Manning

A co-worker shoots .45ACP and is looking for a good formula for reloading. Any shooters out there have opinions on good reloading options. He will be using this for target at a pistol range in either a full sized gov't model or a super compact.

While I'm at it, I shoot .38 Super out of a full sized gov't model, any good reloading options you guys know about?

SidViscous

Can you be more specefic. What is he looking for out of the round. What kind of bullet etc.

I do work for a loading company, partner can definitely give some pointers.

Or on the flip side I can supply .45ACP at a reasonable price that performs really well

Of course I'm biased, but many people who use our ammo love it.

Manning

No kidding? I was wondering what you did.

He is just getting into reloading. He wants a good target load that isn't going to wear him out, in other words it doesn't have to be really hot. He isn't shooting an older Colt, so he doesn't really have to worry about frame cracking if it is a hot round. He would like to stay away from lead to avoid fouling. Jacketed is preferred though FMJ is not a must. I don't know his gun, so I don't know if it will reliably feed SWC or not. He will be shooting paper, not metal plates, so knock down is not an issue.

I know there are lists out there for .45 loads, I just wanted to get some personal opinions about what has worked for folks.

ThE sPaCeCoWbOy

while im at it, my brother and i got a .45ACP for christmas

mine is a springfield armory and his is a kimber....

sorry for intruding but i had to say something since the topic matched

space

jim968

A formula for .45 ACP reloading? Yep, but I'm strictly an amateur... my formula is to just pull 'em out of the Hornady Custom XTP box & stuff 13 of 'em into the magazine.... nice to keep the business in the fambly, in a very broad sense...

(not intended to upset the purists, ya unnerstand )

Jim, gone to hide behind the couch, already <img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" />

Manning

[quote] my formula is to just pull 'em out of the Hornady Custom XTP box & stuff 13 of 'em into the magazine <hr></blockquote>

13 in the mag, what are you shooting a Para-Ordinance or something?

SidViscous

That's one of the things I do. Quoting some huge goverment projects now. We get enough and it will be full time.

Back to the loads.

If that's all he's doing then he should just go by the loading book for a standard round. I would recomend getting Russian lead free primers, as they are the least toxic. However the mechanical dimensions aren't as perfect as the American, and he needs to see them a thou or two deeper. He will also possibly get more in the way of primer accidents during the loading process.

I can get the brand name of the powder we use, that I personally love, lends to good accuracy and a real nice feel, particualr in .45 (Which is just about all I shoot in pistol for now) As to bullet if he's worried about lead fouling and doing target he should look into TMJ (Total Metal Jacket).

His other option is to use Frangible for target. Benefits, completely lead free. The bullet is much much lighter, which means you go to a hotter load (can get more information on that later too) and that gives you a flatter trajectory increasing accuracy. The trajectory in .45 has always been the thing most accuracy people complain about.

As to my earlier comment about using the .45. What Ireally want once I get the money is a custom Les baer <a href="http://www.lesbaer.com" target="_blank">www.lesbaer.com</a> chambered in 10mm. I used to have a 10mm delta elite. Thing was wonderful. The power of lower end .357 magnums, in a colt frame. Accurate as all get out too. Approx 1400 fps.

Currently my main gun is a Springfield .45 (really pissed because me and my buddy bought one at the same time. His has been flawless and accurate out of the box, shooting 1 inch groups at 30 ft, mine was worse than a bag of bolts). Curently has a barsto barrell fitted at Barsto <a href="http://www.barsto.com," target="_blank">www.barsto.com,</a> barsto magazines, pachmeyer (sp?) grip, and soon to have a les Baer sear and hammer.

I of course removed the Springfield Guid rod and installed it in my Norinco, as they are useless and just cause problems in disassembly.

SidViscous

PS the most impotant thing in accuracy is consistency. So he has to make sure he weighs his pwder accurately, grouping bullets can help, and the big dogs even go so far as sizing and weighing the brass.

Headspacing is important. If he;s interested in handloading he should research headspace discussions.

Manning

Thanks Sid. You da man, even if you don't like Macs

10mm huh? I thought about that for a while back when I worked in a gun shop but chickened out because it is kind of a funky round. Low and behold I wind up with .38 Super (just a little less funky). Didn't Sunny Crocket carry a 10mm on Miami Vice?

jim968

[quote]Originally posted by Manning:
<strong>

13 in the mag, what are you shooting a Para-Ordinance or something? </strong><hr></blockquote>

Think chubby, black, ugly, partly plastic, and not a real purist's gun.... but hell for magazine size. Starts with a "G"... made in Austria, shipped in a black plastic sandwich box.

Jim, in an arsy mood this afternoon...

SidViscous

10mm is slightly funky, meaning that buying a box at the store costs more than a box of 9mm or a box of .45. What are the costs comapred to .38 super (I don't know, e don't do .38). However compared to .50AE or .45 super it's cheap.

And then again a 944 is more expensive than a Celica, is it not? You pay for what you get.

Yeah Sonny Crocket carried a Bren 10. The first pistol chamberd for the 10mm and the gun the round was designed for. <a href="http://nordicg3k.tripod.com/bren10mmautomainpage/id3.html" target="_blank">http://nordicg3k.tripod.com/bren10mmautomainpage/id3.html</a>

"Because of the unique design of the Bren Ten,
the 10mm Auto cartridge has the felt recoil of the .45 ACP 230 grain hardball round out of a Colt Government Model"

Er ahh I have never fired a Bren, but my Delta Elite had far more felt recoil than a .45. Though I have changed my style and reduced muzzle flip dramatically in my .45, I really want to try again with the 10mm.

SidViscous

If your going to go for plastic.

<a href="http://www.hecklerkoch-usa.com/pages/military/mlepstl_mark_frameset.html" target="_blank">http://www.hecklerkoch-usa.com/pages/military/mlepstl_mark_frameset.html</a>

A little bulky but still nice.

Got one in the closet.

Manning

Oh yeah, Glock. I forgot about them. Our lawyer at the bike shop was the corporate lawyer for Glock in Smyrna. Never really fancied them all that much.

Yeah, I'm with you on that on Sid, H&K make super nice guns, even if they are kind of chunky. A friend of mine had a USP and I really preferred shooting it to the Sig 229 I had at the time. Actually I liked shooting the MP5SD we had at the gun shop much better though (full auto, fully supressed)

Manning

Oh, yeah I'm with you on the 10mm felt recoil thing. That was the other factor that swayed me away from 10. My full sized Colt .39 Super, with a full length sold guide rod, has virtually zero muzzle rise and is very easy to shoot. Since I only use it at the range I wasn't too worried about knock down and it does shoot very flat. Does stove pipe from time-to-time though.

SidViscous

They are nice guns. Personally I have no use ofr anything but goverment models.

there were some pictures of me firing a MP5SD on the web but they seem to have gotten lost.

If we get these contracts we'll also have to get a class 3 T&E license. So that we can get guns like that to test functionality.