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Re: 45ACP

Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:29 pm

MadPick wrote:
Rutilate wrote:
SurfPerch wrote:On the topic of 45ACP.

Q: Do you guys do anything about burs left on 45ACP brass by ejector? Sometimes after resizing a range brass doesn't "plunk" into case guage all the way and have the rim hung up on these ejector gouges in the rim. It takes a firm finger pressure to push it in and out of the guage then. It doesn't seem to make a difference in the barrel though. I can make them "plunk" again by filing those burs away from the rim circumference - but am not sure if this is just a waste of time. Thoughts?


Throw it out. Life's too short for that shit!


If you decide that the burrs are unacceptable, then I agree . . . except I'd use the brass recycle bucket. :bigsmile:

I haven't noticed it on .45 (I don't put many cases in the gauge), but I've seen this situation a lot of with .223. I've concluded that it's not an issue, and I just ignore it.


Thanks everybody for an advice! In 45ACP I see about 15% cases shot from my Glock have ejector burrs on the rim big enough to get hung up in a case guage.... Barrels don't see to mind though.... I guess I don't mind to deburr them for a perfect "plunk" either.. :)

On a different note - switched from my trusty Unique to a new jar of VV N340 behind 230gr Speer TMJ. Woo-hoo! What a difference! No flash and 10x times cleaner guns... No more of these sooty horror cleanups :)

Re: 45ACP

Sun Sep 06, 2020 11:19 pm

I shot about ten rounds using unique. What nasty stuff. Still sitting in my cabinet.

Re: 45ACP

Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:40 pm

I'm finally out of my 230gr RN TMJ bullets. I have some ancient boxes of plated 230gr RN Rainiers. Never loaded them up...
Any experience and/or tips? Use lead loads? 0.470" crimp? 1.25" COL?
Thanks!

Re: 45ACP

Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:48 pm

SurfPerch wrote:I'm finally out of my 230gr RN TMJ bullets. I have some ancient boxes of plated 230gr RN Rainiers. Never loaded them up...
Any experience and/or tips? Use lead loads? 0.470" crimp? 1.25" COL?
Thanks!


Load 'em up!

Use somewhere between lead and FMJ loads. Some books have plated data. What powder are you using?

And yeah, same crimp and COAL as FMJ.

Re: 45ACP

Mon Oct 19, 2020 6:55 pm

MadPick wrote:
SurfPerch wrote:I'm finally out of my 230gr RN TMJ bullets. I have some ancient boxes of plated 230gr RN Rainiers. Never loaded them up...
Any experience and/or tips? Use lead loads? 0.470" crimp? 1.25" COL?
Thanks!


Load 'em up!

Use somewhere between lead and FMJ loads. Some books have plated data. What powder are you using?

And yeah, same crimp and COAL as FMJ.


Thanks!

I've been using 6.3gr VV N340 behind Speer 230gr TMJ RN at 1.26"...

Re: 45ACP

Mon Oct 19, 2020 7:00 pm

SurfPerch wrote:I've been using 6.3gr VV N340...


Oh, you lost me there. I can't afford those gucci powders. :ROFLMAO:

J/K. I heard great stuff about N340 being clean and I bought some, but I haven't actually tried it yet.

Re: 45ACP

Mon Oct 19, 2020 7:20 pm

MadPick wrote:
SurfPerch wrote:I've been using 6.3gr VV N340...


Oh, you lost me there. I can't afford those gucci powders. :ROFLMAO:

J/K. I heard great stuff about N340 being clean and I bought some, but I haven't actually tried it yet.


:bigsmile: I was normally cleaning chimneys after Unique not knowing any better... Then it finally was over and simultaneously the ammo madness was in - the only powder that I found left for purchase was VV one and I gave medium-speed N340 a try behind 230gr - figuring extra cent per round is lost as a rounding error at current prices.... It was worth it - the gun is clean, no visible flash, even the inside of the shot brass is clean. :) Can't be happier now... :) When you have a chance to try it - I'd be interested to hear what you think of it. :)

Re: 45ACP

Thu Oct 29, 2020 8:38 pm

FWIW : 230gr RN plated Rainer's behind 6.0gr N340 at 1.26" OAL , crimped to 0.470" - clocks at 750 ft/sec and cycled big FNX-45 spring just fine... Happy camper for next 2000 rounds... :)

Re: 45ACP

Fri Oct 30, 2020 5:57 am

Nice. You’ll probably see a velocity increase if you put the N340 behind the Rainiers, btw.

Re: 45ACP

Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:10 pm

Interesting thread about Unique vs VV N340. Used 158gr LRN over Unique for a long time with 38 Special loads. One of the RSO at Evergreen threatened to kick me off the range one day for smoking up the place with my black powder loads :bigsmile: Gun and hands were always seriously dirty after matches.

Switched to VV N320 for 38 Special and Short Colt. Gun runs clean and the range no longer looks like it's fogged in.

