Loading a few hundred 45 acp using both plated and unplated lead bullets. Both bullets measure .452

No issues for most of the casings, OD after installing the bullets was .471 to .472. With 100 brass, Maxxtech head stamp, the bullets were bulging the brass to .475 diameter. These would not chamber in my Remington R1. They would however, load and feed, unfired, thru.my Remington Rand. Nothing I could do would prevent the cases from bulging. I measured case IDs and the problem cases were .004 to .005 smaller inside than those that did not bulge...since they loaded and ejected from the Remington Rand I marked the box accordingly and will likely toss them after shooting them.

When I started loading these 45s, I checked them in both gums for function. I guess I didn't bother to notice the first 50 of the Maxxtechs....the second 50 were after a break in loading, hence noticing the case bulge and rechecking function.

I learned a couple things, my dial calipers can be my friend, and that R1 has a tight chamber.

Anyone else run into this before? Is there anything that van be done besides dumping the brass. I had to pull about a half a dozen or more loads while working thru this.

Advice and comment appreciated.

Robert

__________________
Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

The brass might work with another bullet if you don't want to scrap it. I have enough 45 acp brass I would scrap it. I don't think I have ever seen that brass though. If it has less case capacity you might want to keep it separated and load them with that in mind.

I think you nailed it about the R1`s tight chamber. The R 1 has a match barrel which may be held to tighter tolerances than a GI barrel.
My 230gr .45 handloads did,however chamber and run fine in my R1. I do use a taper crimp die and that might make a difference.
Case neck diameter after I taper crimp is .473.
Jim

My D.W. has a very tight chamber.

It's strictly a target pistol and I live fine with having to help it to full battery ever so often.

My other 1911's tolerate fat much better.

__________________
GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

Check your cases for an internal step. This is something new with some mfgrs. If they have a step or shoulder you do well to pitch them. They will have a reduced internal volume snd create higher chamber pressure.

My PM45 has a tight chamber but my PM9 has an 'average' chamber. I have to give a lot more attention to detail when loading for my PM45. I case gauge every single round I load and there is a small bit of tolerance with PM9 ammo whereas there is zero tolerance with PM45.

Thicker brass maybe? I havent loaded that brand before.

__________________
NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Robert,
Did you look inside the cases? Some may be stepped inside and when the bullet hits the step inside during seating a bullet, it usually cause`s the case to bulge.

You might want to invest in a LEE 45acp carbide factory crimp die. That has fixed any case bulging issues for me in the past. I no longer use any cases that aren`t USA made. I use mainly Starline, Win, Fed-LPrimer. I throw away all the Remington cases.

I`ve usually found that remington cases are thinner than most others. Maybe you should try rem cases with your fatter bullets.

I had a similar issue with loads for a 625-8. Another vote for the Lee Factory crimp die. Something you could do is take the de-capper pin out of your sizing die and run the offending rounds thru the die. That should size them down so they chamber.

Where does the brass measure .475? .452 doesn’t cause too much of an issue in any of my brass. Unless the Maxxtech bullets were undersized also it doesn’t seem logical that .452 bullets would cause the issues you are seeing. Are you crimping/removing the case flare?

He is saying Maxxtech brass. New to me. Bosnia?

I had a first run production Smith 1911 Target (the one with billboard lettering in the slide) that was the same.

I could load and shoot .451" till the cows came home, but many times had issues with .452" cast not reliably going to full battery.

I have the same model, but a bit later manufacturer, 2005 I think.

It's not 100% with .452" cast, but much more forgiving than the first run production Smith or Dan Wesson PM 7 Match Target.

I have an early production Ruger 1911 and an 8 year old Taurus that will eat them all without issue.

I haven't shot cast in Glocks, but don't recall have any issues with the M&P or XD 45's using .452" cast.

__________________
GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

Yeah, box says made in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I found a bunch in 9mm brass I picked up last summer that are "correctly" made without the step on the inside of the brass. They are headstamped MXT.

