Reloading .45 acp

[Froogal]

Got my new brass and started in turning it into ammo. Thought I could just use the same 200 grain, RNFP .452 diameter lead bullets that I use for my .45 Colt. Only issue I encountered is the correct C.O.L. for .45 acp leaves the crimp groove exposed. Probably won't be a problem, but what say all of you?

[August]

Published COL usually doesn't work in a particular pistol.  The ogive of 45 acp bullets gives a lot of clearance relative to the bore of the pistol.  If the shank of your 45 Long Colt's bullets is above the case mouth, they will not chamber. 

Correct seating is to have the entire shank of the bullet below the casemouth, so that the bullet clears the lands when chambered.   45 acp bullets are designed specifically for the chamber dimensions of the Colt's 1911.   Autoloading pistols have little flexibility for out of spec ammo.

1. Get 45 acp bullets and abandon your "experiment" with improper bullets.
2. Make a dummy round (no primer, no powder) and check that it chambers and the pistol will go to battery when it is chambered.
3. Apply no additional crimping -- proper sizing ensures correct bullet tension.
4. Always bear in mind that the 45 acp headspaces on the casemouth, and that the 'freebore' is zero for all intents and purposes.
5. When your dummy round cycles and chambers in the pistol,  make a small run of live ammo and head to the range.

Stoppages in the 45 acp are ammo related most of the time.  The most common reason for such stoppages are rounds where the bullet is not seated far enough into the case.   

[Froogal]

I have since found out that bullets seated to the recommended C.O.L. will not even fit into the magazine. I will return the loading bench and seat those bullets a bit deeper so that I can use them, but I will also be shopping for lead bullets designed for the .45 acp.

Live and learn.

[Tronicst1]

I use a .451" 230 GR XTP over 7 GR of Ramshot Silhouette with a COL of 1.240 ". So far so good.

[Froogal]

Okay! I went back to the press and seated those bullets to a C.O.L. of 1.155. Loaded 7 into a magazine and stepped out the back door. They worked just fine. NO problems with chambering.

200 grain, .452, lead round nose flat point over 5.4 grains of Winchester 244.

I even found all 7 empty shells.

[1961MJS]

Published COL usually doesn't work in a particular pistol.  The ogive of 45 acp bullets gives a lot of clearance relative to the bore of the pistol.  If the shank of your 45 Long Colt's bullets is above the case mouth, they will not chamber. 

Correct seating is to have the entire shank of the bullet below the casemouth, so that the bullet clears the lands when chambered.   45 acp bullets are designed specifically for the chamber dimensions of the Colt's 1911.   Autoloading pistols have little flexibility for out of spec ammo.

1. Get 45 acp bullets and abandon your "experiment" with improper bullets.
2. Make a dummy round (no primer, no powder) and check that it chambers and the pistol will go to battery when it is chambered.
3. Apply no additional crimping -- proper sizing ensures correct bullet tension.
4. Always bear in mind that the 45 acp headspaces on the casemouth, and that the 'freebore' is zero for all intents and purposes.
5. When your dummy round cycles and chambers in the pistol,  make a small run of live ammo and head to the range.

Stoppages in the 45 acp are ammo related most of the time.  The most common reason for such stoppages are rounds where the bullet is not seated far enough into the case.

Hi
Good idea on the dummy bullet and real 45 acp bullets.  On #3,
"3. Apply no additional crimping -- proper sizing ensures correct bullet tension."
That's not AWAYS true in that a 4 die set will deprime and size, bell and add powder, seat the bullet, and finally taper crimp (not a roll crimp).
Later

[Abilene]

There are plenty of Wild Bunch shooters that use the same 200gr RNFP bullet in their rifle and 1911.  I don't know where they are crimping, but they seem to work.

BTW this topic probably should have been in the Wild Bunch forum, or the reloading forum.

[Professor Marvel]

Hi
Good idea on the dummy bullet and real 45 acp bullets.  On #3,
"3. Apply no additional crimping -- proper sizing ensures correct bullet tension."
That's not AWAYS true in that a 4 die set will deprime and size, bell and add powder, seat the bullet, and finally taper crimp (not a roll crimp).
Later

There are plenty of Wild Bunch shooters that use the same 200gr RNFP bullet in their rifle and 1911.  I don't know where they are crimping, but they seem to work.

BTW this topic probably should have been in the Wild Bunch forum, or the reloading forum.

I also highly recommend a proper taper crip, and personally use a dismounted 1911 .45 acp barrel as a "test gauge"  . Proper fitment leads to a more harmonious outcome.

Yhs prf mumbles

[Froogal]

I always use the Lee factory crimp die for every caliber that I reload. It can be adjusted to give as much or as little crimp as you deem necessary.