Planning to buy a 45 Colt pistol in the next couple months as finances allow. Will take a good look at N340 for powder. Definitely Vihtavuori is spendy though. I think a 4lb canister should come with a complimentary bottle of Finlandia.

Re: 45ACP

Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:05 pm

MadPick wrote:Nice. You’ll probably see a velocity increase if you put the N340 behind the Rainiers, btw.


Yeah - that was with N340... I usually have 6.3gr N340 behind 230gr TMJ for 800 ft/s out of 5" barrel (if my new magneto-something chrono-thingy strap-on :) to be believed - it also clocks factory S&B at 800 ft/sec although specs say they should be 853 ft/s out of 5" barrel. Can't use my trusty optical chrono in indoor range...) I lowered it to 6.0gr for a plated bullet, as I've read somewhere that 850 ft/s is a max speed limit for plating integrity in a barrel... My only concern with lowering it to 750 ft/s was potential for FTF for a stiff recoil spring in FNX... Seems to be fine! :) Less of expensive powder too... :)

Re: 45ACP

Fri Oct 30, 2020 3:45 pm

SurfPerch wrote:
MadPick wrote:Nice. You’ll probably see a velocity increase if you put the N340 behind the Rainiers, btw.


Yeah - that was with N340...


Dammit. Another joke flopped. :frust:

I was referring to this:

SurfPerch wrote:FWIW : 230gr RN plated Rainer's behind 6.0gr N340...


The bullet was behind the powder . . . .

Re: 45ACP

Fri Oct 30, 2020 6:50 pm

MadPick wrote:
SurfPerch wrote:
MadPick wrote:Nice. You’ll probably see a velocity increase if you put the N340 behind the Rainiers, btw.


Yeah - that was with N340...


Dammit. Another joke flopped. :frust:

I was referring to this:

SurfPerch wrote:FWIW : 230gr RN plated Rainer's behind 6.0gr N340...


The bullet was behind the powder . . . .


:ROFLMAO: OMG, I'm so dense! :) I'm sure everybody got it except me! :bow:

Re: 45ACP

Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:07 pm

GeekWithGuns wrote:Interesting thread about Unique vs VV N340. Used 158gr LRN over Unique for a long time with 38 Special loads. One of the RSO at Evergreen threatened to kick me off the range one day for smoking up the place with my black powder loads :bigsmile: Gun and hands were always seriously dirty after matches.

Switched to VV N320 for 38 Special and Short Colt. Gun runs clean and the range no longer looks like it's fogged in.

Planning to buy a 45 Colt pistol in the next couple months as finances allow. Will take a good look at N340 for powder. Definitely Vihtavuori is spendy though. I think a 4lb canister should come with a complimentary bottle of Finlandia.


Amen to to that! I'm not going back from VV to Unique at any price... :) Clean shooting is definitely worth extra penny per shot for me..

Heard good things about N320 for 45ACP too - although some say midspeed N340 is more optimal for heavier 230gr, providing needed lower residual pressure a bit longer to accelerate a heavier load to speed w/o overpressure, than a faster burning N320 that is optimized for lighter bullet weights with faster acceleration... I thought that may be the reason that many "official" load data for 230gr specify N340....

Re: 45ACP

Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:59 am

SurfPerch wrote:
GeekWithGuns wrote:Interesting thread about Unique vs VV N340. Used 158gr LRN over Unique for a long time with 38 Special loads. One of the RSO at Evergreen threatened to kick me off the range one day for smoking up the place with my black powder loads :bigsmile: Gun and hands were always seriously dirty after matches.

Switched to VV N320 for 38 Special and Short Colt. Gun runs clean and the range no longer looks like it's fogged in.

Planning to buy a 45 Colt pistol in the next couple months as finances allow. Will take a good look at N340 for powder. Definitely Vihtavuori is spendy though. I think a 4lb canister should come with a complimentary bottle of Finlandia.


Amen to to that! I'm not going back from VV to Unique at any price... :) Clean shooting is definitely worth extra penny per shot for me..

Heard good things about N320 for 45ACP too - although some say midspeed N340 is more optimal for heavier 230gr, providing needed lower residual pressure a bit longer to accelerate a heavier load to speed w/o overpressure, than a faster burning N320 that is optimized for lighter bullet weights with faster acceleration... I thought that may be the reason that many "official" load data for 230gr specify N340....


I hear you. It's a shame as Unique is such a versatile powder for pistols and revolvers. Have to figure out something to do with my remaining three pounds or so. Maybe I'll start reloading shotshells at some point in the future.

Interesting thought on using N320 for heavier bullet weights. I've taken this approach with 38 Short Colt for moonclipped loads using a 160gr coated LRN bullet. Pretty fast powder for that bullet weight but in that particular case they're going in a 357 revo with lots of headroom to handle any potential overpressure. Would probably play it more conservative with a 45ACP pistol and leave the N320 for lighter bullets.
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