45acp reload problem

[rwsmith]

Before you change out anything....

Assume at first that there is nothing wrong with the gun.

Make sure you aren't limp wristing.

Did you weigh the charges to see if they are above minimum load? That 'maximum' load sounds awfully light.

Did you plunk test the rounds? (I've had a lot of odd situations in 9mm because of certain profile bullets causing 'plunk problems'.) The 'smallball' bullets especially kept the slide from going into battery unless they were loaded SHORT. If you can't push the slide into battery when it doesn't close all the way, this may be your problem. Bullets with a more tapered nose are much more forgiving that the rounder profiles.

 

[s2harry]

NO lead

I would only use jacketed bullets and add a slight taper crimp. Lead bullets are oversize.

 

[Wise_A]

...

I would go so far as to say that the .45 ACP loves lead above all others, with the possible exception of 185-grain Nosler JHPs. And unless you're shooting at 50 yards, you'd be hard-pressed to notice the difference between that and a humble 200-grain swaged LSWC.

Lead bullets are usually +.001" in all calibers. A lead bullet has to seal the bore, otherwise gases will escape around the bullet and up the side, leading to flame-cutting, which causes leading and poor accuracy. A jacketed bullet is protected by its copper jacket. Lead has a melting point of 621 degrees. Copper melts at ~1900 degrees.

 

[67tempest]

Except the LFCD does nothing for a round that is too long. So no, the LFCD does NOT insure the will chamber w/o issue.

Of course if you don't load to the correct OAL the Final Sizing die isn't going to help you. I load mine to the correct OAL so running them through the Final Sizing die insures that MY reloads will chamber without issues.

 

[nachogrande]

PLUNK TEST FIRST, #1 SUGESTION

I believe in tailoring the load to the gun VS changing springs to fit the load. A dummy round is never a bad idea IMO. Plunk testing EVERY round isn't as bad, or time consuming as it sounds. Finding out if a round sits too low, too high, fails to plunk, or is just too tight a fit in the chamber is better discovered at the loading bench than the range. OTOH those short barreled 45's seem to have more than their share of "issues". My 230 gr cast or jacketed 45's worked fine, but threw the cases the furthest (same load of unique). Dropping down to 200 gr cast reduced recoil, & the long distance brass chucking using 6 gr of unique in a Sig stainless P220. What does ALL that mean??? Back to load testing IMO.

 

[mikld]

I have only been reloading 45 ACP for 18 years or so. If a round doesn't pass the plunk test, I find out why and fix it. I have never had a need for an FCD or resizing the round post loading, nothing to hide/cover up. I have a case gauge for 45 ACP, but I no longer use it, as I'm not firing any rounds through it. My gun's barrels are what matters...

 

[Bill Lear]

Working up a load of 45 with a 230grain lead
bullet with 5.5 grains of unique powder my problem is that every 3rd or 4th shot I get a failure to feed I have checked the dimensions of the round and it's spot on which leads me to think that the recoil spring is weak the gun is a Chief Special from the 80s.
Any one able to shed light on this would be most appreciated. Trevor

You say the "dimensions of the round" are "spot on." What exactly does that mean?

Failure to feed is often a problem with cartridges that are too long and fail to be released from the magazine feed lips in proper sync with where the nose is on the feed ramp. Overly long rounds tend to stall, then nose up sharply and jam half-way in the chamber.

Better to build your cartridges too short - especially with the .45 Auto than too long. As long as you're working up charges with the SAME bullet seating depth (C.O.A.L.) pressure won't be an issue.

 

[garryj]

FWIW I had the exact same problem with a second-hand ATI 1911 CS (Compact Slide - a.k.a. Officer's model)I bought at auction.

The recoil spring was weak and slightly kinked. It wouldn't reliably return to battery on its own, but MOST (not all) of the time I could push it forward that last 3/16" with my thumb and it would fire again. Sometimes it would fail to go into battery again on the next shot, sometimes it would fire the next few rounds before doing it again. Once or twice when it failed to go into battery I couldn't push it the rest of the way forward with my thumb and had to re-rack the slide to chamber the next round.

I got a new replacement recoil ring, installed it, and problem solved. That may or may not work for you, but it did for me. YMMV.

Can you explain to me what a recoil ring is(or did you mean recoil spring?).

Garry

 

[scattershot]

When you said your OAL was spot on, based on what? where did you get your info? The OAL will change with bullet shape and type. I agree with thise who said your problem is a failure to go into battery rather than a failure to feed. Dollars to donuts your bullet is contacting the leade or rifling in the barrel. Plunk test would be the first step. You might also look closely at one of the rounds that didn't chamber properly, and see if there are rifling marks on the bullet.
Can you post pics of your ammo?

 

[Nevada Ed]

You mentioned your load was "Spot on"...... per the manual.
A OAL length of 1.269" was mentioned.

Earlier I stated that your weapon was not going into battery.
If you get a chance, load ten of your lead 230 gr bullet up with.....
a OAL of 1.17" that is for a TC lead design and repot back with the results.

Have a great day.

 

[scattershot]

So.... what did you find out?

 

[Digby49]

Limp wristing , A firmer hold made a world of difference still not 100% but much better Digby49