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Thread: .45 ACP loading woes!

  1. #21
    Boolit Master Gtrubicon's Avatar
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    the Lee FCD does what it’s advertised to do, like lee reloading products or not, it will do what what it is supposed to do every time, make your round chamber properly as long as you have your COL correct.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master knifemaker's Avatar
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    If your case mouth is .472-.473 as you listed. That could be your problem. If your barrel is a tight match barrel, or at the SAAMI min. specks, that could be too wide for your barrel. On my match barrels I taper crimp to a .470-.471 for perfect chambering in the barrel. If that is not the problem, good chance it is your overall length and you may have to seat the bullet another 10-15 thousands to prevent the bullet ogive from jamming into the barrel lands. 45acp is normally a easy round to re-load compared to some others for semi auto pistols.

  3. #23
    Boolit Grand Master

    mdi's Avatar
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    Well I only have a 5 semi-autos that get plunked (3, 9mm and 2, 45ACP). It is really simple to plunk test for the "smallest chamber" and unless you have a dozen guns with widely varying chambers, "different guns = different reloads" doesn't apply. Ninety-five percent of my "modern guns" have chambers that meet SAAMI specs. and any differences in chambers is really inconsequential (I know, there are some "short" and or "tight" chambers but I believe they are still SAAMI complaint). Seating depth/OAL is largely bullet design dependent, some bullets shapes can be seated out enough to barely enter the case where some designs need to be seated realllly deep. This is the reason for the plunk test; makes sure the specific bullet loaded to a specific depth will freely chamber.

    Alox is a soft coating and unless dried hard (months/years) adds nothing to a bullet diameter (for measurements, maybe, but for function maybe .0005").

    Ninety-nine point nine five percent of my handloads chamber freely, and I don't even allow a Lee FCD in my shop. I learned to reload, step by step, learning how and why each step is done. I learned "pre-web" so I wasn't influenced by "wild" or "sloppy shortcuts" reloading techniques and if there is a problem I learned a troubleshooting process.; first measure the offending round. When I find out where on the cartridge the problem is I can figger out when it happens and correct it. If any difficulty occurs during a troubleshooting session, I can measure the case/cartridge after each step and find the problem. I've been doing this for over 40 years and it's been a very long time since any cartridge I've assembled has not freely chambered (revolver, pistol, bolt rifle, semi-auto rifle, lever gun or single shot).

    I'm not a Lee hater as prollly 25% of my equipment/tools is Lee, and I don't really care what tools/equipment any reloader uses, but I do object to new/newer reloaders being told to "use an FCD and all your problems will go away". I see "don't fix the problem, just cover it up" inferred to new reloaders having chambering trouble on forums waaaay too often, kinda like, "don't take a shower, just use more cologne", you'll still stink, but a different stink...

    Yep, sometimes I get riled up and most of the time it is from poor advice given to new reloaders, most who are not experienced enough to tell the difference between real, logical help and B.S., and some of the "advice" is sloppy, ignorant, old wive's tales or "Bubba's uncle's brother in law heard a feller at the bait shop say..."
    Last edited by mdi; 04-24-2018 at 03:03 PM.
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  4. #24
    Boolit Master


    Walter Laich's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Md2hunt View Post
    Semi wad cutters 200gr actually the lead seated down to the bevel flush so no lead touches the rifling.
    same here. looks funny compared to other reloads but run fine in Colt Cmdr
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  5. #25
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Md2hunt View Post
    So I cast my 1st bullets and have finally had a chance to load this weekend. Went thru all of the steps to prep -

    Lead- Cast the lead, lubed with Alox, dried on wax paper, (bought a Lee .452 resizer) resized several, set up my press.

    Casings - Resized and de-primed several, set the expander die to max allowed and will still drop easily into my bullet guage.

    Dry run/check - I loaded several making a few adjustments and out of the 1st 4-5 testers only 1 would drop in my bullet guage. The others would only drop most of the way down but stop at the extractor bevel. Been loading .452 for ACP for years and occasionally a few won’t drop all of the way in but usually due to a small nick in the rim but they always fire fine. I did run these dry testers through my pistol and there are no hang ups.

    Through more head scratching, measuring, re-setting adjustments, etc I’m wondering if this is worth the headache.

    All sizes check on calipers
    .452 lead
    .020 casing
    .472-.473 final load overall - usually drop right in the guage

    Maybe they’ll fire fine but wanted to see if there’s any answers. Am I missing something?
    You should be taper crimping to .468-.470 on finished rounds. There is no reason to gage your cases after you bell the case mouths, only after they are finished.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check