WC 820 w/ filler - .45 ACP

[Jim]

I kept getting unburned powder using WC 820 under a Lee .452-230-2r-TL. I put an equal volume of ground coffee in the case which made it a lightly compressed charge. Works fine. Actually, it was border line in that all the powder burned and the load shot good, but I believe I can go a coupla grains heavier on the powder.

.45 ACP
Lee 230-.452-1r-TL
.7cc(Lee scoop) ground coffee
.7cc( " " ) WC 820
Win. large pistol primer

[eaglefacts]

I am kinda new to this, so tell me why the ground coffee?

[felix]

820 is too low of volume for that case and boolit seated making ignition dangerous with that very slow powder speed for the case size; fill the air space with something cheap; best to use shotgun filler which is plastic: compresses easily without overkill force on the powder. ... felix

[45 2.1]

I am kinda new to this, so tell me why the ground coffee?

Most of these powder types that require 80+ % density burn very badly or go BANG (SEE type condition) when underloaded. What isn't mentioned too much is reducing the combustion volume in a case by using a filler. In this case the coffee was the filler making the powder burn due to a reduction in volume. There is a fairly fine line where this works also. This can be done up to a point in which the filler occupies too much volume and acts as a plug causing too much pressure rise behind a boolit before venting occurs.

[eaglefacts]

ok, so what are some of the best fillers to use to keep from having to much pressure?

[Blammer]

not coffee, that's about as expensive as the powder you're using.

[eaglefacts]

Well i drink it once in a while and it is getting almost like gas, you want to keep as much around as long as you can cause to expensive to replace.

[mag_01]

PSB A shotgun buffer is best --- I don't have access to it so I use ground walnut from a pet supply store --- thought of as a solid type filler as fillers go. --- Mag_01

Use caution when using fillers as they raise pressure

[BD]

This does lead into the question of why one would be burning WC820 in a .45 acp. Sounds like an expensive proposition.
BD

[Woodwrkr]

I once tried Cream of Wheat for a filler, but I couldn't tell if it made any difference.

[Jim]

BD,
Why? why, to see if I could make it work, that's why!:-D
Oh, one other thing: I've got a bunch of it.

On the subject of coffee being expensive, I figure if I use the same quantity in a week's worth of shooting that I would use to make a cup of coffee, that would be a LOT of loaded ammo and that ain't expensive.

[felix]

Used coffee won't be expensive. ... felix

[eaglefacts]

ok, crushed walnut like you use for cleaning media?

[mag_01]

Yes just walnut nothing added you will find it in pet supply stores and it is ground finer than corn cob. Have had good results with it in rifle and pistol with lead boolits -------------- Mag_01

[44man]

Nah, the caffeine fix at the range is nice. Sure to make a guy shake and miss. :mrgreen:

[Lloyd Smale]

guess im with BD. Id buy a keg of bullseye and be done with it. Your going to use about a 1/3 of the weight of powder youd use with 820 and it would end up much cheaper and alot more accurate and safer.

[jonk]

I use Red Dot in .45 ACP. I use coffee in my coffee maker. I use 820 in .357 magnum and for my M1 carbine, and it does a treat in both.

That said I always like to find out what can be done. Thanks for the report.

[eaglefacts]

ok Thanks guys for the info.. it has all been useful.

[BD]

The yankee in me was just thinking that a guy in Jim's line of work might be able to pick up an 8 pounder of Titegroup for about $104 with no shipping or hazmat, yielding a powder cost of less than a tenth of a cent for a round of .45 acp. Then a guy could save that WC820 for the magnum rounds where you'd otherwise be using 20- 24 grains of canister at a per round cost of 4 to 6 cents.

Felix must be adding a good bit of "Irish" to his cup if his "used" coffee will burn.
BD

[felix]

Well, let's see. Grandma Mudd was 100% German, Grandma Robbins was 100% English, Grandpa Mudd was 50-50 Scotch-Irish, Grandpa Robbins was 50-25-25 English-French-German. Yeah, that messed up blood line makes me prefer the high grades of Tequila in spite of it all. But when you consider I married a 50-50 Check-Polock I have equal taste shares for just about any high grade of booze. Unfortunately, the high grade stuff costs way too much for enjoyment these days. But, being Christmas time, some rot gut wiskey made from corn goes extremely well in eggnog. I have tried other wiskeys in eggnog, but the rough heavy flavor actually is best to compensate for the heavy cream taste. Please refer to castpics for the recipe. It IS without doubt the best eggnog in existance and guaranteed to be mo'betta' than finger lickin' good. ... felix

[JohnH]

I use Red Dot in .45 ACP. I use coffee in my coffee maker. I use 820 in .357 magnum and for my M1 carbine, and it does a treat in both.

That said I always like to find out what can be done. Thanks for the report.

Yeah. there are a lot of better powders for 45 ACP than 820. IIRC about 7 grains of Green Dot and a 200 grain boolit of choice is good for 800 fps, good accuracy and plenty of cheap shootzen. If you want cheaper than that, consider a 200 grain boolit and a charge of Bulleyes or AA#2 that just makes the action function, neighborhood of 5 grains. There are better uses for 820 than trying to reduce charges in a 45 ACP case, not to be insulting, but that is somewhat non-sensical anyway. If you want some cheap 45 ACP shootzen get some of that Russian "Unique", right speed, right application, good price.

[Ricochet]

Or Promo.

[eaglefacts]

Well Felix I think Ill just have some of the rot gut and leave the nog to you all....

[Jim]

Felix, I swear, I can't take you no where!:drinks:

[MT Gianni]

I was envisioning how cheap someone must be to totally dry used coffe grounds and then load them as a filler. Thanks guys.

[Ricochet]

Oh! He meant used coffee GROUNDS?

(About time for me to get up and get rid of some used coffee, now.)