Heads up on potential LP 45 ACP issues.

[scooter123]

I recently dug into my stash of LP 45 ACP cases acquired over a 4 year period. Since I'm a bit OCD I like to hand prime my cases so I can feel exactly how much force it takes. That way if I run into some very loose primer pockets I'll know about it right away. Because of this I've become aware of some issues in the LP cases that I haven't seen in the Federal SP cases I have on hand from shooting a boat load of Federal Champion. Basically, there is a lot of LP brass that is crimped and some of it's so subtle you won't pick up on it until you totally crush a primer trying to force it in.

Speer Lawman in 45 ACP is crimped using an EXTREMELY subtle method. What Speer does is dish in the casehead to form the crimp and the only visual indicator is that dishing.

About half of the Winchester White box cases in my stash are crimped with a ring type crimp tool. Don't know if it's the US made WWB or the Mexican production because I wasn't paying attention but you have to either sort all of your Winchester brass or just pocket swage them all.

Sellier and Belloit 45 ACP is all crimped.

Federal LARGE PISTOL 45 ACP cases have almost ZERO lead in radius to the primer pockets. So, while they aren't actually crimped you will have to hand center the case by feel to get a primer to start properly or it will catch an edge and bugger up the primer.

Oddly enough the Federal SMALL PISTOL 45 ACP cases everyone loves to hate has a nice generous lead in radius and primers slip in like they were buttered.

The ONLY Large Primer 45 ACP brass that I haven't had problems with is Remington. Nice lead in radius and consistent size pockets so they prime without any fuss whatsoever.

So, any Large Pistol 45 ACP cases now get sorted if I haven't reloaded them before. I am now using an RCBS Pocket Swager on ALL of my Speer cases, ALL of my Winchester cases, ALL of my S&B cases, and thinking about doing all of my Federal LP cases so I don't have to hand center them. The only cases that can go straight to priming without issues is the Remington.

PS; each brand requires a separate setup for the pocket swager. So one weekend I may get ambitious and pocket swage every single LP case in my stash.

PSS; Some of the Federal Champion I've picked up is now LP and loaded hotter than the SP Champion. Noticed it with a box of the 100 pak I had saved. It was loaded to 890 fps instead of 830 fps and was LP when I was expecting SP brass.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Good info to know on the Speer. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[gregintenn]

I primed 1000 rounds or range brass last winter, and noticed the primers were the devil to seat with my hand primer. I never considered the pockets were crimped. I thought that generally came with military brass.

 

[ILLWIND]

Yes, I too have noticed this with .45 acp brass. With most .45 cases I have had problems trying to seat the primer deep enough without deforming them. With bulk range brass, every case had to be scrutinized. Anything with a crimp was separated. After priming many wouldn't chamber in my 625-4 or my Springfield 1911. Primer was .002"-.005" proud.Any case that didn't chamber was put into a pile for the 4566...that shot everything.
I bought a pocket uniformer and proceeded to do every casing I had. A REVELATION!!! No more problems seating primers, however I did have to break the edge on crimped brass in order to remove the restriction. A case mouth reamer did that deed.

 

[moxie]

I use a Lee Autoprime and have never had a single problem seating LPs in .45acp cases. Not in 25 years, and that includes Speer, S&B, TZZ, and virtually every headstamp and type of primer out there. Excluding A-Merc of course. I also have an RCBS had priming tool and it is no where near as smooth as the Lee. I quit trying to make it work.

The "dishing" or concave case head unique to Speer has been there for many years. Never had a problem with it. Since ATK bought Speer you occasionally will now see that brass with Federal headstamp.

S&B are "tighter" than most, but not a problem. Ditto WCC.

Very few .45acp are crimped. The .45acp has not been military issue except in limited quantities in many many years, and the need for crimping, mainly use in full auto sub guns, has nearly evaporated.

 

[Cyrano]

Something else you have to watch for is oversized flash holes. I've seen Federal and Winchester with oversized flash holes; the Winchesters are about twice the size of normal flash holes. I think they use these with their lead free primers in lead free ammo. Just to see what would happen, I loaded 10 of the oversized Winchester cases with the normal target load: 3.5 grs of Bullseye and a 180 gr lead SWC. Had no evidence of high presure at all. If I were using a max load, the situation might be different.

