Round ball loads for autos

[NSP64]

I cast and shoot round ball loads in all kinds of guns, 308win bolt gun, revolvers, muzzle loaders.
I have been searching for info on RB loads in autos.
I was wondering if anyone has been successful with this.
I know the 1911 shooters can swap out recoil springs to help.
List what you have tried and whether it worked.

[Jim]

I tried .454 RBs sized to .452, wouldn't feed. I pushed .490 RBs through a .452 die and seated flush, wouldn't feed. I seated the modified 490 RBs proud, wouldn't feed. I gave up on it.

[ku4hx]

Castpics has some pretty good information: www.castpics.net/LoadData/Round%20Ball%20Loads.pdf

[Baryngyl]

I don't know why, but when I read the title of this thread "Round ball loads for autos" I saw it as "Round ball loads for idiots". LOL




Michael Grace

[Tazman1602]

Hey Jim tried to PM you but was unable to. I sent you and email with my address in it. Give me a shout about coon hunting!

Art

PS -- sorry to the original poster, didn't mean to hijack your thread.............


I tried .454 RBs sized to .452, wouldn't feed. I pushed .490 RBs through a .452 die and seated flush, wouldn't feed. I seated the modified 490 RBs proud, wouldn't feed. I gave up on it.

[1Shirt]

RB's work fine in revolvers, even for double ball loads, but doubt I would ever consider trying them for an auto.
1Shirt!

[Larry Gibson]

A proper feed ramp mod in a M1911 along with a mag for such for WCs will most likely feed RB loads and function reliably. George Nonte developed such loads 60+ years ago. There was an article in G&A years ago and how to with loads is in his book on cartridge conversions. I shot a lot of them back in the late '60s. The M1911 was set up for WC target loads with a light spring.

Today I would TL the RBs in LLA, load over Bullseye, seat to mid circumference, taper crimp, start at 3.5 gr and work up to functional reliability and slide lock back. Probably would use a 14 lb spring/12 at the weakest. No filler or wad.

Larry Gibson

[45 2.1]

BTDT with round balls and the collar button. In the 45 ACP, it is best to use a slightly oversize ball (0.454" or 0.457") and run it in a 0.452" sizer to put a slight sized belt on it. Standard case sizing, priming and expansion are done. I use a healthy charge of Unique, either with the sized RB or a cast collar button. The ball is seated with the band basically parallel to the case mouth to slightly more than the sized portion on the ball deep (collar button is seated where there is about a dimes thickness of band left). The round is taper crimped to standard dimension. This should be tried in your chamber to see if it raises a lead ring in front of the case mouth when chambered. The lead RB shouldn't really be marked any, if it is then seat slightly deeper and try again. See if it feeds from the magazine now, if it does your good to go. The heavy Unique load feeds well and functions every 1911 I've tried it in, and unfortunately shoots low to the sights.