# New to reloading



## bluedog46 (Jan 29, 2015)

Hello all. A buddy of mine and me do a bit of reloading. i did not get the chance to load this batch but ttested them. We are using lead 45acp. He made wadcutter and standard round nose. They are 230 gr for the RN and I forgot the weight for the wadcutter. I forget the grain used but its the one that was standard for these. 

Here are the couple questions. First I dont think lead is corrosive, so if it is please let me know. The other is are any modern powders available corrosive? I know there is corrosive ammo out there, but I am not sure what makes it corrosive. i am figuring its the powder or is it the primer?

When I shot them they shot great. The only problem with some of them is that they did not load all the way. I had to slightly hit the back of my gun to make it go all the way foreword. I was shooting a colt 1911 commander. All stock nothing polished or anything. I did not know if maybe the lead built up after like 20 rounds or maybe it needed more powder to slam the rack for.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

There is no modern ammo that is corrosive. On older ammo marked "Corrosive" it's the primers that are corrosive. As for powder, only black powder is corrosive. That's where the phrase _"Don't let the sun set on a dirty gun" _came from. After shooting corrosive ammo, the barrel would rust if you didn't clean it right after shooting. There are no such concerns with modern ammo.

You were probably loading SWC (Semi Wadcutter) bullets. The usual weights for them in 45 ACP is 185 & 200 grain. They usually won't feed in a 1911 unless the feed ramp has been throated & polished for them. It's a job for a gunsmith. Even some modern 45 autos won't feed bullets with a flat tip. If you were using mid-power or near-max powder charges listed in your loading manual & experiencing feeding malfunctions, it was likely the shape of the bullet nose, rather than the powder charge. The flat tip of the bullet catches on the feed ramp instead of sliding into the chamber. That type of malfunction can also be caused by a case that wasn't sufficiently resized or taper crimped. Set your resizing/decapping die so the shellholder almost touches the bottom of the die when resizing. That will ensure full-length resizing. Make sure the taper crimp die eliminates the flare in the case mouth that was previously needed for bullet seating. Also, make sure the COL (Cartridge Overall Length) doesn't exceed the maximum length listed in your loading manual. I like to adjust the seater plug in the bullet seating die so it is slightly under the COL.

You probably noticed that lead bullets get the gun much dirtier much faster than jacketed bullets, so you'll want to clean the gun thoroughly after shooting.


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## noylj (Dec 8, 2011)

A point--I have never had a 1911 that did not feed SWCs flawlessly. I have had some cheap "GI" magazines that would not feed SWCs (or most JHPs). Those mags are in some dump somewhere. Magazines should have feed lips that release the round about ½ along the lips' length.
I have never noticed lead bullets being particularly dirtier than jacketed, but then I don't worry about a dirty too much. The barrel can be dirtier, but that is not a concern unless it isn't ash/lube but a build-up of lead.
If the slide doesn't close easily:
Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber (doesn't drop all the way in the chamber, making a "plunk" sound). Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times.
Remove and inspect the round:
1) Scratches in the ink on bullet--COL is too long
2) Scratches in the ink on edge of the case mouth--insufficient crimp
3) Scratches in the ink just below the case mouth--too much crimp, you're crushing the case
4) Scratches in the ink on case at base of bullet--bullet seated crooked due to insufficient case expansion (not case mouth flare) or improper seating stem fit
5) Scratches in the ink on case just above extractor groove--case bulge not removed during sizing. May need a bulge buster.


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## high pockets (Apr 25, 2011)

noylj said:


> A point--I have never had a 1911 that did not feed SWCs flawlessly. I have had some cheap "GI" magazines that would not feed SWCs (or most JHPs). Those mags are in some dump somewhere. Magazines should have feed lips that release the round about ½ along the lips' length.
> I have never noticed lead bullets being particularly dirtier than jacketed, but then I don't worry about a dirty too much. The barrel can be dirtier, but that is not a concern unless it isn't ash/lube but a build-up of lead.
> If the slide doesn't close easily:
> Take the barrel out of the gun. Drop rounds in until you find one that won't chamber (doesn't drop all the way in the chamber, making a "plunk" sound). Take that round and "paint" the bullet and case black with Magic Marker or other marker. Drop round in barrel (or gage) and rotate it back-and-forth a few times.
> ...


