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45ACP Hornady 185gr XTP - OAL pics (pic heavy)

11K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  yep380 
#1 ·
Guys - sorry for starting another thread, but this is sort of a shootoff from this one (http://thefirearmsforum.com/threads/help-with-what-went-wrong-w-this-cartridge.138286/)

What I found was that the 1.213 recommend OAL in the Hornady manual (9'th) is seating the bullet with the lip of the mouth exposed. Here are dummy bullets seated at 1.230 through 1.270.

As you can see, even with an OAL of 1.230, there is still a little lip exposed.
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#4 ·
I'm not sure you have a taper crimp on any of those loads. If not, the bullet will hit the feed ramp, push back inside the bullet, and jam. The .45 ACP headspaces on the case mouth, if you haven't crimped enough to remove the flare the case mouth will be too large for the chamber.
 
#5 ·
Either Hornady has a typo and the COAL needs to be updated in their errata listing or the 1.213 is intended only for a "do not seat shorter than" measurement. What's important is what functions reliably in your XDS, I know they can be finicky.
 
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#6 ·
As I mentioned in the other thread, the 4th Ed has .1230" listed for the COAL with that bullet.
I checked this weekend and both the 6th and 8th Ed. manuals show the same 1.230".
I'm certain that someone fumble-fingered that page when they were doing the page layout for the 9th Ed manual with the 1.213" measurement. It doesn't hurt to shoot Hornady an email to ask if the COAL is correct either. If they made a boo-boo they are very good about adding it to their errata sheets.

Going by what you've got pictured and what you've found by test-cycling dummies through your pistol, I would probably try either 1.230" or 1.240".
1.240" looks "right" to me...but it all depends on how it fits and feeds in your pistol.
I don't load the 185gr XTP so I can't help you out with any specifics on how I've loaded em but looking at your pics either of those two should do fine. You're on the right track.
 
#8 ·
As I mentioned in the other thread, the 4th Ed has .1230" listed for the COAL with that bullet.
I checked this weekend and both the 6th and 8th Ed. manuals show the same 1.230".
I'm certain that someone fumble-fingered that page when they were doing the page layout for the 9th Ed manual with the 1.213" measurement. It doesn't hurt to shoot Hornady an email to ask if the COAL is correct either. If they made a boo-boo they are very good about adding it to their errata sheets.

Going by what you've got pictured and what you've found by test-cycling dummies through your pistol, I would probably try either 1.230" or 1.240".
1.240" looks "right" to me...but it all depends on how it fits and feeds in your pistol.
I don't load the 185gr XTP so I can't help you out with any specifics on how I've loaded em but looking at your pics either of those two should do fine. You're on the right track.
Thanks for that info.

The hornady manual does say that the measurements are the minimal COAL, so I probably should have read into that a bit more. Still, w/1.213, there is a lot of lip showing.

I will load up a bunch of test rounds at 1.230 and 1.240 and see which cycles best. Back to having no time for fun stuff again until next week though.
 
#7 ·
I bought a box of the 185 XTP's a while back but have not loaded any of them yet, but I agree with bindernut that the 1.230 or 1.240 looks right. I did load some 185 grain Berry's RN and seated them to 1.210, but I do know that is a different animal.

I have found from loading a lot of cast bullets in 200 and 230 grain that if I have any portion of that straight side showing on the bullet they will not chamber in my 1911's. I had to re-seat about 100 of them a few weeks ago that I had loaded a while back. I don't remember the measurements now but they had about as much of the "side" showing as your picture of the 1.260 shows.
 
#9 ·
OK, so I managed to find some time to reload yesterday AND go to the range. As an added bonus, my wife and youngest son went to the range and shot as well - good times!

I loaded up rounds at 1.220, 1.230 and 1.240 on top of 7.5gr of power pistol.

Everything fed and fired. Accuracy was noticeably better with the 1.220 OAL though (consistent 1.5" group point of aim @10 yards). And although I've only had the XDs for less than a month, it felt better shooting those rounds. I realize I'm not that accustomed to the gun yet and don't know the feel of it like my Colt 1911 that I've had for 30+ years, but it really felt like it was running smoother. Very strange, but I definitely noticed it.

I may try seating some at 1.225 to see how it feels, but that does have to wait 'til next week!
 
#12 ·
I managed to get 100 loaded to an OAL of 1.220. If I had any slop, they were long; some were 1.223 or so. I hope to get to the range later this week to try 'em out.

I load .230 grain bullets. That's what the 1911 was designed to shoot. I just like big heavy bullets.
I would if I had 'em - I find my 1911 runs best on 230gr RN bullets. I got 700 185gr XTP's free w/my press and dies. I have a line on some 200gr lead cast bullets too, will be trying those when I get 'em.

Gotta load what ya got!
 
#11 ·
I load .230 grain bullets. That's what the 1911 was designed to shoot. I just like big heavy bullets.
 
#13 ·
Yes, in this economy, that's the way it is. Finding bullets, and powder are difficult, to impossible. Right now my problem is powder. I cast my own bullets.
 
#15 ·
Hey all,

Haven’t been around here in quite some time. Interestingly enough, I found this old thread because I’m once again hitting my stash of 185gr XTP bullets.

The hornady 10th edition (well, the hornady app) now lists the oal for these at 1.245”.

I’m going to be using CFE-P and am working at testing various loads.

Hope everyone here is doing well.
 
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