vujade

A case gauge was indispensable when I was getting a load for 223.  I'll get one for 45 too then.   and while the Lee carbide taper crimp die is sold out, i'll get the standard Lee factory taper crimp die too.   I like the idea of using the seating die to seat and a separate die to set the crimp.   Not using any shock buffers.

hi guys.  I was in the man cave loading some.  I made several dozen rounds in 4.1 grains of Bullseye (vs. what we were using today in 3.8 and 4.0 grains).   I upped the crimp a tad as well.  This is really odd but the bullet doesn't seem like a perfect circle.  (using calipers, taking the diameter - some areas of the bullet are .470 and some are .473!?!   To answer :   The Springfield Armory is NOT using a full length guide rod.   I'm not sure the weight of the spring but it's about an inch taller than the springs on the Sig 1911 and S&W 1911.   At the range, we thought about swapping springs.  I took apart the SA and the Sig but realized the spring in the sig won't fit (it uses a smaller diameter guide rod.)  I could use the S&W but it's got a match fit bushing in there and didn't have a tool to take it part at the range.  I think i'll order my Dad some lighter springs as well.   I'm not sure what's the weight of his current spring is but I'll get 14-16 pound springs to try out.

Hello.   I've had some success with 45acp reloading but I realized it was mostly because the gun had been forgiving.    My Dad recently acquired a Spring Armory 1911 (GI model) and it is TIGHT.  Not a lot of frame/slide movement.  The barrel is tight on the slide.  When I bench it and shoot, it's 5 shot groups are often tighter than other 45s I shoot beside it (Sig 1911 and S&W 1911).   Here is the problem/question - while it's 100% reliable with factory rounds, it chokes on my reloads.   I've tried multiple magazines, made sure we weren't limp wristing, etc. The problem is still the same.  Gun will fire the round and slide moves back attempting to extract.  The case however sticks to the slide/held by the extractor and fails to eject.   It then tries to feed the next round with a case still in tow.  This happens about 3 out of every 10 rounds.  Once in  while, it will eject the round but fail to feed the next round.  The slide just gets stuck right before hitting the next round in the magazine.  One can simply slap the slide forward to feed the next round or pull the slide back and release to feed the next round.    I measured several brands of factory rounds.  .470 is the diameter of the case around the case mouth area.  All my reloads are .471-.472.  (they were .473 before and it was jamming about all of them and then i turned up the crimp).  I believe this is the culprit.  I've tried lead to jacketed rounds and tried different OAL and I can't get them any smaller!  Too much crimp and I buckle the case.    I do bell the case during the powder throwing step so that it scraps the lead less during seating.    I'm using 2 different no name jacketed FMJ bullets (230 grain) and 2 types of Missouri Bullet Company lead (200 grain LSWC and 230 grain LRN).  + 3.8 and 4.0 grains of Bullseye.   These loads are pretty good on different 45s I've shot (Sig p220, Sig 1911 and SW1911)   At the range, a friend suggested I up the powder a bit more (try 4.3 and 4.5 grains of bullseye).  I'd rather not do that though since 4.0 works really well for my other guns.  But do you think so?  Maybe this gun just needs more 'umpf'?   I could try more taper?   Maybe a smaller OAL?   I took the gun apart, no burrs or anything wrong with it (it's perfect with about 100 rounds of different (and cheap)factory ammo.  How about a lighter spring?  (i would use mine but it doesn't fit his gun (his recoil spring/guide rod is different than mine and won't fit).            

Here is a similar video.  Kid uses a 45.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei_m1mesIo4

That's awesome.  I started to get my daughter used to guns by having her around me when I used to clean guns.  She was 3 years old when I started (she's 10 now).   I remember her playing 'cops and robbers' during birthday parties and she'd be the only one with her finger off the trigger when she wasn't intending to shoot. 

