Urbanti

Thanks for all the suggestions and please keep them coming. I will try backing down the Clays load from 3.8 to 3.5g Clays under the 200g Precision SWC. Also, if anybody has any particular suggestions for a different powder/COL combination for some slower/cooler powder that I might try with the 200g precisions, pls jump in. The end goal is an economical, accurate, minor load in .45 ACP that also minimizes cleaning time. Clays cleans up easily hence my initial decision to use it rather than Bullseye, W231 or TG. VV 310 is not readily available in my area without expensive shipping surcharges etc. Best Tim

["No, I don't want him to shoot WOLF in my gun." Re: Wolf - we have had (understatement mode ON) extensive but not particularly intellectual (understatment mode OFF) discussions on this topic on some of the black rifle forums. It's weird in that there is no data to substantiate the claims that steel cases are somehow injurious to modern firearms, but there is a significant group that relies on "I heard it down at the gun shop" or "my brother in law is a LEO and he says..." kind of unscientific information. I don't shoot it in .45 ACP b/c it's not reloadable (to my knowledge). Love it in my ARs b/c I don't reload rifle ammo. Best Tim

Trying 200g .45 ACP Precision lead/moly coated SWC over 3.8 of Clays in an effort to find a nice all around plinking load that's cheaper than FMJ and without the mess of cast & lubed lead bullets. (My experience with plated bullets has been mixed). The Precisions loaded very smoothly in my Dillon 650, no lead shavings etc. My crimp was @ .468-9". COL was around 1.256". Three .45 ACP 1911s of mine all shoot them very accurately, so all good so far. After firing 100 rds of this load in my STI .45 ACP Trojan, was displeased to find noticeable leading immediately forward of the chamber. Are my expectations too high - or should I try lightening up the charge a little bit. The economies are appreciated, but if this gets me back into the barrel scrubbing mode, this will not be a clear cut success. Thanks in advance for any advice, Tim

Just wanted to say thanks to all the responders. I bought the Dillon .40 S&W gage. So far, it looks like every stinking reloaded cartridge of mine passes the gage, even the ones that originated as Glock-fired brass. Soooo, the combination of the EGW undersized resizing die and the Lee Factory Crimp Die appear to work as advertised. Thanks again, Tim

Need to buy a .40 S&W case guage for use making IPSC .40 S&W minor/steel ammo. Primary use will be to ensure that resized once fired brass will chamber nicely in stock STI Edge and in a Kimber single stack Gold Match. I see that Dillon advertises a stainless steel case guage for about ten bucks. Are all brands of case guages equally good, or does anybody out there have a specific recommendation, and if so why? thanks in advance for any suggestions, Tim

Major problem - a number of my mags are so-called "carry mags" 120mm long. The Grams and Dawson magazines apparently do not fit such 120mm magazines. Any suggestions as to how I can obtain easy on /easy off, prefereably + something, magazine base pads would be greatly appreciated..... Thanks again Tim

Newbie question not explicitly covered in previous posts I have read: STI edge in .40 for limited/limited 10 with 120mm and 140mm sti stock magazines - having punctured my fingertip lots trying to reassemble stock mags with stock base pads, I want to go to an aftermarket "no fuss" base pad like the dawsons I see guys using at matches. I am confused about the +0,+1,+2 configurations, don't want to inadvertently make my mags illegal for limited. Please tell me how to determine which "easy on, easy off" magazine base pads that fit sti magazine tubes are legal on my 120, 140mm magazines... thanks in advance for any suggestions Tim

FYI - for anyone lurking who was also interested, one of my local club gurus suggested 165g JHP or FMJ/Bullseye 3.9 to 4.4/OAL 1.150". I tried a number of combinations and really liked the Bullseye 4.4g load. Do not yet have a chrono but would guess pf 130-140s pf??? (Caveat: check published reloading data, don't rely on information on the Internet, etc). be safe Tim

Bill - thanks very much. Do you know if the load should be increased any if I use a jacketed, as opposed to a plated, bullet (assuming that Berrys are plated bullets? Also, have you had any difficulties with metering of straight Clays? thanks in advance Tim

Want to load a batch of .40 165g Montana Gold FMJ bullets for use in a stock STI Edge with a 11lb recoil spring. Could load any length between 1.135"- 1.200". Prefer a pf of 130-140. Titegroup works well in my 180g loads but covers my forearms in unburnt powder. Anybody got any proven steel-type loads using other powders? Cleaner = better. thanks in advance, Tim

Thanks very much for all of the thoughtful replies. I have adjusted the new trigger's overtravel stop screw, and will take the pistol to the range and test it. Am completely out of .38 Super so may take a week to reload more. Thanks again very much, will report back an unusual results, Tim

