Does this look right? (45acp reloads)

[Dandecoteau]

I am working up a batch of some 45acp loads. I am using berrys preferred 200gr target hp, 4.2 gr bullseye, mixed brass, and Winchester large pistol primers, and a crimp of.470. I loaded 5 or 6 up at a COAL of 1.200. I called berrys bullets and asked them for this COAL. I always drop them into my lyman chamber checker to make sure they will chamber. Then I will drop them into my 4506 barrel, then my glock lone wolf barrel. The 4506 will eat anything, but the glock wont go into battery with the current COAL of 1.200. After some adjusting, I came up with a COAL that will allow my glock to chamber the rounds. The new COAL is 1.170. I read that lone wolf barrels are tighter and shorter than normal.
I wasn't able to find a specific COAL since hp rounds vary a lot.
Is this new COAL of 1.170 acceptable? I think it would be fine since its only .030 shorter than berrys specs, and im nowhere near max load data. I have attached a few pictures. The pictures are the 1.200 COAL sitting in my lone wolf barrel, and the other one is a picture of the rounds.
thanks

 

[Rule3]

Not all barrels are the same. A COL may work in one and not the other, I have not familiar with Lone Wolf Barrels so can not help you on that.

Just a fyi, Accurate Powder (I know it's not Bullseye) lists a lot of Berrys data and their COL is 1.205 (more of a reference)

There is not such thing as "only"
"I think it would be fine since its only .030 shorter"

Anytime you start messing with shorter COL it is a big thing especially with faster powders.

Forget the picture of the case gauge what does the 1.170 look like in the LW barrel compared to the 1.200??

 

[Dandecoteau]

With the 1.170 load sitting in the lone wolf barrel, it sits how the rounds normally should, flush.

 

[Dandecoteau]

the loads with the 1.170 feed fantastic. I have not shot them yet, but the dummy rounds I made feed and eject perfectly. It is when the rounds are at 1.200 is when my slide wont go fully into battery. Feels like the nose of the bullets get stuck in the rifling. The slide was a pain to pull back to get the round extracted.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Now it does..................

That other picture was hard on my neck............

 

[Rule3]

Just curious but if shooting plated whats wrong with the factory Glock barrel?

Did you call Lone Wolf? They would know if COL is shorter.

I have some CZ 9mm that need to be seated way shorter with some bullets, I just seat them till they plunk and use the start load at first. So I would probably do the same in your situation.

I must be a LW situation as I checked Hornady and their similar FN or HP 200 gr is still a longer COL

You gotta do what you gotta do to have them seat right. Just go easy on the powder to start off.

Back to painting stuff.

 

[Twoboxer]

. . . I called berrys bullets and asked them for this COAL.
. . . The 4506 will eat anything, but the glock wont go into battery with the current COAL of 1.200. After some adjusting, I came up with a COAL that will allow my glock to chamber the rounds. The new COAL is 1.170.
. . . Is this new COAL of 1.170 acceptable?. . .

First, it is important to note that YOUR PISTOL(s) determines the correct COL. Not the "published data".

Your pistol told you the COL it needs. Please listen to it when it speaks that clearly lol (as you did).

So, what is the COL included with "published data"? It is the COL the publisher was used to run the tests that are being reported. The combination of that COL, their chamber/barrel, their batches of their components produced the results reported and that the pressures were safe and in spec.

The COL that Berrys' gave you? That's a COL either they have used or they know to have been successful in many pistols.

So, once more, published data is NOT an unchangeable specification. It is a detailed report of test results that proved safe and within pressure specs.

In a pistol, if you shorten the COL you will tend to increase pressure from that reported/experienced in published data.

So, (1) determine a workable COL just like you did (eg for 45ACP I have used 1.20 through 1.23 at different times for 230gr PRN/FMJRN bullets), then (2) work UP your load until it cycles, recoils, and ejects normally and is as accurate as can be.

 

[Dandecoteau]

Good information here. I'll go ahead and shoot them and see what happens. It doesn't seem like I'll be having any over pressure problems since I'm starting low.

 

[fredj338]

OAL seems to confound many new reloaders & a few old timers too. It's this simple, OAL is always gun & bullet specific. I don't care who tells you or what data source you have, the round must fit your gun. You have already learned this. As long as you are not loading near max, the shorter OAL is a non issue, as long as it functions in your gun.

 

[fredj338]

the loads with the 1.170 feed fantastic. I have not shot them yet, but the dummy rounds I made feed and eject perfectly. It is when the rounds are at 1.200 is when my slide wont go fully into battery. Feels like the nose of the bullets get stuck in the rifling. The slide was a pain to pull back to get the round extracted.

Easy to check, color the bullet all around the shoulder with a black sharpie, chamber it, extract it, you'll see where the bullet shoulder is contacting the rifling. A very common issue with LW barrels.

 

[Forrest r]

That seems odd having that much of the shoulder of the bullet stick up above the top of the case mouth. Typically most semi-auto's have around 20/1000th's of the shoulder sticking above the case mouth.

I know, I know, every bbl is unto itself. But the other side of the street is if countless 1000's of reloaders use the same bullet/same oal and you don't. That's called a sign.

Typical h&g #68 swc's for the 45acp

http://i41.tinypic.com/11wc1t0.jpg

Typical 45acp reloads with the bullet's shoulder above the case, from the american handgunner.

http://americanhandgunner.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/HL3.jpg

Anyway, I never looked at anyones recommended oal, always started with around 20/1000th's of the bullets shoulder sticking above the case and tested for function.

 

[Magload]

The Ogive of the bullet can change what OAL your barrel will take. A OAL measurement is from the tip of the bullet and the tip is not what normally is touching the lands. The length of the bullet also effects the seating depth. There are a lot of things going on here when working up a load. Don.

 

[Rule3]

For the Lone Wolf barrel, just take a SIZED empty case and drop it in the barrel. That will show how it seats or headspaces in there. With a bullet in a test round (properly taper crimped) it should look the same.