.45 ACP Reloads Jamming

[The_Huntman]

I reloaded a few rounds of 185 grain SWC and the bullets seem to enter the chamber of my Kimber OK but the slide will not close all the way. This happens about every other round or two. I am using a Dillon SDB. Any thoughs?

BTW I am obviously new to reloading.

Hunter

[Rob01]

Sounds like you might not be sizing far enough down the case. Either that or the crimp might be a little to much. Or even your overall length might be too long. Just a few things to check that popped in my head. Hope this helps.

[The_Huntman]

How would I fix the sizing far enough down problem?

[Joe Portale]

Rob01,

Do whatthe Huntsman said and check your sizing length and crimp. But also check your over all length of the finished cartridge.

You adjust the sizer die by screwing it in a bit more. I don't use Dillion, but my approach is pretty simple. Run the ram all the way up to the top of the travel. Turn the sizing die down until it touches the shell holder. Don't go crazy, have the die just touch the shell plate. At that point, you are done.

Oh yes, make sure that you are not short stroking the press. When pulling the lever, go all the way down and all the way up in one smooth motion.

Let us know what happens.

[jtduncan]

Rob is telling you exactly what I was thinking. OAL is too long. Shorten. Polish your feed ramp too!

[muzzletalk]

I had a problem with OAL on hollow points. They were jamming in the mag. I found that taking the OAL down to 1.30 took care of the problem.

[Doug 29]

Try taking the barrel out of your gun, then dropping the reload in. It should slip in easily and be flush with the barrel hood. A Lee factory crimp die is also an extra safeguard when using mixed lots of brass. It resizes, as well as crimping.

[Poodleshooter]

I had the same problem with LSW's in my Glock. Check your brass length to ensure that you met the "trim to" length. WIth certain SW designs, you may have to crimp at or even slightly above the bullet shoulder in order to maintain proper OAL.

[The_Huntman]

Well here is where I stand right now. I sized and deprimed 2 PMC rounds and 2 American Rounds. Right after the sizing I am able to drop these in the barrel very easily with no resistance. However once I put a bullet on and crimp it they become a tight fit. What should I do?

Hunter

[Rob01]

Lighten up your crimp. Maybe back out a half turn on the die. Sounds like you're over crimping. Also check the OAL.

[bullet44]

I have a new cz75b in 9mm and was having the same
problem, a new "lee sizer die" solved the problem.
The chamber in the cz was very tight and I suspect
the Kimber is the same. CZ offered to polish the
chamber but I went with the lee die rather then
perhaps lose the great accuracy of the cz.

Midway has this for $13.99 part number 976-740

[Mal H]

I think Poodleshooter is on the right track. I had a similar problem with some .45 ACP 155 gr. SWC's I loaded for my Commander. The slide wouldn't seat all the way. The crimp was fine. Eventually I seated the SWC's deeper, a little at a time, until they kerplunked in the chamber indicating they fit. Try seating a little deeper. Unless you're going for a real powerhouse load with the lead SWC, you won't have to worry about the additional pressure. If that cures the problem then you know what to do. If it doesn't, then you still need to look at the crimp. It may be too much or too little. If too little, you may be leaving some of the bell at the mouth of the case.

[tawakoni]

Huntman, I just had the same problem. I was using the exact load I always used. Only the GUN was different. For this particular piece (Custom Colt GM with a match-grade barrel), I had to seat the bullet a few thousandths deeper. This particular gun is just a bit tighter than the others.

Good Luck

tawakoni

[nr123]

I doubt if the Kimber needs work. Check the overall length of your load, and your degree of taper crimp. The 185 SWC in .45 gives problems for most 1911's. My Kimbers shoot any and all of my reloads, but I don't load any 185 gr. Stick with the 230 gr round nose, and avoid the problem.

[TaxPhd]

The suggestions for the Lee Sizer and Factory crimp dies won't work for The_Huntman. He is Using a SDB with Dillon's proprietary dies.

Hunter, did you buy the press new? Dillon used to include a loaded round with the press to show that the factory set dies were adjusted properly for the bullet you plan on loading. When I bought my press (12 years ago), they asked what kind of bullet I planned on using (200 gr. H&G 68) and they set the press up for it. Do they still do this?

You might try calling Dillon. Toll free, and their service is great. Very knowledgeable folks.

[The_Huntman]

TaxPhd, yes I did buy it new and they included a bullet that also does not seat in the barrel either (just tried it). Very good idea though. When I ordered it they did not ask what I was planning on reloading. Shoot at this point it could be any round and would be happy

Thanks!