Another vote for Lee factory crimp die. I had this same issue with my M22-4 revolver. Don’t remember which, but one brand of brass wouldn’t chamber. A friend recommended the Lee die and have not had a chambering issue since.

Dan

Sounds like thicker brass. If that is the case and you run the through a sizing die you will be swaging the bullet to a smaller diameter. Keep them separate and shoot them in whatever gun they work in. Then toss them.

I have been handloading for rifle since forever, but have only started reloading for my handguns. I separated by headstamp 8 pounds of spent .45 ACP brass that I have collected and started loading. It seems to this novice that R-P brass is the best. The worst would have to be head-stamped nny. A forum member posted that this brass has an undersized flash-hole and would or could break your de-capping pin. As always, my opinion is subject to revision as I learn more from those who know more.

I have run all my 45 acp reloads through a Lee factory crimp die for years. Had an issue with them not wanting to chamber in certain firearms. After running them through the Lee die they will chamber in everything.

If you are at a gun show and see an old GI 1911 barrel, go ahead and buy it cheap. Those "Old wore out barrels" will chamber just about anything! They usually drop in with no fitting, and accuracy, while not target or match quality, having a 1911 that feeds, goes bang and shoots Minute of bad guy, is a nice thing to have!

Ivan

It's not unheard of ... I have several 1911 45 acp's and one 45 acp revolver . The chambers on the revolver are so tight that I must size my cast lead bullets to .451 for this gun . If I size the bullets to .452 the bullet will expand the brass and they go in half way and stop .
Also watch the brand of brass ... some has thicker walls and thicker brass makes the problem worse .
Gary

__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member

Perfect reason to own a S&W model 25 or 625. I have had similar issues with tight chambered 45 acp pistols and just save that ammo for the revolver.

__________________
S&W factory revolver armorer

It sound like a combination of a snug chamber and thick brass. How's it work with .451 bullets? I had a similar issue with my old Winchester 94 in .38-55. Barrel groove diameter is .379. Cast bullets of that size in Winchester brass would not fully chamber. .377's chambered but wouldn't shoot worth a darn and leaded badly. A change of brass to Starline fixed things.

Years (decades) ago, when I was competing in USPSA matches, I had the same issue with a Bar-Sto 45 ACP 1911 barrel. Jacketed, 0.451" max diameter bullets worked perfect, but reloads with cast lead 0.452" bullets often resulted in the loaded brass being a zero-clearance fit or a no-go fit in that particular chamber. No issues with GI barrels, but that Bar-Sto chamber was cut to minimum SAAMI specs.

The initial solutions for me were to either use jacketed 0.451" bullets, which were and are still expensive, or resize loaded brass, which undersized the bullet and increased leading and decreased accuracy, or find thinner brass. I found that Federal brass was thinner than Winchester, Remington, or any of the military brass I was using and worked perfect with 0.452" cast bullets.

Ultimately, I had the chamber finish reamed to a diameter between minimum and maximum SAAMI specs. That eliminated all of the feed reliability issues with all of my reloaded ammo.

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

I had a problem with bulged 45s, they work fine in my autos but not the S&W revolver. For a while I culled them by checking them in the revolver. Now have a Lee taper crimp die with a sizing ring in it that sizes the bulge if present. It is not a "factory crimp die".

Please advise LEEs identification number for that die?

Thanks!

I’ve been handloading a good selection of calibers for quite some time and have also had issues with slight bulging in loaded .45 ACP cases.

After seeing numerous postings from those advocating use of the Lyman Neck Expander M Die, and the Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Bullet Seater Die w/MicroJust Seating Stem I took the plunge and made the investment.

Best investment ever! Problem solved!

I tried running a loaded cartridge back thru the sizing die.. it shoved the bullet deep i to the case and reduced the bullet well undersize...these were plated lead bullets. Keep em separate and shoot them in the Rand is my plan.

Did not think to try them in my 1917 S&w...

Robert

__________________
Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760