Help me load for a 1911

[Mauser48]

Hey guys, just picked up my first 1911, a Springfield trp. I haven't picked the gun up yet so I cant get any bore measurements or anything like that quite yet. What I have to work with is a lyman 452374 mold, 700x, and I just picked up some 231. I mainly want to use the 700x because I have a lot of it and I've heard it's pretty good in 45, but I also picked up the 231 as a backup so if I didn't get what I wanted with the 700x I knew a lot of people have used 231 with good results. Also it's just nice to use something that meters good every once in awhile. Here are my questions, should I get a 451 or 452 lubersizer die? I know this is mostly gun specific but I'd like to hear what the majority says. What about oal? I know not all .45 round nose bullets are alike so I'd like to see what's working for most of you. Beyond that, any pet loads with this bullet and these powders? This is my first time loading .45. Did I pick a good bullet for this cartridge. I didn't hear great things about Lee's 230 grain round nose bullet but I remember hearing about the lyman mold being very close to a gi ball bullet. My use for this load is just weekend plinking. Please let me know what works good for you guys!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I use a Lyman 230gr mold don't remember the number with 4.8 gr of 231.

[NC_JEFF]

Mauser get yourself a factory round, run the seating and crimp die down against it and you have yourself a starting point as far as the amount of crimp and COAL. You'll enjoy the 45ACP for many years.

[BNE]

4.0 grains of Hogdon Clays is my go to load.

45 is my favorite, but it can be picky to get set up on. That being said, once you figure out how much to Bell the cases, and how much to crimp, it works fine. Starting with a factory round as suggested above is a good idea.

[EMR]

I use a MP HP mould that drops at 213gn. PC’d and sized to 452 with 5grn of 231 shoots like butter out of my SA Professional

[Tatume]

You could start with overall length of 1.275", load one, and drop it into your barrel. If it "plunks" it will probably run. Adjust your taper crimp die to give you a case mouth of 0.469 - 0.471". I use 0.452" diameter in all of my 45 ACP guns.

[bosterr]

Both barrels in my 2 Kimbers slugged at .451 so I size to .452. I use range pick-up brass of so many different brands that I plunked until I found a happy medium of taper crimp. I couldn't tell you what size it turned out to be. Many recommend a OAL of 1.250, but my Kimbers both have extended ejectors and 1.250 was too long and prevented me from ejecting live rounds. The only way to clear them was to shake the gun to get the round to fall out. I ended up with a OAL of 1.235 using Accurate Molds version of the H & G 68. I had been using 700X just to get rid of it, but had to weigh every charge because it just wouldn't measure constistantly. My favorite powder for the .45 is 231.

[DougGuy]

If your Springfield TRP has rifling running right down to the chamber mouth, you will have to fight it to get an OAL that will work, the sensible thing to do to set up a 1911 for cast boolits, is to have the barrel throated to add freebore in front of the chamber so you can seat out ever how long you want to. As shipped, it may not even allow you to chamber rounds that are seated to the proper COA listed in load data for that boolit style and you have to compromise not only the COA but the powder charge as well.

[Sailormilan2]

I would go with what booster said. Lyman manual gives a recommended length of 1.272" for the #452374 bullet, and a recommended length of 1.235" for the #452630(their version of the H&G 68).

[tazman]

I run that boolit at 1.260 in my unaltered Springfield Mil Spec barrel and 3 other 1911 pistols with great accuracy and zero feeding issues. I size at .452.
I don't currently use either of the powders you mention, but I load midrange loads from the manuals.

For plinking, I would recommend a 200 grain boolit. Either the H&G 68 clones or the Lyman 452460. Both feed well and shoot accurately.
That Springfield TRP is a great pistol.

[Thumbcocker]

231 is my go to powder in .45 acp

[scattershot]

I’d use the 231, since 700X meters like cornflakes. .452 for the sizing die.

[Groo]

Groo here
I guess I am different !!!
I loaded Unique foe many years but recently went to Bullseye.
5GR of Bullseye and a RD jacket/plated/coated/or cast boolet .is all I use now.
A 230 gr boolet will make a goverment load[WW2] a 200gr will make a J M Browning load and a 185 gr will make a target load.
Seat the boolet to fit in the mag--- Pull barrel and reseat as required to fit the chamber.
Load a box , lube the gun and go to the range.
Only had problems with "strange" or "oddball" boolets .
Those take a little "fine tooning"

[Dieselhorses]

231 is my go to powder in .45 acp

As with "HP38", 5 grs does the trick. watch the clearance in mag when with 1.275 COL as this is a lil tight sometimes. I run 5.2 grs under 185 JHP and 5 for 230 FMJ

[Mauser48]

Thanks for the suggestions, I now have a solid starting point. I need to cast up some bullets this week to see what the mold is dropping at.