 

[fredj338]

I load a lot of 45acp. I just haven't seen this crimped primer pocket issue. I use range pickups, all brands but Amer ( I toss those), they all load fine, no crimp issues. Unless this is something that is very recent, like a week ago, I just am not seeing this. Granted I am not hand priming, but fit is fit, & they all fit.

 

[dla]

I've never had a problem seating a primer in crimped 45acp brass. A little stiff but it goes right in.

 

[Jerryd65641]

Winchester Brass

I find that I have to cut the crimp out of all the Winchester brass I reload. Most of it is range brass that others were foolish enough to leave on the ground.

 

[TAROMAN]

Great confirmation for my past decision to use only R-P brass in 45 Auto.
Anything else a may encounter goes to a friend who sorts and scraps it.

 

[moxie]

See my post #5 from 2 1/2 years ago. It's almost all good. Still true.

When you say you only use R-P brass does that include R-P in different font sizes and styles and spacing? How about RdotP, etc., etc.? How about Peters, UMC, REM-UMC, all with an infinite variety of fonts, sizes and styles and spacing. Oh, how about the deep strike R-P and the shallow strike R-P? How about the +Ps? How about R-Ps with cannelures?

All of the above made by Remington.

 

[fredj338]

Great confirmation for my past decision to use only R-P brass in 45 Auto.
Anything else a may encounter goes to a friend who sorts and scraps it.

Funny, I use RP for throw away brass at lost brass matches. It is too thin to reliably hold a 0.451" plated or jacketed, I get setbacks. I reserve it for lead or coated lead bullet 0.452".

 

[Wee Hooker]

Hmm, I'm running allot of Winchester (and everything else) in my mix of 45 ACP range brass. I've never done anything to any of them to get a good primer fit in any them. I prime on a turret press so the mechanical advantage may be greater though.
Bottom line: They all go BANG despite my lack of attention to these details .

 

[flyrobb]

I have primed all my mixed brass, with many different head stamps including WWB and have never had an issue, but that is using my Lyman Spartan SS.

 

[StakeOut]

Just decapped and then hand primed 200 once fired Perfecta 45ACP cases using a Lee Auto Prime without issue with CCI #500

Never had the issue

I don't reload military cases

Decades ago I reloaded military Match cases that had no crimp.

 

[Fishslayer]

Funny, I use RP for throw away brass at lost brass matches. It is too thin to reliably hold a 0.451" plated or jacketed, I get setbacks. I reserve it for lead or coated lead bullet 0.452".

My OCD dictates that I sort my pistol brass by headstamp down to different font styles. My experience is exactly the same. RP is reserved for my .452 lead bullets.

I'm kinda confused and wondering if people are getting LP & SP mixed up. My experience goes exactly 180 out from most of the posts...

 

[Calliope]

Thanks for the info.
All my LP brass is older uncimped CCI, Fed & Win. Guess I'll just keep that stuff for a rainy day. Really seems like the industry wants us to switch to SP's doesn't it?

 

[Jboutfishn]

Yes, I too have noticed this with .45 acp brass. With most .45 cases I have had problems trying to seat the primer deep enough without deforming them. With bulk range brass, every case had to be scrutinized. Anything with a crimp was separated. After priming many wouldn't chamber in my 625-4 or my Springfield 1911. Primer was .002"-.005" proud.Any case that didn't chamber was put into a pile for the 4566...that shot everything.
I bought a pocket uniformer and proceeded to do every casing I had. A REVELATION!!! No more problems seating primers, however I did have to break the edge on crimped brass in order to remove the restriction. A case mouth reamer did that deed.

I have had the same issues. All my 45ACP brass is run through all stations of my Lyman Case Prep Station. End of issues.

 

[rwsmith]

I use mostly range brass......

I don't load .45 but the range brass is SO variable that I'm thinking about getting a uniformer, too. Sometimes I can't get the primers to start if used a 16 oz hammer and then I get some that I think I can stand back and throw into the primer pocket. I probably should treat the super hard ones like they were crimped and give a little chamfer to the pocket.

I've gotten some new Starline brass that were very tight and very hard to seat primers.

 

[rwsmith]

I use mostly range brass......

I don't load .45 but the range brass is SO variable that I'm thinking about getting a uniformer, too. I didn't think that they might have a light crimp. Sometimes I can't get the primers to start if used a 16 oz hammer and then I get some that I think I can stand back and throw into the primer pocket. I probably should treat the super hard ones like they were crimped and give a little chamfer to the pocket.

I've gotten some new Starline brass that were very tight and very hard to seat primers.