So today I got out the Blackhawk and was cleaning the 45 Colts cylinder in preparation for some loading . It had a crude ring in it that looked like I'd shot 4-500 Schofields through it , that case is just 1.100 . So I got it cleaned up and grabbed a bunch of random Colts brass and started measuring , 1.260 ...... Crap I've been hunting Nevada where I was required to have 1.280or longer cases ...... They're supposed to be 1.285 .

Outside of the crud ring no harm ..... I guess I'll have to trim a bunch of brass down to 1.100 . I only have 35-40 cycles on most of this brass I guess I'll have to bust out the 4 bags of new Win or the brass stretcher . I sure hope the new brass is long enough.

Nope never trimmed any of it . All of it is from factory ammo circa 2000-2008 . I guess that explains why I had to keep adjusting the crimp die down . No they weren't all Colts loads most of them were just over max Colts loads just into low Ruger loads with 255-265 gr cast getting along at 1050 fps MV.

As an addendum to this I did measure a bit of lower milage brass and that is much closer to the correct length .

I haven't shot much the last few years but I have been seeking better suited equipment for my needs which included die exchanges and a move to steel dies for the 45 Colts . The 2 sets of RCBS carbide were taking my .480 fired cases from the BlackHawk down to .469 when I FL sized then flared back up to .476 for the .454 dia cast and about a .484 mouth . The steel dies are better only taking the body down to about .475 and leaving the neck about .473 . Which is what lead to all of the measurements and finding the cases so short . Not that it makes a huge difference in the RBH really . I used a Lyman AA deluxe set plus a 4th steel die , it's actually an early carbide sizer in the deluxe set and it only sizes .475 . The steel 4th die , a loose die in this case , does .477 and a .475 neck . The RCBS 3 die steel set is not an option at this point as it sizes .474 and .470 mouth dia making it almost as bad as the carbide dies . At one point I had 5 full 3 die sets of Lyman and RCBS dies on the bench .

This has resulted in a need for a new solution to sizing wearing out brass . I had a M92' copy of 92' Winchester because of it's just weird oversized .489 body and .450 groove it got segregated brass which I sized with a Lee FCD body for 45 ACP and the universal decapping die . Making extra steps and other stuff for me to whine about . I figured I could dig it out and see what it actually sized . The last time I used it i was fixing a bunch of 45 ACP with fat heads for a 1917 as a push through sizer . So I ran a few cases . .4785 and it's carbide . The cap/plug is 5/8-18 for those still reading along . So the next project will be to drill and tap the $2.75 5/8-18×1-1/2 bolt 1/4-28 for the spare RCBS decapping rod and cut an oring groove about 3/8" up because I ain't buying a nut for that . Then I'll have a carbide sizer that only sizes about .003 instead of .013 that has to be taken back up .01 at the mouth just to get a bullet seated .

That might warrant its own thread about mixing die sets to get where you need to go .