[Dan Cash]

Only advice I will offer is watch your pressure with 700X. It has a very thin line between just right and too hot.

[bobthenailer]

For the 45 acp I have mostly used bullseye or tightgroup the discontuned WSL also works well !
I have 170, two-200,215 & 230 gr bullet moulds all bullets were sized @0.452 have been shot from over 15 45 acp pistols with factory & aftermarket gunsmith fit match barrels.
I have 231 but never used it in the 45acp even though it seems to work well from books that I have read! for the 230 gr cast bullet ,practice load 4.9 231
FME the 45 acp is the simplest semiauto round to load for, to get good accuracy & usually a good load in one gun will shoot well in most other 45acp pistols.

[El Bibliotecario]

(1) should I get a 451 or 452 lubersizer die?
(2) I remember hearing about the lyman mold being very close to a gi ball bullet.
(3 )My use for this load is just weekend plinking. Please let me know what works good


(1) I don't know what the proper diameter sizing die is. I do know that for reasons I now don't recall, I bought a .451 sizing die during the Nixon administration, and while my satisfaction may be a reflection on my mediocre marksmanship, I have since used it to size two different bullet styles which I use successfully in both .45 ACP pistols and revolvers.

(2) Yes. While the weight may vary a tiny bit based on casting material, insofar as feeding, the bullet shape is for all practical purposes identical

(3) There are more good load combinations for this cartridge than you probably have time or money to try. For weekend plinking I imagine many if not all of the previously recommended loads will suit your purpose. Once you have some experience shooting a particular load in your weapon, you will be better qualified to shop around--if so inclined.

[Mauser48]

Got around to casting some bullets out of the lyman mold and to my surprise they drop around .454! Looks like I wont have to worry about having a small bullet. Between that and the white label bac I shouldn't have a problem with leading. Once the dies come in I'll get to play with coal. I was tossing around the idea of buying an arsenal h&g 68 clone mold just because I would like to have more than a 2 cavity mold. A 5 cavity is tempting but we will see how the lyman works for me.

[Mauser48]

I believe I'm ready for success! The bullets shaved a little when seating and crimping ar the same time which I've heard is very common, so I opted to save myself the frustration and break seating and crimping into its own step. The rounds passed the plunk test when doing this. I settled on 5.0 grains of w231 and a coal of 1.265. Hopefully everything runs smoothly.

228401
228402

[Bazoo]

I loaded that bullet several years back. I sized it .451 at the time, cast from straight wheel weights, and lubed with Beeswax/crisco 2:1 Lost the mould and everything else in a house fire. I dont remember the powder charge, but I selected my overall length right out of the lyman manual. I ran a bunch of them through my springfield milspec and didnt have any problems with jamming or leading. I dont remember the accuracy, but they were fine for my plinking and grouped as well as anything else i was shooting at cardboard silhouettes. I seated and crimped in the same operation and didnt have any problems. I was using Lyman dies at the time.

Now im running the LEE 452-230-TC tumble lube cause thats what I got. I size them .452, cause thats the sizer I ran across cheap. I seat them to 1.170 OAL, again, right out of the lyman manual. They work without issue in the same springfield.

[tazman]

I believe I'm ready for success! The bullets shaved a little when seating and crimping ar the same time which I've heard is very common, so I opted to save myself the frustration and break seating and crimping into its own step. The rounds passed the plunk test when doing this. I settled on 5.0 grains of w231 and a coal of 1.265. Hopefully everything runs smoothly.

228401
228402

Sounds like you are ready to go. Please keep us updated on your results.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I use the Lyman 452374 sized to .452” exclusively in my 3 Colt’s 1911’s each with 5” barrels. The boolit has never had a problem in my guns. My Colt’s have standard 18.5 lb. recoil springs from Wilson. My Colt’s with standard weight recoil springs tend to favor Unique over Bullseye which is counterintuitive to what I would have thought.

[Petrol & Powder]

I returned the 1911 after a long sabbatical. I still had a large supply of 230gr ball ammo that I had loaded years ago but wanted to switch over to the 200 gr LSWC.
With some help from members of the forum (Thanks to ALL) I'm closing in on a good load.

Right now it stands as a SAECO #069 bullet (200 gr. SWC) sized to .452" and lubed with NRA 50/50. That bullet is loaded over 5.2 grains of WW-231 and seated so that the shoulder just barely extends beyond the case mouth. I'm using a powder through expander with a Lyman "M" type step and a light taper crimp.
It cycles 100% and shoots to P.O.A.

