What 1st mold to get?

Armored Metal

Armored Metal

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Hey guys, I just started making ingots and needed your opinion on what mold would be best for .45 ACP an .45 Colt. I'm thinking of getting the Lee mold 452-230-TC. Would this be a good choice to shoot in both my 1911 and my 1873 clone?

I intend to lube my boolits with 45-45-10 and eventualy try powder coating.

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Personally I would stick with something that has a crimp groove. Crimping might be a necessity for your 45 Colt. I crimp all of my revolver reloads.

My Norc 1911C likes 200gn SWC when 230gn RN aren't available.

M
 
gnmontey said:
Personally I would stick with something that has a crimp groove. Crimping might be a necessity for your 45 Colt. I crimp all of my revolver reloads.

My Norc 1911C likes 200gn SWC when 230gn RN aren't available.

M
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Are you thinking something like the Lee tl452-230 TC?

As a casting noob, I wanted to stay away from a boolit design with so many grooves. I read it was easier to get a better fill with less grooves.
 
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Heavy load in a .45 colt revolver will pull the bullet, jam gun(inertia). U could roll crimp onto the ogive to prevent bullet pull. Without a crimp groove, a tubular lever rifle could collapse the cartridge. For .45 acp a taper crimp on end band at proper length is good. A good tight fit of bullet in neck will prevent most problems.
 
Armored Metal said:
Are you thinking something like the Lee tl452-230 TC?
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No, more like

452-200RF
452-228-1R
452-252-SWC
452-255-RF

I think those multi rib boolit designs are more for lubing with liquid Allox and such.

My 38 and 44 Lee molds provide two lube grooves and a crimp groove. My 45 Lee molds provide 1 lube groove and a crimp groove. I have never had a problem getting them to fill.

M
 
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Thanks for the replies guys.

What boolit type would be best for both automatic and revolver? Would I be taking a chance with SWC in my pistol? I've only shot ball ammo and JHP in it and never had any feeding issues.

BTW, I'll be reloading light to medium plinking loads only. No heavy stuff.
 
Actually a crimp groove isn't totally necessary in a cast boolit. I've crimped thousands wherever I need too for them to feed flawlessly in different guns. Marlin 1894 is a good example, haven't found one yet that will feed every 158 or 130 gr bullet (.38 SP)without "double clutching" sometimes with bullets seated at the crimp groove. I have to seat the bullets half ways between the first grease groove & crimp groove ( OAL 1.515 or thereabouts). I have crimped different hardness's from COWW to hard cast commercial stuff between the grooves with no degradation in accuracy. Every match the wife has won in the past 15 yrs was with "between the groove" crimped ammo (rifle & pistol)...woe be my ride home if she ever has to "double clutch" her rifle during a match with ammo I built for her LOL.
No noticeable shortening of the life span of brass that was crimped in the fat part of a bullet, some of mine have been reloaded probably 50 times since 1973 and still usable (and I use a very hard roll crimp).
 
fingers284 said:
Actually a crimp groove isn't totally necessary in a cast boolit. I've crimped thousands wherever I need too for them to feed flawlessly in different guns. Marlin 1894 is a good example, haven't found one yet that will feed every 158 or 130 gr bullet (.38 SP)without "double clutching" sometimes with bullets seated at the crimp groove. I have to seat the bullets half ways between the first grease groove & crimp groove ( OAL 1.515 or thereabouts). I have crimped different hardness's from COWW to hard cast commercial stuff between the grooves with no degradation in accuracy. Every match the wife has won in the past 15 yrs was with "between the groove" crimped ammo (rifle & pistol)...woe be my ride home if she ever has to "double clutch" her rifle during a match with ammo I built for her LOL.
No noticeable shortening of the life span of brass that was crimped in the fat part of a bullet, some of mine have been reloaded probably 50 times since 1973 and still usable (and I use a very hard roll crimp).
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Good info! Especially about the roll crimp☺
 
Armored Metal said:
Thanks for the replies guys.

What boolit type would be best for both automatic and revolver? Would I be taking a chance with SWC in my pistol? I've only shot ball ammo and JHP in it and never had any feeding issues.

BTW, I'll be reloading light to medium plinking loads only. No heavy stuff.
Click to expand...

Pick a bullet that will function in the autoloader, because everything works in a revolver anyway. There have been some reports of less than stellar accuracy and some keyholing with the LEE TC 45 and 9mm bullets. Some SWC feed Ok in some pistols, but there is no guarantee what will work in yours, you need to try it to find out.

The RN 90351 is interesting.
 
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jethunter said:
Pick a bullet that will function in the autoloader, because everything works in a revolver anyway. There have been some reports of less than stellar accuracy and some keyholing with the LEE TC 45 and 9mm bullets. Some SWC feed Ok in some pistols, but there is no guarantee what will work in yours, you need to try it to find out.

The RN 90351 is interesting.
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Will check it out. Thank you jethunter.
 
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