lswc & the 40 S&W

[jhammer]

Hello, long time lurker and first time poster here. I have gained a great amount of information from this forum over the past year or so, and have been loading lswc for my 38 special and 357 magnum with great results. Also I have been casting many of these myself, and I am very satisfied with my efforts.

I recently acquired a 40 S&W, a bit of a departure from my otherwise revolver heavy collection, but where my interests in hand loading began several years ago. Along with this new firearm I purchased 500 155 grain lead semiwadcutter bullets, in keeping with my interest in the lead projectile.

The closest load data that I am able to find for these bullets is for a 150 grain Lyman #401654 in Lyman' s 4th edition of The Cast Bullet Handbook. I would be rather confident in using the minimum charge listed for this bullet, but the listed over all length for this cartridge is 1.090" I am unable to get the dummy round (no primer or powder) to reliably feed from the magazine until the length is reduced to 1.080".

So I am seeking the sage advice of those with much more knowledge than me. My powder choices include unique and AA 5, and the chamber is fully supported and quite snug. Do I reduce the powder charge, load at the reduced length, or add these bullets to my melting pot and turn them into something else?

Thank-you for your time in reading this
JHAMMER

[tazman]

The accurate arms site has loading data available for a 155 grain boolit and AA5. You just need to download the .pdf file.
Start listed at 6.8gr with a max of 7.5gr

I also have an Alliant data manual from 2001 that lists a 155 cast lead boolit with unique. The max load is 6.5 gr. There is no starting load listed so I would use 5.9gr as a starting load and work up.

[Jupiter7]

AA#5 is one of the best powders in the .40. The accurate arms data will steer you close. I'd probably start with 165gr and work up.

[Ed_Shot]

I really like the Lyman 401654 in my G22 w/LW barrel. Mine drop at 155 gr and the boolit length is .550. I size to .401 with WL 2500+ lube. I use the Lyman 4th Ed. and I am able to use a COAL of 1.100 in my weapon but using the Lyman listed COAL of 1.090 for 401654 with a case length of .850 it means that there is .310 of the 401654 boolit inside the case. How does that compare to the 155 gr. boolit you are using? How much boiler room do you have with a COAL of 1.080? Are you sizing? What's the diameter of the boolits you are loading? How much crimp are you using? What's the diameter at the case mouth after you crimp.

[jhammer]

Ed Shot, at a COAL of 1.080" the bullet I am using is seated 0.350" into the case. This leaves 0.315" under the bullet inside the case. These bullets are store bought and are sized 0.401" and I used a half turn on a Lee factory crimp die to crimp the dummy. The case diameter where the bullet is loaded is 0.420" and 0.415" at the mouth. One of my other concernes is that the bullet is a few thousandth recessed in the case so the case mouth is not supported by the bullet.

[Ed_Shot]

Your crimp seems fine. With the shoulder of your boolit seated below the rim of the case what is stopping your round from chambering? Does your deprimed and resized (empty) brass fall easily in and out of your barrel's chamber? Just using your barrel as a chamber gauge what is the longest COAL that will go "plunk" and chamber properly?

[petroid]

I shoot the Lee TL 401-175SWC in my XD. My COL is 1.125" Your COL of 1.080 I think may be too short. This may be causing the case mouth to hang on the feed ramp instead of the boolit being guided in. I would seat a dummy to the longest that will fit in your magazine and then see if it will feed. If not, seat a little deeper and try it. Not all guns feed SWC boolits well. You may need to go with a Truncated Cone design. As Ed Shot said, make sure the dummy will fit in the chamber, too. Pete

[jhammer]

The dummy round will drop cleanly into the chamber a longer length, but will not feed from the magazine. I started at 1.120" but it would not feed, 1.080" is the longest that will feed from the magazine. I am thinking that I will just need to try a different bullet profile.

[Ed_Shot]

The dummy round will drop cleanly into the chamber a longer length, but will not feed from the magazine. I started at 1.120" but it would not feed, 1.080" is the longest that will feed from the magazine. I am thinking that I will just need to try a different bullet profile.

I agree, that's why there are hundreds of different boolit designs. Use one your weapon likes.

[Ed_Shot]

jhammer,

What pistol are you using? I bet you can get some good info here on what boolits work well in it.

Ed

[petroid]

I'd like to know what pistol as well. 1.080" is awful short. How does it shoot factory ammo? Any feeding problems?

[jhammer]

It is a Kahr CM40. It feeds winchester white box and winchester rangers with no issues. I really like the gun, and would love to find a mould for it.

[jhammer]

Today I loaded 50 135 grain berry's bullets that I had left over from a previous project. I set the COAL at 1.125" and they cycle fine. Tomorrow I will go to the range and see how they shoot.

[petroid]

I personally don't like the idea of having a SWC recessed in the case even if thats what it takes to feed. Least expensive option is a Lee truncated cone mold. If that works, GREAT! If not, you're looking at a RN or RF mold from one of the vendors on the site. Not that you wouldn't want to buy from them anyway, but if if the TC thing didn't work out, wouldn't want you to throw your money away. I don't shoot that particular gun so I couldn't say what works well in it but overall I think the TC design tends to work better than SWC in autos. Or you could just go for broke and pony up for a quality RN or RF mold from one of the vendor sponsors. At lest then you know it will work