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cidd11
08-22-2010, 04:42 PM
I have a XD 45 ACP
Just started reloading, I went to get 45 acp 230gr 451. But all they had was the 452. I didn't think they would work, thinking there for the Colt 45. But the guy at the counter said they will work in the ACP.
Well most every one of them jam in the gun.
Is the 452, to big? Any other ideas?

Thanks

versifier
08-22-2010, 06:02 PM
The man who sold you the bullets was correct, your bullets are the correct size. Both the .45ACP and .45LC use the same diameter bullets. In fact, lots of folks size their cast bullets even larger for better accuracy. Without a clearer description of exactly how the feeding is compromised, I can only give you the four most common problems in order of their frequency.

The problem is most likely that you are incompletely removing the neck expansion for seating. You need some kind of taper crimp to cure it. After seating, I use and highly recommend a Lee Factory Crimp. Seating and crimping in the same operation does not always work well and can be a real PITA as every time you adjust the crimp by resetting the lock ring on the die, you then have to readjust the seating depth, too. With separate dies you can adjust them separately and easily without needing to to move the lock rings. One of the .45's I load for is a Sig with a really tight chamber - ammo that feeds in all my others gags it up. The FCD has more than enough adjustment to take care of it.

Your OAL may be a little too long for the bullet.

Another thing that can cause feeding troubles is a rough feed ramp or one that was cut at the wrong angle. Some .45's (and other semiauto pistols) have problems feeding certain bullet profiles - notably semiwadcutters whose shoulders hang up on the ramp. Military .45's are famous for this. I doubt that is the problem with an XD as they have a good reputation for feeding just about anything.

Very rarely you run across a lot of brass whose walls are too thick, and a FCD will get you around that, too.

cidd11
08-22-2010, 08:42 PM
I do have the Lee Factory Crimp die. I adjusted it a little more I'm at 0.469 at the neck and about 0.470 in the middle. The length is 1.266 Max for this is 1.275 It still doesn't want to feed all the way into the chamber. Do I need to make it shorter? The minimum length is 1.150
I'm using RN-FP lead.

Thanks

versifier
08-22-2010, 10:27 PM
Max OAL varies with the bullet and chamber, you have to play with it a bit sometimes to get it right.

Try another turn on the crimp die first, though. Chamber diameters vary, too: reamers wear and get a tad bit smaller every time they are sharpened, SAAMI specs have tolerances (I'm not sure what the range is in the .45ACP chamber, but I can look it up if you are curious).

One good trick is to remove the barrel from your pistol and use it as a cartridge gauge while you are loading. If the rounds don't drop right in and sit flush, tweak things until they do. It may save you several frustrating trips to the range. If it turns out your pistol really likes the bullet but you want to keep testing others, make up a dummy round with an unprimed case to make resetting the seater die easier.

cidd11
08-22-2010, 10:52 PM
Thanks for your help. I'm going up north for a couple days so I will mess with it some more when I get back. Hope I don't have to bug you any more. I do appreciate your advice.

runfiverun
08-23-2010, 12:09 AM
heck, versifier loves answering questions.:lol:

noylj
08-26-2010, 08:58 AM
1) you should slug your barrel to determine the actual groove-to-groove dimension.
In general, a cast bullet of .452-.454 is just dandy
I remember one friend who was loading for a .22 (.22-250 or something) and he KNEW that only 0.223 bullets would work in his rifle and 0.224 would cause a huge jump in pressure and possibly blow up his rifle. I asked him if he had ever slugger his barrel. No.
We got some small lead chunks and drove them down his barrel. Two slugs both shows that his rifle was 0.225. You are reloading for your gun and you have to know your gun.

cidd11
08-26-2010, 09:00 PM
Ok I am real close now. Bullet fits in the barrel like a factory bullet does. the only problem is with my Lee Expanding die, I have it screwed down all the way but its still a tight fit for the bullet.I shave a little lead off the side seating the bullet. What can I do to fix this problem.

