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Old July 23, 2011, 08:15 PM   #26
fredneck
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With 200 SWCs, about a fingernail thickness of bullet shoulder exposed, TAPER crimp, with 4.5 grains of 231 for me. Has worked well for 25 years...but not in Glocks. For some reason SOME of them choke on SWCs. Lightly expand the case also. For super serious stuff I trim all the cases to an exact length and seat them on a single stage so the bullet exposure and OAL is EXACT. That's pretty rare though.
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Old July 23, 2011, 10:02 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slammedsi
Im using a Moded Auto Ordanace with a wilson combat barrel.
BTW, has the Wilson Combat barrel ramp/chamber been modified as it was not original to the Auto Ordnance frame?

Too many people eager to "polish" the feed ramp often remove too much material and end up with feeding problems. Just to cover all the bases. I was under the assumption that the barrel was new, but perhaps not?
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Old July 23, 2011, 10:42 PM   #28
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I used Unique for years, and years, (and years, and years and years). Lately I've used W231 (95% burn), but could just as easily go back to almost the same loadout w/ Unique (but w/ 4X more unburned powder).
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Old July 23, 2011, 11:43 PM   #29
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BDS, The barrel was bought new several years back. Was installed and polished by a great friend, and local gun smith that's been working on 1911's sense the early 70's. So i trust his work. Although when he first installed the barrel it wouldn't run well, With lots of jamming. Did a slight polish job and it ran great ever sense. Spoke to him over lunch. He feels it has to do with the way I'm loading the round also.


I have run several 200gr swc through this gun with out problems in the past. But that was factory loaded ammo. Wish i still had a round or two, to measure for reference.
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Old July 24, 2011, 09:06 AM   #30
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For most 200 gr SWC, .470" taper crimp and 1.25" OAL has been the match standard for many and you can use these dimensions as reference.

Depending on the pistol/barrel used, some modifications are needed on the round, but for most pistols, .470"/1.25" should work.

SAAMI max for taper crimp is .473" and 1.275" OAL for RN bullet. Although tighter 1911/match barrels (I used Wilson Combat barrel in my match 1911) require less taper crimp than SAAMI max, my M&P45 feeds/chambers .472" taper crimped 200 gr SWC loaded to 1.27" without any issues.

For greater accuracy from bearing surface of the bullet engaging the rifling sooner, I load 200 gr SWC as long as it will reliably feed and chamber.

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File Type: jpg 45ACP.jpg (51.7 KB, 129 views)
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Old July 24, 2011, 09:27 AM   #31
slammedsi
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Thanks for all the info/help every one. Been loading this morning, with good results. 1.225 with .470 taper crimp. Made some out to 1.230 with even better results. I feel i will leave it at that for now. Now i just need to work on a powder charge. After looking at my speer manual. 5.4 grs is about 790fps. Is it worth going up in charge? I need to set my rest back up in the backyard and do some shooting from a sandbag.
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Old July 24, 2011, 09:31 AM   #32
m&p45acp10+1
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I load 200 grain LSWC almost exclusively. (Mainly because I cast them myslef so my loaded round price is about $45 per 1k)

I run mine at a length from 1.23 to 1.25 diferance in function, and accuracy is indistiquishabele. I found that properly taper crimping eliminated the problem of failure to eturn to battery.

On a side note it could be from limp wristing.

My M&P has only jammed once a friend was shooting and limpwristed badly and it jammed after a few rounds with him shooting. Has not done it with anyone else shooting since.
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Old July 24, 2011, 09:37 AM   #33
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I have used Unique. Dirtier than Bullseye unless loaded warmer, but works. Typically needs about 10% higher charge weight than Bullseye for a given pressure.

Pay attention to Mehavey's photos. Also, get your micrometer out and set the taper crimp to produce closer to minimum mouth diameter (0.467"). This should bite slightly into the bullet lead. It will form a very light (just a few thousandths) step in the lead which will prevent setback, which can cause dangerous pressures by pushing the bullet deep into the case during loading. The more fully crimped round will also funnel into the case better.

Also run the micrometer over the case wherever the bullet is underneath it. This should not exceed 0.4732" anywhere to meet the match ammo spec (two ten thousandths bigger than the hardball drawing). If it does, the lead bullet may need to be sized down further or your case wall may be too thick (happens with some European and Slavic brass). If it is too fat, try using a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die, which not only crimps, but sizes the OD of the finished cartridge in a carbide OD ring. (This ring is bigger than the one in a .45 Auto sizing die, so that would not a workable substitute, just in case you were thinking it might be.)
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Old July 24, 2011, 10:36 AM   #34
WESHOOT2
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made for many

-200g LSWC, H&G #68
-OAL 1.257", +.003"/-.007".
-Crimp using the LEE Carbide Factory Crimp Die to .469--.470".

