45ACP Short Cases

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Bucksnort1

New member
I am resizing 45ACP cases. I use a case gauge to periodically check for proper fit. I have two cases, one by S&B and the other a Federal that are not flush with the top of the gauge. They are below about 1/16".

Head space on semi-autos is determined by the mouth of the cartridge touching a ridge in the chamber. Both cases measure .884" - should be .898". These are at least once fired cases which I picked up at a range.

I will toss these two but out of curiosity, is there a danger in loading and shooting them?
 
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Old_School

New member
Bucksnort1 said:
I am resizing 45ACP cases. I use a case gauge to periodically check for proper fit. I have two cases, one by S&B and the other a Federal that are not flush with the top of the gauge. They are below about 1/16".



Head space on semi-autos is determined by the mouth of the cartridge touching a ridge in the chamber. Both cases measure .884" - should be .898". These are at least once fired cases which I picked up at a range.



I will toss these two but out of curiosity, is there a danger in loading and shooting them?
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Not that uncommon. And although it won't result in best accuracy, it won't hurt anything.

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Unclenick

Staff
Bucksnort1,

Typically, when you get a short case in 45 Auto, the extractor of your pistol stops the cartridge going forward and enables it to fire. If you were firing it in a revolver without moon clips, then it might be a problem, sliding forward beyond the point where the firing pin can hit it solidly.

Unlike high-power rifle cartridge cases, 45 Auto cases tend to shrink with every load cycle, so finding short ones isn't unusual. An alternative to try (work the loads up) is headspacing on the bullet. I and others have found this to reduce leading and improve accuracy significantly. You just seat the bullet out until a cartridge dropping into your chamber sits flush with the barrel extension (hood). As long as this length doesn't cause a magazine fit or feed problem, it works very well.
 
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Old_School

New member
Unclenick said:
An alternative to try (work the loads up) is headspacing on the bullet. I and others have found this to reduce leading and improve accuracy significantly. You just seat the bullet out until a cartridge dropping into your chamber sits flush with the barrel extension (hood).
Click to expand...

I started to bring this up, but figured I was in the minority since I still load LSWC for most handgun. Not sure how it would work with plated RN bullets that so many seem to use these days.



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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Unclenick said:
An alternative to try (work the loads up) is headspacing on the bullet. I and others have found this to reduce leading and improve accuracy significantly. You just seat the bullet out until a cartridge dropping into your chamber sits flush with the barrel extension (hood). As long as this length doesn't cause a magazine fit or feed problem, it works very well.
Click to expand...
The problem with this method is that it creates cartridges that may only work (right) in one pistol. I have three 1911s that I keep in carry rotation, two that are mainly for competition, and a couple of others "just because." I don't reload for any one of them in particular -- I want my loads to work in whichever pistol I happen to pick up that day.
 
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RC20

New member
That said I did shoot a couple of 45 GAP in a 45 ACP

Shoots fine, does not cycle at all but firing was not an issue.

Make you wonder about head spacing on the mouth of the case? (or not believe it at all!)


45 GAP has a max length of .760". That's a mile away from what the OP measured.
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Always worth a check and it was around.
 
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ballardw

New member
RC20 said:
Make you wonder about head spacing on the mouth of the case? (or not believe it at all!)
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I take that a evidence that John Browning was even more of a genius that many thought.

Or does this work for other than 1911s as well?
 
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RickB

New member
When I started loading .45, I adjusted OAL so the SWC bullet shoulder would create consistent chambering depth regardless of case length, but over time, measuring a lot of cases, etc., I've just come to ignore case length.
While longer brass is better than short, G.I. chambers can be as deep as .920", so a fine fit of case and chamber is never assured.
When I had the opportunity to have a chamber reamed, my gunsmith recommended .905".
 
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