Seating depth? .40S&W

[fatelk]

I've been working up a load for my Glock .40S&W. I've got the 170gr. Lee SWC mold (makes 180gr boolits), and my sized, tl'ed boolits seem to work well with 6.2gr 540. No leading, acceptable accuracy.

I'm curious about seating depth. For the Glock, I'm able to seat them out to 1.150" and they work great.

For the .45acp load I just worked up using the Lee 230gr TC boolit, I have to seat them real short to get them to work, and not jam into the throat (1.175" max, in my 1911's). They seem to work fine, but I don't like having to make them so short.

Is this seating depth thing more a caliber thing, or an individual gun thing? If I were to get another .40, are my longer-seated rounds likely to jam up in it? Anyone use this same boolit, what's your OAL?

On a side note, loading cast in the .40 (single stage press), I've found that I need to seat and crimp in two steps. I just can't seem to avoid shaving lead if I don't. Is this normal? I'm using new carbide RCBS dies, and am very careful to crimp just enough to remove the bell.

Thank you all for any help.

[fatelk]

No ideas, or was I just too vague?

[Ford SD]

[QUOTE=fatelk;835138]I've been working up a load for my Glock .40S&W. I've got the 170gr. Lee SWC mold (makes 180gr boolits), and my sized, tl'ed boolits seem to work well with 6.2gr 540. No leading, acceptable accuracy.

I'm curious about seating depth. For the Glock, I'm able to seat them out to 1.150" and they work great.

On a side note, loading cast in the .40 (single stage press), I've found that I need to seat and crimp in two steps. I just can't seem to avoid shaving lead if I don't. Is this normal? I'm using new carbide RCBS dies, and am very careful to crimp just enough to remove the bell.

Is this seating depth thing more a caliber thing, or an individual gun thing? If I were to get another .40, are my longer-seated rounds likely to jam up in it? Anyone use this same boolit, what's your OAL?/[QUOTE]

I will give it a try i have a CZ in 40 for a Lyman 170g bullet my OVERALL LENGTH:1.136+- on a mullt stage press, seating in one station and taper crimp in next

You need a taper crimp of around 0.010" ( 2nd crimp die)
the 0.010" taper will make round work better, better velocity and reduce some of the high& low's and be cleaner ( the correct crimp will probably increase overall velocity.
use min case bell to make case life last longer

noticed that you are useing 540 powder, other powders are better in the 40 and could be cleaner

if you need to make major try Win WSF (win super field) will do everything 540 will do at lower pressure and you use less so cheeper --- WST will also make a light target load

BY the way Win book says 6.3g of 540 over a 170 is the min load but .1 g under is nothing and not to be worried about and you are using a 180g

[helg]

You may buy max gauge for 40SW and check whether your rounds fit it. If they do, then your reloads with the seating depth should chamber into any gun of the caliber.

Alternatively, you may get min chamber dimensions from CIP or SAAMI web sites and verify that your bullet shrinks to the diameter "by lands" of the caliber at the distance where rifling in a chamber starts. The picture is from CIP book for 40SW.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc272/helgp/cip-40sw.gif

[farmer66]

I shoot that bullet in a Glock 22,23,and 27. All loaded to 1.125 inch. The 27 likes a slight taper crimp, but probably less than .002 inch. I run a brush through after 100 rounds, but virtually no leading. I use 231. I have shot lots of rounds, half WW and half pure lead out of the factory barrels with good luck.

I shoot the Lee 230 RN through a Glock 21 with no leading. I also have to seat deep to avoid the lead hitting the riflings. I notice the bullets are not round by about .0025 inch. They are sized to .452, but some will still protrude past the hood of the barrel unless I seat deep. I think I have worn the mold out and have loose alignment pins.

Hopes some of this helps. Seems you are having a time getting some responses.

Ken

[fatelk]

Thanks guys! Excellent info. I was just curious about the kind of results others get with these boolits. Sounds like I'm on the right track for the most part.

I'm using 540 because it's what I have, and it looked like it would work fine. I will definitely check out WSF when I need more. This is really just a plinking load, so it doesn't need to be full power, just enough to cycle the action. I was also keeping them light because of the "lead in a Glock" thing.

I really appreciate this site for all the helpful folks here. I've been casting off and on for a couple decades, but have learned more in the last few months here about casting than I had in the previous 20 years.

[HammerMTB]

I have found that the Lee TC boolits must be seated deep to get them to fit most chamber cuts.
In different terms, most of the time straight wall pistol calibers are cut to the case mouth, with no leade beyond. This means the boolit must not have groove diameter material beyond the case mouth. If/when it does, it collides with the rifling and prevents full chambering, or is jammed into the rifling so it can't be readily ejected without "discharging thru the muzzle"
Both my .40 Lee 175 TC and my .45 Lee 230 TC boolits are this way. I have long throated a .40 S&W chamber to accomodate, but left the 10MM bbl alone.
The .45 is my son's, and we haven't tried any hot loads in it and may never, so seating a bit deeper doesn't seem to matter.

[kamikaze1a]

I would load them to the length that works best for you, just as long as it feeds reliably... My only concern might be loading short with hot loads. That short OAL could lead to elevated pressure but with mild loads, probably no problemo. Lead bullets are usually of greater diameter than their jacketed counterparts so if your barrel has a short leade, seating long could result in the problems HammerMTB describes. But that's easily fixed with a throat reamer... So, if your heater eats short seated rounds reliably, more power to ya...I wouldn't sweat it.

[dogbert41]

Sounds like you have a good seating depth to work in your glocks for the .40. My S&W M&P likes that bullet at 1.125, so you are .025 longer than mine and that much less pressure. Good for you and Glock!

AS for you bullet shaving while seating, Lee gives this explanation as I quote from his 2nd Edition Modern Reloading book:

"With a properly sized and flared case in the shell holder, move the ram all the way up to the solid stop.

Screw the die in until you feel it stop against the mouth of the shell. Be sure to hold the lever down while doing this, otherwise the die will move the ram down.

The die is now a half turn from a light crimp and three-quarter turn from a heavy crimp. Leave it where it is until the bullet seater is adjusted to the correct depth.

Back out the bullet seating adjusting screw until you see some threads.

Now start a bullet into the case and raise the ram to seat the bullet. Chances are it will be too far out of the case. It does not make any difference, because it's not yet crimped.

Adjust the bullet seating screw in some more and retry until the mouth of the case is at the base end of the crimp groove. (or at where you want it)

Turn the entire die in 3/4 turn and crimp the case. The bullet will be moved into the case .055 and the crimp completed."

I followed those instructions and it works for me with the same bullet.

[Vyrone]

Hammer
What powder do you use with your 40 tc 175. I have bullseye and plan to use at 4.2 grams. I also have some blue dot. I haven't used either yet so do not know how they will perform in my XD40

[HammerMTB]

Hammer
What powder do you use with your 40 tc 175. I have bullseye and plan to use at 4.2 grams. I also have some blue dot. I haven't used either yet so do not know how they will perform in my XD40

I trust you mean grains not grams. 4.2 grams of most any powder won't fit in a .40 S&W brass.

I like AA#5. 2 reasons:
1. I had it when I bought the gun, so I found a load for it.
2. It meters well, so loads are consistent, with low SDs.
I load my 175gr to make major PF in gun games, so it is near max. That scares some in the .40
Work your loads up in your gun carefully....