.45 SWC or TC

[The Kidd]

I was wondering how many of you load semi-wadcutters or trunc-cones in .45 ACP? Have you had any feeding problems? I've just always used and/or loaded RN. I see them on the Missouri Bullet and Oregon Trail site and I just wonder...

 

[PO2Hammer]

I've had some trouble with SWC's.
Sig P220, ~ 95% with SWC's, even after making OAL & crimp adjustments.
Glock 30, ~ 60% with plated SWC's, extraction issues.
1911, 100% with plated SWC's (never shot many lead ones)
HK USP .45, 100% with plated and jacketed SWC's.

200 grain TC's have been 100% in every gun I've tried.

 

[steveno]

if you seat the swc bullet to where the sharp edge is about .010 to .030 above the case mouth you shouldn't have any problems. I got a Springfield Range Officer last year and it has a shorter throat than the Kimber and S & W 1911 I use to have so that number can vary as the RO needed to have the bullets almost flush with the case mouth. I have switched ovet to the Missouri Bullet 225 gr. TC because I think it shoots a little better

 

[FROGO207]

As stated in the post above the key is to find what length will feed OK with whatever bullet type/brand/weight you use. Load up about 5 dummy rounds a bit longer than book length without primers. First see if they pass the "plunk test" and then manually cycle them. If they hang up shorten them a bit and try again. Repeat until they feed OK by hand then work up a load from the starting charge. It takes more time initially but the results will work better than just guessing at what worked for others in a different firearm that was similar. This has worked well for me in the past. BTW RN and TC bullets generally feed better but SWC are more accurate in my handguns. YMMV

 

[Delmar]

Ive loaded LSWCs for my Colts in weights of 155, 185 and 200 grain weights and Ive had great reliability in all of them once I get the OAL of what my pistols like. Because Im loading for an Officers model, a Combat Commander and a Gold Cup, I had to compromise just a bit in order to have reliability on the Officer model. That short 3.5 inch barrel makes different angles when cycling than its big brothers. That made me drop the OAL from 1.250 to 1.240 and all 3 do well with that length.

I wished somebody locally carried the 155's...theyre pretty fun at the 25 yard line and closer and velocity is good without a lot of powder-cuts very clean holes in the paper.

 

[quaid]

Swc: Xd45 0% feeding and mangled the brass. pt1911 no problems, 45 colt no problems.

Pretty holes are a revolver's forte.

 

[FROGO207]

Might be me but a feeding issue is a challenge to conquer. I have never found myself unable to be worse than factory as far as feeding ammo from a MAG. There are some firearms that have problems feeding anything period. I only had one of those and sold it for parts for more than I paid originally. All others were deals somebody else gave up on and I fixed by adjustments/handloading until reliable.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have some .45s that will shoot SWCs reliably and some that won't.
So I have simplified my component inventory by going back to roundnose.

The truncated cone is kind of a queer duck.
The most common one is a cast version of the Hornady FMJ-TC which is a scaleup of the Hornady/USAF 9mm conical.
Its main advantage is penetration. The truncated cone is more stable in flesh and will penetrate deeper and straighter than a roundnose. There are a couple of safari rifle bullets that have truncated cone ogives or at least flattened noses to take advantage of the phenomenon.

 

[BossHogg]

I really like them big ole round holes from the Lswc. They work just fine in all my 45's. Buy a box or if you can, try a sample of 45 lswc. I know many companies offer sample packages. Load them up in your gun and see if they work. My rule of thumb is about a thumbnail thickness above the brass.

 

[rsrocket1]

My 1911 is very finicky with SWC. I've loaded over 1k of them and just when I started getting them to feed reliably, I bought another bunch of them, then they would start jamming again. The gun has no problems with round nose, but I wanted something with a bigger metplat. I got the Lee TL452-230-TC 6 cavity mold. These bullets cast beautifully and feed perfectly. I bought the sizer but I don't really need it so I don't size anymore, just tumble lube, load and shoot.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'm a TC fan myself. My Sig likes them better than SWC.

rsrocket1, you say you don't size the bullets. I have a Lee mold that I don't have to size either, but it's for revolver.
I was just wondering if you taper crimp, since that would size both the bullet and the outside dimensions of the case.

 

[Cherokee]

I have used the TC design ever since Hornady came out with their bullets back in 70's. Cast TC style are my main bullet for 45 ACP. Feeds great in all the 45 ACP's I've shot it in. I also shoot SWC's but not near as much. Given a choice, the TC wins for me.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

i use the lee tumble lube tc 230 grn in my kimber and they work fine.i use the same bullet in my blackhawk 45 lc also.i use reddot in both also.

 

[Saguaro6]

Called Springfield and they said the Range Officer was not intended to run SWCs or WCs. She said the Custom Shop could rework the barrel to shoot them, but as purchased the barrel was built for RN and HP. I shortened my SWCs down to 1.135 from 1.260 and they shoot well, but I only have a could hundred fired so far, too.

 

[steveno]

I think you must have talked to the janitor as I don't believe that. only thing I have found is that it has a pretty short throat so bullets might have to be seated a little deeper. I found that in the first 20 rounds or so. since I seated the bullets a little bit deeper it has been just fine for the next 2,000 rounds of either swc's or TC's.