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45 ACP dies
Posted by Murphy on May 27 2005
Steve,
I don't know what you're doing, wrong or right, however I know what needs to happen.
I use about 10 pounds of powder for my 45 ACP's each year. I use about 7.5 grains of powder per round. I get around the loading bench.
I know that wasn't the question, but I say that to qualify my self. (that's about 10,000 rounds a year)
The 45 ACP is generally thought of as not being crimped and that is more or less true. Here's what happens. This is a three die set, a sizing die with carbide insert (it's a ring of tungsten carbide cemented in the die), an expander die to enlarge the case mouth to accept the bullet, and the seater die which may or may not have a crimping capability. The dies are used in this order, size, expand and seat. I use a separate crimp die but more on that later. The carbide ring in the sizing die is designed to reduce the size of the expanded case tight enough to hold the bullet, in fact you now can't get a bullet to even start in the case. First and always with a new set of dies make a dummy round (no powder and no primer). Size one case with the sizing die adjusted correctly, about the thickness of a dime from contact with the shell holder (this is important) with the ram all the way up (handle down) and lock it down with the lock ring. Now try to push a bullet into the case by hand. Won't work, right? Good. Then adjust the expander die to where it almost touches the shell holder as before and lock it down. Now through trial and error adjust the expander button (center piece) to where the case is expanded just enough to allow the bullet to enter the case with finger pressure and not fall out when turned upside down. (This is very important.) We are ready to seat the bullet. We must first do this without crimping. Adjust the seating die body into the press with about same distance from the ram as before, don't lock it yet, just finger tight the lock ring. Screw the seating stem up all the way, put the brass with the bullet started, into the shell holder and push the handle down to force the round into the die fully, very slowly. If you feel any resistance that is the crimp, back out the die body until there is no resistance felt, and lock down there. We'll crimp later. Ram the round back into the die and screw down the seating stem and go back and forth, stem down, seat the bullet, a little at a time, until the bullet is where you want it. (See the manual for overall length for that bullet, about 1.200".) When that is reached, lock the seating stem. That is a loaded round, without crimp. You may need to crimp for several reasons the biggest is that we expanded the case mouth too much. In any case we MUST crimp with a taper crimp die. I stopped using RCBS dies years ago because the 45 ACP dies were a roll crimp only type of die. [I sell the best dies in the world (Redding) and 45 ACP carbide dies are $45 (seater has a taper crimp). A separate taper crimp is $15.] If you crimp with the RCBS, (They are probably taper crimp now) you must readjust, by backing off the seating stem then adjust the seating body down to the desired crimp. I recommend taper crimping all auto pistol loads, and I do it in a separate operation, four die set. I taper crimp about 15-20 thousand rounds every year in a Dillon 550 or a Redding T-7 press. (Always Redding dies, of course) And I shoot most of those in a Kimber, Les Baer or CZ. I don't know what questions you ask RCBS or what was there answers, but I think something was missed.
A sized case will not allow a bullet to fall out even with out a crimp. I don't know what you're doing, but following the steps above will work if the dies are made correctly for you caliber. I don't mean to be so elementary but some times it's the simple things that bite us in the butt. I hope this helps, I am always glad to welcome another handloader to the fold. Good shootin'.
Murphy
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