Short .45 ACP cases

[divingin]

And ... I am using a Dillon Square Deal press and find it hard to maintain real tenth consistency in powder charges; sometimes even a variation of a whole grain.

I've never used a Square Deal, but had a 550 a long time ago.

First things first: A grain variation in a 45 ACP load is a lot. That is likely somewhere from a sixth to a quarter of the charge weight. A tenth or two I'd live with, but a full grain may get into dangerous area, depending on your load.

Assuming your Square Deal uses an auto-drop powder measure, Id suggest a couple of things as a "try first" type of solution: Lubricate the powder measure moving parts with dry graphite (smoother operation should improve consistency to some degree), and make sure your actuation of the press handle is as consistent as you can make it from stroke to stroke. If it's a manual drop, try to get your actuation of the drop as consistent as possible.

That said, Unique has never been known to measure consistently; the flakes are too large to meter well. You should find that Bullseye will meter much more consistently than Unique (though it, too has problems depending on equipment and technique.) If you want stuff that really meters well, look for a ball (aka spherical) powder like Winchester 231.

[David Jackson]

Square Deal and 550 may be very similar, I really don't know. I do know that I changed the Powder Bar from the 2 piece small one to the one piece large one and now the variation between drops is closer to 2 tenths than the average 5 or 6 it was with the two piece powder bar.
This Square Deal does have its quirks, aside from the powder measuring issue is the fact that CCI primers are very hard to seat flush with the base of the case. I wind up having to reinsert the loaded round into the second stage and fully seat the primers that way, for about half of the cartridges I load. I have heard that CCI primers can be hard to seat but right now I don't think any others are available and I have a good supply of these.
I will say that the staff at Dillon is really great, being able to telephone and get advice and sometimes replacement parts for nothing is a great testament to the company's commitment to customer service. I am a fan of Dillon stuff partly for that reason.
I have four pounds left of Unique and 16 pounds of Bullseye. I guess I will have to stick with those as I don't know anywhere near me (I live in Butte County about 90 miles due north of Sacramento) where I can get a spherical powder. I don't even know if powder can be mailed, can it?
I will make a wild guess that such things as powder charge consistency may be easier with a single stage press?

[divingin]

I don't even know if powder can be mailed, can it?

I will make a wild guess that such things as powder charge consistency may be easier with a single stage press?

Mailed, no. It can be shipped via UPS or Fedex but requires payment of a hazmat fee. Primers are the same.

Things do not get better with a single stage press. The problem is the grain size and shape of the powder does not lend itself to consistent filling of a given volume, so the charge varies.

Things may get better with a better powder measure, though I have found that a better measure just makes it so you talk about the problem less because you spent more on it. YMMV.

[bigbossman]

Mailed, no. It can be shipped via UPS or Fedex but requires payment of a hazmat fee. Primers are the same.

Individuals can not ship powder or primers. You need a Hazmat cert for that, and that costs money and involves training.

[divingin]

Individuals can not ship powder or primers.

The question did not specify an individual. Simply asked if it could be mailed.

[bigbossman]

The question did not specify an individual. Simply asked if it could be mailed.

Sure, but your answer.....

...requires payment of a hazmat fee. Primers are the same

....is not correct. Shipping powder and primers requires a certificate/license and training, not just the payment of a hazmat fee.

[divingin]

Sure, but your answer.....

....is not correct. Shipping powder and primers requires a certificate/license and training, not just the payment of a hazmat fee.

Having it shipped from a retailer, end user (or occasionally, the retailer) pays hazmat fee. End of story. As I said, the poster did not ask if an individual could ship, just if it could be shipped. Why argue about conversation points you added to the conversation? OP didn't ask about buying from an individual.

[smoothy8500]

Hmmmm, like when someone butts in on your cellphone conversation as you use the toilet in a public bathroom...

[David Jackson]

I wonder where I can get Winchester 231?

[David Jackson]

I've never used a Square Deal, but had a 550 a long time ago.

First things first: A grain variation in a 45 ACP load is a lot. That is likely somewhere from a sixth to a quarter of the charge weight. A tenth or two I'd live with, but a full grain may get into dangerous area, depending on your load.

Assuming your Square Deal uses an auto-drop powder measure, Id suggest a couple of things as a "try first" type of solution: Lubricate the powder measure moving parts with dry graphite (smoother operation should improve consistency to some degree), and make sure your actuation of the press handle is as consistent as you can make it from stroke to stroke. If it's a manual drop, try to get your actuation of the drop as consistent as possible.

That said, Unique has never been known to measure consistently; the flakes are too large to meter well. You should find that Bullseye will meter much more consistently than Unique (though it, too has problems depending on equipment and technique.) If you want stuff that really meters well, look for a ball (aka spherical) powder like Winchester 231.

Turns out that Dillon has a thicker spacer which they are sending me, that should solve my problem.

[divingin]

I wonder where I can get Winchester 231?

Start hitting the net like several times every day. Same as for any powder, and any primer.

Best of luck; I haven't seen any powder I normally use be available in quite a while.

[David Jackson]

Start hitting the net like several times every day. Same as for any powder, and any primer.

Best of luck; I haven't seen any powder I normally use be available in quite a while.

Well, now that Dillon is going to send me a slightly thicker spacer for the small powder charge bar I am no longer worried about the charge weight being consistent. I have been using the large powder charge bar at, I think, its smallest setting and the charges have been quite uniform, many exactly the same, one after the other and variation only a tenth or so. I expect my previous problems came because the loose fit of the spacer and actual powder charge bar allowed irregular disbursement of powder. The thicker spacer should eliminate that problem. With the loose fit I think no powders could be dispensed properly.

I check quite often for .45 cases and such, same results as you report.

[David Jackson]

Start hitting the net like several times every day. Same as for any powder, and any primer.

Best of luck; I haven't seen any powder I normally use be available in quite a while.

Well, now that Dillon is going to send me a slightly thicker spacer for the small powder charge bar I am no longer worried about the charge weight being consistent. I have been using the large powder charge bar at, I think, its smallest setting and the charges have been quite uniform, many exactly the same, one after the other and variation only a tenth or so. I expect my previous problems came because the loose fit of the spacer and actual powder charge bar allowed irregular disbursement of powder. The thicker spacer should eliminate that problem. With the loose fit I think no powders could be dispensed properly.

I check quite often for .45 cases and such, same results as you report.

[David Jackson]

Pretty much. Measuring the case length on .45acp is a waste of time. Proper taper crimp and plunk test is all that is necessary.

I will pay closer attention to crimp diameters I guess. I have had no problems with that but will take your advice.
Plink, Plank, Plonk, Plunk! I have been plunking pretty much all along and will keep doing it. I just loaded 600 rounds + over the last week or so and found 5 which did not plunk, two were fine after a second trip through bullet seating and crimping, three were not. Close inspection revealed hairline cracks on the sides of the cases; hard to see at first but after you see a couple you can spot them easily. I don't know what the result would be firing such rounds and I don't really want to find out!

[xfer42]

I wonder where I can get Winchester 231?

W231 and HP38 are the same.
In stock at the moment here:

https://store.thirdgenerationshootingsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/14861/

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