Resizing .45 ACP with .45 Colt die?

Well, I tried to flare an ACP case with the .45 Colt die and it wouldn't do it, so looks like I'm stuck buying a 3 die set.

I'm still going to use the .45 Colt resizing die tho, just because.
 
I have not had any trouble shooting taper crimped ACP from a revolver, although mine is a S&W M25 .45 ACP/AR only.
I think we have a lot of made up problems here.
Use ACP dies on ACP cases, LC dies on LC cases and life will be easier. You won't have to fool with adjustments between cartridges that way.
 
Jim Watson said:
I have not had any trouble shooting taper crimped ACP from a revolver, although mine is a S&W M25 .45 ACP/AR only.
I think we have a lot of made up problems here.
Use ACP dies on ACP cases, LC dies on LC cases and life will be easier. You won't have to fool with adjustments between cartridges that way.
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Even tho I'm only asking to use a sizing die, which operates at the same height when it touches the shellholder thus requiring no "fooling" with adjustments?

IDK why so many people have taken me asking specifically about using a .45 Colt re-sizing die on .45 ACP and taking that to mean I want to use all the other dies (flairing, seating, crimping) as well.
 
People asked because reloading requires 3 dies... if your going to have to go out and buy separate expander and seating dies you might as well just buy a set for the same money. It’s a logical question.
 
I think already said but it seemed not to soak in...
ACP is .472" at the mouth, LC is .480".
That much less tension will put you at risk of bullet pull by recoil.
 
Jim Watson said:
I think already said but it seemed not to soak in...
ACP is .472" at the mouth, LC is .480".
That much less tension will put you at risk of bullet pull by recoil.
Click to expand...
Sounds like something worth testing to see which is better then. I think I may just get the set for ACP and see what difference the ACP and Colt sizers have.
 
My 45 Colt sizers, Lyman and RCBS Cowboy, were sizing slightly smaller than the 45 ACP by Redding. The 45 Colt by Hornady was the largest and about the same as the 45 ACP by Redding. I use the Hornady with lead bullets (in 45 Colt) to relieve some of the bullet printing through the case, as if the sizing and expanding were out of sync. The problem with 45 ACP is always that if using lead bullets the common die set is too tight. A mix of best-of-breed dies is needed to really get it right and have rounds consistently passing gauging.
 
"Sounds like something worth testing to see which is better then."

I promise you the 45 ACP die is better for 45 ACP than the 45 Colt die. No testing is needed.
With Properly loaded 45 ACP ammo (Using 45 ACP dies) you wont have any issues at all with bullet pull in a revolver designed to shoot 45 ACP. And your ammo will work in any 45ACP revolver or semi-auto. 45 Colt die's might be made to work buts its really just using the wrong tool for the job.

Mike
 
I promise you the 45 ACP die is better for 45 ACP than the 45 Colt die. No testing is needed.
With Properly loaded 45 ACP ammo (Using 45 ACP dies) you wont have any issues at all with bullet pull in a revolver designed to shoot 45 ACP. And your ammo will work in any 45ACP revolver or semi-auto. 45 Colt die's might be made to work buts its really just using the wrong tool for the job.

Mike
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But you don't actually know.
 
"But you don't actually know"

Got me there. I just went and resized 45 ACP cases with a 45 ACP and a 45 Colt die and I cant measure any appreciable difference at the case mouth or the base of the case. Based on that I guess I have to say go for it.

Mike
 
MSD Mike said:
"But you don't actually know"

Got me there. I just went and resized 45 ACP cases with a 45 ACP and a 45 Colt die and I cant measure any appreciable difference at the case mouth or the base of the case. Based on that I guess I have to say go for it.

Mike
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That surprised me too. The fella's on to something, even if there is barely a point to it.
 
I got a set of Lee .45 ACP dies and just tried sizing .45 ACP cases with the ACP sizing die and a .45 Colt die I have. I did a few cases in each die and .45 ACP was coming out at .468 almost the entire case until down by the base just above the extractor groove it measure .470, then with the .45 Colt die I was getting .470 from mouth to groove.

So, the dies I have, the .45 Colt sizing cases a bit larger, but probably not enough to be an issue with neck tension, but that's not going to matter for me as I'm going to be roll crimping the bullets for use in my Redhawk. The larger diameter probably won't make a big difference in velocity, but the less the case has to expand to seal the chamber, the more pressure that goes into propelling the bullet.

