Making 45acp shotshells (My Way)

[Boogieman]

I've found Grumpa is right about annealing the cases. The rifling grabs them & slows extracting .I tried ww231 powder couldn't get it to function. Went to Unique, 5.2gr., it worked fine, but if I went higher they wouldn't eject . I use a ww410 wad cut to .750 with #8 shot.

[Johnny_V]

I have been watching this thread and studying everybody's ideas and incorporated a few of my own into my set of Custom 45 ACP Shotshell dies. Range testing to follow.

[taco650]

Wish I could make these for 9mm & 40sw

[GRUMPA]

Wish I could make these for 9mm & 40sw

Use 223 brass for 9mm shot loads.

[taco650]

Use 223 brass for 9mm shot loads.

I recently checked the head diameters on the 223 & 9mm and the 223 is a little smaller so I was wondering if 223 brass would extract ok even though its smaller.

[GRUMPA]

I had someone else test them for me, which was all of 6 rounds. He said they worked just fine but had to manually cycle the action. I'm sorry to say I don't own anything that small, and personally wont either.

He was all hot to trot to have me make more for him, and his buddies, and a few relatives, a bunch of friends, a few neighbors, and of course all there friends and so on. Heck I just wanted to see if I could do it and make notes and be done with it.

[jakec]

He was all hot to trot to have me make more for him, and his buddies, and a few relatives, a bunch of friends, a few neighbors, and of course all there friends and so on. Heck I just wanted to see if I could do it and make notes and be done with it.

i have friends like that. and since its "only a few" they think it should be free.

[Johnny_V]

I have been watching this thread and studying everybody's ideas and incorporated a few of my own into my set of Custom 45 ACP Shotshell dies. Range testing to follow.

Went to the range today and was happy with the results, but unhappy at the same time. The shotshells performed excellent out of my 1911, but not my friends H&K USP Compact. Seems the H&K has a much stiffer recoil spring, plus there is a slight hitch when racking his slide, so everything we fired from his patterned well, but failed to fully eject. Out of my 1911, the pattern was also good and the action cycled perfectly (much smoother than the H&K). One thing I'm definitely not happy with is the fact that I believe these cases are good for maybe 2 loadings at most, as the neck shows signs of cracking from fire forming. I don't think annealing is the cure, but I may have a work around for this and will keep you updated.

The load we used was:
6gr of Winchester 231
½oz 410 wad cut to ¾"
97gr of #9 shot
.375 gas check over shot (cup down)
Roll crimp w/gas check seater

[taco650]

What could fix the neck cracking?

[skeettx]

For 357 Mag, I use cylinder length 223 brass and a snap ring for ejection
Mike

[rcav8r]

Now that summers over, I've been looking at this again, and checking in on this thread. Just today bought the HF 2" cutoff saw. Trimmed one case a little bigger than 1.20" inches, intending to trim it to 1.20". However, none of the pilots I have on hand will fit inside the case mouth, about .390 or so. So I'll be making a pilot sometime this week.
I will also be making a simple crimping die. I tried using the RN seating die, but the lips of the RN insert seems to be exactly the diameter of the case mouth.

[GRUMPA]

Might want to consider using the 40cal sizer to form the neck first then trim. That way all you need is a 40cal pilot which I'm sure you have..

[rcav8r]

Actually, I don't.
for some reason, all I have are too big or too small, probably cause I don't shoot any .40 caliber.

Upthread are the pics of my custom forming die.

[rcav8r]

Made the pilot on Monday, and the roll crimper on Tuesday.
Found out, saw the cases much shorter than I was! Lots of work trimming the ones I had, down!

Testing on a .308 berdan primed case shows the crimper looks like it will work. I drilled the die 15/32, and finished it with a resharpened straight ball mill that measured .470 diameter. The hole is about 3/4" deep, the die is about 1-5/8" overall, with flats milled on the top sides for a 3/4" wrench if needed, much like the sizing die I posted in this thread.

Got 10 test cases trimmed and primed today, won't have time to work on this more until Friday at least. Only have 231 on hand, and some #8 shot.

Actually, I have a bottle of unknown powder in a MEC bottle on hand, which I think is unique, but no way of telling now!

[Johnny_V]

What could fix the neck cracking?

E mailed Manson reamers and Dave Manson suggested a slight bevel of 45º at where the 45ACP headspaces. Not so much though as to cause the standard 45 not to properly headspace. I may try this when funds permit.

Also, we bumped up the charge to 6.5gr of W231 and my friend's H&K USP Compact functions flawlessly, patterns good, and shows no signs of excess pressure.

[ncbearman]

Thanks Grumpa. This was fun. I made 60 rounds and gave them out as Christmas presents. I used a clear overshot card so they could see that it is a "snake load". All were impressed! Case conversion is awesome!
Attachment 126196

[jmorris]

My operation uses only one die, a 44 mag die I modified. 1st pass sizes the case then install the wad seater for the 2nd pass, after powder charge, then the crimp arbor for the 3rd pass.

I counter drilled a hole in a plastic drop I had to cut the wads to length with a razor a small hole goes all the war through so the wad seating stem can push the out of the jig.

The fastest way I found to trim cases to length (well at least fastest for only a hand full of cases) was the section of steel at the bottom. The thumb screw holds the case in the extractor grove so it won't spin as the bandsaw makes a cut that is a little proud then sand it flush on a disk sander.

[Fla9-40]

How are you guys getting the case in a 40s&w die to form the neck? My brass after cutting it, running it through the .45acp sizing die will not fit in my .40 sizing die, or my 41 mag seating die?

[sparky45]

Would 45 magnum cases work to make 45 shot shells?

[Johnny_V]

How are you guys getting the case in a 40s&w die to form the neck? My brass after cutting it, running it through the .45acp sizing die will not fit in my .40 sizing die, or my 41 mag seating die?

I don't know how the other guys do it, but I use a Dillon 40cal crimp die (take a look at my post). First I size my case and cut to length, trim on my Forster trimmer, prime, charge, seat the wad, fill with shot, now I run it into the Dillon 40cal crimp die (to form the neck), insert a gas check, then crimp, then one more time through the 40cal crimp die and voila, it's done. That's how I do it, but I'm sure there are many more ways to skin this cat.