Weak .45acp loads. Advice needed!

[The Amateur]

Providing you are well under any danger with your load and you didn't crimp, just smoothed out the bell when you seated your boolits..
To get them to work a little better. Seat them a tad deeper and it will increase pressure.

Sounds interesting and I have thought about doing this on my next batch.
Thanks for the advice, it gives me a little validation for a go-ahead on the existing rounds.
From the way they were performing, it doesn't seem like they would need much more to rack the slide.

[The Amateur]

Amateur:
You are correct, that the magnum primers are not the appropriate primers for this cartridge. I will say, that you are not the first or will you be the last person to use said magnum primers when nothing else was available. It is not a big mistake, considering the amount of powder and particular powder you are using. You are well under the place that would put you in danger. There have been many reloaders that had to use magnum primers, for what ever reason, when also wanting to approach maximum power loads that did so. Their approach was to drop one full grain of powder to make up for the magnum primer they were going to use.
As far as the loads you have left? You may choose to shoot them, being careful to make sure that the boolits clear the muzzle when each round is fired. You said that the handgun DID function but had "minimal slide blowback". You may decide to bury them. You may decide to pull the boolits. All is your choice.
From your discription of the name on the container, you do have the Universal powder. As stated, it IS very close to Unique in burn rate but just a shade faster. It is a fine (good) powder. It meters better than Unique and is cleaner burning.
Do NOT use the CLAYS reloading data. Use the data for the powder you are using. Universal.
If you think you may have a problem identifying this powder in the future, you may want to switch to a different powder. All the best.
Jack

THANK YOU!!!
I did enjoy what this powder had to offer in my 9mm loads.
The only "fouling" in my barrel after 50 rounds was boolit lube (45-45-10).
They did smoke quite a bit more and smelled like unscented candles.
Mild recoil, accuracy as good as factory FMJ loads and MUCH CHEAPER!

I fired about half of my .45 rounds as it was getting late and I needed to pack up.
I had NO FTF and only FTE with this ammo.
I was quite surprised that they would exceed 120yrds. in distance.

[Moondawg]

Besides your light load, you are using an excessively heavy recoil spring. The standard 1911 was designed to function properly with a 16# recoil spring, with military hardball. Military hardball loads are about as hot as you want to go with an unsupported chamber. Using an 18# spring is just adding to the battering your frame receives when the slide returns to battery. 18# recoil spring is correct if you are shooting a commander or one of the short slide 1911 models. On a regular slide version a 16# is more than adequate, If you are shooting light or midrange loads, a 14 or 15# might be even better.

[Char-Gar]

just like the others said..

1. To little powder
2. Wrong primer

3. Taper crimp please

Do the above and your problems wil go away.

[scrapcan]

Moondawg,

I am glad you mentioned the recoil spring. That would also be an option to get the arm to cycle. It will likely not help in the consistent and reliable burn department though.

[Beau Cassidy]

3.6 grains of clays is my go to load for a 200 grain bullet but it needs a much lighter spring. Mine is an 11 lb. It is a terribly accurate load in everything I shoot it in. The brass doesn't go far either. I just ran off about 3,000 rounds of that load.

[gray wolf]

Well I am glad someone finally mentioned the 18 pound spring,
and it was mentioned with the best of detail.
With a light load like that you are probly getting a short slide function.
Your slamming the round home and getting week slide movement to the rear.
( = FTE ) if your pistol will not work with a 16 pound recoil spring and ball ammo
fix whats wrong and don't over spring the pistol.
If your shooting Mouse loads spring the pistol accordingly for the load you are using. Do you have drag marks on the fired primers from the firing pin ?
The pin strike should be nice and round with no little tail going up.
If you do the pistol is not timed correctly.

[ItZaLLgooD]

Hodgdon usually has some load data right on the container. It seems like you figured out which powder you have. Your lucky you didn't get it mixed up the other way around.

Even though the closest range to me is 20 miles away, I won't load up more than 5 rounds for a test run.