.45 auto case trim question...

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Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
250
Location
Anchorage, Alaska
I have about 3 reloadings with 300 brass .45 auto...should I ck each one for length and trim if needed...I understand that handgun brass isn't critial for length...?
 

Snake45

Hawkeye
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
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+4020
I don't think anyone who reloads for .45 Auto has ever seen or heard of a case that was "too long." You will either lose them or split the necks long before you get to that point.

I have .45ACP cases that have been reloaded 10 or 12 times, and still going strong.
 

slippingaway

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
525
Location
Strum, WI
I have a case length gauge/trimmer for 45auto, but I never use it. Straight wall 45 cases don't "grow" like tapered cases do. They might a little bit, but not enough for me to worry about.
 
Joined
Jan 18, 2004
Messages
404
Snake45":1efulfx7 said:
I don't think anyone who reloads for .45 Auto has ever seen or heard of a case that was "too long." You will either lose them or split the necks long before you get to that point.

I have .45ACP cases that have been reloaded 10 or 12 times, and still going strong.

Same here. I have hundreds of 45ACP cases that have been loaded
over a dozen times. I never trim or even check them for length....
just load and shoot. Never have any issues doing this.

Dennis.
 

J Miller

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 30, 2000
Messages
977
Location
Not in IL anymore ... :)
I have thousands of empty .45 ACP cases. I've loaded them and many thousands of others and to date I've never found one that's too long.

Too short, yes. Beat and battered till the head stamp is gone, yes. Splits, yes. Never too long.

Joe
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
My 45 cases shrink over time. After maybe 10-12 reloads, some of them are short enough that my Para Ordnance will not load them properly. My S&W does not seem to care.
I resized them all, measure, and rejected any that were below minimum. Now all is well.
 

Enigma

Hunter
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
2,511
Location
Houston metro area, TX
I trimmed a bunch of .45 ACP cases once. I couldn't discern one tiny bit of difference in how they shot. I haven't trimmed any since then.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
I too load a LOT of 45 ACP cases annually. And I shoot a lot of them. They get reloaded a lot. I never have trimmed any.
The one thing I do is use a "case chamber check guage." Mine is from Dillon. I use it so that any possible "out of spec" rounds won't be used in competition.
 

mattsbox99

Hunter
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
3,391
Location
Montana 'Merica
andyo5":1kqb6gyc said:
My 45 cases shrink over time.


Yes, this is because .45 ACP is such low pressure (target loads even less) that the case doesn't expand enough to seal the chamber and the case slams against the breech face and the pressure actually pushes the case mouth back. Magic, I know.
 
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