Trimming 45 ACP brass

[MichiganScott]

When you trim your new brass do you measure them all first and trim to the shortest length? Probably not.
You just trim so that none are OVER a certain length.

Actually, I measure 5-10% out of each new batch and set the case trimmer to the shortest length. You still get shorter cases, but they aren't short enough to matter. After that, they never get trimmed.

 

[M29since14]

I have never bothered to trim .45 ACP cases, though I do trim revolver cases that get a roll crimp. I try to get those within 0.002" to keep the roll crimp reasonably uniform.

I shoot .45 ACPs in both revolvers and pistols. I have three guns that are particularly ammunition sensitive and I sort cases for them. One is a target 1911 that should have and does have an exceptionally tight chamber. Then there is an ordinary M&P45, which has a tight chamber and short throat, and finally I have an old 1955 Target that has one or two pretty tight chambers. I sort cases for these guns, both brand and length - Remington brass, and have found 0.885" is about the magic number. I allow a couple thousandths either way and set my taper crimp die on cases that are in the middle of the range.

These loaded rounds drop into my Wilson gauge and they work fine in any .45 ACP, no matter what gun. If 0.898" is the nominal length for .45 ACP cases, all I can say is that I see very few of them.

For my other .45s, they don't seem to shoot notably better with ammunition made using selected cases, so they get a variety of almost anything I have lying around. Even if these rounds do not fit in the Wilson gauge, I have never had a problem with them in various Colts, other S&Ws, and Kimbers.

 

[iouri]

Cool, search works fine on this forum . I've decided to expand my reloading to 45 ACP and stumbled upon "trim to length 0.888" " in my Lyman manual. Quick search revealed this thread. Thanks guys for answering my question whether I need to trim it or not

 

[SMSgt]

"trim to length 0.888" " isn't meant as trim all cases to that length, but IF trimming is required, trim to .888".

The only straight-wall cases I ever trimmed were 9mm Lugers (9x19), but then I was trimming them to 9x18 for use in my 9mm Mak.

 

[Beans]

Trimming 45ACP brass?
I have been reloading for over 50 years.
...got my first 45 ACP in 1967 and HAVE NEVER TRIMMED
45 acp brass.

I started reloading in the very early 70's and have not trimmed any straight pistol brass yet. FWIW I was shooting over 50,000 rds a year when I first started shooting CAS in 1988.

My first reloaded pistol rounds were 44 Mag.

I still don't trim pistol brass and I have slowed down to around 10,000 rds a year.
Rifle brass is another story. they get trimmed.

 

[fredj338]

You guys make me feel like an idiot. I have been reloading for over 30 years. And trimming has always been a part of the reloading process for me.

I guess I will just jump in and reload the cases I have ready to load. I just have a hard time believing that my crimp will not be different on cases that are as much as .008 different in length??

Heck I have never allowed that much difference in case length in cartridges that I do not even crimp!! Oh well. Tom.

You realize that is a thick sheet of paper? Not much diff at all really.