TexasCHLforum.com

Well, I am getting closer to having everything that I need to get started. I picked up .45 dies, bullet puller powder and case tumbler kit. My first reloading adventure will be in .45. So if you have suggestions. I have questions.
Okay, I have no primers. In the lymann book it calls for 2 1/2 large pistol by Remmington for .45. I don't want to assume (we all know what that does) so spell it out for me. When I look at the different primers the 2 1/2 dosn't show on any other brands. I am thinking that it is just Large Pistol Primers that I need to be looking for. Also is there a brand difference or brands to stay away from?

Yes for 45 acp you use Large Pistol Primers. I prefer to use CCI brand myself.

My range load for 45 acp is a 185 gr swc berry's plated bullet over 6.1 gr of win 231 using a CCI large pistol primer. For 230 fmj bullet, I only use 5.8 gr of powder.

A word of caution if you use range pickup brass: There are at least 2 45 acp loads that use small pistol primers instead of large, Wint NT and one of the Speer. When I get these brass, I discard them.

>Also is there a brand difference or brands to stay away from?

Any of the big names (Rem, Winchester, CCI, Federal) should be fine. I've heard good things about Wolf, but have never used them.

The differences between the brands tend to be the 'hardness' of the primers. With factory springs you shouldn't notice a difference, but an IPSC customized 1911 with a light hammer spring potentially might not ignite a CCI primer (the hardest) but would work fine with Federal (lightest).

For 45acp you should be able to use any of them without a problem.