Burnt 45 reloads

Dagnabiteieio · Jan 23, 2014

I started reloading as the way to afford the sport. And of course the questions come along with it. I have read a few forums around the net about burnt casings and everyone says it is caused by under loading creating a poor seal. All of my 45 acp reloads are coming out with burn marks on about 1/3 of the case using a Hipoint and an MPA 10SST. Factory shots are clean. I am using 230 RN with Hodgdon Longshot. The Longshot loads go from 6.0 to 6.8 so I loaded up some 6.4, 6.6 and 6.8. All the brass from all three loads in both guns had the same marks. So I went with some single loading so I could identify 6 o'clock on the round and the results are that all the burn marks are all on the bottom were the powder lies in the casing. So I rotated them 180 and the burning went away :s0114:

. Conclusion: the burn marks are not from poor sealing (that's a guarantee with the 6.8) but are a hot spot where the powder lies and burns. The next step it to load some with 800 x or HS-6. Is this a powder problem? Is it preventable? It is not enough to damage my brass but factory loads run clean. Suggestions?

My 3 sons · Jan 23, 2014

Sounds like a characteristic of the powder.
I had heard Longshot could be used for 45 rounds but I only use it for my chipper shotgun loads. I load Accurate #5 or unique for ACP and trail boss or unique for colt rounds. My colt rounds will have powder residue on the outside because I run them softer. My ACP rounds only had this on lower end loads.
Try a different powder I bet it goes away.

SinisterSouthpaw · Jan 24, 2014

You have burn marks on ALL your cases at 6 o'clock when chambered without regard to orientation, from the magazine, I would think, but it cleans off? And then if you rotate the case 180 and load by hand, no burn marks appear at all?

1-how do you know the burn (burnt carbon ) was at the bottom of the case as it laid in the chamber when fired?

2- If the burnt powder/carbon cleans off the case it is only on the surface and did not "burn through" the case.

3-No matter how you orient the case, the powder still lies in the bottom when the gun is in firing position.

4- it would be interesting and informative to load a few rounds oriented any old way, but by hand as you mentioned above and see if hand chambering is the cure for this symptom. If it is, you may want to rethink your bullet seating and/or reduce the amount of expanding you do on the case prior to charging.

5-My copy of quickload indicates a charge of 6.8gr. of longshot burns at what I consider to be underpressure (14343 psi) when used with a 230gr. bullet seated .259" into the case and only burns 87% of the powder in a 5" barrel. The pressure spikes sharply into the danger zone only a few hundredths of an inch deeper. At a seating of .33 inches into the case, the pressure is 19034 psi and efficiency is down a % point. I knew there was a reason I don't use that in my ,45s...........converting cup, which Hodgon uses on their website to psi is difficult, so I just stay out of the red and purple zones on quickload and try to remain in the yellow almost never dropping into the white-- for whatever that is worth---anyway, it almost looks like you were destined to have some odd experiences with this powder in that cartridge?

Dagnabiteieio · Jan 25, 2014

Maybe it was a misprint to list Longshot as a viable powder for the 45 ACP. I loaded up some rounds with IMR 800X, going with 6.6 and 6.8 and went to the back yard. They both shot flawlessly in the 10SST and SA's XD. Just need to get over to the range and check FPS. I actually liked the feel of the 6.8 800X over factory. Problem solved. Thanks guys. :s0155:

SinisterSouthpaw · Jan 25, 2014

As we all know: these days you gotta shoot what you can get. Maybe when things get back to "normal" you'll be able to get some N340 and shoot some really good groups and/or obliterate the bowling pins at god intended...............