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Posted: 7/29/2012 2:11:40 PM EDT
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I've been reloading .223 for a few months now and have already prepped a bunch of .30-06, .303, and .308 brass but have not worked up loads yet.
I just ordered my first 1911 and figured it was time to start loading for .45acp (really wanna get this baby dialed in nice). I know reloading for handguns is much easier and requires less steps but I wanna make sure i'm not missing anything. 1)Clean/check for cracks etc. 2)Resize and deprime (no lube required?) 3)Clean primer pocket/chamfer and deburr (trimming not required?) 4)Prime 5)Drop powder and seat bullet Is this about right? Seems like the process will go much faster than rifle. Any powder that is really great for .45 acp? This is the only handgun caliber I plan on reloading for the time being but may eventually start reloading .40s&w. Also maybe for 9mm(doesn't really seem worth it currently). Thanks Paul |
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I've been reloading .223 for a few months now and have already prepped a bunch of .30-06, .303, and .308 brass but have not worked up loads yet. I just ordered my first 1911 and figured it was time to start loading for .45acp (really wanna get this baby dialed in nice). I know reloading for handguns is much easier and requires less steps but I wanna make sure i'm not missing anything. 1)Clean/check for cracks etc. 2)Resize and deprime (no lube required?) 3)Clean primer pocket/chamfer and deburr (trimming not required?) 4)Prime 5)Drop powder and seat bullet Is this about right? Seems like the process will go much faster than rifle. Any powder that is really great for .45 acp? This is the only handgun caliber I plan on reloading for the time being but may eventually start reloading .40s&w. Also maybe for 9mm(doesn't really seem worth it currently). Thanks Paul you got it. no lube for straight wall cases. plus(i think) all pistol dies are carbide which doesnt require lube anyways. you only need to debur the primer pocket if it has a factory crimp or if you are having difficulty priming. 9mm may not be worth it, but is still fun EDIT: also be on the lookout for large primer and small primer .45 casings. small primer use to be non existant and rare, but apparently more companies are going to small because it costs a faction of a cent less to do. |
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I've been reloading .223 for a few months now and have already prepped a bunch of .30-06, .303, and .308 brass but have not worked up loads yet. I just ordered my first 1911 and figured it was time to start loading for .45acp (really wanna get this baby dialed in nice). I know reloading for handguns is much easier and requires less steps but I wanna make sure i'm not missing anything. 1)Clean/check for cracks etc. 2)Resize and deprime (no lube required?) 3)Clean primer pocket/chamfer and deburr (trimming not required?) 4)Prime 5)Drop powder and seat bullet Is this about right? Seems like the process will go much faster than rifle. Any powder that is really great for .45 acp? This is the only handgun caliber I plan on reloading for the time being but may eventually start reloading .40s&w. Also maybe for 9mm(doesn't really seem worth it currently). Thanks Paul you got it. no lube for straight wall cases. plus(i think) all pistol dies are carbide which doesnt require lube anyways. you only need to debur the primer pocket if it has a factory crimp or if you are having difficulty priming. EDIT: also be on the lookout for large primer and small primer .45 casings. small primer use to be non existant and rare, but apparently more companies are going to small because it costs a faction of a cent less to do. I actually meant chamfer and deburr the case mouth...or is this only required if you trim it? What pistol cartridges have crimped primers....so I can be on the lookout? 9mm may not be worth it, but is still fun
Yeah...who am I kidding?? I'll be reloading it in no time. I find myself wanting to shoot more so that I can do more load workups and get more time at the bench....I thought shooting was addicting |
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I've been reloading .223 for a few months now and have already prepped a bunch of .30-06, .303, and .308 brass but have not worked up loads yet. I just ordered my first 1911 and figured it was time to start loading for .45acp (really wanna get this baby dialed in nice). I know reloading for handguns is much easier and requires less steps but I wanna make sure i'm not missing anything. 1)Clean/check for cracks etc. 2)Resize and deprime (no lube required?) 3)Clean primer pocket/chamfer and deburr (trimming not required?) 4)Prime 5)Drop powder and seat bullet Is this about right? Seems like the process will go much faster than rifle. Any powder that is really great for .45 acp? This is the only handgun caliber I plan on reloading for the time being but may eventually start reloading .40s&w. Also maybe for 9mm(doesn't really seem worth it currently). Thanks Paul you got it. no lube for straight wall cases. plus(i think) all pistol dies are carbide which doesnt require lube anyways. you only need to debur the primer pocket if it has a factory crimp or if you are having difficulty priming. EDIT: also be on the lookout for large primer and small primer .45 casings. small primer use to be non existant and rare, but apparently more companies are going to small because it costs a faction of a cent less to do. I actually meant chamfer and deburr the case mouth...or is this only required if you trim it? What pistol cartridges have crimped primers....so I can be on the lookout? 9mm may not be worth it, but is still fun
Yeah...who am I kidding?? I'll be reloading it in no time. I find myself wanting to shoot more so that I can do more load workups and get more time at the bench....I thought shooting was addicting i personally havent come across any pistol casings with crimped primer pockets. there is no need to trim pistol casings like rifle, so really no need to chamfer and deburr. one thing to look out for is .45 cases get the mouth dented from a 1911, similar to .308 and .30-06, so you need to inspect them to see if you can straighten them or not. i love playing with 9mm recipes, i know my glock will eat what i feed it. |
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I have ran into some .45acp brass that uses small pistol primers. All were stamped Win NT and were PD range pickups. The only problem I have ran into loading lead SWC bullets is shaving a small ring of lead when using new or once fired brass. I have been using WST powder for about 10 years. It is much cleaner than the Unique I had used since the '60s. Keep in mind that when loading a lead bullet you only taper crimp enough to remove the case mouth belling. If you crimp too much the lead will dent but the brass case will rebound slightly resulting in the bullet being loose. That will cause the bullet to set-back into the case when it hits the feed ramp. What bullet are you thinking of shooting? Are you loading to plink, shoot competition or for self defense? Jim |
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dont fool with the case mouth. 9 and 45 headspace from this point. just remove the bell, and barely bell it too. over belling will wear the brass causing cracks. what does this mean exactly? i'm used to the rifle sizing die excuse the ignorance You will need to bell the case mouth in order to seat the bullet. You only want to bell it enough so the bullet can enter the case mouth. The taper crimp will remove the belling. My Dillon Square Deal B bells the case mouth at the powder drop station. Since I load LSWC bullets I bell a little more than you would with jacketed bullets. My crimp die is the last station. You will just need to adjust the belling die a little at a time until the bullet just starts into the case mouth. You will need to measure the case mouth after crimping. A case gauge comes in very handy to make sure they will seat after loading. |
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I assume you mean headspace?
