Anything special about loading for a short (3.3") barreled 45ACP?

[Sensai]

I just bought a Springfield XD-S 45 with a 3.3 inch barrel for summer carry. It's a sweet little thang, but it sure hurts my feelings running jacketed rounds through it. Do any of you folks load cast for a short barreled 45ACP? If so, are there any pointers as to where to start with loading for it? I'm not looking for specific load data, just powder and boolit recommendations. I don't go so much for speed in my 45s as I do throwing big chunks of lead. I know that powder choices are a little limited now, but would appreciate any incite you have anyway. I load for a five inch, but don't know if a different powder would give better results with the 3.3. Thanks for your time and advice, Gary

[bouncer50]

Have you notice more recoil from the shorter barrel. I did with mine.

[Sensai]

No, not really. It feels softer than my 1911 and about the same as my XD9-SC. That really surprised me. I thought it would be a lot stiffer with that light of a gun. I really like how fast I can get back on target with it. Do you load cast for yours?

[Packy]

I shoot the same loads in mine that I do my 1911's. Lee 200gr Noe 200gr and a Mihec 200gr penta hp. I use red dot for powder, seat to fit barrel.

[bouncer50]

I use a Lee 230 grain round ball with green dot. Same as my other 1911 models i have. It about as accurate as factory loads and about the same speed.

[Boolit_Head]

Might want to avoid slow powders?

[Sensai]

Thanks for the info. I know I have a pound of Red Dot that I've been saving for a rainy day. It's looking a little cloudy. Do you think 700x would be too slow? I may have a 230 mold around, somewhere. I use a 250 and a 255 in my 1911 5".

[Rustyleee]

Lighter bullets and faster powders will give the best results.

[Sensai]

You're probably right. I've just been shooting heavy and slow for so long that it's going to be a big change for me to go back to 230 and below. I guess that's what I'm going to have to do, though. It may be that a little over three inches just isn't long enough to accelerate a big honking boolit, even to 800 or so fps. I'll try the 230 and red dot. I'll run it through QuickLoad and sanity check with a couple of load books. Thanks again, Gary

[tygar]

I carry a 3" Kimber, & practice with what I carry - full power 230gr. Only change is its RN lead instead of people shooters.

Also have Colt Officers, same story.

I don't find them to be difficult to control or hard recoil.

I use a max load of Bullseye under the 230s.

[Boolit_Head]

I was talking more like avoiding slow powders like Blue Dot. Red Dot ought to be ok though I've never used it in a barrel that short.

[bouncer50]

Red Dot. Green Dot. Bullseye i like all of them for 45 ACP. The reason i am using Green Dot a guy gave me 3 pounds of it.

[mattw]

I shoot 200 lswc with W231 and my XD-S loves it. I like faster powders in it, have tried slower powders with just did not work well.

[DougGuy]

The XD- series of pistols, poly framed, have hardened barrels. They are impossible to ream the throat in them without totally destroying a reamer so I don't take these in for throating. You will have to size to fit the existing throat and make sure your loads "plunk" and feed alright. You may be stuck with sizing to .451" to be able to get the boolit to seat into the throat.

[bhn22]

Shoot normal loads in the three inch. To get to light target loads you may need to replace the recoil spring, then change it back for use with heavier "self defense" loads. By all means do try loading heavier (230 gr) bullets with fast burning powder, you're likely to achieve at least some recoil reduction. Fast bullets with fast powders generally increase muzzle flip, and that would be counter productive.

[plesant3]

I always thought that recoil was solely a function of gun weight, bullet weight and velocity, and powder charge weight. (I've got the formula around somewhere if someone wants to do the calculations...) Things like powder burning speed and barrel length only matter as they relate to those factors.

Because the powder charge weight is factored in with the bullet weight, and because usually more of a slower powder is used than a fast powder, recoil will always be heavier at the same velocity using the slower powder. This is, of course, assuming you can get all of the slower powder to burn in the short barrel - and if not, you end up increasing the charge weight even more - thus more recoil!

I have also noticed the apparent recoil reduction when shooting the same loads in a 3" Kimber vs. a 5" GM, but I SUSPECT it's due to the lower velocity attributed to the shorter barrel. I could probably verify that with the chronograph...but only when my range dries out from all the recent rain we've had.

But to answer the original question, I second the comments regarding using the fastest powders possible for short barrels - regardless of the bullet weight you prefer. The goal is to get it all to burn before the bullet clears the muzzle...

[Cmm_3940]

Recoil is recoil. F=MA. Now, where that recoil actually goes is dependant on the mass and design of the gun, which leads us to 'felt' recoil. If you use a charge sufficient to accelerate a bullet of a given mass to a given velocity, there will be an equal and opposite force exerted on the gun. It doesn't matter how much of what powder, fast or slow, is used to produce that velocity. If a bullet velocity is safely attainable using two different powders with two different burn rates, the recoil will be the same. Of course, all this goes right out the window of you do something that makes your gun go kaboom. All sorts of unpleasant force vectors come into play then...

regarding your XDs, I have no issues using the same loads in my XDs as I do in any of my 1911s.

[bhn22]

The guns weight is not the sole determining factor in perceived recoil. Formulas are fine for estimating static recoil, but irrelevant as far as perceived recoil is concerned.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

my EDC is the XDs well most of the time. RedDot and a 230gr boolit work well in mine only trick watch OAL
I need to seat my boolit a little deeper for reliable feeding. i also suggest a set of tallon grips ( rubber ones )

[Calamity Jake]

[QUOTE=Sensai;3223771]I just bought a Springfield XD-S 45 with a 3.3 inch barrel for summer carry. It's a sweet little thang, but it sure hurts my feelings running jacketed rounds through it. Do any of you folks load cast for a short barreled 45ACP? If so, are there any pointers as to where to start with loading for it? I'm not looking for specific load data, just powder and boolit recommendations. I don't go so much for speed in my 45s as I do throwing big chunks of lead. I know that powder choices are a little limited now, but would appreciate any incite you have anyway. I load for a five inch, but don't know if a different powder would give better results with the 3.3. Thanks for your time and advice, Gary"

I have one also it feeds the long nose SWC, that surprised me, I use Accurate N100 most of the time but
have used bullseye, RD, GD, AA #5 and #7, PB and Trap 100.

[Boogieman]

I load Lee 200gr swc or Lyman 230gr rn with BE or Titegroup. They shoot good in my 3.6 " Colt O.M. & my 5" 1991A1

[upr45]

I have the same 3.3" xds, have been using red dot, titegroup & WST. It shoots all those fast powders without complaining. Red dot gives me slightly more velocity than the other 2 powders I listed. My xds is a bit fussy about nose profile/oal with the short feed ramp & a full mag. It fits my hands best with the 6 rnd mid length mags.