What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Discussions covering the components and techniques of reloading for your handgun.
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Ranch Dog
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ranch Dog »

Nothing like a new firearm to stir up the reloading activity!
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Just finished off loading the first box of 500 bullets from RMR for my RIA 1911. Have right about 60 of those left to shoot up with another box of 500 waiting in the wings. Plenty of brass. Finished off the last of my BE powder (actually there is 45.6gr left) so will finish off what I have left of W231 next, about 1/2 lb. I've loaded these on my Load Master press and have had a few primer problems. First was when I tried (several times in fact, with the same piece of brass, don't ask) to stick a large primer in a small primer case :oops: .
Two other times I had a few rounds come out without primers. Yep, you guessed it, ran it dry. TWICE...so the press has been running great just a poor operator. Annnnnd, my shooting has improved dramatically, well it's a lot better anyway. More trigger time improves trigger finger. I was beginning to think this gun didn't shoot well at all but it was Horseman that didn't shoot well at all... :lol:

Just now finished installing a new flat bottom firing pin stop along with a new stronger firing pin and spring. The FPS (firing pin stop) that was on the gun was loose and moved a bit and the bottom of it sat a little to high. Parts are from Harrison Designs and gets very good reviews for his 1911 parts.

Renewed my carry permit last week here in Washington and am going over to Oregon tomorrow to renew my Oregon permit. Then, more loading and shooting... +guns probably better order some more bullets.. 8-)
Last edited by horseman on 14 Feb 2020 10:28, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ranch Dog »

horseman wrote:First was when I tried (several times in fact, with the same piece of brass, don't ask) to stick a large primer in a small primer case :oops:
It should be legal to shoot whoever came up with the idea of using a small primer on a 45 Auto.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

Ranch Dog wrote:
horseman wrote:First was when I tried (several times in fact, with the same piece of brass, don't ask) to stick a large primer in a small primer case :oops:
It should be legal to shoot whoever came up with the idea of using a small primer on a 45 Auto.
+1

I don't know who started it but I first encountered them in a box of Remington "Green" ammo. I still check all the empties while I process them and one will sneak through every now and then.

Make smoke,
Curt.......makin' smoke and raising my carbon foot print one cartridge at a time +guns +guns
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Ohio3Wheels wrote:
Ranch Dog wrote:
horseman wrote:First was when I tried (several times in fact, with the same piece of brass, don't ask) to stick a large primer in a small primer case :oops:
It should be legal to shoot whoever came up with the idea of using a small primer on a 45 Auto.
+1

I don't know who started it but I first encountered them in a box of Remington "Green" ammo. I still check all the empties while I process them and one will sneak through every now and then.

Make smoke,
After my fiasco I'll agree wholeheartedly. See I always was under the impression that the small primer stuff was developed for the 45 Win Mag to be used with a small rifle primer. Wouldn't really matter cause' they're the same size case anyway so a mix-up would still be easy to make. Then they started putting them in the 45 acp brass. I also read that through some folks testing using regular small pistol primers the performances wasn't as good as the large primers. I have no personal proof of that. But, checking all the once fired brass is a given at this point but when you get a big box of mty's like LarryW sent me it's a PIA looking through 1000 or more pieces (but I'll take all I can get Larry ;) ) by the time you're finished your eyes are buggin' out and they all start to look the same size. :shock:

Edit to add: all the ones I found were Blazer brass.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by larryw »

I loaded a couple hundred once way back when, didn't see a difference in
performance (didn't have chrono) or accuracy. Did see a giant PITA concerning
sorting & loading.
Just a couple pieces in a 50 or 100 piece run will get you so aggravated &
throw off your rhythm so bad that a great session is now the session from hell.
Walk away & call it a day..
Yup, hang the sucker!!!!!!!
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Did a little "test" run yesterday with some 45 auto loads. Using 7.3gr Silhouette powder (max standard pressure load) with 230gr. Hornady HST bullets, Win LPP. No I did not start there. Book calls for an OAL of 1.210 for a velocity of 916fps. I loaded 8 (I know small sample) using these parameters. I also loaded eight with the exact same components but with a OAL of 1.250 not only because I want the longer OAL but also to see if there would be any/much difference in velocity. Nope, no difference. I was a bit surprised at this thinking more space, less pressure, lower velocity. The high with the shorter OAL was a bit more at 904.4 vs 890.3 with the longer length. But the longer OAL gave me a bit higher avg of 883.1 with an es of 24.9 vs 879.3 avg. and an es of 48.9 with the shorter length. Obviously need to do some more testing on this but I did think this was relevant, at least for what I'm doing.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ben Nelson »

With no live sports on the tube, I'm back in the reloading room . . . 800 9mm, 124gr JHP over the last two weekends . . .
Sons of the American Revolution . . . We're still here.
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by horseman »

Been doing a lot of 45 auto (acp) loading, working loads with a few different powders looking to find a SD load that satisfies my criteria. I'm loading 230gr. Hornady XTP's and considering they're a tough bullet wanted something in the 950ish range. If you are one of those that load 45 acp then you know it can get a bit sketchy reaching for that velocity with "reasonable" pressure. There are a few powders that will get you there but you will probably be in the +P arena. I've settled on Ramshot Silhouette. I've been up and down with charge weights and OAL changes along with different primers. Have gone through at least 150 of these bullets (I think I'm on the second box, could be the third, not sure right now) I purchased new Starline +P nickle brass for these loads and that's all that will be in that brass. It's also to easily separate the +P from the Super brass I bought as well. Not going there....yet. Here's what I've settled on: New Starline +P brass, WLP primer (tried several others, this one hits right where I want for velocity and consistency) 7.5 grains Silhouette powder (7.3 is max standard, 7.7gr is max +P) according to the information Western Powder sent me with and OAL of 1.230 (ish). This load has been consistently averaging right at 950fps (if my chrony is anywhere close to accurate)with an SD about 25. Pretty clean, cases have hardly any residue and are landing about 6-8 feet away, recoil is moderate. I can shoot it comfortably with one hand which I'm doing a bit for practice. I have the gun set up with a 23lb main spring, flat bottom firing pin stop, 18lb recoil spring, stronger firing pin and spring. All springs are Sprinco. This seems to be a really good setup for my pistol which is a full size plain jane government model Rock Island. I just finished loading up 100 rounds (two boxes) of above load on my Load Master press before I started this post. I had loaded 4 mags earlier today and shot them over the chrony to make sure it was a legitimate set. Next I'm gonna' start working on a load for the 185gr XTP of which I have a few hundred of. More to come.....
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Re: What Handgun Reloading Did You Do Today?

Post by Ranch Dog »

Are you going to use any cast bullet with that handsome '11?
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