45 acp load too hot?

[Hometek]

45 acp
230 gr lrn not sure what mold got them from a friend
5gr Red Dot
1.25 COL
CCI LP
When I fire this round and look at the fired brass, half of the brass doesn't have an indention on the primer. A few have a lighter spot where you can tell the primer hit but it's still smooth across the primer. The primer looks normal other wise. No other signs of high pressure. Any ideas?

[steve in kc]

nope

Alliant (manf of red dot) lists 5.1 grains as a MAX LOAD with a COAL of 1.27"

Don't get me wrong, they're gonna be SNAPPY it's not going to blow your hand off. I shoot 4.5gr for a 230gr LRN seated to 1.255" and shoot ragged holes. 4.5 grains, to me, is a good medium load for repetitive target shooting (paper). I'm not doing timed events for anything like that...just paper and the occasional phone book (or catalog!)

[35remington]

Depending upon how deeply that bullet is seated in the case, it's very similar to what I'm doing for a loading using the Lee 230-2R which is a pretty fair duplication of the ball bullet profile.

In my 1911's, using wildly mixed brass I get 850 f/s with 4.8 to 4.9 grains (my fixed cavity measure throws an "in between" amount of Red Dot, so that's why I list 4.8 to 4.9).

I'm pleased with the load. Predict yours is going in the 860 fps vicinity. Assuming seating depth is similar to mine. I run my OAL to 1.265."

Probably not too hot, but toward the upper end of standard 45 ACP pressures, probably.

FWIW, 5.1 grains should be near top end with a 230 grain bullet, not a starting load. I've been loading this powder for 45 ACP for quite some time.

Any oddities with the firing pin indentation are probably an issue with the pistol rather than the load.

[NickSS]

I have fired thousands of rounds with that load in 1911s using a lyman RN bullet of that weight without a problem but it is near the top end load not a starting load with red dot. Your pistol is probably a striker fired one with a rebounding striker. My guess is that the look of your primers are due to that not an overload or really hot load.

[Hometek]

It's a Metroarms AC Commander. Didn't have any fail to fire but starting to think light primer strike. I ran some emptys through and it's not leaving much of dent.

[Papa Jack]

Have you checked your Primer Seating Depth ??? Some may be seated a little deeper than others due to primer pocked depth .
Might go thru some unfired loaded rounds that you have assembled and just check a hand full with a good straight edge across the base of the case, see what they look like.....
Another thing is that may be causing this is Case length. Just an idea..... "PJ"

[Throwback]

Your loads are too hot for your pistol with the overall length and case and primers you are using.

[bhn22]

Are all the cartridges firing? I did notice the use of CCI primers. These are some of the hardest primers marketed. If you couple this with a light mainspring you could end up with failures to fire (FTF).

[Char-Gar]

Anytime you are near max load and your cases appear as yours do, it is time to back off the powder. There are so many variables in pistol, case, primer, and bullet that often load book max is too hot.

[bhn22]

I'm still behind the curve here. I take it the pistol fires okay, but that the primers look funny. There could be many causes of an odd looking primer strike. Does the firing pin fit the firing pin hole in the frame? Your primers could be flowing into the firing pin hole and then get sheared when the case is ejected. A light main spring could cause this too. Got any pics of the cases?