MP 452-200 FN NG boolit sizing and OAL

[oley55]

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.

[fredj338]

I think you are over thinking things a bit. Final size, not a huge issue +/- 0.0005". I cast from pretty much range scrap, 10bhn+/-, I dont really care. I size 0.452" for all my guns, dont really care to have custtom ammo for 6 diff 45acp. All will shoot 3" or better out to 25y, better than I can do most days.
OAL, as always bullet & bbl specific. What works in my gun may not in yours. So make a dummy round, load it a bit long & chamber it. If it chambers, you are gtg. If not, start seating 0.010" deeper until the easily chamber. Then check that all the way down in the mag.

[Burnt Fingers]

Cut that alloy 1:1 with pure lead and shoot it. The 45 ACP doesn't need lead that hard.

I load for over a dozen 45 ACP firearms ranging in age from over 100 years old to new this year. I size to .452 and shoot.

[gwpercle]

Cut that alloy 1:1 with pure lead and shoot it. The 45 ACP doesn't need lead that hard.

I load for over a dozen 45 ACP firearms ranging in age from over 100 years old to new this year. I size to .452 and shoot.

I second this motion ...plus you are Powder Coating so hardness not that big an issue . Softer boolits will help ease the sizing difficulty ... grooves in a boolit give the alloy a place to go when you are sizing down... all this hoopla about No Grooves isn't the wonderful thing you think it to be ... No Grooves has a downside ... blood blisters from sizing the things .
Gary

[oley55]

I second this motion ...plus you are Powder Coating so hardness not that big an issue . Softer boolits will help ease the sizing difficulty ... grooves in a boolit give the alloy a place to go when you are sizing down... all this hoopla about No Grooves isn't the wonderful thing you think it to be ... No Grooves has a downside ... blood blisters from sizing the things .
Gary

LOL on the blisters. Sure am glade I put a cue ball on my handle, otherwise...?

So my aged bullets are not the issue, just the hard alloy. It seems doubtful I would buy another no lube groove mold again. a newbe miscalculation.

I’m out now and do not recall my final COAL, but it is .015” shorter than my just fit plunk length. My think being a perfect fit in a perfectly clean chamber could be an issue as it fouls up a bit.

[PapaJ]

It may be just me, but I would think that if you are trying to size down from .454 to .452, and your bullets are still coming out too large, you may want to consider casting to a smaller diameter or softer alloy. You seem to be getting a lot of "spring back" during sizing. It could also be your powder coat thickness.

Quality over Quantity

[oley55]

[QUOTE=Burnt Fingers;5168958]Cut that alloy 1:1 with pure lead and shoot it. The 45 ACP doesn't need lead that hard.

I load for over a dozen 45 ACP firearms ranging in age from over 100 years old to new this year. I size to .452 and shoot.[/QUOTE

Are you suggesting I can run softer 50/50 .452" sized bullets through my 454" Llama barrel without leading?

[Burnt Fingers]

[QUOTE=oley55;5169590]

Cut that alloy 1:1 with pure lead and shoot it. The 45 ACP doesn't need lead that hard.

I load for over a dozen 45 ACP firearms ranging in age from over 100 years old to new this year. I size to .452 and shoot.[/QUOTE

Are you suggesting I can run softer 50/50 .452" sized bullets through my 454" Llama barrel without leading?

Nope. But you can run softer 455 bullets through it.