Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC - The Firearms Forum

Jesse17 · 11-10-2011, 08:04 PM

I have loaded a few boxes of riffle rounds about 10 years ago, and now am just getting my loading gear set up again. I'm starting out with some .45 ACP and am thoroughly confusing myself.

I seated a lead 225 gr. SWC (made by a local guy who sells cast bullets for a living) to a COL of 1.267" (recommended COL by the powder manufacturer) but it doesn't go in the barrel nearly as far as a factory Winchester White Box RN FMJ does.

I pulled a RN FMJ out of a Winchester factory round and seated it in my brass. It drops in the barrel just like a factory round does, but if I use the lead SWC I have to seat it until the COL is 1.200 in order to get it to drop in the barrel as far as the factory FMJ.

I asked a pretty knowledgeable guy at the LGS and he said seating it that deep won't increase the pressure enough in an auto handgun cartridge to worry about. Does that sound right to you guys? Also, am I just missing something or is this common? Any other reasons that would cause this problem?

JLA · 11-10-2011, 08:22 PM

Seat the leading edge of the forward driving band flush with the casemouth. Ill grab a couple pics.. gimme a sec..

JLA · 11-10-2011, 08:31 PM

Ite, hot off the digital..

These are 200 gr SWC seated to 1.230"

steve4102 · 11-10-2011, 08:43 PM

Seating depth (OAL/COAL) is not manual specific it is firearm specific. Find the proper OAL/COAL for your firearm that feeds and functions perfectly. Start here.

myfriendis410 · 11-10-2011, 08:55 PM

You got good advice above. Disassemble the pistol so that you have the barrel in front of you and seat a bullet into your case until it looks like the example above. The .45 acp headspaces on the case mouth, which effectively means you control that with your seating depth. A taper crimp is preferred. Unless you trim all of your brass every time, a roll crimp will probably give you variable cartridge depths (headspace).

Jesse17 · 11-10-2011, 09:18 PM

Thanks guy, you really eased my mind. The factory round sits somewhere between the 1st and 2nd picture on that chart and the SWC reload was more like the 4th picture at 1.267. I pushed it down to 1.200 trying to duplicate the way the factor round sat in the barrel.

I think now that I've seen your replies and that chart I'll shoot for picture 3 and end up more like the 1.230 that are in JLAs pictures.

It just seemed like I was doing something wrong going that short when all the book call for 1.267 - 1.275. Thanks for putting my mind to rest!

JLA · 11-10-2011, 09:22 PM

1.275 is the maximum cartridge length for .45ACP as its the longest length that will fit in a .45ACP magazine. Cartridge OAL is firearm specific and so long as you develop a load properly (starting at start charge and working up) you can use any bullet .451-.452 in diameter in the .45ACP so long as the OAL falls between 1.190 and 1.275. I find most projectiles will run great at about 1.230 (1.232" is Nominal)

Brisk44 · 11-10-2011, 10:20 PM

I just love a pile of freshly manufactured cartridges.

JLA · 11-11-2011, 06:25 AM

it is a thing of beauty aint it??

garydude · 11-11-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLA

it is a thing of beauty aint it??

Yessir! Great to see the hogslayer again.

PanhandlePop · 11-11-2011, 10:47 AM

A word of caution re: your LGS comment. Significantly shortening the OAL does make a difference! If you are loading near max for your OAL, you could be getting into dangerous territory. Review your manuals. If you go much shorter than the "recipe" you are using (and from 1.267 to 1.2 is much shorter), be sure to start at the min. load and work up slowly to make sure you catch any over pressure issues.

As noted above, every bullet design and chamber dimension is unique. JLA's recommendation should get you a functional round. It is best to work with dummy rounds to get your OAL correct before you do anything else.

Jesse17 · 11-11-2011, 08:23 PM

That's my plan, figure out the max COL that will feed through my gun and then start working up a load from the min. charge.

On a related note JLA posted a Min. COL of 1.190. Where does one find that number, all my Speer manual list is a Max. COL?

Popgunner · 11-11-2011, 10:30 PM

another possibility could be that your bullets are too large (dia.).
Have you miked them to see if they exceed .452? Some molds will throw bullets large enough that they need to be sized down a little or the loaded cartridges won't chamber all the way.

JLA · 11-13-2011, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse17

That's my plan, figure out the max COL that will feed through my gun and then start working up a load from the min. charge.

On a related note JLA posted a Min. COL of 1.190. Where does one find that number, all my Speer manual list is a Max. COL?

I dont rememebr where I read it, I believe it was a write up on building national match 1911s. It is a general minimum though. I do know folks that run as short as 1.170" but it is dependent on the bullet design. The MAX is all thats listed in reloading manuals because it the only figure you must know to make functional ammo.