Thanks very much for all the help. Checked the pistol last night and the overtravel screw is set all the way out - ie unscrewed toward the muzzle end of the pistol. Could not detect any trigger bumping the sear or hammer. Set the overtravel screw by screwing it in until the trigger was unable to trip the sear, then backed it out about 1/4 turn...if that is not a correct process pls feel free to let me know. Will inspect sear spring next, and report back to the group. May try substituting another good sear spring and see results. Thanks again, Tim

No trigger job, although the stock trigger was replaced by my gs with a short greider trigger recently. Will check sear spring tension, will check sear and hammer engagement surfaces. Thanks very much Tim

Follow up Post: Must be the 151 grain plated Rainier bullets, because the gun shot pretty big groups with a variety of other powders as well, including WW231 and VV 3n37, although the Bullseye loads were by far the worst. Tim

My 1911 steel single stack full size 38 Super Kimber started exhibiting strange behavior this last weekend: during the course of firing several hundred rounds of medium strength FMJ handloads, three or four times the hammer ended up on half cock, or completely down, at the completion of the slide cycling/loading a round process. (No FTFs, No FTEs, slide locked when empty, so no issue with a short cycle). Is this called "hammer following"? I cannot make the hammer do this by dropping the slide on an empty chamber once or twice. Q2: Does this clearly mean that I need a new hammer/sear, or are there other possible causes? Q3: Is there any value in having the OEM Kimber MIM parts worked on, or should I just bite the bullet and buy tool steel parts? Opinions welcome, gun has been taken out of action for time being to prevent any inadvertent full-auto moments, Tim

Just got around to trying 38 Super 151g rainier fmj bullets (.356") in new brass with 4.3g Bullseye and cci primers. OAL = 1.259". Shot it out of a 5" steel Kimber 38 Super limited 10 gun (oem barrel, no compensator, no optics, etc). Gun is normally accurate, today couldn't get 3 rounds to group within 3" at 10 yards. As a control I then shot my .40 Edge, which grouped very nicely as usual (thus proving it wasn't like a REALLY bad day for the shooter ). Has anybody ever had a load that performed this abysmally? Crimp was very modest, just enough to take the belling out. Resized with an EGW u-die, seated and crimped with Dillon dies. Any insights would be appreciated, Tim

Have 1,000 Rainier 151 grain plated bullets for .38 Super Auto. Was hoping to come up with a steel load for a single stack 1911 Kimber using either Bullseye, Titegroup, or W231. Thanks in advance for any thoughts, Tim

Thanks, guys for the assistance. I am using a Dillon 650, EGW sizing die, Redding Comp Seating Die, and Lee FCD. The lead shavings are tiny and not even close to a complete circle, like 1/32 of a circle. Over the course of loading 100 lead bullets they add up to a little sprinkling of lead chips on the circular shellplate. Discovered that I get similar effect but less using plated bullets. Will check FCD and report back. regards, Tim

Please don't respond by advising to load jacketed bullets I have been loading lots of 147g LFP bullets with TG and Bullseye. Price is right and really like the way the (stock auto) 5" 1911 shoots the slow/heavy 9mm slugs. Gun cleanup is more than Win WB but no problem. Only issue: using a Redding Competition Seating die and a Lee Factory Crimp die, I am getting tiny lead shavings on the shell plate of the Dillon XL650. After 100 or so rounds the Dillon is speckled with these tiny bits. For health, hygiene reasons would prefer to not create more lead shavings than have to. Tried to increase the bell, shavings still there. Thanks in advance for any advice, Tim

I have a Kimber Gold Match in .40 which does not reliably feed factory flat point ball from the Tripp Cobra mags (which are for 10mm/.40, and may well work great with ammo loaded "long"). Factory ammo in my gun prefers a magazine which is "shorter" front to rear than a 10mm magazine. So far my best/only reliable magazine for the .40 single stack is the Metalform .40 SW magazine. Mine is an eight round magazine but they come in 10 round magazines now also, I see on their website. Good luck, Tim

Hi Sturg - The Bomar-type adjustable rear sight on my Kimbers is retained by a set-screw. To get at it, first you have to screw the elevation screw on top of the sight all the way up with a flat bladed screwdriver. The top part of the sight will pivot up and towards the front, and eventually when you have totally unscrewed the elevation screw it will swing up and reveal the upper surface of the sight base. Remove the two small coil springs that serve to tension the elevation adjustment. Then looking down at the top of the pistol with the pistol pointing away from you, the set screw is ahead of the spring recesses and to the left, I think. It is obscured by some loctite type spooge, and you really need to ensure that you choose the appropriate allen-head driver to get it out. Mine did not require an inordinate amount of pressure. Good luck, Tim