I apologize that I forgot about this thread. I like closure and so I felt the need to resurrect this while it's still warm. You guys are absolutely right! 1. The jamming was because I wasn't sizing them enough. I picked up a case gage and wow! all those early rounds were too big! Everything I've loaded AFTER (no matter what bullets I use) (once I turned the die a little bit more so that they touched the bottom) worked without a jam. (the amax bullets were the most forgiving, they worked even when the rounds were too long) and that's why I thought it was the bullets). 2. Accuracy? the Hornady amax, vmax, match, etc. were all good (about .5-.75 inches at 50 yards). The 62 grain penetrators and 55 grain FMJ weren't too far behind, maybe .75-1 inch at 50 yards. Iron sights or an Eotech with the front of the rifle benched. Here are some typical groups: The one on the left is with the 24.3 of surplus powder and 50 grain vmax. The one of the right is the same (the first group is the nice central ones), then I felt confident and decided to mess up the target by shooting it standing only and have that patter at 50 yards. (and this makes me realize i'm not a very good shoot when you take away my sling or shooting mat or bench and then tell me to stand!) I did take it out to the Clarksville range. With a 50 yard zero, the POI was about the same at 200 yards. 200 yards with only the iron sights (i found that easier to use than the eotech at long distance) and a sling in the prone, I was placing 9 out of the 10 shot groups right in the head of the silhouette target. What a rush! Here is my BIL shooting at 200 yards also. Thanks everyone!

Have you shot them side by side? and which one shoots better for you?

I like the look of that revolver.  Anyone know what's the model number and if they are available as a replica in 38/357?

My mom parents visited a museum in Misouri and took these pictures; I thought I'd share. Some of these were made my Browning during the pioneer days: (It's a pioneer-era museum)

762

Lots of primers.  Seems like $40/1000 is the new norm. =(

So many choices!  i've been googling this stuff and following your links all night!     I wonder if this is why wives can spend all day in a Victoria's Secret and not get anything.

  Nice!  I'll have to check that out.

  Thanks for the info BigK!  I didn't know that.  Before I invest in a belt keepers, i may have to get another belt after all!

thanks a lot for the suggestions.   Instead of returning the gun, I'll make it work with the belt keepers.   It's going to be bulkier but it sounds like a 'duty' type belt does what it's designed to do well.  I'll later invest in another belt for EDC.  For now, especially with how hot it is, pocket carrying an LCP is just fine.   I will plan a trip to Greene's though and check out their holsters.  (I'll probably start another thread on advice for a 1911 holster soon). 

Thanks for the info guys.  I'll get the belt keepers, add the holster and mag holders and I look forward to it!   I'll get a riggers belt later on when I need a belt to facilitate a IWB or OWB carry; for now, it looks like this will work out well.

ah. I just discovered 'belt keepers'.   I'm going to use this gun belt until I really want to carry the Sig (and then I'll get the riggers belt) but for competitions, i think I just need the holster for the 1911 and then some belt keepers to attach to my regular belt. 

DRAT.  I've been looking at Amazon on what I should have gotten.   (rigger style belt)   The description/comments state, "Nice belt for 3 gun competitions".    To make sure I understand this right, 'cop duty belts', they wear these in addition to their belts that hold their pants up?  So they do just 'hang there' on top of their other belt?

I normally carry an LCP in the pocket so I never had to worry about a holster.  I'd like to start to carry a Sig P228 when I 'want a little more'.  I have a nice leather Galco 1 3/4 holster for it.  Eventually, I'd like to do some IDPA type shooting using either likely a 1911 (see my WANTED for a 1911 holster in the classifieds).   It just arrived - a Bianchi Nylon Gun Belt (model 7202).    I'll admit, I'm a little perplexed on how to use this.  It's REALLY thick and fat.  I think it won't fit most of my pants' loops.  My biggest issue is that it's REALLY tight on the Galco 1 3/4 holster.  And It always requires the removal of the buckle whenever you want to remove the holster or put it into different pairs of pants (needing to bend the ends each time as that's how it holds the buckles to the belt (i assume frequent removals and bending of the belt will deem weaker with time).  Or is this gun belt supposed to be used WITH a regular belt and this just hangs on your torso like a hula hoop but it holds your gun/stuff (like a cowboy's belt from the movies) so I adjust it once and just put it on top when I'm ready to 'run'.  (I'm thinking a need a riggers belt for EDC and maybe should have gotten that instead)   Is this belt only designed for those plastic type holsters and not really a leather one? (I can see it fitting/holding a plastic/kydex holster much better).   Thank you; I look forward to your input/information.  

