Curious About 45 ACP Barrel Variations & Options

[Esau]

I've noticed that load data for 45 acp, in The Lee manual, lists several minimum overall lengths for cartridges that will not chamber in many 45 acp barrels (slide won't close all the way, because the cartridge won't go all the way into the barrel). This is frustrating, because with revolvers, I generally don't have that issue, which gives me many more options, in regards to depth of seating the bullet, size of bullet, powder choice, powder charge, velocity and pressure. I like having lots of choices (a reward, I think, reloaders are entitled too). Furthermore, Lee states that you get better accuracy and longer gun life, by reducing pressure, which you achieve, in part, by seating the bullet as close to maximum overall length as possible.

[yondering]

OAL in a semi-auto is going to depend on boolit shape, barrel throat, and magazine depth. Some loads are limited only by what will fit in the magazine.

Seems like all my 45 boolits from Lee molds have to be seated deeper, because they run into the barrel throat.

FWIW, Lee's load manual is more or less just a collection of load data from other companys, so you can expect to find a lot of variation in that manual.

[35remington]

Depends upon how the barrels are throated. My P97 45 ACP has a shorter throat than most of my 1911 barrels, and cannot take bullets seated out as far.

Some general guidelines:

2 ogive 230 RN's (ball, factory FMJ, Lee 230 2R roundnose that duplicates ball profile, Lyman 452374): 1.260-1.270"

HG 68 pattern longnose 200 SWC (RCBS, Lee, Lyman, Redding Saeco, and of course Hensley and Gibbs as well as others offer this profile) 1.240-1.250."

1 radius ogive 230 RN's (Lee 228-2R) 1.220" (My Ruger prefers 1.200-1.210.")

230 Truncated Cone bullets (230 Hornady FMJ, 230 Lee TC) 1.200-1.220"

185 JHP's of various makes 1.200-1.220"

185 grain target (shortnose) SWC 1.175-1.185" Cartridges this short require earlier release timing magazines (straight lipped with abrupt early release point, a la Chip McCormick (ugh! hurts me to say anything about these!!) style). To feed these extra short rounds, compromises must occur in magazine design that make the 1911 less inherently reliable, as the gun was never meant to feed cartridges this short. Early release parallel lip magazines force the cartridge into a steeper feed angle, making the feed more ka-chunky and potentially more binding, as well as making the case rim approach the extractor at a steeper angle.

[Esau]

Thanks for your help :drinks:

[Esau]

I used Lee's 200 grain TLSWC. I'm using lengths for that around 1.175, in a Ruger P345.

I noticed, on Lee's website, their old 200 gr SWC is shaped differently from the new Tumble Lube version. It's base is a lot shorter and it's nose is a lot longer. Hence, it could easily be loaded to much longer lengths, than the TL version.

[nicholst55]

If the throat in your barrel is too short, you can always either take it to a gunsmith and have him lengthen the throat a bit, or else buy the reamer and do it yourself. I had the same problem with a Bar-Sto barrel - it had almost no throat. I had it lengthened just a tad, and now I don't have any problems.

[MtGun44]

Short throats are intended to give top accy, and they often do. OTOH you must
fit your ammo to the chamber and throat. When I bought my Dan Wesson Pointman 7
I had to start seating my std H&G 68 load a bit deeper for reliability since it has a
very short throat. Several Colt commercial and target 1911s, a milsurp 1911, and a
Kimber Series One were happy with the original length. Seated it about .010" deeper
to 1.250 and all was well.

Bill