What size lee sizer for 45 acp?

[Outer Rondacker]

Hi, I have been casting for a few years now. I own a lyman lube sizer and lots of bullet molds. Does not mean I have a clue what I am doing.(lol) I have never cast bullets for any auto before. I picked up a smith and wesson 4516 this week. For guys who dont know the model gun its a compact 4506. I also picked up a cheap Lee six banger in 200g RF and need to find a sizer that will work for me. I have been looking at the lee sizing dies in .451 and .452. What is the better way to go without slugging my barrel. This is just going to be for plinking. I was also thinking of using the dry PC tumble lube way with the cool whip container. Not 100% sure about going this route might just also lee lube them. I know one thing I am trying to get away from that lyman lube sizer. Dies are not cheap, there a pain to change, lube is a pain, the list goes on and on. Yes it works good I just dont see the need for using it on a none gas check bullet. Sorry for the book.

Gun 4516 S&W 45acp. Mold lee 200g RF. Looking for what size lee sizer I should use? .451 or .452? Thanks

[RobS]

.452 is standard........easier to shoot a boolit that "fits" vs one that is too small especially if you are going to use a tumble lube i.e. alox or 45-45-10 Recluse lube which both are sold at White Label Lubes at less cost. By the way if you think that using the Lyman is messing wait until you go after tumble lubing as it is messy too and then the seating dies end up with build-up from the tuble lube on the nose of the boolit etc. PC tumble lubing I've found takes more time yet with setting up the boolits on a sheet to be cooked/cured with another step of an oven. You may want to do more reading on those different methods of lubing before you dive head first into the pool.

[ReloaderFred]

I size most everything in .45 caliber pistol rounds at .452". They shoot where the sights are pointed, and don't leave any lead behind, and that's out of a lot of handguns.

Tumble lubing, yuk! Use a stiffer lube through your lube-sizer and you'll enjoy it more. I've got sizers from Lyman, RCBS, Saeco, Magma and Star, and every one of them beats tumble lubing by far..........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[DougGuy]

You might have to A. Slug the chamber throat or use a pin gage to measure it, this would be the small area of freebore that isn't rifled, you need to know the diameter of this area in order to choose a sizer die. If you use a .452" die which is most common and most accepted and your boolits don't quite chamber, i.e. pass the "plunk" test, the gun won't go fully into battery and the choices then would be to use a .451" sizer die, or have the barrel throat reamed to use .452" boolits. I can help with that part as I have the necessary throating reamer.

Or B. load or push a known .452" boolit into a case and see if it will chamber or not. If it does, you can use the .452" die.

This is a photo of a Walther-made barrel for a Kahr CW45 pistol. It's tight, it's match grade dimensions will not allow a .452" boolit to chamber at all. You can see the "freebore" that I spoke of earlier, it's the are between the end of the chamber and the beginning of the rifling. The throating reamer opens this area up just enough to take .452" boolits seated to the proper COA length.

I haven't put the reamer to this barrel because I don't shoot cast with this one and it feeds and shoots my carry ammo perfectly. Not broke, don't need fixing..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Kahr%20CW45/DSC01663_zps042e1b97.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Kahr%20CW45/DSC01663_zps042e1b97.jpg.html)

[bruce381]

All mine shoot .452 with a tapper crimp to .472-.473 work well with NO leading shooting about anything I can melt

[Outer Rondacker]

Thanks for the info guys. Think I will stick with the old way. Lyman lube sizer. Now just have to find a die in a town with no reloading shops. LOL God I hate paying shipping.

[DougGuy]

Shipping is your friend, it's usually cheaper than your own gas!

[Dale53]

Amazon prime has them:

http://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Cast-Bullet-Sizing-0-452-Caliber/dp/B001GXHF2G/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1_m?ie=UTF8&qid=1407041869&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=dies+for+a+Lyman+lube+sizer

Before you order, check the big reloading web sites but be sure to factor in the cost of shipping - some are prohibitive.

FWIW
Dale53

[MtGun44]

I size to .452, it seems that semi-autos in .45 ACP are unusually consistent
in groove diameter, and most run very well with .452.

Taper crimping was brought up by a previous poster, but IMO, taper crimping to
even .470 is questionable, and you are better off to go slightly tighter - I like .466 o
r so to ensure good closing on a dirty chamber.

TCing to .470 is iffy for many barrels, but some are generously sized enough s
o that this will work reliably. Many are not.

Bill