Case length for 45 auto.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I am sure this question has come around a lot of times. But I am just now getting in to casting and reloading for the 45 auto. I have been reloading for 50 years so I know about case length for rifle and revolvers.
I have 300 45 auto cases and after sizing and depriming they are measuring from .888 to .896. I have Hornady dies and the suggested length is .894, my Lyman #4 cast bullet reloading manual says trim to .888 my question is how critical is case length considering the length of my cases? Am I ok to load them as they are?

[Ed_Shot]

Lyman spec's a trim-to-length 0f .888". SORRY.... I can't read! I will say that I have never trimmed a 45 ACP case and have never had a problem.

[Larry Gibson]

I can honestly say I have never trimmed a 45 ACP case in 50+ years of reloading them by the thousands....... I can't even remember the last time I even bothered to measure any 45 ACP cases......

[Outpost75]

The .45 ACP Minimum chamber length is .898 and maximum case length is the same.

Trim-to length is -0.01" so all of your cases are within specs and you can use as-is.

It is normal to find wartime military barrels with chamber lengths up to .908 max.

With min .888 case and max. .908 chamber an M1911 pistol with minimum driven protrusion of 0.032" should still fire if the primer is seated flush or up to -0.002" below flush in a clean primer pocket.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have a Ruger Blackhawk and use the 45 ACP a lot. This cylinder headspaces on the case length which I trim to 0.890" and with no crimp which gives perfect functioning. If used in a semi-auto the case headspaces on the head so length is not so important.

[Electrod47]

I can honestly say I have never trimmed a 45 ACP case in 50+ years of reloading them by the thousands....... I can't even remember the last time I even bothered to measure any 45 ACP cases......

I agree with this guy.

[243winxb]

No trimming. But longer brass is more accurate then short. Firing makes brass get shorter over time.

For the 50 yard line, load the longest brass of the same lot, all fired the same amount of times.

[Outpost75]

For 50 yards we set up seating die for front driving band to headspace against origin of rifling so that case length did not matter. Use barrel as gage and "plunk" test 100%

[Winger Ed.]

I Am I ok to load them as they are?


I would.
I've been loading .45ACP for a tight chamber Gold Cup since the 80's.
I've never measured or trimmed a case so far,
and only recently discovered I was doing it all wrong and needed to measure them .

I've always used Hornady dies, even the old sets before Lee shamed the industry into making carbide sizers
that didn't cost more than the rest of the set.
In the old days, pistol cases had to be lubed before sizing like rifle brass.

I taper crimp them, and so far, haven't had a issue.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Thanks a lot guys. I will proceed with caution.
Oh! and buy the way I will be shooting the Lee 230gr. TL 2R from a 6 cavity mold. I am thinking about getting into powder coating.

[PositiveCaster]

Depending on the firearm, the case “headspaces” on the extractor so overall case length is pretty meaningless.

“Getting into powder coating”? That has nothing to do with head space...





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[45-70 Chevroner]

Depending on the firearm, the case “headspaces” on the extractor so overall case length is pretty meaningless.

“Getting into powder coating”? That has nothing to do with head space...





.

I know, I just added that as a thought, because I have been thinking about it for a while.

[243winxb]

The. Lee 230gr. TL 2R may need a shorter col to chamber. Depends on the barrel.

[45-70 Chevroner]

The. Lee 230gr. TL 2R may need a shorter col to chamber. Depends on the barrel.

Thanks. I Will keep an eye on it. The pistol is a Turkish 1911, I am told they are a well made gun. Factory ammo is very accurate. It needed no sight adjustment.

[Doubles Shooter]

The. Lee 230gr. TL 2R may need a shorter col to chamber. Depends on the barrel.

The 2R bullet loads and shoots fine with powder coat . I bought the 1R and had to seat it too deep to pass the plunk test. Got a 2R and life is good.
274226

[45-70 Chevroner]

The 2R bullet loads and shoots fine with powder coat . I bought the 1R and had to seat it too deep to pass the plunk test. Got a 2R and life is good.
274226

Thoes 230's look really good, I am going to have to get into powder coating. I actually tried it using HF. black powder coating (total failure). I then read on here to not use the HF black powder coating. I tried it on about 50 9mm boolits. I was afraid to try to remelt them because of the mess they might make, so I just through them out.

