A Redding Dual Ring Carbide sizing die was used to develop handload data. check out the. The revolver and ammunition were officially adopted for service in 1873. Bullets from RCBS mould 45-270-SAA, which usually weigh around 280 to 285 grains, are designed to maximize powder capacity, are accurate and an excellent choice for hunting big game. Notes: cases: Winchester; trim-to length: 1.275"; primers: Winchester WLP; primer size: Large Pistol; Lyman shell holder: No. It also is a most versatile powder as it can be used for standard loads for the Colt SAA and heavy loads for the Blackhawk. replacement barrels from the 1930s, each slugged between .451 and .4515 inch. With the 45 Colt, IMR 4227 is almost magical in being able to provide excellent accuracy when other powders will not. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. On the other end are the Ruger Only loads. When tactical lights first came out, we all thought the 50 lumens they offered was astounding and could never get better. We are currently populating the cartridge drop-down menu with updated cartridge renderings, new propellants and bullets, and links to complimentary product pages. SWC - 9.6 grains Unique Lyman # 454190 , 250 gr. Keith bullet, the Lee 452-255-rf 250gr bullet and the RCBS 45-270-SAA for .45 Colt. It has many additional virtues, primarily its big-bore performance and reliability. The 45 Colt brass was up to the task. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. Bad Idea! Next we will look at jacketed bullets in .45 Colt leverguns. Failure to do so could result in severe personal injury (or death) and/or property damage. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. However, Dick Casull started with the 45 Colt single action and the weak 45 Colt case to come up with his cartridge, which eventually became the 454 Casull. Improving the Keith Bullet Keith's #454424 was an excellent bullet, however it has been improved by Dave Scovill and is offered by RCBS as #45-270SAA. Sep 8, 2016 (Edited) Greetings, recently I received a quantity of .45 185 gr LSWC's. This one is from Lyman 48th addition Reloading book. A Modern rifle should handle these loads equally as well, such as the Winchester Model 94. FWIW Dale53 #Permalink 1 0 There simply is not much that cannot be accomplished with the 45 Colt. Prizes will not be awarded if illegal in jurisdiction of winners. Beginning in the early 1980s both Winchester and Marlin began offering .45 Colt leverguns. I custom tailor my loads for the Trapper to match with the sixgun I am using alongside. Target loads in .45 Colt - Cast Bullet Forum Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, Altor Pistols, P.O. Chris Johnson, FN Senior Product Manager, walks us through two new FN striker-fired pistols at SHOT Show 2023: the FN 510 Tactical, chambered in 10mm Auto, and the FN 545 Tactical, chambered in .45 ACP. All Freedom Arms cylinders are held to very tight tolerances and whether using 45 Colt or 454 Casull brass, I size with a special 454 die. In the large .45 case, a large difference has been noted in speeds. It follows Keiths original idea of three equally sized driving bands, one forming the base, the middle one serving as the top of the grease groove, and the front driving band helping true up the bullet in the cylinder and is located above a generous crimping groove. The key for best shooting is to size cast bullets accordingly and open the throats if necessary. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, State Agency: Contest open to U.S. residents only. Contest open to U.S. residents only. There simply is not much that cannot be accomplished with the 45 Colt. The original conical bullet found in black powder 45 Colt loads from the 1870s is very close to the Lyman #454190 and the RCBS #45-255 FN. 45 Colt - Cast Bullet Forum and other smokeless cartridges were introduced. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. .45 Colt +P Medium Frame Sixguns (Pet Loads) - Handloader Magazine However, the first known commercial listing is found in the 1880 UMC catalog. With the coming of Rugers Blackhawk chambered in 45 Colt in the early 1970s, we finally had a sixgun that could tap the tremendous potential of the 45 Colt cartridge. The original Winchesters, whether chambered in .44 Rimfire or .44-40, all used cast bullets as jacketed bullets did not start appearing until the early part of the 20th century. Want to practice more with that big-bore hunting rifle or enjoy that magnum pistol more at the range? This brings us to powders, and I use a lot of Hodgdon powders. Below you'll find some basic data for each cartridge to help get you started. Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th edition. For several years Smith & Wesson cut throats at 0.455 inch or even larger, but now they seem to be running at a more proper 0.451 to 0.452 inch. ), RCBS #450255KT (258 gr. Most manufacturers have recognized the need to offer revolvers with correct throat dimensions including Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Uberti, USFA and others, but not Colt. With their 16 barrels the Winchesters weigh right at 6 lbs. The .44 Magnum is a great cartridge that offers a flatter trajectory and helps to make hits easier at longer distances; however, this added performance comes at the cost of greater pressures, heavier guns, increased recoil and muzzle report. It is clear why the .45 Colt had such a stellar reputation as a man stopper and for its effectiveness on game. Pyrodex P is the equivalent of Triple-F or FFFg black powder. Jacketed bullets are also more difficult to push down the bore and therefore produce less velocity than a cast bullet of equal weight. The Freedom Arms Model 97 also is in this group. Sam Colt became a millionaire producing percussion revolvers. Alaska Department of Fish & Game, State Agency: .45 Colt Rifle Data (Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition) reloading data with 0 loads. Addeddate 2019-02-27 13:08:05 Identifier LymanReloadingHandbook48thEdition2002Ocr_201902 Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t9093sd5t Ocr ABBYY FineReader 11.0 (Extended OCR) In 1898, Colt made the necessary changes to permit its guns to be used with smokeless powders; however, it wasnt until 1900 (revolvers with serial number 192,000 or higher) that Colt began to officially warrant its guns for such. A pair of Old Model Blackhawks with 4-5/8 and 4-3/4 barrels put five rounds in 1 at 20 yards while traveling at about 800 fps. .45 Colt - Published Manufacturer Loading Data Shellholders: Lee #11 Lee #14 Lyman #11 RCBS #20 Recipe Type: Pistol Ruger, Freedom Arms & Thompson / Center only 30,000 PSI-HIGH PRESSURE LOADS 14000 PSI-STANDARD LOADS Ruger and Contender Only Cowboy Bullet Weight: ALL 135 gr 160 gr 180 gr 185 gr 200 gr 210 gr 215 gr 225 gr 230 gr 240 gr 250 gr * Pet Loads and Handloader are registered trademarks of Wolfe Publishing Company. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. John makes up dummy loads using available cast bullets to make Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, State Agency: When he died in 1862, the company was dedicated to producing the same percussion revolvers. But the 45 Colt is a survivor. It follows Keiths original idea of three equally sized driving bands, one forming the base, the middle one serving as the top of the grease groove, and the front driving band helping true up the bullet in the cylinder and is located above a generous crimping groove. The Smith & Wesson Model 29 is the sixgun by which all other .44 Magnums are judged. PDF The Future of Reloading 45 Colt Load Data - Guns and Ammo (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. There are many good jacketed bullets for the .45 Colt. For example, the .45 Colt with a 255-grain bullet at 860 fps (Winchester) generates 419 ft-lbs, while the .44 Magnum with a 240-grain bullet at 1,180 fps (Remington) generates 741 ft-lbs. I have used them to take big game, including mule deer and bears. However, this approach causes some bullet deformation by being shortened, then sized down in the barrel, which still leaves accuracy potential on the table. The charge weight is 9.2 grains. Elmer Keiths custom Colt single action was used to develop his heavy 44 Special loads in the late 1920s, and for a long time the 45 Colt cartridge was accused of being weak. His 45 Colt bullet was #454424 and was available for decades from Lyman. * which is just a little over maximum Colt loads (but mild for Ruger) shot an average of 880.2 fps pointing up and 708.0 fps pointing down, but the spread between shots was 146 fps and 235 fps respectively. The other problem, that of cylinder throat diameters, centers around the fact that they vary considerably. Stay tuned. Nitro 100, No.2, No. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Elmer Keith was way ahead of his time in developing everyday working and hunting loads. For testing I go with three shots at 45 yards. There were no 45 Colt heavyweight bullets available at the time, so we sized down 300-grain 45-70 bullets in several stages, going from around 0.460 inch to 0.452 inch. Space constraints keep me from looking at all of these powders in depth, but I can cover a few. The Colt SAA .45 Colt with a 4.75-inch barrel ranks as one of Brians favorite handgun configurations. They often equal or surpass the accuracy from my carefully tailored hand-cast bullets. I normally stay under 900 fps with a 250-grain bullet in Colt Single Action Army revolvers and its replicas. Contest void where prohibited by law. The Lee bullet works well in my Winchester (Miroku) 1873. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th edition. - Free Online Library Cast bullets can be sized to .455 inch (assuming the mould casts bullets large enough), which again helps to reduce bullet tilting in the throat. in pistol calibers than the old. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. you use any of these loads listed below with STARS (*). (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Balloonhead cases were discontinued around World War II but still show up regularly on handloaders benches. It is a good choice for self-defense, long-range shooting, hunting everything on four legs, and just plain fun shooting. My gun was a new model Bisely blackhawk long barrel. The new-for-2023 lineup includes ultralight hunting stocks and a VGA 2-pound adjustable vertical-grip stock. Over the past 35 years all four of these leverguns have shot extensively with both jacketed and cast bullets. So if one used 40 grains by weight of Pyrodex when the chart called for 40 grains of black powder, the result would be an overloaded charge. The powder that has the lowest velocities are produced by Trailboss which also has the advantage of filling up the 45LC case. Before loading any ammunition for leverguns, I first make dummy rounds to be able to check both feeding through the action and chambering. It was submitted to the U.S. Army in 1872 and would become known as the Colt Single Action Army, Model of 1873, Peacemaker, Model P, Thumb Buster and a host of other affectionate names. Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: | Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. hi guy, for awhile now i have slowly been adding to my collection,,i just got 2 molds, a rcbs 255 grain ,,and a lyman 325 grain gc,,,i got the dies, the powder, had dale put my name on miha list for his 45 long colt hollow point mold, ,i have some brass, i got the dies,, but still looking for that one 45 long colt gun. I have yet to find any levergun or sixgun that does not shoot this Dick Casull-designed bullet exceptionally well. We were soon shooting 300-grain bullets at 1,200 fps from a 7.5-inch-barreled Ruger revolver. Originally loaded with 40 grs. Both of these are plainbased Keith-style bullets, and their numbers are #310.451 and #325.454, with the first three digits giving the approximate bullet weight. The 45 Colt also predates the 38 Special, the 44 Special, and the 45 ACP, and not only is it more than 80 years older than the 44 Magnum, but it also has more case capacity and in the proper sixguns can outrank the 44 Magnum. I usually select an expander ball that is at least .003 to .004 inch smaller than bullet diameter, which helps prevent bullets from jumping crimp and aids in achieving consistent powder ignition. However, I crimp the #45-270 over the front band to ensure trouble-free feeding. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, State Agency: His #452490GC was originally made for the 45 Auto Rim cartridge for use in the Smith & Wesson 1950 Target revolver, but I also use the Thompson design, which weighs around 255 grains, for heavy-duty loads approaching the energy of the 44 Magnum in the Ruger Blackhawk. In the event that a bullet walks out of the case slightly from recoil, Brian suggests an overall cartridge length that is at least .010 to .015 inch below flush with the end of the cylinder. The availability of all of these bullets is dependent on how much time I have to cast my own. Minnesota Deptartment of Natural Resources, State Agency: Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, State Agency: Contest open to U.S. residents only. The standard groove diameter for the .45 Colt is .451 inch minimum and .452 inch maximum. Data can be searched by cartridge name, powder name, and bullet weight. All Guns and Ammo subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. Facing off in a handgun challenge featuring the smallest professional-grade enclosed red dot sight on the market, Eric and Tom put the Acro P-2 to the distance test by doing a walk-back challenge. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, State Agency: Need 45 Colt Revolver Loads | 1911Forum (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. I found the following heavyweight bullets all would work through both the Winchester and Marlin actions: NEI 310 Keith, NEI 325 Keith, Lyman #454629GC 300-grain FN, RCBS #45-270 SAA weighing around 284 grains with my alloy, and I also checked the #454490GC design by Ray Thompson, which is a 255-grain Keith-style gas-checked bullet. You find load data for cartridges in caliber .45 Colt with all common powders and bullets by clicking the "Loads in this caliber" button above. The weight would more properly be closer to 32 grains. Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not get near the FPS charted. The .45 Colt operates at notably less pressure, produces a slower, more. For the 45 Colt this is the Single Action Army revolver. Note: Powder Mfgs. At 1,400 fps it is an excellent hunting bullet. Handgun Data. Marlins from the era have Micro-Groove rifling which may or may not work with cast bullets. It should be crimped over the ogive and seated to an overall cartridge length of around 1.575 inches, which helps reduce case capacity and results in lower extreme spreads with powders that tend to be position sensitive. Later production revolvers and lever action rifles are built with .451 diameter grooves., This statement has been repeated many times but holds very little truth. They are my choice for everyday use and also for hunting larger, tougher game. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. My loading dies are from Lee, Lyman, and RCBS, and all of them give excellent service. This is a great all purpose load for the .45 Colt. [See page on powder location in case affecting FPS elsewhere on pages] In fact, an axiom with me is, When all else fails, try IMR 4227 before giving up. Years ago, after tiring of oversized 45 Colt chambers in Colt Single Action Army revolvers and New Frontiers, I started with a 357 Magnum New Frontier, had the cylinder rechambered properly and tightly to 45 Colt, and then had a new 4.75-inch Colt New Frontier barrel fitted. If I had to shoot only one factory ammunition the rest of my life, I would. It shoots VERY well, the recoil is tolerable, and it cuts a clean hole in both targets and small game. No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. Idaho Department of Fish & Game, State Agency: That is, if the loading table calls for 40 grains of black powder, then one uses a 40-grain volume powder measure for the same amount by volume of Pyrodex.