.45 ACP with 3" barrel

Bloodnativ · 08-13-2003, 12:57 AM

I recently bought a Springfield Micro Compact in .45acp. It is the one with a 3" barrel. Really small. Excellent carry gun! This gun has proven to be very accurate with just about any factory load I put in it. I want to start rollin' my own for it. I have reloaded for rifle so I am familiar with the process. My question is, are there any special considerations as far as powder and bullet selection that I should take into consideration? I plan to start with the Hornady 200gr XTP but what powder? I assume I will want a faster burning powder so as to achieve the highest velocity out of the short barrel. Any ideas? Thanks.

98Redline · 08-14-2003, 06:37 PM

I have always used Wincheser 231 for my .45. I don' t have the charge data as all of my reloading stuff is packed away since my last move. I have also used Universal Clays but that had a tendancy to leave burnt powder flakes in be breech and barrel.

Initially you may not want to start reloading hollowpoints. Most of the .45s out there don' t have a throat that is polished or beveled enough or a fully ramped barrel. You may end up with an unacceptable quantity of feed jams, especially for a carry gun.

If your are just starting out for your .45 I would stick with standard FMJRN bullets as you work up your loads. Once you have your load worked up and are more comfortable with the .45 then go ahead and change the bullet.

Also some guns are very finicky with regard to the OAL. I have a ParaOrdinance P-14 .45 fully set up for IPSC Limited class. It shoots great and will feed any bullet I give it as long as it is seated just a bit shorter than the max SAAMI OAL. Vary off of this spec by even a little bit and the thing will feed jam continously.

One thing to take into consideration, especially if you are going to use this as a carry gun. The use of non factory (reloaded) rounds has proved to be some legal trouble from time to time if you ever have to use the gun in self defense. For plinking, use the reloads, they are a heck of a lot cheaper. But for carry, I would use a good quality factory loaded bullet.

thndrchiken · 08-31-2003, 09:37 PM

I have an Ultra-Compact. I find 231 with wlp primers is about the cleanest, uique not being bad either. My Lyman # 47 show a factory speed of 838 fps MV with a 230 fmj, a max load of unique of 68 is supposed to yield 916 fps. Each gun will be different with each style of bullet. The fmj feeds like a dream, Winchester SXT' s and Federal Hydroshock, feeds just as well. Us flat points and won' t reliably feed. I' ve also polished the feed ramp to improve the feed. My carry load is FACTORY LOADED HYDROSHOCKS. Even though my handloaded ammo basically duplicates the factories performance just a different bullet. One word of advise use quality brass is you handload your

spd522 · 09-17-2003, 09:27 PM

Curious why you are using the XTP. Are you loading a defensive load or something to target shoot or practice with? Very good but expensive target bullet.

I concur with the other posts and I would use factory ammo for defensive use since you may need to defend yourself in court after defending yourself on the street. My Colt Defender has 185 gr CorBons in it that kick out at 1060 fps in a 3" barrel. Plenty accurate for defensive work and hit hard. The mentioned Hydroshoks and SXT are also excellent factory loads.

I shoot a lot of 45ACP in competition. Lead bullets are cheapest but also dirtiest and smoke alot. Semi-Wad Cutters are great for scoring with clean holes in paper. Unless you have had your feed ramp polished, I wouldn' t necessarily recommend them. They can be finicky in some guns and need to be loaded just right.

Round nose or ball ammo is the easiest to load. It is generally more forgiving and nothing to hang up during the feed process. I load a 200 gr round nose moly coated Precision Bullet and it is very accurate and clean. For most loads, I use 5.5 grains of Winchester Super Light for around 900 fps but it is a discontinued powder so when I' m out, I have to switch. I will then use VV 320. It' s a clean and accurate powder, and it is excellent for 9mm that I also load a lot of.

Don' t necessarily load for the most velocity. Anything in the 850-900 fps range is plenty fast for a 200 gr bullet for most shooting. Your gun will take less of a beating too. Especially if it is an alloy frame.

I loaded the Defender with some very soft shooting loads for fun. These were the 200 gr precision bullet with 4.2 gr of WSL. It chronographed at around 560 fps and still functioned fine. It kicked less than a .380 Sig I had. Actually felt closer to my Ruger 22/45.

Get a Dillon Reloader and a case gauge to make sure your finished cases are sized right. And make sure you seat the primers flush. 45ACP seems to be more prone to misfires than other calibers if the primer is even a tad high. Then have fun.