Partial sizing pistol brass??

[Potsy]

I've read about .45 Colts having sloppy chambers (along with nearly every other caliber depending on the gun). I've got a couple of rifles that responded to that treatment and just wondered if anyone else had fooled with it in a pistol.

Obviously, the brass would have need been fired in that particular pistol and used only in that pistol. Still, there are 6 different chambers to contend with.

My plan was to run it through a de-capping die, and size about 2/3 of the case.

Of course, this is something that will vary greatly pistol to pistol, I was just wondering if anyone else had fooled with it and what your experiences were.
Good, bad, or not worth fooling with.

The gun in question is a Ruger Bisley that's about 8 years old. The load will be a MiHec 270SAA over 9grn. Universal or 20grn. 2400. Brass is Starline.

Thanks!!

[9.3X62AL]

I've tried this in my BisHawk 45 Cot, vintage 1995 or so. I sized about 1/2 the case body of fired cases that contained 1873-level loads, and these were usable for 2-3 loadings at those levels before full-length sizing was required to allow chambering. Ruger-level loads were a total non-starter when it came to partial FL sizing--no go, right from the git-go.

My interest was and remains the extension of case life. My next venture in this direction will be with an old-school steel sizer die/greasy kid stuff, vs. the present tungsten-carbide die that does more sizing than necessary.

[BCB]

I only size my brass for straight-walled cases the length that the boolit will be seated...

I can't remember the last time I full-length sized a straight-walled case...

I have never had a problem getting them in any Ruger cylinder that I have...

Good-luck...BCB

[white eagle]

Tried it and my result reflected o 9.3's
cept I only load Ruger only loads so didn't work for me at all
however I do have a fairly good supply of brass
and care not for one more load or not

[EDK]

IF...big one here!...your chambers were all the same dimensions, you could have a custom steel die made...several vendors mentioned on other forums IIRC. Do a chamber cast of your revolver cylinder and see how the six compare....then get the custom die made for the smallest dimensions. Following this line of thought, is there someone who makes custom size carbide dies...or laps them out to a larger dimension? The SAAMI dimensions ( or lack thereof) are why I have owned TWO 45 long Colt revolvers in 40+ years....and horror stories abound about MARLIN rifle chambers.

Since I'm casting and loading for 20 RUGER revolvers and 4 MARLIN Cowboy Rifles in 44 magnum alone....got a bunch of step sons with kids.... I full length resize everything.

Uncle Ed's Law #1: If you gotta load it to maximum, you need a larger caliber.
Uncle Ed's law #2: If they don't make a carbide die for a pistol cartridge, forget it.

:redneck::cbpour::Fire:

[subsonic]

I have 3 different rcbs 45 colt dies. A newish carbide, a neeish steel, and an older steel sizer from back when their dies decapped on the expander instead of in the sizer.
All three size the case to a different shape and size. The newer steel die makes a case that fits my chambers best while still creating enough neck tension. Neck sizing may make the cases fit tighter, but may not launch the boolit straighter. I dont care a lot about brass life within reason, but i do care about accuracy.

[jandbn]

I only size my brass for straight-walled cases the length that the boolit will be seated...

I can't remember the last time I full-length sized a straight-walled case...

I have never had a problem getting them in any Ruger cylinder that I have...

Good-luck...BCB

I do the same as BCB. All 6 of the chambers and throats on my Bisley cylinder are within about .0005. The Bisley was made in 2009. After hearing all the "horror" stories about 45 cylinder hole specs from one end of the spectrum to the other, I was tickled when I measured my cylinder. The chambers are not minimum spec, but they are consistent. I have yet to full length resize a case even with Ruger only loads of cast.

[Potsy]

Last night I sized a bunch of Starline brass down to a little below the depth of a 270-SAA.
Dirty brass and dirty chambers (REALLY need to clean that pistol) and they fell right in.
Cases almost have a cool wildcatted .44-40'ish look to them.
I'll follow up with a range report.
Any and all advice is appreciated.

[HeavyMetal]

Along the lines of what 9.3 was saying I to have found that carbide dies size a case to much.

In my case it was for a 38 special / Model 52 load combo and I took an old 310 sizer die and polished it out until my case was sized just enough to give very moderate neck tension/ boolit pull.

Using Imperial sizing die wax has made the job a bit less messy but it would still be nice to avoid this with a "correct" carbide die sizer.

Not sure how this might work out I have considered proposing a Group Buy on custom carbide sizing die for the 38 special based on the internal spec's of my polished out 310 die.

I realize that the carbide ring needs to be polished to finished size and does not extend the length of the case so this may not be as expensive as it sounds.

incorperating several expander plugs in the GB with a correct crimp die and seating die, with correct nose punch's and this could be a cool die set.


The real question of course will be who, if anyone, actually wants to do this and in how many calibers.

Not a thread hi jack or a GB proposal just some passing thoughts from my own reloading pains.

