Loaded some dummy .45 acp rounds today - questions

[ghh3rd]

I cast 12 lbs of 230 gr .45 acp boolits today, but have never loaded 45.acp.

While loading some dummy rounds, I found that they were dropping into the chamber and cycling ok at 1.200" in my Walther PPQ. It seems that a lot of folks load theirs a little shorter.

Regarding crimping, my die set included a Lee FCD. I read that .45 acp requires a "moderate" crimp. I cranked the FCD down 3/4 turn and observed a small amount of crimp, and don't think I really need more than that on this caliber. I may back off to 1/2 turn...

I have read in some posts tonight that actually all that needs to be done is to remove the bell. Doesn't not crimping leave a chance for a bullet to set back and cause a pressure spike?

I want to load a nice batch to break in the new gun, and hope I'm in the ballpark. I figure so long as they cycle I shouldn't be pulling any.

For the next little while, I'll be priming/belling a few hundred casts :-)

Randy

[35remington]

What bullet are you using? Correct OAL for a bullet that approximates ball profile is around 1.265."

[ghh3rd]

It's the lee 452-230-TC

[Preacher Jim]

A bullet moving back when chambering can give you serious hand damage causes high pressure.

[ghh3rd]

Right - that's what I mentioned in my post :-)

[Strtspdlx]

If the case head spaces on the case mouth then do not crimp. Just remove the belling. Measurement should be something like .472 on the case much after you remove the bell. And as far as I know all 45acp headspace on the case mouth. If your bullets are shortening when cycled then you aren't headspacing on the case and you are pushing the bullet Into the lands. I'd take 5 dummy rounds at the appropriate length and cycle them by hand. Measure all 5 and if they're the same length you should be alright.

[popper]

Make a dummy rnd with OAL and crimp you want. Cycle it through the action 10 or more times. Remeasure OAL. If good, try reducing crimp and repeat on another. If it moves a couple thou, either way, you're OK. Much more than that and increase the crimp. Doesn't matter if you have a crimp groove or not. There are other methods but this tells you what your gun wants for safety.

[KYCaster]

Size to .452 dia. For any bullet other than RN, load so .025 to .030 of full diameter bearing surface is outside the case.

Throw away the FCD and get a proper taper crimp die. Set the taper crimp so the case mouth is .470 to .472 dia.

If that doesn't work, make a chamber cast or pound slug to find the problem. (probably no throat)

Jerry

[wv109323]

One way to check crimp is to align two rounds side by side. The cases should be in contact up the entire length of the case to the point of crimp. There should be a small "V" at the end to indicate there is some crimp. If there is contact at the ends of the case and a gap between you do not have enough crimp.

[Yodogsandman]

I crimp the mouth to .465" with a separate RCBS crimp die after seating. The 45ACP head spaces on the mouth but, if the crimp size is at all too large, the round will fail to go into battery. The first rule is that it just has to fire each and every time for each trigger pull.

There's two different Lee 453-230 TC's, the one with regular lube grooves and the tumble lube type. I have the one with the regular lube grooves and my O.A.L. is 1.205". The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4 lists 1.170" O.A.L. for the tumble lube design.

[runfiverun]

the round relies on tension to hold the boolit in place.
neck tension.
crimping is just making the sides of the case slightly tapered.
the best way to know how much your crimping is to measure the case when done.
.70 is often recommended .69 quite often shoots better for a couple of reasons.
don't just go at it willy nilly measure your results on the case and on the paper at the range.

[Big Dangle]

When I make dummy rounds for any of mine I put a heavy crimp on them so I can cycle them a bunch with out the bullets (usually j-words) moving.
But if I'm making them for testing a certain round in a certain firearm then I do the light crimp just like if I was loading for real, mainly because I won't be cycling it a bunch if times.