Great post, but I disagree with you about shooting lead. If the round is loaded too hot, the lead can actually dissolve and accumulate in the lands and grooves in the barrel, making it very difficult to clean properly. I do agree lead bullets loaded to the proper velocity cause no unusual leading in the barrel, but this is a new/prospective reloader, and he should be aware about the peculiarities of reloading lead bullets.

I really like the idea of covering the entire round with black magic marker to determine case issues.


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## TurboHonda (Aug 4, 2012)

I've been casting lead bullets for many years and loading them to magnum velocities without any leading whatsoever. The secret is understanding leading. You can't just melt fishing weights and call them bullets. Pure lead melts at about 620 degrees fahrenheit, so lead melting from heat is usually not a problem, however lead is soft and galling against the rifling lands is common. By adding a harder metal, such as tin that melts at about 450 degrees, a harder alloy is created to make bullets that will easily exceed 45 ACP velocities. My cast bullets are a 15 lead/1 tin mixture that is cast, then swaged and lubricated.

There are lots of good recipes out there containing antimony, wheel weights, etc. Research is the key. 

I don't trust "lead" bullets that come from an unknown source.


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## UncleB (Dec 22, 2014)

Good advice so far. What bullet lube is being used? I had some RN 230 that were tumbled lubed with the Lee alox and the lube on the nose cause some feeding problems. OK after cleaning it off. That lube is supposed to help reduce/ eliminate leading. I've shot lead with the Lee lube from my 9mm, 45 LC, and 454 Casull with no leading problems. I do not recommend tapping on the end of the slide to get it to seat the bullet. If it doesn't seat correctly, it is not sized correctly. As was already mentioned, it sounds like not enough taper crimp to remove the flare from the filling die. Make sure the die is flaring JUST ENOUGH to allow initial fit of the bullet. I do highly recommend removing the barrel and test fitting a few (or all) into the chamber to ensure they fit freely at least until you are very comfortable with the die settings. I made a gauge (bored to correct size) and check each cartridge after final taper crimp.


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## UncleB (Dec 22, 2014)

I also highly recommend the Lee lead hardness testing kit. It's very simple to use in a loading press. I've done comparisons with tire weights, store bought lead, and pure lead and get accurate, consistent results.


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## noylj (Dec 8, 2011)

>Great post, but I disagree with you about shooting lead. If the round is loaded too hot, the lead can actually dissolve and accumulate in the lands and grooves in the barrel, making it very difficult to clean properly.

Fit is every thing. Lead doesn't dissolve--it melts due to poor fit and hot gasses blowing past the bullet (from not sealing the bore), causing gas-cutting. I have shot WW and WW+tin for decades without any leading up to .44 Mag. Use the same alloy for rifles, but I tend to use gas checks.
Re: Cause of leading
A clue to what is causing the leading is where the leading first begins to appear.
If it appears near the chamber, chances are that bullet diameter or hardness are the cause. A diameter too small or an alloy too hard will allow high pressure gas to leak past the bullet, which erodes the bullet and leaves leading near the chamber.
If the leading first appears on the leading edge of the rifling, the bullet might be too soft or the velocity/twist rate too high.
If the leading appears in the second (front) half of the barrel, the bullet is running out of lube.

Cleaning lead out of a barrel is actually very easy. Buy COPPER *Chore-Boy* scrub pads, cut off some strands and wrap around a brass brush of the proper size for the caliber and you'll have all the lead out in no more than a few minutes. Don't use copper-plated steel scrub pads.
The important thing is when you are starting with a new gun, you need to slug the barrel to determine the actual groove diameter. Then, with a new gun/new bullet/new alloy, you need to check the barrel after about 20 rounds and a few more times to see any leading. By noticing it quickly, you can determine the probable cause from the above comments.


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## noylj (Dec 8, 2011)

Re: Lee LLA
If you can see the lube on the bullet, you have used way too much. I dump 200-500 bullets in a glass casserole dish, set all bullet on their side, squirt a *little* LLA on the bullets and shuffle them around like dominoes while attempting to rotate them. After 30-60 seconds I look at the bullets and if they are all wet/shiny looking, I am done.
Again, if you see any amber/brown color on the bullets, you are using way too much.
If you simply want to use too much LLA, you can put the dry bullets in a container, sprinkle some finely ground mica in the container and tumble the bullets. The mica will prevent the bullets from being sticky.


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