oley55
04-15-2021, 01:52 PM
Bullets will be used in a Colt 1911 GOVT model, slugged and mic'ed at .4507". Alloy is COWW with 1.5% tin added producing 13+ BHN (via pencil). Powder coated unsized diameter is .456", (I don't recall what the as cast size was, but they ran heavier than expected at nearly 225gr.
I casted and PC'd about 400 of the MP 452-200 FN NG boolits approximately five weeks ago. My NOE push thru sizers have finally arrived and I sized about a 100 last night with the following results:
Initially I used the NOE B453 sizer, but the bullets were measuring close to .454", so I shifted to the NOE B452 sizer. I most definitely did use lube to ease the sizing effort. The .452" sizer is producing mic measured .4527"-.4528" boolits. I broke out my pin gauges and determined the sizers are NOT oversized. In fact the .452" minus pin gauge would not quite pass through the B452 die. I will note those grooveless bullets required a good bit of effort to size in my Rock Chucker.
My thought or guess is the larger sizes are related to alloy spring-back and/or the lack of grooves for the lead to flow into. I even ran a few through twice and did size off a wee bit more, but not enough to really matter. Question about spring-back, would there be less spring-back if the bullets had been sized within a day or two of casting and coating? Or should I (hope not) size before PC and then again after PC-ing? Kind of wish I had ordered a .451" sizer bushing just to see what size they would produce.
Can someone provide a target COAL range I should aim for before plunk and function checking dummy rounds?
Side note: I guess the larger than expected sizes may come in handy should I decide to load cast boolits for my early 1980's Llama 1911 which has a .454" barrel. But I suspect case bulging will be ridiculous and that's a road best left with the blood blisters it produces.
I casted and PC'd about 400 of the MP 452-200 FN NG boolits approximately five weeks ago. My NOE push thru sizers have finally arrived and I sized about a 100 last night with the following results:
Initially I used the NOE B453 sizer, but the bullets were measuring close to .454", so I shifted to the NOE B452 sizer. I most definitely did use lube to ease the sizing effort. The .452" sizer is producing mic measured .4527"-.4528" boolits. I broke out my pin gauges and determined the sizers are NOT oversized. In fact the .452" minus pin gauge would not quite pass through the B452 die. I will note those grooveless bullets required a good bit of effort to size in my Rock Chucker.
My thought or guess is the larger sizes are related to alloy spring-back and/or the lack of grooves for the lead to flow into. I even ran a few through twice and did size off a wee bit more, but not enough to really matter. Question about spring-back, would there be less spring-back if the bullets had been sized within a day or two of casting and coating? Or should I (hope not) size before PC and then again after PC-ing? Kind of wish I had ordered a .451" sizer bushing just to see what size they would produce.
Can someone provide a target COAL range I should aim for before plunk and function checking dummy rounds?
Side note: I guess the larger than expected sizes may come in handy should I decide to load cast boolits for my early 1980's Llama 1911 which has a .454" barrel. But I suspect case bulging will be ridiculous and that's a road best left with the blood blisters it produces.