Reloading pressures

[ovenpaa]

Shout if you need it trimming back to size, I can get through it very quickly in the lathe, I was surprised at how easy it is.

[majordisorder]

A bit of fun spurred on by a certain forum member who was throwing text messages at me this afternoon...

I turned a mandrel sized at .453 as I so not have any .45ACP dies and dropped it into a Sinclair Mandrel die, this is not a straight forward job as they are only designed to go up to around .340" however it is doable. Then chop some RWS brass off to length, I use a collet chuck and parting tool and they take just a few seconds to chuck up, part off, de-burr and remove.

The cases sized with the new mandrel using Imperial Sizing Wax (Accept no substitutes!) Finally seat the bullets with very little finesse and this is the end result.

L-R is an original .45ACP case, a .308 RWS trimmed to size and then two 'longer' builds because I could, the stretching of the case is the work of the mandrel not the bullet and gives an idea of how far it would need blowing out in the fire form stage. I would be inclined to build a dedicated sizing die using a PTG blank (Cheaper than building my own) The expanding can be done in one hit.

HTH..

P1150181.JPG

Being totally non technical and having no access to any form of machinery is this achievable by Joe Public without major investment? Or would you take an order for a couple of dozen .308 --> .45 ACP?

[ovenpaa]

I can certainly trim to length and expand a couple of dozen or a couple of hundred .308 cases or more if you wish however quite what you choose to do with them once you have them is down to you as I have no expertise in this area.

[ovenpaa]

....just a thought, what is the thickness of standard .45ACP brass?

[Alpha1]

Seems like a awfull lot of work and expense to shoot out to a 100yds with a caliber that is not really suitable for that.
Why dont you just buy a cheap .308 or a milsurp and play with that.

[Sandgroper]

All in all, I don't think going beyond 45 Super levels is really worth the effort, not when you consider the effort in obtaining and then trimming 460 Rowland brass.

And I've just gone and bought some .460 today

Those fps figures you got, were they for rifle length barrels or pistol? Since everything I've seen says add 250fps+ for the longer barrel. Infact BBTI has just got some data for the Rowland too http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/460rowland.html

Pistol 5 inch barrel.
For 45ACP (230gn) BBTI quotes about 100fps increase and for the Rowland (230gn) it's about 150 fps increase.
Whatever the case may be (or you use ) good luck and I hope you achieve the outcome you're hoping for.

For me I'll be sticking with 45 Super or going for a bigger case.

[forbie]

I reckon that 308 cases will be weak at the top of the web once fire formed there or there abouts.

[Blu]

....just a thought, what is the thickness of standard .45ACP brass?

Just happened to have one here at the computer and a micrometer, 0.010 That is Starline brass, I also mic'd Remington and Federal brass which was the same as Starline, Winchester brass was a little thicker at 0.011. All cases were clean and free of crud. BTW that is not metric, it's old money.

Blu

[ovenpaa]

Thanks for that Blu, I have some Federal 45 Auto brass here which is .012" so a similar thickness .308 brass is considerably thicker at .022" when trimmed to .898 in (22.8 mm) so is it going to fit the chamber?

[dromia]

Sometimes its best to just ignore the "good idea " fairy!