45ACP help resizing

[Sac-AR15]

I own a Sig 1911 and have never had to resize my cases. But I use Lee 4 die set on my Hornady LnL AP. No issues at all with any of my 1911's.

[tdyoung1958]

I own a Sig 1911 and have never had to resize my cases. But I use Lee 4 die set on my Hornady LnL AP. No issues at all with any of my 1911's.

leave out the last step and see what happens . . .

[call-in]

to-may-toe, to-mah-toe, I believe he is referring to a factory crimp die. I don't have one so don't know exactly how one works but according to this post:

The dies include a carbide ring in the bottom that size the loaded ammo before and after the crimp is made, assuring the finished cartridges are to spec for easy loading into the gun's chamber.

[huckberry668]

to-may-toe, to-mah-toe, I believe he is referring to a factory crimp die. I don't have one so don't know exactly how one works but according to this post:

I have LFCD for all my pistol calibers but I have the sizing rings enlarged by .004" so they don't resize most of the rounds. sizing loaded rounds is more often detrimental to accuracy than the reliability benefit it adds. I also have LFCD for rifles but i don't use them anymore.

What is the 'to-mah-toe' in this case? crimping ain't sizing. Golden Saber ain't XTP and not all crimp dies re-size.

My suspicion is on the gun and not the ammo. 'Resizing' or 'crimping' factory loaded ammo may not be the solution.

Remington Golden Saber rounds' ogives profiles are designed very differently so they'd feed more reliably than others. XTP has a traditional ogive profile. 45 cal 1911s with unsupported chambers are prone to feeding issues with hollow points. If you don't fix the source, you're going to have problems with other rounds too.

Please give us more of your Sig 1911's 'won't feed' symptoms.

here is the comparison of Golden Saber vs XTP:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601149956/remington-golden-saber-bullets-45-caliber-451-diameter-230-grain-jacketed-hollow-point

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/342056/hornady-xtp-bullets-45-caliber-451-diameter-230-grain-jacketed-hollow-point-box-of-100

[CalTeacher]

it's the whole difference between a 3 die reloading set up and a 4 die reloading setup

4 die setups resize the shell once loaded, 3 does not . . . Hornaday uses the 3 die process as do most reloaders. My Sig has a match grade barrel that has higher tolerances and needs the 4 step process otherwise it doesn't feed right. Doesn't matter that it's factory ammo, it's how they do their process. Remington uses a 4 step process with their Golden Saber line which is what I've been using. But I can't find anybody that sells them around here.

I have a little under 100 Hornaday XTP's that need sized to feed right. Two ways to do it, use a 3 die press and remove the primer punch from the sizing die or use a 4 die press and the 4th die sizes it

Sounds like you don't have much experience reloading. Let me enlighten you. I use 3 die setups exclusively for pistol. The sizing is done on the first stage, while seating/crimping is done on the 3rd and final stage. No other stages are necessary unless you like to seat and crimp on separate stages. Any post sizing after the bullet is seated/crimped is unnecessary or a solution to a problem that should be fixed at stage 1.

Commercial ammunition manufacturers like Hornady and Remington likely use other, more expensive, reloading setups with automated machines that don't use the same dies that we, the reloading consumer, use on our presses. If the ammo doesn't fit your chamber, then the ammo should be sent back to the manufacturer for a refund or replacement. Trying to resize the loaded ammo will likely only lead to detrimental accuracy. Try these things to see if what the problem is:

1. Invest in a set of calipers. Measure your loaded ammo. If it is within spec then the problem likely is with your firearm.

2. Compare the size of your problematic ammo with ammo that works. See if there are any significant size differences at the mouth of the case and just above the extractor groove. If there is a difference, just send the ammo back.

3. Take your barrel out of your firearm and chamber check the ammo. Just drop the loaded round in your barrel. It should drop cleanly into the chamber with an audible "clank" without hesitation. If it fits easily, again, the problem is likely with your firearm.

[call-in]

I have LFCD for all my pistol calibers but I have the sizing rings enlarged by .004" so they don't resize most of the rounds. sizing loaded rounds is more often detrimental to accuracy than the reliability benefit it adds. I also have LFCD for rifles but i don't use them anymore.

