That is, until I tried IMR 4227 with Lymans #452424 and a 20.0-grain load, and that combination produced one-hole groups. Contest open to U.S. residents only. For loading black powder 45 Colt loads, I use Goex as well as Pyrodex and Triple Seven. A favorite pastime of many dedicated sixgunners is sitting around a campfire arguing the merits of their particular choice of caliber. Then something dramatic happened in 1869: Smith & Wesson brought forth the 44 American sixgun that used fixed ammunition. For developing the accompanying data, a 1970 vintage (second generation) Colt New Frontier SAA with 5.5-inch barrel was. It is often associated with its vital role in settling the western frontier, where it found favor with lawmen, outlaws and anyone that needed a potent sixgun. Contest open to U.S. residents only. No purchase necessary. It is impossible to go wrong with the 45 Colt. This is a plain base bullet and I found out very quickly it was not very accurate in either rifle. 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. Heavy loads that are safe for use in the Ruger Redhawk would destroy a fine Colt SAA. (NOTE: Sections marked Ruger Only are not for the New Model Blackhawk Flat-Tops or the New Vaquero!) The more powerful loads are only suitable for strong handguns like the Ruger Blackhawk and the Thompson Center Contender. models. This brings us to powders, and I use a lot of Hodgdon powders. 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. http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/ad.php?t=78528, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi&id=1465047205, Vintage Boxes - Gear, Shell, Case, Primer, Group Buys Design, Active , Waiting and Archives, Closed Buys/Waiting for delivery/in shipment, If this is your first visit, be sure to Contest void where prohibited by law. Cast RCBS 45-270-SAA bullets are generally loaded to an overall length of 1.650 inches to not over 1.655 inches, utilizing the full length of the Colt cylinder. Everyone who has a Ruger Blackhawk or Freedom Arms single-action revolver realizes the roots of these modern guns go back to the Colt Single Action Army. Arizona Game & Fish Department, State Agency: (I) Giveaway ends March 31, 2023. The Colt fanciers had .45's, usually in the New Service model, unless they were cowboy fans who had SAA's. The guys that worked in the paper mills and machine shops had 1917's. If you want-ed a handgun with power, the GI surplus .45 ACP in the 1917 was the only thing you could afford to shoot as reloading "ca'tridges" was unknown. Share to Twitter. Next we will look at jacketed bullets in .45 Colt leverguns. The new rifle is built on an aluminum billet chassis with carbon-fiber forend and cheek riser featuring V-block bedding. The Oregon Trail 250-grain RNFP bullet should be seated with an overall cartridge length of 1.570 to 1.580 inches, depending on case length. What Happened to the Trail Boss Load Data? However, there are two problems associated with it: case capacity and cylinder throat diameters. This lets it feed in many cowboy-action guns and use common 45 ACP load data. Two other powders for standard loads include W231 and HP-38. replacement barrels from the 1930s, each slugged between .451 and .4515 inch. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. 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. Employees and agents of Publishers Development Corp. are not eligible. Eric Poole and Tom Beckstrand test the Aimpoint Acro P-2 against one of red dot sights' biggest myths: distance. A gun with these internal dimensions offers a much fairer assessment of the accuracy potential of all data. If cast soft enough they can also slug up to create a gas seal, which helps reduce fusion and barrel leading. However, in those long-gone days I was able to find two Winchester Trappers both in .45 Colt and the Marlin versions in both calibers mentioned. Lyman Reloading Handbook 48th Edition 2002 Ocr The new 9mm suppressor can mount easily to any pistol barrel threaded x28 inches and doesn't compromise on sound suppression, gas blowback or recoil. The Colt SAA .45 Colt with a 4.75-inch barrel ranks as one of Brians favorite handgun configurations. The day of the percussion revolver would soon be over, and even Colt could see the future and began converting 1860 cap-and-ball sixguns to fire cartridges. The final level includes custom five-shot Rugers and the Freedom Arms Model 83. .45 Colt Load, Red Dot or Clays? - SASS Wire Forum (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Lyman: Meeting the needs of shooters and reloaders Below you'll find some basic data for each cartridge to help get you started. It didnt take long for manufacturers to offer heavier bullets, and two of the best came from NEI. Contrary to popular belief, the Mason patented spring-loaded, cylinder-pin release catch first appeared in 1896 around serial number 164,000, which were still black