Flash Hole on 45 ACP

[Doc - J]

I got some "once fired brass the other day and was sorting thur them.
Found some cases stamped Winchester 45 auto...( both stamped the same)After cleaning them I checked the flash hole. Some were 5/32 and some 1/8 "YOU COULD ACTUALY SEE THE DIFFERENCE". Can someone explain this? It's hard for me to belive that someone drilled out the flash hole since this brass looks once fired. And if so WHY?
Gesh.... you experts might think I picky BUT it'ssomething that I seen, and was wondering about.

[Shepherd2]

It sounds like you have some brass used for non-toxic ammunition. They have a much bigger flash hole. I guess they use a different primer for the NT ammo. The first time I ran into these cases I checked the WW website. Somewhere on there (it's been a few years) I found what the cases where and that they are safe to reload. I've since reloaded a bunch of them with no problems.

I have seen cases stamped NT. I think they were Federals IIRC.

[Lee W]

Doc,
Winchester NT uses the larger primer hole in conjunction with "green" primers.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148844&goto=nextoldest

[Doc - J]

So you are saying I should keep the NT brass aside until I have a few hundred and then prime them with a small pistol primer and try it? Would be nice to be able to just use one primer and not to have to stock pile both.

[Duckiller]

Small primers wouldn't fit in 45ACP. The hole for the primer is the same, the flash hole size is different. Either trash the brass or save it up and load LIGHT plinking loads. because of possible confusion I would trash brass. Duckiller

[Paul B]

The brass marked WIN NT 45ACP takes a small pistol primer. According to Winchester, you should not reload those cartridges. Their reasoning is, it they get mixed up with regular .45 ACP brass and you try to seat a large pistol primer, things will get exciting in a hurry. However, I did load some using a small pistol primer and they worked just fine. If you want to use them, just be damn sure you don't mix them with the regular brass.

On the brass that has the larger flash hole, you can just load them in the normal manner.
Paul B.

[Preacher]

I have noticed the same thing in standard factory loadings. Large flash holes that can be seen with the eye. My brass is standard Federal (Lg. Flash Hole) American Eagle brand. Also have Speer and Remington brass. I've loaded the large flash hole Federal brass with a cast boolit loading and haven't had any problem but it should boost pressures I would suspect.

Mike

[Pepe Ray]

Guess I must be "out of the loop too long!!"
Back in the late '70's, I retail clerked for a distributor. At that time Speer sold
plastic target componants (cases and boolets) for 44 and 38 sizes. 45 shooters
could get plastic boolets from them but not the cases. On the bullet box Speer
explained how to use regular brass for the plastic bullets by drilling out the FLASH
HOLES, using standard primers to shoot the plastic bullets WITHOUT powder.
They cautioned you to segregate these cases,because to use them with normal
reloads would be dangerous.
Has this all changed? Does new technowlegy make the use of larger than standard FLASH HOLES safe for reloading ? Please bring me up to speed.
Pepe Ray