[Burnt Fingers]

Thoes 230's look really good, I am going to have to get into powder coating. I actually tried it using HF. black powder coating (total failure). I then read on here to not use the HF black powder coating. I tried it on about 50 9mm boolits. I was afraid to try to remelt them because of the mess they might make, so I just through them out.

Don't be afraid to melt the failures.

I've melted down thousands of boolits I no longer wanted. They were coated with either PC or Hi-Tek.

[Gunslinger1911]

Nope, haven't measured a 45acp case in 30 yrs. haha
Low pressure, forgiving chambers, just not an issue.

Powder coat is cool, I prob split 50:50 PC and lube
HF red is the only one that will coat I have found.
Hit up Smoke or Eastwood for some GREAT powder - Smokes clear is my fav.
One thing I have found, re-melt those PC boolets outside ! Stink to high heaven.
Bad lubed boolets go back in the pot as a flux, bad PC get thrown into a can and melted on the next smelt.

[DougGuy]

Assemble a round at the published COA, take the barrel out, see if it will "plunk" a few thousandths below the barrel hood. If not, you may need to have the barrel throated to accept published load data. Very common. Many just shorten the load and compensate the powder charge for the shorter COA, but it's not a very good workaround being the longer COA feeds MUCH more reliably in most 1911s. Typically older guns had a throat, a bit of freebore, like John Moses Browning designed, but manufacturers only care about chambering factory fodder and will run the rifling right down to the headspace ledge which creates a PITB for handloaders.

[Cherokee]

I can honestly say I have never trimmed a 45 ACP case in 50+ years of reloading them by the thousands....... I can't even remember the last time I even bothered to measure any 45 ACP cases......

Same experience as Larry since 1963. ^^^^^

[greenjoytj]

I am just now getting in to casting and reloading for the 45 auto. I have 300 45 auto cases and after sizing and depriming they are measuring from .888 to .896. I have Hornady dies and the suggested length is .894, my Lyman #4 cast bullet reloading manual says trim to .888 my question is how critical is case length considering the length of my cases? Am I ok to load them as they are?

Why don’t you remove your barrel from the slide and plunk each case into the chamber and look and feel if the case heads are flush with the barrel hood. If their above the hood (they won’t be) measure and trim.
If the slightly below the barrel hood your good, measure fore reference.

Don’t forget get to plunk test your first few completed cartridges (I test every one I make) to verify your COL will work.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Thanks again to all of you.

[LabGuy]

I have loaded 10s of thousands. I have found two that were a tad long. I don’t bother looking any more. They tend to get shorter not longer.

[ioon44]

I have loaded 100s of thousands and have never found a case to long, they always get shorter.
I plunk test my loads that I will shoot in a match and some times I find a bad case that the mouth is too thick to chamber or a split case that I missed.

[fredj338]

Never trimmed a service pistol case, not in over 45y of reloading. Put 0.008" on your calipers, it is nothing.

[fcvan]

Back in 1988, Dean Grennel did a 3 part column on the subject. New brass measured .895, his chamber was actually .905, so he bought 45 win mag brass and trimmed accordingly. As expected, accuracy was improved. He then ventured into loading for the brass that had the thicker head and therefore able to handle higher pressure. Blah, blah, blah, the 45 Super was born, Texas DPS ordered 300 units for their LEOs on border duty. I still have those magazines.

I never went so far as modifying my Springfield 1911 for 45 Super, aside from the stronger springs he recommended. My standard loads actually work better with the 22 lb Wolf recoil spring. When I bought the 1911, I ordered 500 pcs of brass, all marked Midway USA, back when they did that. I have loaded and shot that brass over 100 times (500/week for several years) with no failures. Granted, my loads are not max loads, just what the gun likes.

Carried the 1911 off duty for decades until my wife gifted me a Glock 22, years before it became my department's duty issue weapon. Needless to say, I had a leg up when we transitioned. I could have my weapon field stripped and cleaned before most had theirs broken down, kind of like Forrest Gump with his M14 :)