so the slight shoulder of the bullet in front of the case mouth rests on sloped rifling. Very accurate and little gunk buildup.

[Cloudpeak]

There have been several good solutions mentioned here. Another thing you might look at (and this is essentially a cartridge overall length problem) is if, when you're seating your bullets your not shaving some lead that ends up at the case mouth. This would be like adding length to the case. If you use your barrel to gauge each round, you would have found this out already, I suppose.

If you are using a Lee 6 cavity mold, I'd run them all through the Lee sizer. They're only around $13.00 and work very well. Lee cavities are probably not all the same diameter. Also, you can get variations in diameter with different casting temperatures.

Cloudpeak