Round Balls Stuck Inside Die...

[BCB]

I am trying to load 45 cal. Round balls into my 45 Long Colt. Every time I try to seat the round ball, it sticks up in the seating die. I have unscrewed this die as far as I can and still be able to screw the seating stem in far enough to get the job done, but the round ball sticks to the inside of the day. Crimping doesn’t help or it doesn’t seem to do so. I can’t get the case into the seating die far enough to put a firm crimp on it—remember I asked about the thickness of the shell holder? I think the dang die is defective, yet it loads the 45-270-SAA really well. Any thoughts on why the round ball is sticking inside of the seating die? Thanks…BCB

[454PB]

The soft round ball is probably conforming to the contour of the seating plug, and when you withdraw the round, it's stuck in same. Try a different seating plug, or put some epoxy in the one you have to change the profile to a flat nose.

[45 2.1]

What size are the round balls? You need to use 0.454" diameter balls or size them to that diameter. It sounds like yours are oversize.

[StrawHat]

Try using a flat seating die punch if you have one.

[runfiverun]

size them push in by hand and then crimp

[bearcove]

Just like river said. push, tap,bang, just get the ball all the way (little over half way) into case neck. If you take out the seater then you can put the smallest crimp you can imagine on the case. This is a time that having uniform case length is important. These should be loaded as plinking loads, so you don't need a strong crimp. Actually a firm crimp is bad because you will size the ball to an unknown smaller size with the crimp. The best ones I have shot where seated by hand, no crimp, shot 7-800 fps.

It's important to remember why to use the seat die and crimp. If you need to hold the bullets during recoil ie magnum loads use a strong crimp. vis versa.

:Fire:

[w30wcf]

BCB,
Perhaps, there is a buildup of bullet lube in the die which is hanging on to the ball(?). After flaring the case and loading the powder, place the ball into the case mouth and then a .38 or .44 pistol bullet on top of the ball and then seat.

Or, if you are just setting the ball flush, or above flush with the case mouth, a .45 pistol bullet would work nicely to seat the ball.

Historically speaking, back in the early 1900's, U.M.C. offered a .45 Colt Gallery loading which was a round ball seated deep in the case over 7 grs. of b.p. I am making some of these cartridges up and found that it was easier to load the .452" ball into a fired case, pushing it down onto the b.p. charge with a wooden dowel.

Then, running the loaded cartridge into the carbide sizing die set to size just down to the front of the ball locks it in place.

Should be interesting!:-D

What powder / charge are you using?

Have fun!
w30wcf

[DLCTEX]

When loading round balls in 45acp I seat them to halfway and do a light roll crimp, no problems with feeding or boolit jumping. Dale

[mooman76]

Like W30wcf said. I had some bullets sticking and it was a buildup of lube. That LLA especially will build up bad.

[beagle]

I use a .45 Colt expanding die for seating RBs in the .45 Colt case. Normally, I'll load two. When I get the second to the proper depth, I'll take the seating screw out of the seating die and crimp as desired. No problems./beagle

[BCB]

Thanks all,

I read and reread each post and cleaned a little, and belled the case a little more, and seated the ball a bit deeper, and applied a heavier crimp, and…

Regardless, I think I got it. Just shot a starling off of the side of my bird feeding station tree. Sure made the feathers fly. Starlings eat all of my suet and are just plain hogs in general.

I am shooting a .5 cc scoop of Red Dot which is around 3.5 grains and a CCI 350 primer. Do you think I went a bit far hollow-pointing the round ball??? Thanks again…BCB