the case mouth is what sets this A simple definition of Headspace: Is the measurement (distance) between the boltface and the headspace datum. This datum varies dependent on the cartridge and where the datum is established. in this post the "Datum" is the case mouth. and if you knew this already, sorry. I dont know how much you already know. |
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Also note that no lube is needed ONLY IF you are using a carbide resizing die. Lee, and I think a few other brands, sell both types for some reason. Just make sure it's a carbide. Let me know if anyone needs a non-carbide Lee 45 acp die, by the way. I learned the hard way...
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Quoted: Quoted: dont fool with the case mouth. 9 and 45 headspace from this point. just remove the bell, and barely bell it too. over belling will wear the brass causing cracks. what does this mean exactly? i'm used to the rifle sizing die excuse the ignorance  Left sized case, center belled case, right belled case that a bullet will just sit on top of case and not fall off. Easiest to seat bullet in one die and crimp in another. Get a Lee FCD, factory crimp die to crimp with.
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http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Cases/P8040300.jpgQuoted:
dont fool with the case mouth. 9 and 45 headspace from this point. just remove the bell, and barely bell it too. over belling will wear the brass causing cracks. what does this mean exactly? i'm used to the rifle sizing die excuse the ignorance Left sized case, center belled case, right belled case that a bullet will just sit on top of case and not fall off. Easiest to seat bullet in one die and crimp in another. Get a Lee FCD, factory crimp die to crimp with.
I second the Lee FCD. You can use what ever carbide dies you like in the first stations but I always make my last station a Lee factory crimp die. |
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I've been reloading .223 for a few months now and have already prepped a bunch of .30-06, .303, and .308 brass but have not worked up loads yet. I just ordered my first 1911 and figured it was time to start loading for .45acp (really wanna get this baby dialed in nice). I know reloading for handguns is much easier and requires less steps but I wanna make sure i'm not missing anything. 1)Clean/check for cracks etc. 2)Resize and deprime (no lube required?) 3)Clean primer pocket/chamfer and deburr (trimming not required?) 4)Prime 5)Drop powder and seat bullet Is this about right? Seems like the process will go much faster than rifle. Any powder that is really great for .45 acp? This is the only handgun caliber I plan on reloading for the time being but may eventually start reloading .40s&w. Also maybe for 9mm(doesn't really seem worth it currently). Thanks Paul I use a hornady single stage as well. I prime and bell in the same step. Once the case prep is complete, I find loading pistol rounds is much quicker than rifle. The die that makes the 'bell' is the third die in your set that you don't recognize because you're used to a two-die rifle set. 
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If I would have used enough crimp to remove flare for my XD45C, every round would have experienced set back.
OP, you will want to buy Lee factory crimp die. XD feed channel is partial to a flat nose bullet. Round nose is fine with an oal of.1.250 4" & under slides use heavy, +P rated recoil springs. For this reason a crimp of at least .470 is advisable. Two rules when loading. Cartridge must feed Use enough crimp to guard against setback. - .469 to .470. Quoted:
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Is crimping needed on .45 acp? I plan on using these in a 1911 and a XD45 Just to remove the flare. |
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OP: you might want to consider using a "leave on" case spray like Hornady One Shot - EVEN WITH CARBIDE DIES.
Your brass will not get "worked" as hard (so it will last longer) and you can just leave it on the finished rounds. Use very little - it goes a long way. Get the Lee factory Crimp Die. It is the only crimp die I know of with a seperate carbide ring. Inexpensive, and a very good investment. You probably have NO need to make really hot rounds (which, BTWm increases wear on the cases & the gun). So, for practice/target rounds, you should probably consider a FAST burning powder. 45 target loads can use the FASTEST powders out there: Bullseye is fast & has been used for decades (filthy stuff though). Bill Wilson's custom guns come with test targets shot with a load of N-310 - the fastest V V powder made ($$$ though). I prefer Solo 1000 from the local skeet club. Clean and accurate. Regualr Clays powder also works great as long as you are not going for "+p" velocity - and I can't see why you might want to. |
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