I won't give up on Lee 200gr SWC in 1911 - but I'm sure struggling

[bruce381]

"just barely jumping and falling out" sounds like light charge if you are consistant then up laod a tenth.

[gidaeon]

your load is fine but TAPER CRIMP to .468 to .470 replace the LEE factory crimp die did not work 100% for me in that some cases are thick walled and die would size DOWN in size making bullet set back a little when entering chamber I went to regular TAPPER crimp problem gone try that too.

Bruce, yes I believe the FCD swages my bullet for sure. I was getting lead pushing out of the mouth sometimes. I already bought a Lee taper crimp die and successfully shot some using that today. But it’s not set for enough crimp and I’m getting brass strips all over.

1) My flare/bell is .478 (kinda high but I’m trying to not cut the PC during seating only - no crimp on station 3. Station 4 Crimp die is .472 right now.
2) how does one accurately measure the crimp? Just the very tip edge or is just behind it OK?

Once I have a finalized load, I’ll setup Dillon tool head with better die, but I do all this frequent change work on a Lee equipment.

[gidaeon]

Will do this too. Thanks.

[gidaeon]

good if you are 100% feeding and firing you are on the way. Look up extractor "clocking" this is when the extractor turns on its axis and moves like a clock hand not staying
at 90 Degrees or wherever it is supposed to be. You can tighten it to stay in one place but have to smak it with a chisel hard for me to explan but that will make brass go all over as well as not enough tension.

Yeah, this happened even while re-installing it was clocking on me and hard to keep ‘straight’. Are 1911 extractors not meant to be removed/installed more than a few times before they wear?

[barsik]

great news. the only safety concern I would have now is that the thin wall of the case is unsupported by the chamber after the throating operation. take your caliper and extend it inside an empty brass case until it reaches the bottom. this is the measurement of the case wall that needs to be supported by the chamber. I measured 2 different brands of brass I have and got .735 and .712. now take your caliper and put it on the outside of the case and mark it exactly with a fine felt pen. this is the point where the case must be inside the chamber. put the case inside the barrel where the throating was done and if you can see the felt pen mark the thin wall of the case is unsupported. I don't need to tell you this could result in a case rupture, you know it already.

[Kentucky146]

Now as a .45 I have learned I may have to polish feed ramp, and the chamber itself as well a some minor throating to get desired results.

[bruce381]

throat looks fine 45 is NOT a high pressure 9mm. you can take out firing pin and right where the stop plate goes into the extractor peen that grove, take a chisel and smak the part on the firing pin where the stop plate goes a little and that will tighten the firing pin best to have someone do it or google around how to tighten firing pin that will stop brass going all over and make extraction 100%.

[barsik]

throat looks fine 45 is NOT a high pressure 9mm. you can take out firing pin and right where the stop plate goes into the extractor peen that grove, take a chisel and smak the part on the firing pin where the stop plate goes a little and that will tighten the firing pin best to have someone do it or google around how to tighten firing pin that will stop brass going all over and make extraction 100%.

totally agree the 45 is not as prone to kabooms as other higher pressure calibers but the case itself isn't meant for that. case design is more reminiscent of a 12 gauge hull with very little strength in the head as it doesn't need it. if the throat has been opened up a lot (unknown) the brass will take on a stretched appearance , kind of ballooned out to some degree and will become a problem after only a few reloadings. the other aspect is that not all brass cases have the same strength and it only takes one weak or defective case to ruin your day. I have had a few cases split in my 9mm pistols and 45 pistol for whatever reason but they never blew out the head of the case. I probably missed a slight crack in the case neck when I was reloading them, I don't know but it is a bit of a wake up call when you pick it up and see it. all I am saying is be aware of what the barrel can deal with. a round that has had its' bullet pushed into the case on the feed stroke will have much higher pressure than is considered safe.

[jsizemore]

Yeah, this happened even while re-installing it was clocking on me and hard to keep ‘straight’. Are 1911 extractors not meant to be removed/installed more than a few times before they wear?

I fitted mine in '95 and haven't had to do it since. Can't wait to see some pics of your barrel work.

[gidaeon]

I fitted mine in '95 and haven't had to do it since. Can't wait to see some pics of your barrel work.

See post 65 for before/after the barrel cut to get the 1/32” gap.
Here’s the throat and potentially less supported case. I welcome and accept any critique, not like I’m trained or have done this. My spent brass collected “seems OK” but it was a very light charge. I don’t reload heavy charges on anything.