[45Colt]

The_Huntman:
Some thoughts
1. Measure your round at the crimp with calipers. Best bet if it's .469 or .470. Set crimp die to give you those results.
2. As earlier suggested, reload with the barrel out of the gun, and in hand. Drop a processed re-loaded (but not primed or charged) round into the chamber. It should go in easily until flush with the back of the hood. If it's too long, seat deeper. If too short, seat longer.
If all that fails,
3. Measure the bullets you are using. You may have some oversize bullets.
Hope these ideas help
45Colt

[Target Shooter]

One of the most common problems with loading SWC (lead) bullets in the .45 ACP is the seating and crimping in the same stage.
Try seating in one stage then taper crimping on the next stage.
The reason for this is when you seat and crimp in the same stage you shave a very small amount of lead (or lube) off the sides of the bullet and deposit it on the rim of the mouth of the case. What this does is makes the over-all length of the case too long for the pistol to lock into battery.
By crimping in a separate stage the bullet is already in it's seated position and you are only securing it with a slight taper crimp.

TS

[The_Huntman]

Hello, based upon everyone's recommendations on the forum and David at Dillon. I adjusted stage four of my press, which does the crimping, to the left which loosens it. This actually made the problem worse. So I tightened it a 1/4 turn and the bullet entered the chamber a bit better but not perfectly. So I twisted the die another 1/4 turn and now the bullet is seating very nicely in the barrel!

I guess what would be nice to know is there any problem with potentially "overcrimping" or does it sound like what I have done to correct the problem is OK?

BTW you all have been super and made this process much less daunting. Thank you all so much for you help!

[WalterGAII]

Key information here is "I resized 2 PMC and 2 American rounds." The American brass is absolutely trash and isn't even safe, when new. Throw that crap away.

There have also been lots of posts about problems with PMC brass.

Get quality brass and use a Lee Factory Crimp Die. Max o.a.l. for hour Kimber should be about 1.260. Don't know where that 1.3" crap came from. (You might get by with 1.270".)

If you continue to have problems with that Kimber feeding SWC, try round noses of either hollow point or fmj.

If that fails, get a Glock 30 and don't use SWC's. Glocks don't jam.

[Rob01]

Huntman the problem with overcrimping with a rimless round like the .45, .40 or 9mm is that the headspace off the front rim of the cartridge. If it's not there they will slide in too far. My suggestion is to load up about 10 now that they are dropping in the chamber and go to the range snd see how they work. Good luck.

[Norm Lee]

Hey Hunter:

You've been getting lots of advice here. Good topic I guess. Unfortunately a lot of it is not going to help you get this right on your SDB. Sounds like you've probably got it licked already but I'd be willing to share what works for me. Assuming you've just said, "Go ahead." :
Sizing die gets screwed all the way down.
Set powder funnel to give a slight bell after setting it for full travel of the charge bar. You've already got this right I think but I hate to leave anything out.
At the seating die, station 3, set the stem to the desired overall length of the cartridge. If you don't have a specific measurement in mind, use your round nose stem, back it well out, put a factory 230 grain ball round in station 3 and raise the ram. Screw seating stem in to touch. This setting will work for nearly any bullet shape or weight. I have used 185, 200, 235, 245,and 255 SWC, 230 gr rn, 230 gr rn fmj and jhp and 200 gr TC and some others.
This adjustment often cures feeding problems.
At station 4 back out the crimp die and you can try either of 2 methods: 1) put your round in progress in the shellplate , raise the ram, screw down the die to make contact, lower ram, screw the die in about a quarter turn, apply crimp, test round in case gage or chamber. Apply extra crimp, turning die in small increments until round drops smoothly into gage or chamber (or both). This usually gets the minimum crimp that works and is a good way to go if you suspect you are over crimping and the column load is bulging brass. Measure the crimp. Shouln't be smaller than about .470" if memory serves.
2) Place the aforementioned factory round in station 4 (with crimp die backed out), raise ram, screw die down to make contact. done.

HTH
Cheers,
Norm

[TaxPhd]

WalterGAII,

Lee factory crimp die is a good idea, but won't work in a Dillon SDB. It uses proprietary dies.

Rob01,

While in theory (and some times in reality) .45 ACP headspaces on the case mouth, in reality a short case won't enter the barrel too far becauses it headspaces on the extractor.

In order to headspace on the case mouth, all your brass would have to be consistently trimmed to the correct length. Almost no one does this, because it's a lot of work and not necessary.

[Rob01]

Just trying to help from what I know. Maybe I'll just view from now on and keep my info to myself. Good luck Huntman

[TaxPhd]

Rob01,

There was no insult intended by my post, and I'm sorry that it came across that way. That wasn't my intention.