[bobthenailer]

IN a test with my single shot pistols i tried partial sizing with the 357 & 44 mags and got a little better accuracy that way , in the case of the 32/20-30/20 & 22 hornet it is mandtory to only neck size for best accuracy

[MtGun44]

The issue is that the .45 Colt is not quite a straight walled case, it is a slightly tapered
case. So, if you use a carbide die, if the die is dimensioned to size the mouth correctly,
it must size the base smaller than needed. I think even most steel dies now are
straight, but I might be wrong, and have not really checked that out. I only have one
set of .45 Colt dies, an old RCBS steel set bought specifically with this issue in mind and
have never had any problems so have not pursued it in more details.

Bill

[USSR]

My plan was to run it through a de-capping die, and size about 2/3 of the case.

That's what I do. I ditched the set of carbide dies and bought a set of RCBS steel ones. Life is good.

Don

[thegreatdane]

Looking forward to trying this with my next 100 357 loads. I'll probably size 1/2 and see how that comes out.

[curiousgeorge]

I have 3 Ruger BH .45 colts and do the partial size (about 1/2 way down) with a carbide die on all of my brass that is fired with 8.0 grs of Unique and a 250 gr boolit. I keep this set up on a Dillon 550 head, and the brass drops back into all 3 guns with no problems.

I shoot so many of this load that I did not want to go with the tapered steel die, but did not like the "slop" from full length sizing with the carbide die. This works great in my guns with the above load and eliminated most of the "rattle" from a fully cylinder.

As stated in other posts, heavy Ruger-only loads have to be full length resized for dependable rechambering, especially due to the possibility of being used in multiple guns. I use the steel die for them for the better fit and since 50 rds of 300 gr plus boolits with a heavy load of H-110 goes a long way for me, I don't mind the longer time to produce.

Steve

[Potsy]

Well, I finally got around to lubing some 270-SAA's and dropping 20 grn. 2400 in a batch of Starline brass that had been sized to just below the base of the bullet.
When I tried to run them up my Lee Seater Die, it shaved brass all the way around the unsized portion of the case.
I'd have never thought that a chamber would have more slop than a seater die.
Reckon I'll fill a case with wheelweight metal, stick the neck in my drill press (I think it'll fit, if not I'll have to do it in a lathe), file off the rim, turn the "cartridge" over, liberally apply some cloverleaf compound, and run it into the die clamped below.
If anyone has any better ideas, I'd gladly listen.

[Safeshot]

I have had good results and easy chambering with cartridges in all the revolvers that I have checked with the .44 Mag, .44 Special, .45 colt, .357 Mag and .38 Special by sizing the case all the way to the rim with a Lee FCD with the carbide sizing ring - with the crimping sleeve and threaded retainer (guts) removed. Then (using a standard carbide sizing die for the caliber) size the "neck portion" of the case about 1/16 to 1/8 inch further than the base of the bullet will be seated. It does show a visible difference in diameter of the case and you can usually "see" where the base of the bullet is "seated" in the case.

This does require an additional step in the reloading process, but might extend the life of the brass.

Most of the "old style" steel dies I have used seem to resize the "neck portion" of the case to a smaller diameter than the rest of the case. In some dies there seems to be a "2 diameter situation", in others there seems to be a "neck sizing" and a "taper" section to the case head or rim.

I do not know whether I would rather have an extra sizing step in the loading process or lube and clean the cases and use the old style "steel" sizing die (which does make a "better looking" or more "factory looking" loaded cartridge). Either way. if brass is "scarce" or "rare" it is probably worth the extra time and/or trouble. If loading in a progressive loading set up or if the brass is plentiful and cheap and making the reloaded rounds look "factory - commercial" is not a concern, the standard carbide sizing die has its advantages.

[Greg B.]

I have been using RCBS .45 ACP dies to load .45 Colt ammunition since the 80's when I bought an S&W 25-5. There is no choice but to partially re-size and using standard loads have not had any problems.

Greg B.

[9.3X62AL]

Did a "tale of the tape" on my RCBS tungsten-carbide sizer dies in a few other calibers, and their interface with the firearms they are servicing.

38 Special/357 Magnum--this is an older T/C set, sizer is dated 1979. Lord only knows how many cartridges this sizer has processed......possibly 100,000 or more. All cases sized @ .378"-.379", and are a snug (but free) fit in my revos. If it ain't broke--don't fix it.

45 ACP--THIS T/C sizer GREATLY under-sizes 45 ACP brass--.466"-.467". Follow-on with the proper .450" expander ball for boolits leaves a "coke-bottle" form to the case. These feed well, but look like soup sandwiches and this can't be doing the brass any good. The 45 Colt T/C die sizes to .469", so it has become my default 45 ACP sizer die. All the pistols feed reliably.

45 Colt--jury is still out, no range work this summer with the BisHawk.