Is .452 the right size?
Sizing at .452 for .45 ACP is a guess, a good one, but still a guess. The best place to start is to slug your barrel. It's the only way to be sure that you size correctly. While .452 may work for you, adding .002 to the slugged barrel size is the best place to start, then adjust alloy and loads to minimize or eliminate any leading you might have. My 1911 is a bit over-sized, so I size at .453 to .454.
BTW, welcome to the forum!
Generally speaking, yes. That what most factory bullets are sized to.
You probably should slug your barrel to see what size your gun wants. You tube has some ok videos explaining how to do it
Woody
Yes. .45 ACP is one of the few that is pretty predictable. 90% or more will love a .452 boolit.
Bill
If it was easy, anybody could do it.
I have a Dan Wesson that has a very tight chamber and it will not accept a round with a 0.452 sized boolit. I could swage them down to fit but I would rather just size them to 0.451 and they work fine in all of my 1911's. You can easily ream a 0.451 to to a 0.452 but to make a thousandth smaller is difficult!
EW
I went along fat dumb and happy with the .452 H die for years and years loading and shooting cast in 100+ M1911s and various others including sub guns (had them in my arms vault and had an indoor range!). All was well and fine until I got a P14 with a "match" chamber. It gives about 50% failure to chamber with .452 sized cast (assorted brass and no I'm not sorting through it an keeping it seperate for my practice loads). I can run it through a Lee FCD and it feeds 100% or I can size .451 for 100% feeding. Thought it was an anomoly but I've now run into 2 others; another Para and a Kimber with "match" chambers.
Goes to show; never say never.......
Larry Gibson
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I have two 1911's that love .452". I shot 400 rds through the two of them a few weeks ago with no problem. I have a Ruger P90 that leaded pretty bad with the same boolits after less than 30 rds. I have not slugged the barrel of the Ruger but it's not one of my shooters. It's my bed stand gun. I picked it up from a guy I know who was short on cash. I'll just keep it loaded with J words to keep it happy. I just like to shoot it every now and then to stay familiar with it.
Some day I may get around to slugging the barrel on it but my guess is, it needs a larger boolit.
The best advice has already been given, you need to slug the barrel to see what size boolit you need.
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Sam
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