powder guns. (In fairness, many historians maintain that original loads contained 40 grains of black powder with 255-grain bullets, including noted Colt authority John Kopec.) At 1,400 fps it is an excellent hunting bullet. ew eginnings - Mark 7 is now part of the Lyman family! I would conclude this powder is much more consistent in speeds than others that I have tried in the .45 Colt. When he died in 1862, the company was dedicated to producing the same percussion revolvers. No purchase necessary. There are now 25 states with so-called Constitutional carry and Florida appears to be approaching permitless carry, which translates to more citizens S&W Set The Bar For Magnum Handgun Performance 50 Years Ago. Handgun Reloading Data .45 Colt 9mm Luger .32 Smith & Wesson Long .32 ACP .357 Magnum .44 Magnum .41 Remington Magnum .460 S&W Magnum .38 Special .327 Federal Magnum .357 SIG .25 Automatic 10mm Auto .500 Linebaugh Powder Data Accurate 5744 Hodgdon Extreme Powder Alliant Reloder 15 Norma Powder Ramshot Powder Accurate Powder Vihtavouri Powder By the standards of the day when it arrived in 1873, and even to this day, the 45 Colt was and is a powerful cartridge. .45 Colt Rifle Data (Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition) reloading data with 0 loads. No data for RX7 and this bullet in the 1886 Winchester & 1895 Marlin section. For the 45 Colt, I especially prefer the 250-grain RNFP and the 255-grain SWC. I can not find any reliable load data for Blue Dot with cast bullets. (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. The 1894 Winchester Trappers have a long, strong action and even though the chambers are somewhat over-size, they will handle any load you can normally load in a .45 Colt case for use in sixguns with six-shot cylinders. They include a (1) restored 1900 revolver with carved grips, (2) 1903 custom engraved, (3) 1901 with carved pearl grips, (4) 1899 with carved grips, (5) 1957-era custom, (6) custom 1901 with stag grips, (7) 1903 with custom carved grips and a (8) Colt New Frontier SAA with custom carved grips. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. 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. ok 45 long colt lovers,,ring out ,lets hear from you,,the more the merry. In spite of the above factory loads featuring the old Government bullet profile with a relatively small meplat, they are still effective. 275 grain 45 colt load - The Firing Line Forums There are many good jacketed bullets for the .45 Colt. .45 Colt +P Medium Frame Sixguns (Pet Loads) - Handloader Magazine For something with more thump, it would be wise to find some published load data and buy some bullets that match that data. RF - 8.2 grains Unique Now we are all confused! Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Meet the all-new Taurus Judge Executive Grade, a revolver featuring a hand-polished satin finish, presentation-grade wood grips, a brass rod front sight and an exceptional hand-tuned trigger. .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 Rhode Island Department of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: Load up some Low Recoil handloads. Elmer Keith was way ahead of his time in developing everyday working and hunting loads. 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. Want to practice more with that big-bore hunting rifle or enjoy that magnum pistol more at the range? No substitutions or transfers to third parties allowed. If you want those speeds and power, buy a .44 magnum. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Elmer Keith was way ahead of his time in developing everyday working and hunting loads. But in guns with large throats, dont expect top accuracy from any bevel-base bullet. .45 Colt Keith bullets: Lyman #454424 (264 gr. (I) Giveaway ends February 28, 2023. A check of Hodgdons loading manuals shows these two powders using the same charge weight produce the same velocities and pressures. Copyright. It takes at least two rounds to be able to see if the rounds are too long to accomplish both operations. John makes up dummy loads using available cast bullets to make REDUCE RIFLE AND HANDGUN CHARGE WEIGHTS BY 10% TO ESTABLISH A STARTING LOAD. Sam Colt became a millionaire producing percussion revolvers. For the .45 Colt my standard load is 5.5 grains of Clays, which gives from 780 fps to 840 fps depending upon the sixgun used. Clays, Universal, HP38, HS6, HS7 and H4895 are products of Hodgdon Powders. Energy in foot-pounds (ft-lbs) is not a good method to measure a straight-walled cartridges effectiveness, particularly when using nonexpanding bullets. Wolfe Publishing Company | 2180 Gulfstream Suite A | Prescott, AZ 86301. We are blessed to have many excellent cartridges and sixguns available to us, but it would be hard to find any cartridge that is as versatile as the old 45 Colt. 