Now I'm going to have to find some bullets to load as all my .45 bullets are 250gr and I don't want to be using them in .45 ACP.
 
sizing acp in colt die

The reason this sort of works is a combination of design tolerances lining up just right enough. When it does.

Sizer dies are all made to size the brass below max tolerance. Some might even go below min spec, the idea is smaller always fits in the bigger hole.

HOW MUCH smaller than the spec is what determines if your .45 Colt die will do a good enough job with ACP brass.

The (max) dimensions for the ACP case are .473" at the mouth, .476" at the base.

.45 Colt is .480" at the mouth, .480" at the base.

YOUR .45 Colt sizer die might be small enough to do an adequate job with ACP brass, obviously some people have some that will.

However, I think just assuming it will, or that all of them will, is a mistake.
 
I agree with those who recommend a set of dies made for the caliber one wishes to reload.

As OBW (oh by the way) I dislike the carbide dies as opposed to the "old fashioned" steel dies in most cases. The steel dies will give a resized case the appropriate dimensions which include the correct case taper if necessary; carbide will resize to only one dimension (no taper). Before you buy a set of "easy" carbide dies, be sure the case you are resizing has no or very little taper.
 
As OBW (oh by the way) I dislike the carbide dies as opposed to the "old fashioned" steel dies in most cases. The steel dies will give a resized case the appropriate dimensions which include the correct case taper if necessary; carbide will resize to only one dimension (no taper). Before you buy a set of "easy" carbide dies, be sure the case you are resizing has no or very little taper.
Click to expand...

Really important for the .45 Colt.

Don
 
Really important for the .45 Colt.
Click to expand...

Don't be snarky...

I said
Before you buy a set of "easy" carbide dies, be sure the case you are resizing has no or very little taper.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of new reloaders that do not know the difference between steel and carbide as far as ultimate case dimensions are concerned.

Granted, the .45 Colt is one of the few that does not have a taper on the case. Many, if not most, handgun cartiges do have a taper.
 
Wasn't being snarky, but dead serious. Check SAAMI's website for the dimensions of .45 Colt brass and chambers. While the brass is a straight case, the chambers have a slight taper. So, after you fire a "straight" .45 Colt case, it comes out of the cylinder with a slight taper. So, why make it back into a straight case with a carbide die, when you can use a steel RCBS die that has the slight taper built into it? Sold my .45 Colt carbide die set and got a set of steel RCBS dies - never been happier.

Don
 
mkl said:
Don't be snarky...

I said


There are a lot of new reloaders that do not know the difference between steel and carbide as far as ultimate case dimensions are concerned.

Granted, the .45 Colt is one of the few that does not have a taper on the case. Many, if not most, handgun cartiges do have a taper.
Click to expand...
The only handgun calibers I know of that have a taper (that are not bottlenecks) and aren't super uncommon are 9mm, .45 ACP (very slight taper), and .50 AE. On paper 10mm has a very slight taper of .002", but in the real world sizing all the way to the groove without a taper would not be an issue.

But, I agree to some extent depending on the cartridge you should try to stay as close to spec tapers as possible. I know there are carbide .30 Carbine dies out there and I was thinking about possibly getting an M1 and loading for .30 Carbine, but then I'd have no taper and with that long-ish case I'd like some taper.

If I'm gonna be stuck dealing with lubing cases to size them on steel dies, I'd probably be better off doing .350 Legend instead of .30 Carbine.
 
Check SAAMI's website for the dimensions of .45 Colt brass and chambers. While the brass is a straight case, the chambers have a slight taper. So, after you fire a "straight" .45 Colt case, it comes out of the cylinder with a slight taper. So, why make it back into a straight case with a carbide die, when you can use a steel RCBS die that has the slight taper built into it?
Click to expand...

Thank you for ending 37+ years of blissful ignorance about SAAMI chamber specs....

However, this information spurs some new questions...

Why is there a taper? DO steel dies size with the taper or do they just size straight? OR does it differ from brand to brand of die? And...does it matter??
 
TruthTellers wrote:
The only handgun calibers I know of that have a taper (that are not bottlenecks) and aren't super uncommon are 9mm, .45 ACP (very slight taper), and .50 AE
Click to expand...

If you take a look at SAAMI Z299.3 2015 I think you will find that over one half of the handgun cartridges have some taper. To add to your list: 380 automatic, 40 S&W, 400 cor-bon, 41 rem mag, 44 rem mag, 44 S&W Special, etc...

To USSR
My apologies re my snarky coment.
I had no idea the chamber of the 45 Colt had a taper while the cartridge did not. Thanks for the learning.
 
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