IMG_2787.jpg
IMG_2789.jpg
IMG_2792.jpg
IMG_2793.jpg
IMG_2794.jpg
IMG_2791.jpg

[SavageKustoms]

If I remember correctly, that swc was designed to have very similar dimensions to fmj ball ammo. The length and diameter of both the nose and "crown" of the ogive match 230 grain round nose. Feeding in any mil-spec pistol should be correct. I would look at the ramp design/shape. Maybe your pistol is geared toward light for caliber HP projectiles, and won't like ball ammo profiles. Work on the ramp could make it run both equally well.
Just a thought.

[jsizemore]

Polish the barrel ramp and edge you rounded with a dremel #422 felt tip and flitz or semichrome. Keep the tool moving and don't set on any spot. Chamber side of the hood and where it slides along the breech face could stand a little touch up. Your not looking to cut or remove metal. Just slick up the surface. My 1911's shoot lubed lead and still shine. That very smooth surface doesn't give crud a chance to build and cause chambering issues.

[gidaeon]

Polish the barrel ramp and edge you rounded with a dremel #422 felt tip and flitz or semichrome. Keep the tool moving and don't set on any spot. Chamber side of the hood and where it slides along the breech face could stand a little touch up. Your not looking to cut or remove metal. Just slick up the surface. My 1911's shoot lubed lead and still shine. That very smooth surface doesn't give crud a chance to build and cause chambering issues.

So you think the government supported case visible is OK? I used Mothers polish on the rounded edge (I think it’s slightly abrasive relative to Flitz), I’ll try to very gently ouch up areas you mentioned and lightly inside chamber once I have mentioned tip.

[jsizemore]

Mothers looks to be a bit aggressive. You don't want to remove anymore metal. A better picture shot at about a 45 deg. angle of the loaded round and the gap at the edge you rounded would help. My Norinco barrel has a bit more angle of the ramp than my Springfield and Kart barrels and handles target loads without trouble.

[gidaeon]

Mothers looks to be a bit aggressive. You don't want to remove anymore metal. A better picture shot at about a 45 deg. angle of the loaded round and the gap at the edge you rounded would help. My Norinco barrel has a bit more angle of the ramp than my Springfield and Kart barrels and handles target loads without trouble.

How’s this:

IMG_2800.jpg
IMG_2802.jpg
IMG_2801.jpg
IMG_2798.jpg
IMG_2799.jpg

[barsik]

I measured the unsupported brass on my detonics scoremaster barrel and it is exactly .070, a bit less than tenth of an inch. I have run some warmish loads through my gun like 7.7gr unique/185 gr JHP/ 975 fps. no problems with brass at all. my load for the H&G 68 bullet is 5.2 gr of WW Trap 100/WW452AA. kind of a mild load, it chronographed at an average of 920 fps. your throat job looks good to me, it looks about the same as my factory detonics barrel. a polish like jsizemore has suggested would be the finishing touch, mine has a bright mirror shine to it.

[scattershot]

I had feeding issues with my Tisas, too. A new extractor fixed it. Good luck.

[jsizemore]

Looks good. I've used the red polishing rouge that Dremel sells. The Flitz does a better job quicker. Whatever you use, keep the buffing wheel moving. I use mostly fast burning powders so the bullet obturates early and fills the throat so no gas cutting where the barrel is the loosest fit. A tenth of a grain past 100% lock open seems to work best and doesn't beat the gun to pieces. Last brass was retired after being reloaded 15 times. Faster burning powders use smaller charge weights too. I load on a dillon 550 and the faster burning powders drop pretty consistent loads. Never used the Lee stuff. Used to only use a balance scale to weigh powder for match shooting but got tired of the time spent loading instead of shooting and the guys that used quality progressives still managed to beat me.

[45DUDE]

Looks like there has been too much metal removed from the bottom of the barrel and there is not enough safe support for a full charge load. It should look like this. If you fire it make sure the case is not bulged. It can rupture the case and blow the mag out or split the grips and hurt your hand. The left is factory and modified on the right.

[jsizemore]

On some of the less expensive pistols the ramp angle is at a steeper angle so less time is spent detailing fit. It takes a light touch to get the material removal and bright polish like 45DUDE's barrel. As long as the OP sticks to light target loads he shouldn't have any issues. Any round that doesn't pass the plunk test in AND out of the barrel shouldn't be shot in that barrel.