For Unique I suggest a start load of 5.8g.
I suggest all used cases be resized using a LEE (or EGW) 'U' undersized sizing die.

I have found some barrels have chambers or leade so short as to demand unusually short OALs.
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Old July 24, 2011, 07:23 PM   #35
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Well after setting at the reloading bench for most of the day i believe i finally found the problem. Tried all the mags i had, with the same result. Went to a local gun shot that a good friend owns and picked up a new Colt mag. Low and behold it had fed and ejected 120 rounds now. The Chip McCormick, Wilson combat, and stock Auto ordnance mags would run a clip or two then have a FTF. Not the case with a new Colt mag. I don't like the fact that there not ten round mags but i guess i can live with that.

Also have another question, My only book i have at the moment (Speer) says a starting load of 4.8 and a max of 5.4 for the 200gr LSWC using Unique. But states in bold "The max charge is not necessarily the max but is held to popular velocity for target shooting." Was wondering if anyone could tell me another books listings for this powder and bullet? (Min and Max.
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Old July 24, 2011, 08:54 PM   #36
mehavey
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Quote:
Was using RB brass, 5.5 Grains of Unique, CCI primers, and Hunter Supply 200Gr LSWC.
This one ?

[Hunter Supply]


If so, and if seated to depths similar to Lyman's #452630 ~OAL: 1.235,

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/b...php?entryID=28

... then Lyman#49 has a UNIQUE charge range of
STARTING: 6.0gr (717fps/11,700cup) to MAX: 7.5gr(918fps/17,400)

If you were really running 5.5gr Unique behind this bullet and at those seating depths, I now understand why you were having function/feed problems. (and if you were using a factory standard/hardball recoil spring instead of a 12# wadcutter spring,* you never had a chance.)** That said I'd sure feel more comfortable if you could find/use a chronograph to work toward the higher end.


* http://www.gunsprings.com/Semi-Auto%...D1/mID1/dID1#3

** You may also find that the other magazines begin to properly function with the higher power loads, and/or with a different reduced-power recoil spring.

Last edited by mehavey; July 24, 2011 at 10:38 PM.
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Old July 24, 2011, 10:26 PM   #37
BDS-THR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slammedsi
i finally found the problem. Tried all the mags i had, with the same result. Went to a local gun shot that a good friend owns and picked up a new Colt mag. Low and behold it had fed and ejected 120 rounds now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BDS-THR
If 230 gr RN feed/chamber well in the same pistol, I would check the ... magazine spring next ... the pressure from the mag spring pushes the case base up into the extractor, lining up straight with the chamber and gets pushed into the chamber.

If the case base rim does not freely slide up the breach face into the extractor or don't get pushed up hard enough by the magazine spring, the round may hang in the chamber like the picture shown. Do you have a different magazine you can try (perhaps one with new/stronger mag spring)?
Great! I love happy endings.

You don't need to replace the magazine if the springs are worn, just the springs.
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Old August 1, 2011, 05:55 PM   #38
JHLL
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200 grain lswc 5.2 grains unique oal 1.190" thats middle of the road, low would be 4.9 to high 5.4 grain unique oal of 1.190"

Last edited by JHLL; August 1, 2011 at 07:36 PM.
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Old August 1, 2011, 07:51 PM   #39
243winxb
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45acp 200gr Bullet using Alliant's Unique

Quote:
Was wondering if anyone could tell me another books listings for this powder and bullet? (Min and Max.
4.0gr to 8.3gr using Unique with a 200 gr bullet. Bullet type not listed. Info from Steves pages http://www.stevespages.com/page8a.htm Lyman with a cast bullet list 5.0 to 7.2gr. Old Speer #8 has for a swaged bullet 5.2 to 6.0gr. use at your own risk.
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Old August 1, 2011, 08:03 PM   #40
243winxb
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Bullet Setback on Loading will Raise Pressure.

Quote:
In fact i can squeeze the loaded round and shove the bullet into the case.
This is a neck tension problem. The Fl die is not sizing the brass down enough or the expander is to large. The expander should measure .450" Using mixed range brass can also cause it. Different case wall thickness. With Unique, there may be less set back because the powder stops the bullet from traveling to deep in to the case. Not so with Bullseye or 231 powders.
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