Casting for 45 long colt

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Hello USSR,

I see your a "NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor",
sounds like your giving some goofy advise to me.
When I set up for the bullet seating & crimping,
my first step is to set the seat position, bullet in case.
Then I raise the seating plug up and set the crimp by lowering the die.
It's at this point I reset the seating plug, while bullet is crimped.
One might have to make a slight adjustment at that point.
The only time the shell holder should come in contact with the die is on full length sizing.
Everything else is set to top of stroke.

That's how I do it, AntiqueSledMan.

Me too. That's also how I do it. It is by the book.

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Ok does this look about right?

I'd say that is just about perfect. Good job.

[slk]

Hello USSR,

I see your a "NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor",
sounds like your giving some goofy advise to me.
When I set up for the bullet seating & crimping,
my first step is to set the seat position, bullet in case.
Then I raise the seating plug up and set the crimp by lowering the die.
It's at this point I reset the seating plug, while bullet is crimped.
One might have to make a slight adjustment at that point.
The only time the shell holder should come in contact with the die is on full length sizing.
Everything else is set to top of stroke.

That's how I do it, AntiqueSledMan.

That is exactly how I did it and it is how the instructions said to. The bullets seam to have crimped, and they look similar to the factory loads
AntiqueSledMan you were right on. Now I have to address those hornady brass. Chunk them or change the set-up I have for the starline brass. I had the hornady primed but I can take those out easy enough.

Steve

[USSR]

Hello USSR,

I see your a "NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor",
sounds like your giving some goofy advise to me.
When I set up for the bullet seating & crimping,
my first step is to set the seat position, bullet in case.
Then I raise the seating plug up and set the crimp by lowering the die.

AntiqueSledMan,

You obviously have comprehension problems. I set up my seating die in the exact way you do, BUT YOU ARE COMPLETELY MISSING THE POINT THAT IF A CASE IS TOO SHORT, IT CANNOT REACH FAR ENOUGH UP INTO THE CRIMP PORTION OF THE SEATING DIE. Take one of your cases, cut about 1/4" or so off at the case mouth. Then try applying a crimp to it. It will be too short to reach the crimp portion of the seating die. That is what this whole conversation has been about, not the setting up of the seating die per se, but the inability of a too short case to receive a good crimp.

Don

[AntiqueSledMan]

USSR,

That is exactly what I told YOU!

Not only that, nobody said that their case was to short to be crimped but you.

AntiqueSledMan.

[onelight]

Ok does this look about right?

That looks right .
If you decide to load your short cases you will be able to work the die down to get the same relationship of the case mouth to the bullet and crimp , so you will have a shorter OAL , that may require a powder charge adjustment depending on the the type of load.

[USSR]

Quote Originally Posted by slk View Post
The Hornady is shorter by a 1/16".

Hornady shortens their brass when loading the FTX bullets in them.

Fact: A case that is too short may not give enough of a desired crimp. This ain't rocket science.

Don

[onelight]

What USSR I saying is correct about crimping a short case , you will just have to try one and see if you can crimp the Hornady cases in your die . If they won't and you want to use them you will need another die to crimp those cases.

[USSR]

Exactly. And here is what I do with the .45 Cowboy Special case, which is a .45 Colt case the length of a .45 ACP case, and the .45 AR case. I use a .45 ACP seater die with a roll crimp in it instead of the normal taper crimp.

Don

[slk]

The 20 rounds of hornady that I have (picked up at the range) are only about 1/16" shorter than the starline brass. I may load them and let them lay on the ground for the next guy after firing them.

My load is 7 gr of Unique with the Lee 452-255 bullet. First time trying this load. Will have to see if I like it. Target shooting it should be ok....

Steve

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The 20 rounds of hornady that I have (picked up at the range) are only about 1/16" shorter than the starline brass. I may load them and let them lay on the ground for the next guy after firing them.

My load is 7 gr of Unique with the Lee 452-255 bullet. First time trying this load. Will have to see if I like it. Target shooting it should be ok....

Steve

Hornady cases only a 1/16th shorter then the Starline brass, I would think that the crimp die could be adjusted down enough to crimp the brass. I am not sure about this, because I don't have Hornady brass to find out. USSR might have already experienced any problems associated with doing that. A 1/16th isn't very much of a difference.

[USSR]

You may get enough of a crimp with them, or you may not. Only way to tell is to try.

Don

[slk]

Ok the hornadys are done and it was a piece of cake. I just had to seat the bullet a tad bit further in the case, and I was good to go. The shorter bullet is the hornady. Shooting them out of a SAA pistol

[USSR]

Actually, you don't have to seat them further in the case. Just raise your seating stem up a little.

Don

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Actually, you don't have to seat them further in the case. Just raise your seating stem up a little.

Don

I think he meant that he had to seat the bullet deeper for the Hornady cases in order to get a good crimp in the crimp groove.

[slk]

Whatever I did worked this time. I use an old Bonanza/Forster co-axel press which operates a little different than most. Basically same principals but when people describe some things it is not always the same. I have had it since I was a teenager and I am now 70. It has been good to me all these years. I had never used Hornady dies before, and they perplexed me a little. Now I have the feel of the crimping action. All is good.

Thank all of you for all of the great info. This old brain was able to process it all, and make it work.

Now if I could just find some 45 colt brass to load I could get on with this. All I have is the factory box of ammo and the 20 rounds of hornady brass. Need to find more and everyone seams to be back ordered.

Steve

[slk]

i think he meant that he had to seat the bullet deeper for the hornady cases in order to get a good crimp in the crimp groove.

yes !!!

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Whatever I did worked this time. I use an old Bonanza/Forster co-axel press which operates a little different than most. Basically same principals but when people describe some things it is not always the same. I have had it since I was a teenager and I am now 70. It has been good to me all these years. I had never used Hornady dies before, and they perplexed me a little. Now I have the feel of the crimping action. All is good.

Thank all of you for all of the great info. This old brain was able to process it all, and make it work.

Now if I could just find some 45 colt brass to load I could get on with this. All I have is the factory box of ammo and the 20 rounds of hornady brass. Need to find more and everyone seams to be back ordered.

Steve

It's available at Starline,though I think the minimum to buy is 500.

[onelight]

Glad you got it going slk , you have a great press I have always liked a lot of things about those but I am just to cheap to buy one

[slk]

Yes I called Starline and tried to get them to sell me 100 and they said the min was 500. Oh well some will turn up one day soon. There must be a run on 45 colt these days. Did not think cowboy shooting was that popular.

Steve