[Magnum man]

I'm considering reloading for 45 Long Colt with jacketed bullets. Most Hornady "Heavy" bullets are .452 diameter. I want to load the Lighter .451 diameter bullets (45 ACP?) in the Long Colt. Will this pose any problems? I just gotsta know.

 

[captain-03]

Should not be a problem regarding diameter. May need a tighter crimp to keep 'em from backing out in the cylinder upon recoil.

Also, I would not think that accuracy would be as good - but, who knows!!

 

[Magnum man]

Yeah, the accuracy crossed my mind. I'm really looking to make a load for just plinking around. I don't like using lead bullets. Too much of a mess to clean up for me. Some folks might like cleaning the lead out. I don't.

 

[captain-03]

Yeah, the accuracy crossed my mind. I'm really looking to make a load for just plinking around. I don't like using lead bullets. Too much of a mess to clean up for me. Some folks might like cleaning the lead out. I don't.

Don't give up on lead boolits!! With the proper fit and hardness, they perform as well as or better than jackets. The two leading causes of leading is improper fit and harness ... as for clean-up, I have more problems with dirty powders than I do with the lead boolits ... just a thought!!

 

[msredneck]

only way to know if .451 will work well is slug your barrel...

Smiths are generally tighter than Rugers...again...gotta slug the barrel...To do so...pound a piece of soft fishing sinker lead down the barrel with a hammer and dowel and then measure it with a dial caliper...take several measurements and then average them....my guess is the .451's won't make a hill of beans diff...so start with the .452's

Since learning to cast...I don't have much need for commercial pistol ammo except what I carry for defense

Leading is not a problem unless you use full house loads...high velocities cause the leading issue...say over 950 FPS....I've never seen a need for hot lead loads personally..The lighter loaded ones are generally more accurate anyway

My :2c:

 

[SubGunFan]

With pure wheel weights and "properly" sized & lubed, lead bullets should be good to about 1200fps without leading the barrel.

I have loaded and shot some .451 JHPs in 45 Colt, but so far only for chrono, not accuracy. Chronoed very well (low E.S.).

.

 

[charlie2t]

With pure wheel weights and "properly" sized & lubed, lead bullets should be good to about 1200fps without leading the barrel.

I have loaded and shot some .451 JHPs in 45 Colt, but so far only for chrono, not accuracy. Chronoed very well (low E.S.).

.

You are right subgunfan. I shoot "Cowboy Action" with Ruger Vaqueros in .45 Colt. I size my boolits .451 and have never had a problem with them. I have cranked some made with wheel weights up well past 1000 feet per second(old model Vaqueros) with no significant leading and they were accurate. Before some rule lawyer jumps on my case about the SASS maximum velocity rule, the 1000 fps+ loads were not for competition, they were for experimenting with what the .45 Colt would do.

 

[canebreaker]

Looks like I would see leading in some of my loads, but never a problem. I've shot pure lead, pig lead, wheel weights, babbit, battery lead and solder. I've never tested it for hardness. I've loaded light so I could see the bullet hit the target and heavy so it would burn my hand. 2 revolvers, 3 pistols and 2 rifles, not the first jacketed bullet through any.