Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading 45 ACP wadcutters help

In the great loading shortage of 2020 I am loading up some plated 200 grain SWC in a double stack 1911. I am playing with the length but have not been able to get them to chamber reliably. They do a "3 point" jam and it just requires me to pull the slide back a smidge and then they chamber on the second try. I have tried long and short, any tips appreciated.

What the misfeed looks like:


It shoots well though:

I always leave just a smidge of the bullet flat showing, also found that flat followers work better than rounded. Might also try a little stouter load as maybe your slide isn’t going all the way back on recoil.

I think Swifty52 covered it.
My load works well with a 16.5# recoil spring, but could go to 15# maybe. My mags are Wilson with Tripp rebuild kits.

Any value in trying a stiffer spring? I think I have a 16# in it.

My 1911 prefers this type bullet to be fed from a traditional mag with a metal follower. The Wilson mags won't feed them.

I have found exactly the opposite in that rounded followers always work the best for me and every other Bullseye shooter I know but to each his own. I would take a look at the extractor slot to see if something in there is holding up the case rim from sliding upward. Also polish the bottom of that extractor slot. If anything causes the head to stop sliding, you get a jam just like what you have.

As to the length, do the plunk test. Take the barrel out of the slide and drop in one of your loaded rounds. The case head should be slightly short or at most dead flush with the end of the barrel hood. If it is, your length is good to go. Are you using a taper or roll crimp? If it is a taper crimp (as it should be), what does you crimp measure. I would recommend .468.
Let us know how it goes please
Phil

Good answers above, I doubt a stronger return spring will help much and may make it worse but its cheap to try. If the rim is under or right at the extractor, check tension and extractor geometry. Also if the FP hole has sharp edges some cases can hang there with almost the same result. Not suggesting you go there but if the chamber throat is sharp on the bottom it can be rolled over just a bit. Don't get carried away just break the edge. If the barrel is ramped I'm no help there. I've got a few guns that don't like the plated SWC's but will feed LSWC all day.
I have used more taper crimp like TenX suggested as well. Some say the plated bullets don't do so well with a lot of crimp.
Seat and crimp in separate stations if possible.
Magazine lip type plays into this as well, I like the mags that let the round rise a little early.
There are books written on this subject and every gun is slightly different.
Pics of the loaded round might help.
Good luck
ETA, this guy explains the extractor fit well.
https://www.1911forum.com/threads/steve-in-allentown-extractor-fitting.829865/

Thats a great explanation of the extractor fit and function.
Phil

I played a little with the length. Stretched it out to the max and shot 10 rounds. Same problem with round 1 but the rest of the mag functioned. I will test it a little more. I am using the Lee FCD.

May just be the picture but it looks like you have a mega crimp on those. Do they go past flush with the hood when you plunk test them?

I’d vote for too much recoil spring weight causing the stoppage personally. I’ve seen that be the cause far more often than too little spring weight. In fact I’d bet that’s been the cause more often than not in 1911s not feeding that used to come across my bench. Guns that feed hardball fine will bobble with lighter bullets and lighter loads, especially with a rubber buffer on the guide rod.

Wish I had known these things around 1999. Be Well, and thanks for the ideas, RZ.

Still playing with them, ran well today. Crimp was to keep them from setback on chambering. FMJ would be easier, if I can find any.

Consider 255gr Badman or equivalent.

This is from the Wilson Combat mini-manual that comes with their magazines. It helped me when I loaded swc in my 1911:

"If you are reloading ammunition, cartridges with an overall length of 1.240" - 1.260" will provide the best feeding angle and timing for most 1911 Autos. We have found handloads consisting of the following give MAXIMUM reliability (H&G #68 200 gr. L-SWC; OAL 1.250" .468" taper crimp). "

What do the lips of your mag lips look like ( from the top)?

What design are they?
Some mags have hybrid lips ( for hardball and swc),. Some for hardball (straight, but flared), others are for swc ( parallel, with forward/early release). You may want to try either a hybrid lipped mag, or a true swc lipped mag design.

I use Checkmate 7-round blued steel mags, with hybrid lips. They feed and chamber my 200 grain cast swc loaded cartridges just fine ( 16 # spring in my Springfield MILSPEC, and wadgun (12# spring), and 230 grain hardball in my hardball config Springfield 1911.

Article, with pictures, about 1911 mag feed lip designs:
http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/read-my-lips.html

http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/conclusion.html

Lubricate the gun.

Another magazine lip feed analysis.

http://how-i-did-it.org/magazines2/conclusion.html


Are you using a mag designed for hardball? Post a picture of the top view of your empty magazine. If you are shooting semi-wadcutters in your 1911 45acp, get a magazine that has "wadcutter lips", not a mag designed for hardball/230 grain FMJ.

Right. The 45ACP headspaces on the mouth of the case. All you should do is remove the bell after seating the bullet.

45 acp should not be roll crimped at all. You should taper crimp them to .470 or so. That will allow them to headspace properly and hold the bullet just fine. It is a separate die and done after bullet seating.

It's a double stack mag..................... not exactly the same as a standard single stack 1911.

Between your gun's barrel throat & the magazine, I think you'll find your issue.

The rounds look OK for that bullet style.

Does the mag feed alternately from left & right or are rounds brought up to a single round center position?

MM