45 ACP cast COL question

[mikedp]

Will start casting for my new Springfield XDm-45, and I'm curious to know what COL you guys recommend when casting from the Lee TL 452-230 TC, and the Mihec MP452-200 molds. I'm currently firing lead from my XDm-9 right now, and it performs great. Thanks.

[jcren]

If loading for one gun and you want to optimize for that gun, look up "unm test". Basically, make a long dummy round and test fit it in your barrel. Shorten until cartridge is flush with hood. I just load the lee tc so a thumbnail width of shoulder shows above case mouth.

[Dale53]

mikedp;
This should help;
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/1911Headspace.png (http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/1911Headspace.png.html)

Dale53

[Blackwater]

What I've found through the years in having several .45's of my own and observing a fair number of others', is that it can vary from gun to gun, so the only way to really know is to try it and PROVE it in YOUR gun. I use that bullet with the conventional grease groove in mine, and in my two Colt Combat Commanders, they like it seated as deeply as possible to feed from Wilson mags. My Kimber Lwt. Compact is more forgiving, but feeds the shorter rounds well, so that's how I load all mine, since I never really know which gun I'll be using them in.

Usually, but not always, if you get FTF, if the problem is OAL, you'll most likely need to seat them a tad deeper. That's been my experience, but others may have had contrary experience with theirs. Like I said, guns vary, and you really have to do a good bit of proving of your loads to have faith in them for any serious purposes. And there's NOTHING like KNOWING, as well as we can, that your ammo won't let you down. That's rather a biggie that many don't consider as fully as they might these days.

[Artful]

The illustration is a good overall guide - one of the things I like to do is keep a factory cartridge with each nose profile I'll be getting a mold like. Then I use that to set up may
seating and crimping dies.

[bangerjim]

My experience with 45ACP:

I fought the darned things for months. Tried every nose shape, length, crimp...everything. Would not chamber or cycle. Not reliable at all. Stuck boolits in throat. Then Larry Gibson suggested trying a Lee factory crimp die and sizing to .451. Problems solved!

Now I cast, load and shoot 45ACP rounds with several weights and designs with ZERO problems.

That is with my 1911's. Your mileage may vary.

banger

[RobS]

Many semi-autos these days have very short and abrupt throats; the throat on many is simply not cut correctly for cast boolits. This is a problem for cast because most people are sizing .001-.002 over barrel groove diameter. Shorter than normal COAL may be the only way to shoot a boolit with a front drive band at full diameter. Either that or seat so there is very, very little full diameter front drive band sticking out from the case mouth.

The Springfield XD tactical 5" I had fell to the short/sharp throat and I had to seat the Lee 452-230-TC boolit where the front drive band and the ogive met. IIRC that was 1.19 or 1.20" COAL. Crimp to .470-.471 at the very edge of the case mouth. This was rather short with the 230 grain TC but I never had any issues with feeding or cycling in the XD. Start with minimum powder charges and work up.

I can't help on the MiHec mold as I've never used that design.

[Char-Gar]

The above counsel is correct. The overall length of a 45 ACP round is not determined by an arbitrary number, but by fit of the round to the chamber and barrel throat.

I have yet to find a 1911 45 ACP barrel that won't handle .452 cast bullet of my choosing. However that are so many makes of barrels and bullet designs around these days, that I am certain that some of the guys are correct, that they won't take .452 bullets, but require something smaller due to the throat design.

If, I had such a pistol barrel I would send it to Doug Guy for a throating job as I think .452 is the way to go.

[williamwaco]

The above counsel is correct. The overall length of a 45 ACP round is not determined by an arbitrary number, but by fit of the round to the chamber and barrel throat.

I have yet to find a 1911 45 ACP barrel that won't handle .452 cast bullet of my choosing. However that are so many makes of barrels and bullet designs around these days, that I am certain that some of the guys are correct, that they won't take .452 bullets, but require something smaller due to the throat design.

If, I had such a pistol barrel I would send it to Doug Guy for a throating job as I think .452 is the way to go.

+1

My method is the correct AOL for any autoloading pistol is"

The correct AOL is the longest cartridge that will fit in the magazine without rubbing - AND chamber properly ( Pass the plunk test ) AND feed flawlessly when firing.

Note that fit in the magazine means all the way to the bottom. Most magazines will accept one or two cartridges at the top that will then bind if you push them lower by inserting additional cartridges on top of them.