hi guys, I visited the sale today; I thought I'd update you and there are some really great stuff there and you may be interested.   The lady is super nice.  She's a classy lady and it just breaks my heart what happened.   Lots of 45 Colt, 44 mag, 40/10mm reloading stuff/ammo.  And some bullets/brass for really big calibers that I don't reload for/not familiar with.  There are several large rifle magnum primers for 3 cents each.    I even saw a box of 40 cal Black Talons.  Very good price; I just felt silly buying it when I don't have a 40 handgun.    Caliber conversion kits of 40/10mm and 44 special/mag for a Dillon, really nice turret press, misc. of gun parts for S&W revolvers and 1911s.  I saw a bag of wilson combat stuff (trigger, springs, etc.) for $5 that I regret not getting.  There's also a case and holster for an LCP for $3 that I thought I got but I guess I left it.    My friend picked up a nice Dillon shooting mat for $20.  I picked up a bunch of misc. springs/parts to work on my 686 revolver and 6 rounds of 357 in a speed loader. =)

  Made me think Luke... and I'll check that.  I have a pretty heavy crimp on the 223 (I tried different settings until it was tight enough so that when I chambered dummy rounds, the bullet wouldn't move forward.    I thought the crimp (any crimp no matter how small) would make it 'smaller', how does it make the wall/shoulder slightly larger?   (One thing I did to increase neck tension was to take the deprimer part and polish it so that it's every so smaller.  (put the 'rod' in the drill and spun it while holding a wet 1000 grit sandpaper to it.  Took out just enough to make it smooth/remove a little metal.   Read something about it; seemed to help (there is now increased neck tension as well)).

  Good info Dux.  I need to find out what kind of die I have.   A big difference between the 2 dies for the same caliber?   I just checked the chamber.  Yeah, it is dirty.  I use a bore snake for the bore and then q tips to try to clean the chamber area.  It's less than effective on the chamber.   I'll try the scotch bright... Looks like I need a chamber brush too.  I've been looking around local stores and can't seem to find any.  I'll keep looking. 

Thanks Gordon!    I just checked - 308 (fine, it touches the plate and then a little), 45acp (fine)... 223 - it took another half turn until it touched the die!  I wasn't sizing them enough.  I adjusted and sized a couple dozen cases.  I'll load those later and look forward to testing.   I also checked the differences between the match and the other bullets that seemed to work:   The seating die is set to make my a-Max cases sized to exactly 2.250.  When I run this same setting on the Match bullets, it sized them to 2.180!!!  I was changing the setting to 2.250 for these match bullets so was essentially backing them quite a bit and therefore making them much longer than they needed to be.  I adjusted accordingly and will be setting these match bullets to 2.200 (nice even number).  When I use amax bullets, it'll change the setting to 2.250.  I made some dummy rounds that I can use as reference points to reset/change the setting more easily next time.   I'll load these and see if that fixes #3.    I'll likely keep the charge the same until #3 if fixed so I'm not changing a lot at the same time.   Great advice on the chrony! (aim at the shade/sky screen)  My mistake was using it for groups; I paying attention to that instead of remembering that the scope sits higher than the bore.

I'm not sure if it helps - my cases eject at about the 1-2 o'clock position.    If you look at the picture, the camera captured the flying case (with a bit a smoke still coming out of the case).

Thanks for the helpful advise.   I have a chrony but it stopped working after I shot it by accident.  I know, i need to save up and buy one again.   I'm going to do some measuring on the bullets - I think you're right, I suspect that the bullet is slightly fatter sooner.  If that's the case or in any case, I'll move the bullet back a bit more.   I am full length sizing the cases but probably minimally; (I trim the cases also.)  I basically turn the dies and keep trying them on the case until the primer pops out.  The cases are 223, not 5.56 - I going to turn the die a little bit deeper though - that should 'size them even more'... effectively pushing the shoulder back more.   (nope, have't shoot steel on the mix)   I'll bump up my charge to 24.5 instead of 24.1 and 24.3   (No pressure signs up until 26 grains when I was load testing).