slight issue with 45 auto load,Help.

[iblong]

Mornning,
Ive been loading for just a couple years now,mostly rifle and revolvers.
I started loading a couple months ago for my 1911 45 using wLP and unique powder.Im trying to work up a load to start shooting in IDPA.Ive found a couple of accurate loads but am having an issue that needs correcting.I get about 2 failures to go into battery out of about each hundred rounds I fire.
Im loading 5.5-5.8grs. unique,230 gr.LRN seated at 1.260 taper crimped to
.469(LFC die) seated with seperate die.The LFC does touch going in and comming out.My speer manual recomends not seating less than 1.270 and My Hornady says to seat deeper than the 1.260 Im at.My feed ramp is highly polished and I have o problems with extraction/ejection.Oh I am ussing mixed range brass.The 1911 is new with 18 lb spring. Ive put about 1000 rnds.Through it so far,Im in need of a little directtion here.Should I not use the LFC.,seat longer.ect.Any help would be wellcome.
Thanks,Bob.

 

[dahermit]

... Oh I am ussing mixed range brass....

GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out. Hand loading is all about carefully producing the best product that you can. At least sort your cases by head stamp.

 

[ir3e971]

Possibly Seating Depth.

I get about 2 failures to go into battery out of about each hundred rounds I fire.
Im loading 5.5-5.8grs. unique,230 gr.LRN seated at 1.260 taper crimped to
.469(LFC die) seated with seperate die.

For the LRN I have been shooting in my Springfield 45, I have been seating at 1.240.

For plated bullets and FMJ I have used the 1.260 as you cited, however the LRN I purchased were less tapered. To address this I had to seat a little bit deeper, or else the assembled cartridge didn't seat well in my barrel.

Look at the picture Unclenick posts halfway down this thread. At 1.260 my cartridge looked like the example on the right. Take a look at yours using this picture.

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=321586&highlight=reduce+leading+45

If the link does not work, do a search for "Unclenick" and "leading in handloading and you will find a picture he posted that showed seating depths for LRN. It helped me.

 

[lachanceent]

Hrm that is interesting. I was getting ready to post this exact same problem. I also am loading 230gr. LRN with 5.3 then 5.6 gr of Unique. I have moved the seating depth around and that did not seem to help. I did notice that when i bumped the powder from 5.3 up to 5.6 the problem didnt seem as bad. I have a batch of 230 gr LRN i loaded with 6.0 gr of Unique and did not have a problem with.

My gun is also a new 1911 and have maybe 600 rounds through it, RIA Tactical. I am starting to wonder if the problem is a combination of a new/stiff recoil spring and lighter loads of unique powder

 

[kraigwy]

Check th Ojive of the bullet. Some LRN are differant then others. The 45 ACP headspace on the mouth of the case. Some LRN extend that case head space. Meaning the bullet is the same diameter as the mouth of the case. You can try seating the bullet deaper. A way to tell is to load up a dummy round (sized case and bullet that matches your OAL, no primer or powder). Let the slide go into battery. Now eject the dummy round examine carefully to see if the bullet is touching the end of the chamber. You should be able to see a ring around the bullet. If thats the case, seat the bullet a bit deeper until its not touching.

This is common with Lead SWC, where the flat side of the bullet isnt all the way in the case. The bullet should ba a bit smaller in diameter then the mouth of the case. The same thing does happen with LRN where the bullet isnt seated deep enough.

Make sure any part of the bullet sticking out of the case is smaller then the mouth of the case.

 

[Walther22lr]

Oh I am using mixed range brass.

I do not think that is your problem.

My .45 acp feeds, fires and ejects my reloads without any problems. I did settle on a powder charge, bullet weight and style of bullet that the pistol likes after some experimentation.

My brass is like yours and I have been collecting .45 acp brass since 1974. Just for grins, I quickly looked at a random sample of about 75 of them and this is what I found:

Federal - 3
PMC - 3
RA - 1
RP - 12
Speer - 1
Super Vel - 4
TZZ (various years) - 18
WCC (various years) - 12
Winchester - 20
WRA - 1

The TZZ ones are dated from 1984 to 1990.
The WCC ones are dated from 1964 to 1995.

Sure, my brass is nothing to look at, but it works for me. I am satisfied with the results I get from my reloads. Tack-driving accuracy is not my goal however. Reasonable accuracy with 100% reliability is.

 

[jamaica]

I did notice that when i bumped the powder from 5.3 up to 5.6 the problem didnt seem as bad. I have a batch of 230 gr LRN i loaded with 6.0 gr of Unique and did not have a problem with.

It would seem you have solved the problem. A bit more powder.

 

[iblong]

Thanks guys,I did some checking on both the 1911 and my ammo and made some adjustments.I learned one thing,apparently I need my cheaters for more than just reading.I thought I was pretty annul about my cleanning,last night with better light and my cheaters on I found I was getting a build up around my extractor and some other parts I thought were clean.the extractor seems to be adjusted pretty well,I reseated some of my rounds a little deeper just a touch under flush and they do seam to slide in and out better now,I dont usually clean my brass untill they have been fired a few times and I noticed that there was a slight build up of fouling at the extractor pick up point ect.so a few lessons learned.I figure if I ask enough questions and keep working at this reloading long enough I might actually become competent at it.LOL.
Ill test the new loads this week end and report back.
Thanks again for the imput.
Bob

 

[sharab85]

I had this same problem with my new RIA but it was with factory ammo. After breaking in the gun and using gun butter the problem went away. What i am trying to say is that the problem might not be with your reloads but with the gun. I would try shooting some factory ammo and see if you still have the problem. Buy the way other than that little problem i love my RIA and would recommend it to anyone looking for a entry level 1911.

 

[alfack]

Get a cartridge gauge and drop each finished round into it, before putting it in the box or whatever you use to store your ammo. If it fits in the gauge, it should work in your .45. This only takes a second and should keep you from having FTFs.