.45 ACP SWC - Plated?

[Jim Watson]

Your round is running up the frame ramp and the nose is stopping against the sharp edge formed by the bottom of the barrel ramp.
I am not sure if the coating on the shoulder is being scraped off at the chamber entry or at the rifling origin.
Congratulations on saving the faulty round to show, so many of them get rammed into the gun and shot.

You can, as we have been saying, tinker with OAL and hope for better results.

You can change bullets. There are several different nose profiles to try. Roundnose is the least challenging.

MBC makes the "Oddball" 200 grain roundnose. It feeds well in my guns. It gives the same ballistics as SWC, only your gun can tell you if it is as accurate. It is a flatbase and will require more casemouth flare than the usual bulk bevel base.
http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=232&category=20&secondary=13&keywords=

There are also 200 gr plated roundnose from Xtreme
https://www.xtremebullets.com/45-200-RN-p/xc45-200rn-b0500.htm

And a 185 gr hollowbase roundnose from Berry
https://www.berrysmfg.com/item/bp-45-452-185gr-hbrn

Or you can just surrender and shoot 230 gr roundnose at low velocity. That is what I have done for most of my .45 shooting. Everybody makes them and the guns were designed for them. I shoot with the maker of BBI Coated bullets and his products are as good as any. I do load some SWCs and HPs as specialty items but the roundnose is good for bulk ammo to be shot in any gun.

 

[Doublehelix]

Thanks Jim. I can shoot the 230 gr. RN's without problems. They feed fine and shoot well, but the darn 200 gr. SWC's are so much more accurate, I was hoping to find a way to shoot them. If not, it is certainly not the end of the world, and I will look to other alternatives.

Appreciate the links. I had never seen those MDC oddball 200 gr. bullets before.

 

[Walkalong]

Play with OAL, or maybe different mags. If it's a 1911 and your mag has the "wadcutter" style feed lips get one with "GI" feedlips. Or vice versa.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Try the plated ones before you give up. For me the plated fed better in a 1911 than coated and were very accurate. The tend to have a little more radius at the shoulder. Not the best for cutting holes in paper, but I think it helps them feed. I used Rainier and Berry's 200 grain plated SWC's. Coated worked best in my HK's.

 

[Doublehelix]

Play with OAL, or maybe different mags. If it's a 1911 and your mag has the "wadcutter" style feed lips get one with "GI" feedlips. Or vice versa.

I am using my standard Wilson mags with what I assume are "GI feedlips". I didn't realize there were "wadcutter feedlips". Not sure I want to have 2 different styles of mags, I like to keep it simple, but I will look into it nonetheless. Thanks.

Try the plated ones before you give up. For me the plated fed better in a 1911 than coated and were very accurate. The tend to have a little more radius at the shoulder. Not the best for cutting holes in paper, but I think it helps them feed. I used Rainier and Berry's 200 grain plated SWC's. Coated worked best in my HK's.

I am going to play around the COAL a bit first, but I will also order some plated SWC's and see how they work out. Not too worried about nice holes as much as those that are close together!!!

The funny thing is that my first batch all fed and fired 100% without issues (at a shorter COAL), and I was so proud of my DW that it would eat the SWC's without issues since I have read that some guns have problems with them.

These test batches are being made on my LCT press with Lee dies, whereas once I have a load developed, I run them on my XL650 with Redding Competition dies which seem to be slightly more consistent with regards to COAL.

I haven't given up yet, and I have a few things to try still (shorter COAL and plated SWC's).

Thanks everyone.

 

[Jim Watson]

Wilson magazines have "wadcutter lips." If any mag will feed SWCs, those should. The main producer of "hardball" lip magazines is Checkmate. They also have wadcutter and "hybrid" lip magazines.

The 21st century "match grade" bullet is the JHP, usually Nosler or Zero, sometimes Hornady.

 

[Walkalong]

I have had my best luck with Checkmate hybrid feed lip mags. That said, my Kimber 3" 1911 runs flawlessly with Wilson mags. A Checmkate "GI" mag was the only thing that would work in one 1911 I had.

If you download the mag and it feeds, the top round when fully loaded is nose diving from too much spring pressure/drag on the feedlips.

 

[slickracer]

Brian Pierce had a good article in Handloader Magazine that reinforced my thoughts that plated will never be as accurate as a good cast bullet. You will never see a plated bullet at a bullseye match. Stick with the Bayous

 

[leadbury]

Penn Bullets makes a unique profiled nose 152g lswc that may feed in some extra finicky guns.The sight is well worth a look for the highest quality hard cast I found yet.Guy knows his stuff.