0.451 in a 45 long colt?

[from the Hip]

Gentelmen,
Has anyone used the 230gr 0.451 dia bullets in the 45 colt or in the 454 casull? I have inherited a 5gal bucket, but I dont shoot the 45 acp. Accuracy? ... Swedging?... or do i just melt them down?

 

[.45 COLT]

I've used the SPEER 230 grain Gold Dot & the HORNADY 230 grain XTP in the .45 Colt. Taper crimp or LEE Factory Crimp die, either one works. No Ruger-Only loads, those bullets aren't built for those velocities.

DC

 

[Scorch]

They should work just fine, but they don't have a crimp groove. Like 45 Colt said, taper crimp.

 

[Unclenick]

Only two possible problems:

The least of these would be if your .45 LC was old and had the pre-change .454 bore diameter? That can cause accuracy loss and leave more powder fouling. Modern .45 LC are all .451 to simplify bullet selection.

The other is that if your 230 grain bullets have no cannelure, crimping for the revolver will be made more difficult. Failure to put a good roll crimp in a revolver round allows bullets to back out under recoil. The cylinder acts like an inertial bullet puller collet, and the recoil like the hammer blow. As a result, the bullets can start sticking out of the chambers and prevent the cylinder from turning. If the bullets have no cannelure, shoot them only as lighter loads and use a Lee Factory Crimp die on them.

 

[from the Hip]

thanks Gentelmen,

 

[popbang]

I load 230 grain FMJ, HP, Gold Dots, round nose lead, and even 225 grain truicated cone bullets in 45 Clot frequently. I do use a mild charge of 9.0 grains of Universal or Unique under them. Not hot by any means but not a mouse fart load either. I have never had a bullet pull. With good neck tension and firm taper crimp you won't have any problems.

 

[shu]

Yes, most 45colt seating/crimp dies will likely have a roll crimp. Lee FCD would be a good solution for a taper crimp, but I am making do with the 45acp die for seating and crimp when using non-grooved bullets in 45colt.

 

[44 AMP]

Pre-WWII guns in .45 Colt...

Have a .454 groove diameter. Post WWII guns generally have a .451 groove diameter, and will be fine with .45ACP bullets. Note the Ruger Blackhawk convertable in .45Colt/.45ACP. One barrel handles both quite well.

A crimp will be needed, but a roll crimp is not. Taper crimp will work well enough for any reasonable loads. Using the ACP bullets in the heaviest .45 Colt loads is not reasonable, and ought not to be done, but loads under 1000fps will be fine, and a taper crimp should suffice. A little expirimentation will show if your crimp is enough. One simple way is to put a witness mark on a round (magic marker on bullet and case), and fire five rounds. Then look at the 6th round (the marked one), and if there has been no bullet movement, you have enough crimp. If the bullet has moved forward any, you need more crimp.