What is the 'to-mah-toe' in this case? crimping ain't sizing. Golden Saber ain't XTP and not all crimp dies re-size.

My suspicion is on the gun and not the ammo. 'Resizing' or 'crimping' factory loaded ammo may not be the solution.

Remington Golden Saber rounds' ogives profiles are designed very differently so they'd feed more reliably than others. XTP has a traditional ogive profile. 45 cal 1911s with unsupported chambers are prone to feeding issues with hollow points. If you don't fix the source, you're going to have problems with other rounds too.

Please give us more of your Sig 1911's 'won't feed' symptoms.

here is the comparison of Golden Saber vs XTP:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1601149956/remington-golden-saber-bullets-45-caliber-451-diameter-230-grain-jacketed-hollow-point

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/342...int-box-of-100

So I would venture that without having the sizing rings enlarged in your LFCD, it would resize the the round, right? Just because sizing happened in the crimp die doesn't mean it wasn't sized. What do we care if using the LFCD solves his issues?

[huckberry668]

So I would venture that without having the sizing rings enlarged in your LFCD, it would resize the the round, right? Just because sizing happened in the crimp die doesn't mean it wasn't sized. What do we care if using the LFCD solves his issues?

I care because it doesn't solve the real problem. Read my reply in its entirety before picking out 1 point to argue over. I had them enlarged so they won't size my loaded rounds but then again, my guns don't have feeding problems (that's the point).

The LFCD may or may not size the reloaded round due to the mix headstamps and various wall thickness. What it does is limit the largest OD a loaded round can be.

In his case LFCD may not size his Hornady rounds at all or may size some of them. And if it does in deed sizes all of them, it's going to size some of the bullets smaller than .451". I don't think it helps him at all even if it does fix the feeding problem. The point is, resizing factory new ammo to fix a feeding problem isn't the real solution.

[call-in]

I picked one point to argue because that is the only point I can argue, and all I'm really saying is that sizing can happen in a crimping die which seems like what he would like to do (good or bad). The info you have provided to the OP is excellent (I learned a thing or two myself) but we cannot make the decision for him. So if he want's to use a LCFD to resize new factory ammo, then that is his call.

[Pete1979]

I understand and have the same problem when using bulk cast bullets. Could simply be a bullet diameter of .001 larger on the XTP or as he stated the loading process. All my .45 goes through a tapered 4th die that sizes the finished round. If you were closer I would loan you mine.

[bandook]

He'll be ok running the rounds through the lee FCD.
XTPs are jacketed and so are less susceptible to resizing than lead bullets.

[Chief-7700]

A dissenting view of the Lee FCD:
The FCD fixes a problem with Lee Dies.
Why don't Dillon, RCBS, Redding, Hornady, CH offer a FCD?
Using an FCD means that your dies are not adjusted.
I have loaded close to 70K of .45ACP with out Richard's fix all you mistakes die.
Just my humble option..

[CalTeacher]

If the ammo is truly out of spec, why not just send them back to Hornady for a refund/exchange? Instead of messing around with a solution that can introduce more problems...

[CenterX]

Have you mic'd the loads and cylinder?
If they are not in spec. Call the manufacture.
Best of Luck.

[huckberry668]

I picked one point to argue because that is the only point I can argue, and all I'm really saying is that sizing can happen in a crimping die which seems like what he would like to do (good or bad).

LOL, open and honest. Good attitude Colin.

OP can most definitely do whatever he wants. From my experience, he'll likely prove himself wrong. But he came to us so I thought I'd offer him a new angle from my experience.

I'm looking at it from a more 'source of the problem' direction. Feeding problem is most likely a gun or mag problem and not ammo (especially factory new). Doesn't matter the topic came up in Ammo and Reloading forum either. Sizing perfectly good ammo to cycle thru a defective gun is a futile exercise. To prove the gun is not the problem, shoot other 'flying ashtrays' and see what happens.

[Pete1979]

No doubt the chamber is on the tight side but since I rarely shoot store bought, I would also size the rounds to fit before I would send a reamer down a finished chamber.