45 Colt questions

[45C]

Hello
About 10 years ago I purchased some reloaded 45 colt.
2 different lots both loaded with 7.5 g w231

One has a brass cup on it ?
Was wondering what that’s for?

My plan was to pull them and reuse the bullets.
But not sure about that either.

Gun is 1860 .44 Army Uberti reproduction with a Kirst conversion kit

 

[wasa]

I would say that the brass cup is a gas seal to help prevent leading of the barrel. Guessing soft lead (vs hard cast).

 

[old303]

It’s called a gas check, used to reduce lead fouling with cast bullets particularly in magnum or rifle calibres.

 

[marshall]

Just shoot them, on hi speed loads , you would be glad they are on there. If you shot heavy loads in a carbine , that is likely what they where made for.

 

[saskgunowner101]

If that's a gas check, it's the tallest I've ever seen for height in relation to bore size. Are we sure these aren't what the old timers call "half jackets"?

 

[45C]

The cup is about 1/

If that's a gas check, it's the tallest I've ever seen for height in relation to bore size. Are we sure these aren't what the old timers call "half jackets"?

the cup is about 1/4 inch deep and they measure.450

 

[45C]

I have a bunch of .230 g powder coated bullets that measure.450 .
They should be fine as well?

 

[saskgunowner101]

The cup is about 1/

the cup is about 1/4 inch deep and they measure.450

I just measured a 45 cal check here, and it's .08 of an inch high (or deep), so that's kinda neat whatever you have there.

 

[45C]

I just measured a 45 cal check here, and it's .08 of an inch high (or deep), so that's kinda neat whatever you have there.

Ya , not sure exactly, bought them off the original owner of wolverine, many moons ago.. lol
I have some .40 cal gas checks and they’re more like a disc.

Whereas these are like a cup

So, just removed the brass cup and took a couple of measurements.
The base of the lead bullet is only .412.

The outside diameter of the cup is .449

 

[saskgunowner101]

Ya , not sure exactly, bought them off the original owner of wolverine, many moons ago.. lol
I have some .40 cal gas checks and they’re more like a disc.

Whereas these are like a cup

So, just removed the brass cup and took a couple of measurements.
The base of the lead bullet is only .412.

The outside diameter of the cup is .449

Bizarre.

 

[m777]

I'm sure it's a home swaged bullet with a half jacket

 

[Arctic]

I'm sure there a home swaged bullet with a half jacket

Hard to say, but Speer for sure used to make half-jacketed for 44's.

 

[fingers284]

Gun is 1860 .44 Army

I may be missing something here but are those .452 slugs not gonna be really really tight in that .429 barrel.

 

[dan belisle]

I may be missing something here but are those .452 slugs not gonna be really really tight in that .429 barrel.

1860 44 is actually a 45. - dan

 

[m777]

Hard to say, but Speer for sure used to make half-jacketed for 44's.

After digging out a part box of Hornady Half Jacketed 30 cal I was keeping for 30 carbine loads, I'm 50/50 now on half jacket or home swage

 

[old303]

Using a GC mostly comes into play when you're home casting but want to load it hot without lead fouling.

Personally, with a round like .45 Colt that can be anywhere from mild to hot, I'd rather see a lead bullet on the mild loads and a proper commercial jacketed bullet on the hot loads so I don't accidentally load the hot stuff in an unsuspecting older gun.

 

[bearhunter]

If you go to the site for the Kirst conversion for the Uberti 1860 to 45 colt, it cautions against using pressures higher than those used for Cowboy shooting loads, and not to use jacketed or half jacket bullets.

 

[Painkillers]

Yea, I wouldn't shoot those. They're probably fine, but really weird bubba if meant as a gas check. Erring on the side of cautious, they'd get peeled of the jacket and plopped into the melt pot if they were mine.

 

[fingers284]

1860 44 is actually a 45. - dan

Hmm I knew that about the Remington's but not the Colts. I have a Rem that was an original .44 CB then a Rollin White patent conversion to .46 RF but still used the original CB barrel so I slugged the bore and it was .452 so it now also has a .45 Kirsk in it.

 

[bearhunter]

Yea, I wouldn't shoot those. They're probably fine, but really weird bubba if meant as a gas check. Erring on the side of cautious, they'd get peeled of the jacket and plopped into the melt pot if they were mine.

I seriously doubt the jackets would be ripped off. The barrel has "forcing cone" machined purposely to the leade so the bullet will start to swage to the proper diameter before entering and obturating.

The 1860 is not a strong design, and does not have a backstrap. It's fine for the loads it was designed for, but I believe Kirst used a steel, of similar hardness and avalability to the period the 1860 revolvers were designed, so I'm thinking "wear" issues would be more of a concern.

Jacketed bullets tend to wear leades and rifling, due to increased heat from higher pressures generated during initial obturation.

Not having a top strap doesn't help.