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View Full Version : 45 LC Barrel is .450



toolz568
08-27-2010, 11:02 PM
The barrel of my 45 LC revolver slugged out to .450. Going with what I know, I am casting 250 gr. pure lead RN boolits, sized to .451. The problem is they fall right into the case when I apply the roll crimp. I am considering a taper crimp, but I know you are suppose to use a roll crimp on revolvers. Has anyone tried a taper crimp vs roll crimp on a 45 LC?

I have never shot it and plan to shoot pure lead cowboy loads with 5.0 grains of trail boss.

If I am missing something or anyone has a suggestion, I would appreciate some help.

HeavyMetal
08-27-2010, 11:16 PM
First lets talk about your boolit crimp issue.

It sounds like your expander plug, that piece of a die usually the second die in a set, that opens the case up enough to hold the boolit snugly when seated.

In most case's the plug is to small and lead boolits get shaved off to a smaller diameter when seated. You are now experiencing the opposite problem, proof that tollerance stacking does indeed exist and your getting on the swing to the large side!

Which die set are you using? I'm guessing it might be one of the Cowboy die sets from RCBS or Lyman. In either case they are set up for boolits in the .454 range I'll bet ya!

To figure this out "mike" the expander plug and see how big in diameter it is. If you wish to continue using .451 boolits you will have to exchange the expander plug for a new of the correct diameter. Contact your die maker and ask them to repair under warranty.

Now lets talk about that .450 bore!

I think that is simply to tight for a 45 barrel but realize that you may be measuring wrong, your tool might be out of adjustment, or, and here's the real fear, you are correct and some dummy in QC let this one slip by!

For simplicity I am going to ask that you have a second party double check your work. If your correct and you purchased this 45 new I would stop everything and ask for a new barrel or my money back!

If this is a used pistol your kinda stuck under the old buyer beware theory.

I would then contact the maker or a good pistol smith and have the barrel replaced at my own expense.

I have learned from experieince that trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear never ever works!

twidpa
08-27-2010, 11:51 PM
My uberti rifle slugs 449. Go with the .452 boolits and they may fit in brass better. The 45 colt is a strange caliber. 45 colt firearm chambers are most all bigger than most all 45 colt dies will size the brass. Roll crimp medium heavy, size boolits to 452 and stay within recommended powder charges and you should be fine.
T

2ndAmendmentNut
08-28-2010, 12:02 AM
Stick with the roll crimp first off. As HeavyMetal pointed out you might be expanding your brass to much. Shooting a 452 or even a 454 boolit should not be a problem provided you start out low and work up your loads keeping an eye on pressure signs.

Echo
08-28-2010, 12:21 AM
The boolits should be sized to be snug in the throat of the chamber. Measure the throats, and size them boolits to the size of the largest, plus a few tenths.
Unless there is a great deal of variance among the throats. If the throats vary from .450 to .456, or somesuch, the only way that gun will shoot accurately will be if you have a smith ream the throats to the same size, then size your boolits accordingly. The barrel will then finally size them down to the exact size necessary for that gun.

Doby45
08-28-2010, 10:22 AM
With only six post and very little information as to your background in casting OR reloading I have to ask a question that has so far been over looked. Have you sized the brass? It may sound like a stupid question but if the brass has not been sized at all it will also do exactly what your talking about.

Once again, I am not saying that to be a jerk but no mention what so ever has been made as to how you go about your reloading and what you already have or have not done to the brass. I can almost guarentee your using Lee dies in some type of single stage press. Are you by chance using a universal depriming die?

MT Gianni
08-28-2010, 10:47 AM
Following along Doby45's line of thinking you may need a smaller expander plug if you have to shoot .449 boolits and your dies expand your case to .454.

geargnasher
08-28-2010, 05:33 PM
I'm with Doby. Sounds like the sizing step was skipped.

Even the RCBS cowboy dies will size the case to hold a .451" boolit no problem according to what others have posted about the dimensions of the resizing die and expander plugs. The pure lead might be a problem if it is somehow is getting swaged down, but I don't see it happening.

I'd shoot .001" OVER CYLINDER THROAT with pure lead if it was me, to heck with what the bore is, .003-4" over groove ain't gonna hurt nothin' except the target with pure lead.

BTW what kind of gun is it?

Gear

handyman25
08-28-2010, 07:40 PM
I taper crimp my 45lc and it works in my Rugers and 92. I use RCBS 45LC cowboy dies and a Lee taper crimp 45LC.

jandbn
08-29-2010, 02:46 PM
ogotz,

Along the same line of thinking as Doby45 and MT Giani, one other queston to be asked is when slugging the bore, did you slug each end or push the slug all the way through? If your barrel has a constriction at the frame barrel junction, under the ejector housing screw, under the front sight, or some other constrictive anomoly in the bore, you would only be measuring the smallest diameter of the bore if the slug was pushed all the way through.

toolz568
08-30-2010, 09:38 PM
Thanks for all the great advice. I did something really stupid and never verified the shells were sized. I was given a bunch of "sized" and primed brass. The Brass was sized to .452-.453. Way to big for what I needed. I have a set of Lee dies that size the brass to .450 and then just a tap with the expander die. The shells are loading great.

Again, thanks for all the help. This is a great forum.

Orra


"I use to reload, so I could shoot. Now I shoot, so I can reload."

Doby45
08-30-2010, 09:40 PM
Good job brother, I didn't think it sounded like they had been sized.