[OS OK]

4.9 grains of TiteGroup (meters like salt & shoots very clean)...915 FPS...Lee 6 cav. TL-452-200-SWC with COWW's and a good PC job, size .452"...

https://i.imgur.com/lqGcs10.jpg

If you get your barrel throated you can load just about any cast without having troubles going into battery.

[osteodoc08]

5gr of W231 and 230 ball is always a good choice.

[Mauser48]

First 100 rounds went great. 100% reliability and zero leading. Accuracy seamed to be just fine too. The recoil impulse was perfect too, just a nice push. Thanks to everyone!

[Char-Gar]

My response:

You bullet is a good choice, a classic in fact.

I use Bullseye for that was the powder used in developing the 45 ACP round and has been used in loading many millions of 45 ACP round, both military and commercial. 5.0 grains of BE is the correct charge weight.

If you bullet is shaving lead when seating, you are doing something wrong. The bell on the cast mouth is insufficient.

Don't forget to taper crimp your rounds.

[tazman]

First 100 rounds went great. 100% reliability and zero leading. Accuracy seamed to be just fine too. The recoil impulse was perfect too, just a nice push. Thanks to everyone!

Good to hear.
You will find that, in general, the 45ACP in a 1911 is one of the easiest cartridges to load for in a semi auto pistol. There is a lot and I do mean a lot of data out there to be had.
The cartridge and pistol combination has been around a long time. Check out what are referred to as classic loads. They are classic for a reason.
No real need to reinvent the wheel with this cartridge/gun combination.
The boolit you chose is an excellent one and should work well with both light and heavy charges. Many powders will give satisfactory results.
Enjoy your pistol.

[Alstep]

If you're shaving boolets while seating, you're not expanding and belling enough. I'm sizing .452, and made up my own expander that mikes .452. Brass springs back just enough to have a snug fit, doesn't downsize the bullet, and doesn't shave lead. Taper crimp in another step at .470. NRA lube.

You'll not regret getting a mold from Accurate. I have their copy of the H&G 68 in iron. Just a pleasure to cast with.

I don't like to beat myself up, or my gun. So I load lite using 4gr Bullseye. Seat to 1.250. Totally reliable, no malfunctions, & accurate. Easy on my arthritic hands, I can go through several hundred rounds at a USPSA match, no problem.

[CJR]

To say that I like a 1911 in 45ACP would be an understatement! Here are my personal comments based on reloading the 45ACP from about 1957:
1. The Lyman 452374 CB is an excellent RN and very stable in flight. With the right weapon/load, it is capable of 4"-6" at 100 yds. It functions well in just about all 1911s.
2, Many 45ACP reloading dies vary dimensionally when re-expanding the case after full-length case resizing. That can allow CB push-back into the case as the round transitions from mag to barrel chamber. Result? Varying velocities/ higher pressures/poorer accuracy and functioning issues. Solution? Size/decap about ten(10) cases. Remove the re-expanding/mouth belling mandrel from the second die and insert it into the sized cases. The die mandrel should slip easily into each sized case right up to the belling feature without resistance. If there is resistance, put the die mandrel into an electric drill and polish the mandrel until it freely enters every sized case. If the particular die doesn't have a " case mouth belling" feature, get one that has it. Done properly, the CB should expand the case slightly, as it is seated into the case, to give a tight grip on the CB. Seat the CB and roll crimp the round as a final step or get a separate taper-crimp die. Finally, load up one (1) dummy round; i.e. NO primers, NO powder and only a CB in case. Load that dummy round into a mag, lock back the slide and use the slide-lock to release the slide so as to chamber the round. Repeat that about twenty(20) times, with the dummy round, and then measure the round's overall length (OAL). If the OAL is shorter, the chambering process is seating the CB deeper into the case. Not good pressure wise. Adjust the taper or roll crimp and repeat until the dummy round's OAL doesn't shorten after 20 chamberings..
3. I size to 0.451"D simply because Lyman recommended that in their manuals.
4. We have many excellent powders today that work well in the 45ACP.
5. If you are using a progressive loader, try to use a bulky, case filling powder to prevent "double-charging" a case. Double-charging a case can happen on a progressive. When my sons were teenagers and learning to reload on a Dillon 550, I used Blue Dot. When they accidentally double-charged a case, the powder flowed over everything and a CB couldn't be inserted or seated in a case. They cleaned up the powder and restarted the process and it was a learning process for them. Blue Dot is a little dirty, but can produce some very accurate loads.

Hope this helps! Have fun with that new 1911; it's a great well proven weapon!

Best regards,

CJR