OAL Question (sorry, long winded)

[Denappy]

So I've been reading a lot on this great forum and have learned a ton, so thank you for that! However, my question; I'm reloading .45 ACP for a Ruger 1911 and my normal loads (185gn Rainier FP (plated), 4.5gn WST, OAL = 1.205) work great in the Ruger. However, I recently purchased a Glock G30 Gen 4, and this load would not cycle the action; lots of stovepipes and unejected cases.

Fired off 250 rounds of factory ammo, thinking in might be new springs needed some recoiltherapy - every round fired and cycled great (so it's not an issue with the Glock). After several attempts at determining barrel specific OAL and various WST loads, I gave up on WST and went with Ramshot Silhouette (not because I think WST is bad).

So, to my question (finally): Through much experimentation (including the Plunk Test and determining barrel specific OAL) I have landed on the following two loads (both function well in the the Glock and the Ruger):
1. 185gn Rainier FP (Plated), 8.4gn SILH, OAL = 1.240 (barrel specific)
2. 185gn Rainier FP (Plated), 8.2gn SILH, OAL = 1.195 (Ramshot Load Data)

So, based on what I think I understand, both loads, from a pressure standpoint are probably close to the same given the difference on OAL's (shorter OAL = higher pressure with less powder)?

I prefer to stay within the published Ramshot data, but wanted to insure that my understanding is in line....thoughts?

-=Den
:banghead:

 

[Havok7416]

Generally speaking, OAL can be varied. What you see printed in the manuals is not a hard-and-fast number, more of a reference. I have many loads that don't conform to listed OAL, but they still work (including some .45 loads that cover both your OALs, but not that powder).

 

[steve4102]

my normal loads (185gn Rainier FP (plated), 4.5gn WST, OAL = 1.205

Your load is Minimum according to Hodgdon.

Not enough to cycle the action of the Glock.

Bump the charge up and watch things clear up.

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

 

[Denappy]

Bump the charge up and watch things clear up

Steve, I did that with the WST, took it all the way up to 4.8gn (0.1 below max), same results, that is part of the reason I switched to Silhouette...

 

[LiveLife]

Rainier sizes their bullets to jacketed diameters (.451" in this case) and with Glock's longer leade/freebore and smooth start of rifling, you are going to leak more high pressure gas around the bullet before bullet shoulders engage the rifling and chamber pressure starts to build.

WST is also reverse temperature sensitive so as temperature rises, pressure drops.

You can try loading the bullet longer towards max working OAL but likely need to increase the powder charge to reliably cycle the Gen4 G30 slide.

Bump the charge up and watch things clear up

Steve, I did that with the WST, took it all the way up to 4.8gn (0.1 below max), same results, that is part of the reason I switched to Silhouette...

4.9 gr max charge is for a different bullet (185 gr jacketed hollow point) at 1.135" OAL which likely has longer base that will result in deeper bullet seating depth and higher chamber pressure. Rainier FP bullet at 1.205" will have shorter base with shallower bullet seating depth and chances are, you will need to use higher than 5.0 gr charge of WST to reliably cycle the slide of G30.

I prefer to stay within the published Ramshot data, but wanted to insure that my understanding is in line....thoughts?

You can load longer than published length but will need to use more powder charge to generate same chamber pressures. Working OAL/COL for semi auto pistol is usually determined by the barrel/pistol/magazine, not by single shot test barrel fixtures used to measure chamber pressures.


For 40S&W, I load longer than SAAMI max length of 1.135". While most published load data list 1.125" as typical OAL/COL with 165/180 gr TCFP bullets, I use 1.142" - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9363753#post9363753

With RMR HM 180 gr RNFP bullet, I use 1.155" - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9645513#post9645513

 

[blue32]

I recently loaded Hornady 185 XTP over 4.7 gr of WST and it ran fine, although a little on the light side. I'm also using a Storm Lake barrel in my 30SF.