[BigBob3006]

Jim243,

The .45 ACP headspaces on the mouth of the case to the face of the case. That's all well and good if all your cases are the same length and that length is .898". I've found that very few .45 ACP cases are that S.A.A.M.I. spesified length. So I make my loads fit the pistol, pretty much the same thing we do with rifle, only its much easier to do with the pistol case.

1) Remove the barrel from the weapon. This is our gage to headspace.
For purpose of education, slip a few cases into the chamber. Hold the
barrel vertical. Your gage is the back of the barrel shroud. Where does
the face of the case come in relation to the back of that shroud. If the
head of the case is lower than the shourd your case is to short. If the
If the case sticks up longer than the shroud your case is to
long and you may have trouble going into battery.

2) Now adjust your seatting die, seat a bullet into the case.
slip the case into the barrel and verify that the face of the
case is the same length as the shroud. You may not get the
bullets outof the case, so use old cases and resize them.
seat about four cases and verify their length with a bullet seated.


3) Set your crimping die a little longer and and crimp one case, then
try it in barrel again. Does the crimping die actually crimp the case?
And is the headspace still correct? If The case is to long again this is
caused by the crimp being excessice. Back it out a 1/4 of a turn and
try it again with a third case.

That is all that it takes. Before you jump in and load a bunch of cases.
try those four cases in your magazines. Pull the slide back and release it.
do the feed OK. Do they strip from the magazine.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't really. It also seems to help with the accuracy department as well.