Reloading lead 45acp.. Drop through barrel?

[JayClark79]

Ok im attempting reloading my couple of rounds... I took the barrel out of my 45 to see how the case and bullet fit in there.. seems to fit pretty good... a case with no bullet fits a little loose.. a case with a bullet fits about right.. it doesnt rattle around quite as much as the no bullet case... Is this right?

ALSO

I took a lead bullet and just tried to drop it through the barrel... SHOULDNT it fall straight through?? These are not falling through.... i tried putting the back of the bullet up to the end of the barrel, and it would not even fit in there....

Something seems wrong? I would think the bullet would fit in and bout with no problems..... I dont want the bullet to get jammed in the barrel distroying the gun!

[Dakotared]

No the bullet should not fall through. The bullet has to fill the barrel so that pressure can build up and push the bullet out a high speed. If the bullet fell through no pressure build up and the bullet would just fall out the end.

[Don P]

NO it should not drop through. The bullet needs to contact the barrels rifling so its spinning when it exits the barrel which gives you accuracy. If it doesn't touch the rifling it will tumble as it travels through the air.

[iraiam]

No, they should not fall through. the bullet is about the same diameter as the bore, but the rifling has to engrave the bullet, which puts a spin on it to stabilize it as it travels down range.

[jcwit]

I believe you need to do some heavy reading, research, and studying before you continue with your foray into reloading.

[JayClark79]

Ok that makes sense.. just got a little scared, a guy i know told me about a time he got 2 rounds stuck in one of this old guns like 15 years ago

[rebs]

I agree you need to get a reloading manual or two and read before you start reloading. If you don't know that a bullet has to fit the barrel then you may not know other things that would be of great help and safety to you.
Read the manuals and stay safe

[Alferd Packer]

What reb said, please, read some more, and study for the sake of those who will be shooting along side of you at the range.Your reloads, each one is a potential bomb. Don't take this wrong and please keep asking questions here if you have any doubts and if you think of any question, keep on asking. There is NO stupid question. I reread just to review what I've learned and to remember. Thank you for asking.

[chris in va]

The resized, empty case will fit loose in the chamber because a bullet hasn't been loaded in it yet and will have a smaller diameter.

As for the bullet, it will be almost the same size as the barrel, but the rifling is about .002 narrower than the bore and grips the bullet as it is fired, imparting spin.

[dmazur]

...a guy i know told me about a time he got 2 rounds stuck in one of this old guns...

AKA "squib" load.

Unlikely he got 2 rounds stuck in his gun, as only the bullet travels down the barrel. However, it is possible, with a powder charge below recommended minimum, to have the cartridge fire and the bullet fail to exit.

This isn't bad, yet. If the shooter is monitoring his target in slow-fire, the lack of a hole in the target (and possibly lack of recoil) may provide an important clue. If the shooter stops, unloads the gun, and sets it aside for remedial bullet extraction (not at the range...), no harm is done.

However, if the shooter then chambers another round and fires, the resultant overpressure when the second bullet encounters the first usually results in a destroyed gun. Sometimes the barrel resembles a peeled banana. It is not unusual for the shooter and any bystanders to be severely injured.

With semi-auto actions and some courses of fire, it can be difficult to distinguish between a misfire and a squib. It is very important to stop and determine what is going on before proceeding.

[BigTex308]

I reccomend a LOT of reading before you ever touch your press. This is for real. mistakes here can kill you and/or destroy your gun. Learn as much as you can.

TONS of good info here. Make sure you take advantage of that. If you're not sure ask some questions. We're all happy to help. Like others have said, get a manual or 2 and READ READ READ. The more you know the better and safer your reloading experience will be.



Ike

[floydster]

This is something we will have to really instill into new reloaders heads, read a manual or two before even looking to reload--it is getting scary for sure.

Smokeyloads

[Jim Watson]

Even a loaded round should fit the chamber FREELY and drop out of its own weight. Known as the "plunk test", it ought to drop into the chamber of the barrel (clean and out of the gun) all the way with a solid "Plunk" as it hits bottom and it ought to drop out when inverted.

The bullet is NOT the same diameter as the bore.
The bullet is approximately the same diameter as the groove diameter of the barrel, in modern American practice.
There is a difference and it does matter even though it the term is commonly misused on the internet. Say "clip" when somebody thinks you ought to have said "magazine" and the thread will immediately shift to tedious discussions of boxes and springs and followers.
Say the bore diameter of a .45 ACP is .451" and things will move right along, even though it is not so.

[lee n. field]

Ok im attempting reloading my couple of rounds... I took the barrel out of my 45 to see how the case and bullet fit in there.. seems to fit pretty good... a case with no bullet fits a little loose.. a case with a bullet fits about right.. it doesnt rattle around quite as much as the no bullet case... Is this right?

Doing it with an unloaded round won't tell you much useful. You're trying to see if the final product, a charged round with bullet seated and case crimped, will chamber.

I took a lead bullet and just tried to drop it through the barrel... SHOULDNT it fall straight through?? These are not falling through.... i tried putting the back of the bullet up to the end of the barrel, and it would not even fit in there....

It should not fall straight through.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Asked and answered.