Thanks again

versifier
08-26-2010, 10:14 PM
If you are shaving lead then usually you have not expanded the case neck enough. Can the body of the expander die be screwed down any farther without being stopped by the shell holder?

But...

Sometimes when you shave a bit of lead, if not removed the "shavings" can prevent the cartridge from fully chambering even when everything else appears OK. When it happens, I remove the excess carefully with a razor knife held at a right angle to the round using the case mouth as a guide.

Sometimes (like last week) I don't notice it until at the range and end up with a few rounds that I need to bring home and work on so they will feed properly. I don't pay as careful attention to inspecting practice loads as I do with carry loads, probably because I will load 500 - 1000 practice rounds at a time as opposed to only 50 or 100 carry loads. (I use the same bullet for both except the carry loads are a HP version - MUCH slower to cast.)

cidd11
08-27-2010, 06:21 PM
Well I made up 25 RD. and took them to the range, everyone fired and ejected great. But I'm still having some problems with the expander die.I can't get the neck expanded enough. Not all but some of the bullets get shaved when seating.
Anyone have problems with the Lee expanding Die?

kg42
08-27-2010, 10:27 PM
It's not unknown for LEE dies to be out of (their own) specs.

Do you think the expanding plug is going all the way in the case? If yes, contact LEE.

If not, would it help to trim the die a little (top or bottom), and either allow the top plug to screw an extra thread or the case to get in further?

I don't need FCD with LEE's 45 dies, or any other caliber, but I did have shavings in 45 at some point:
The crimp would close on the cylindrical part of a new bullet, and simply screwing the seating plug 1/2 turn solved the problem. The crimp now closes on a slimmer part of the bullet.

kg

cidd11
08-28-2010, 02:28 PM
Not sure if the case is going all the way into the expander. It doesn't seem like it is. I sent Lee a email yesterday explaining my problem, waiting to see what they have to say.

cidd11
09-01-2010, 12:20 AM
I got a hold of Lee and they wanted the dimensions of the expander that was in the die. I sent it to them and they told me it was the wrong one. and there going to send me the right one. Glad to find out it was the wrong one, that dam die was driving me nuts.

JJB2
09-01-2010, 01:51 PM
i have seen a set of universal expanding dies on the lee site..... i wonder if that would work well for neck expanding.... i use my old bair expander now as the old lee speed dies doesn't get em quite open enough...........

versifier
09-01-2010, 03:27 PM
cidd, I'm glad you solved the problem. Did Lee require you to sent the defective die back to them, or are they just sending you a new expander plug for it? Usually things like that get caught by QC, but unfortunately that's not always Lee's strength.

JJB2, they work great, but they are designed primarily for those wanting to load cast bullets longer bottleneck rifle cases. I have a bunch of them, most are dedicated specifically for cartridges I load often and are stored as part of the die set, but I also keep two for those I don't load so frequently and I leave a little note in their box to let me know what the dies were last used for. In a pinch, they can be used for short handgun cases with good results, but the expander dies that come with the sets are easier to set up and use, especially with really short cases like .380ACP, etc. No reason not to have one or two of them on hand, though.

cidd11
09-01-2010, 04:22 PM
In the email I got from them they didn't ask me to send it back.

noylj
09-10-2010, 02:32 AM
If you want, simply screw the Lee PTE die down until it just touches the shell holder/shellplate. This will be max expansion.
Run a case or two through the sizing die and then through the PTE die. Does your bullet sit on the top of the cases? Is the case mouth flared away from the bullet? If both yes, you are good to go. If no, contact Lee as your expander die is not sized properly.
Then, your next concern is seating to a COL (OAL) that fits and functions in your gun and crimp just enough to remove the flare at the case mouth. Get a Lee Taper Crimp Die or the Lee Factory Crimp Die. I prefer the FCD for most applications.