Done some 45LC reloads last night

gelandangan · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject: Done some 45LC reloads last night

Have a bunch (about 700 pcs) of old pellets that I used to use on my 45ACP reloads..
They are Hard Cast lead 150gn SWC with diameter of about .451" - very odd looking squat projectiles they are..

After the great Aussie gun grabs, I no longer have 45ACP gun.
So I thought to load these up on my 45LC brass..

Here is my dilemma..
I believe a 45LC barrel is 0.454" so the pellets are 0.003" smaller than the barrel.

So I reckon to load the pellets with some FAST powder such as Red Dot or AS30N,
in the theory that the fast ignition would sort of hammer the back of the bullet and swage / expand it to fit the barrel better.

I wonder if this theory can hold water? or hot gas in that matter Very Happy

Pumpkinslinger

Depends on how hard they are cast I guess. And I think think that most modern guns have 0.452 bores. Which .45 Colt are you loadig for? I have some Rugers. One thing I've thought of trying is putting a vegetable wad under the bullet to help obturate for the hard cast bullets.

gelandangan

I am planning to shoot this on a H&R 45LC/410 Survivor.

Just to add to the complication, there is a 3" smooth bore before the rifling where a 410 cartridge could fit..

Pumpkinslinger

Ummmm ... Good luck!

Vince

Load 'em into a 410 case Gelan. NO NO NO NO NO....ignore that last stupid ridiculous suggestion mate.

I don't think you will get the desired result mate. As Punkin said... depends how hard cast they are. That ".410" throat won't help matters either mate. If you do manage to get them to fire and exit the barrel ok, then I think that you will find they will be highly inaccurate and will be a waste of primer, powder and projectile.

Might be worthwhile selling them to someone that is allowed to have a .45ACP, or melt them down and cast them up as something else. You might be able to do a deal of some sort with a gunshop that sells cast projectiles.

Cheers, Vince

gelandangan

Hum.. Thats what I thought..

I wonder is I could swage them with a homemade die and a hammer to make a "skirt" at the back of the projectile..

PaulS

Why not swadge a gas check on the back?
If you got some 45 /70 gas checks they should work in either bore size.
That being said there is the problem with the long free bore - you are not likely to get accuracy with a 3" jump to the lands.
Is there a longer cartridge that will fit the chamber?
Could you load them as slugs in the 410 shells?
A slug would travel faster than a 45 colt bullet but it might not fit the bore well.
I have a 45/410 darringer that I have used both 45 Colt and 410 slugs in and the slugs are more accurate than the 45 colt, but slugs are dead soft lead not hard cast.

gelandangan

Hi Paul

I did thought of gas checks for this but I worry that after the 3" jump the gas check got caught in the start of the lands then separated from the projectile and cause even worse accuracy.

On the other hand, I am looking to expand a few .303 Brit cases to .45 cal.
Anneal then fire form is what I got told.
thus, By doing this I will have a 2.5" cartridge that fit the 410 chamber.
However, I worry about the load density of this size case.
SEE (secondary explosion effect) is what I am worried about.

PaulS

I know all about the secondary explosion effect.....
I loaded some starting loads for my 30-06 once and tried to seat the 165 grain bullet just off the lands. It went pop........
..................BOOM! and completely destroyed the case. My rifle was fine and I was just shaken up. That was the LAST time I tried to get close to the lands in that rifle.
If you use a powder that can be safely downloaded you will have an easier time of it. I think that H-4895 can be loaded to 60% of case capacity without any loss in accuracy or danger of pressure problems. Check it out.