11-10-2011, 08:04 PM	#1
Jesse17 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 54	Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC I have loaded a few boxes of riffle rounds about 10 years ago, and now am just getting my loading gear set up again. I'm starting out with some .45 ACP and am thoroughly confusing myself. I seated a lead 225 gr. SWC (made by a local guy who sells cast bullets for a living) to a COL of 1.267" (recommended COL by the powder manufacturer) but it doesn't go in the barrel nearly as far as a factory Winchester White Box RN FMJ does. I pulled a RN FMJ out of a Winchester factory round and seated it in my brass. It drops in the barrel just like a factory round does, but if I use the lead SWC I have to seat it until the COL is 1.200 in order to get it to drop in the barrel as far as the factory FMJ. I asked a pretty knowledgeable guy at the LGS and he said seating it that deep won't increase the pressure enough in an auto handgun cartridge to worry about. Does that sound right to you guys? Also, am I just missing something or is this common? Any other reasons that would cause this problem? __________________ GOA Life Member NRA Member -->

11-10-2011, 08:22 PM	#2
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,298	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC Seat the leading edge of the forward driving band flush with the casemouth. Ill grab a couple pics.. gimme a sec.. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

11-10-2011, 08:31 PM	#3
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,298	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC Ite, hot off the digital.. These are 200 gr SWC seated to 1.230" Attached Images __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

11-10-2011, 08:43 PM	#4
steve4102 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota Contributor Posts: 2,760	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC Seating depth (OAL/COAL) is not manual specific it is firearm specific. Find the proper OAL/COAL for your firearm that feeds and functions perfectly. Start here.

11-10-2011, 08:55 PM	#5
myfriendis410 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Lompoc California Posts: 542	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC You got good advice above. Disassemble the pistol so that you have the barrel in front of you and seat a bullet into your case until it looks like the example above. The .45 acp headspaces on the case mouth, which effectively means you control that with your seating depth. A taper crimp is preferred. Unless you trim all of your brass every time, a roll crimp will probably give you variable cartridge depths (headspace). __________________ Life's too short to shoot an ugly gun.....

11-10-2011, 09:18 PM	#6
Jesse17 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 54	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC Thanks guy, you really eased my mind. The factory round sits somewhere between the 1st and 2nd picture on that chart and the SWC reload was more like the 4th picture at 1.267. I pushed it down to 1.200 trying to duplicate the way the factor round sat in the barrel. I think now that I've seen your replies and that chart I'll shoot for picture 3 and end up more like the 1.230 that are in JLAs pictures. It just seemed like I was doing something wrong going that short when all the book call for 1.267 - 1.275. Thanks for putting my mind to rest! __________________ GOA Life Member NRA Member Last edited by Jesse17; 11-10-2011 at 09:22 PM..

11-10-2011, 09:22 PM	#7
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,298	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC 1.275 is the maximum cartridge length for .45ACP as its the longest length that will fit in a .45ACP magazine. Cartridge OAL is firearm specific and so long as you develop a load properly (starting at start charge and working up) you can use any bullet .451-.452 in diameter in the .45ACP so long as the OAL falls between 1.190 and 1.275. I find most projectiles will run great at about 1.230 (1.232" is Nominal) __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

11-10-2011, 10:20 PM	#8
Brisk44 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Contributor Posts: 1,747	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC I just love a pile of freshly manufactured cartridges.

11-11-2011, 06:25 AM	#9
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,298	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC it is a thing of beauty aint it?? __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

11-11-2011, 10:47 AM	#11
PanhandlePop V.I.P. Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 252	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC A word of caution re: your LGS comment. Significantly shortening the OAL does make a difference! If you are loading near max for your OAL, you could be getting into dangerous territory. Review your manuals. If you go much shorter than the "recipe" you are using (and from 1.267 to 1.2 is much shorter), be sure to start at the min. load and work up slowly to make sure you catch any over pressure issues. As noted above, every bullet design and chamber dimension is unique. JLA's recommendation should get you a functional round. It is best to work with dummy rounds to get your OAL correct before you do anything else.

11-11-2011, 08:23 PM	#12
Jesse17 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 54	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC That's my plan, figure out the max COL that will feed through my gun and then start working up a load from the min. charge. On a related note JLA posted a Min. COL of 1.190. Where does one find that number, all my Speer manual list is a Max. COL? __________________ GOA Life Member NRA Member

11-11-2011, 10:30 PM	#13
Popgunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Contributor Posts: 1,764	Re: Help building a .45 ACP Lead SWC another possibility could be that your bullets are too large (dia.). Have you miked them to see if they exceed .452? Some molds will throw bullets large enough that they need to be sized down a little or the loaded cartridges won't chamber all the way.