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. S.A.A.M.I. For example with the 4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk, I use the NEI 310-grain Keith bullet over 21.0 grains of WW296 or H110 for 1,125 fps in the sixgun and 1,445 fps from the Trapper Barrel. H110 works well for heavy bullet loads in the .45 Colt levergun. Factory warranties may apply in some cases. Loading the .45 Colt It's vital to understand today's loading manuals typically include .45 Colt loads at two different power levels: under 14,000 CUP and under 29,000 PSI. The charge weight is 9.2 grains. Data can be searched by cartridge name, powder name, and bullet weight. The top of the can says NOT FOR HANDGUN LOADS. Before loading any ammunition for leverguns, I first make dummy rounds to be able to check both feeding through the action and chambering. 5, No.7, No. RNFP), 1007 MAX+ (Actual in 7 1/2 bbl 255 gr. By this time Winchester had changed its name to USRAC (United States Repeating Arms Co.) and the Trappers were offered in two versions, a blued receiver or a case-colored receiver. My brass of choice is Starlines excellent 45 Colt brass with CCI 300 Large Pistol primers for all powders, except I switch to CCI 350 Magnum Pistol primers with IMR 4227, H110, W296, and all black powder and black powder substitutes. That brings us to the next level, which includes 45 Colt revolvers built on the Ruger Super Blackhawk frame and the Ruger Old Model Blackhawk, the arrival of which led to two separate load sections showing up in loading manuals. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. It has never failed me. I have been surprised by the fact the Marlin feeds Keith-style bullets perfectly. The Complete Reloading Manual For The 45 Colt Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. So both the up and down positions were closer in speeds and the spreads were noticeably closer. The availability of all of these bullets is dependent on how much time I have to cast my own. I normally stay under 900 fps with a 250-grain bullet in Colt Single Action Army revolvers and its replicas. In guns with .452-inch throats, the Magma designed 250-grain RNFP offered by most commercial cast bullet companies (Oregon Trail used here) can be surprisingly accurate. These can be safely driven to 1,200 fps in the Ruger Blackhawk. Hodgdon's Clays And Your .45 - GUNS Magazine Quality 300-grain jacketed bullets are also offered by all three of these manufacturers. RCBS also offers an excellent bullet of standard weight with the #45-255KT that has a better crimping groove than the Keith bullet. It is impossible to go wrong with the 45 Colt. Marlins from the era have Micro-Groove rifling which may or may not work with cast bullets. Alas, the days of gun departments in grocery stores, department stores and drugstores are long gone. 45 long colt favorite load data - Gunloads.com To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. Note that the Ruger New Vaquero uses a smaller frame and cylinder (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. The 45 Colt brass was up to the task. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. Associated taxes and fees are the responsibility of winners. 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. The Lee bullet works well in my Winchester (Miroku) 1873. All entries must be received by giveaway end date. Winners will be notified by certified mail on official letterhead. You can certainly use the Jacketed bullets fine, but dont look for incredible speeds. The company also distributes IMR and Winchester powders as well as Goex black powder. and while they do not have the slick action of the slightly smaller Model 1892, they are fast handling and come up to the shoulder quickly. It basically started in the early 1870s as a round-nosed bullet given a slight flattened nose. It is becoming more popular with the Cowboy Action Shooting since it is a mild load and can be shot in the guns chambered for the .45 Colt. We are currently populating the cartridge drop-down menu with updated cartridge renderings, new propellants and bullets, and links to complimentary product pages. now im looking for top performance load data to ass to my load data book for this caliber. Guns with larger throats will usually produce improved accuracy when loaded with bullets that measure .454 to .456 inch. It is a good choice for self-defense, long-range shooting, hunting everything on four legs, and just plain fun shooting. However, it cannot be approached the same as smokeless. New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, State Agency: His 45 Colt bullet was #454424 and was available for decades from Lyman. Use 10% UNDER any values you see here for N-100. When the Marlin and Winchester Trappers first arrived in the early '80s, the #1 45 Colt bullet was still Elmer Keith's #454424 weighing about 260 grains from my alloy. 11; firearms used: Universal Receiver & Ruger Blackhawk; barrel length: 7 1/2"; twist: 1-16"; groove dia.