45 Schofield Load

yardie

yardie

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Hello Folks!

I have a couple of antiques (Webley WG & Webley New Model Army Express) that can chamber and rotate 45 Schofield.

Just wondering if anyone has some loads worked up they are willing to share and potentially a silly question. Can you use 45 ACP dies to load 45 Schofield?

Cheers, and thanks!
 
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I load 6 grs of Trail boss im my schofield loads i use them loads in my keeper 45 schofield 1st and second model.
They can shoot under 3 inch groups at 25 yds to :D
I just got another first model one of the very first guns made by S&W Serial number under 50 :)
Im gona letter the gun before i go shooting it. they only made 3000 or so first models.
I think the Schofield revolver is top of the food chain in break open action antique hanbguns. The Latch system is way stronger than anything else.
maby 5 grs would be a good starting point in a WG as they list 6 grs for the 45 colt as a max trail boss load in old guns in your soild frame gun the 6 should be ok but again try 5 first and the presure built up will have alot to do with the type of bullet you use.
I also load 5.5 grs of unique this is all with a .452 Keith 250 gr SWC bullet as schofields have tight bores in a WG you might want to use .454 SWC keith type. as the bores on your guns will be bigger than and orignal S&W schofield.
I just got a S&W DA converted to shoot 45 schofield its a long cylinder model gun i cant wait to try shooting it with a Trail boss load.
I like trail boss because you have a nearly full case of powder with 5 or 6 grs and its presure is spread out over a larger area of the chamber. it smells good to
Also keep in mind the new 45 schofield starline brass cases are alot stronger than the orignal brass made 120 + years ago now its soild head brass, i still only reload my cases about 10 times then toss them out.
This is what i use in my guns and have no extraction trobles or any signs of presure.
I know Jethunter has some WGs that cycle and shoot 45 schofield he has posted alot of info on that load i think.
He has some very good bullets to.
 
The August issue of "Handloader" magazine has a good article by Mike Venturino on loads and loading for the .45 Schofield.
 
yardie said:
.....Can you use 45 ACP dies to load 45 Schofield?....
Click to expand...

On the Lee .45ACP dies I've got I just dropped a de-capped .44Mag case into the sizing die and it fell in and stopped on the nose of the de-capper pin holder and the end of the case still isn't touching the step in at the end of the cavity. And since .45Schofield is well over .1 shorter you should be fine.

Diameters for the .45acp are about .001 to .002 smaller than for .45Schofield according to my Lyman manual diagrams. But the worst that'll happen is that after you flare and seat the bullet is that the waist of the casing below the bullet MAY be pinched in slightly. A lot depends on how accurately the maker produced the dies.
 
The great thing which most people miss is the 45 schofield Cartridge is not on that stupid Gov list that someone came up with.
Its shorter than a 45 colt but only abit shorter.It can be loaded almost as good or the same as the 45 colt in most antiques set up for it.
To me any antique that can handle the 45 schofield is the best kick ass gun for power and accuracy out there.

The 45 schofield S&W handgun was and is the best made pre 1898 handgun made thats SA the british stuff is very fine and nice but the orignal 45 schofield round with modern smokeless correct loads is better than any 455/476 round.
the problem is theres only a few maby 8000 schofields there the only guns chambered in 45 schofield so there not alot of guys shooting it like i am the guns are supper expensive so most guys dont shoot them alot up here in Canada . most are cut down so very few orignal guns exist no one really knows how accurate or good they work. I have spent more money buying orignal schofields than Colts or any other gun because they are the best made handguns for fast shooting and for accuracy.
the only gun i like better or as much is my remington 1875s set up in 45 schofield only because there stronger being soild frame but there way slower to empty and reaload you can use a speedloader with 45 schofield revolvers.


Anyone into reloading will see the big advantages of this round when loaded right with a Keith SWC lead bullet this round will do service into the next 100 years to.
God willing the guns and people are still around to shoot the cartridge
 
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I agree with Dingus. The 45 Schofield is, in my opinion, the best antique pistol cartridge, especially when loaded to 45 Colt ballistics and a strong enough pistol.
 
I use Lee 455 webley dies to load 45acp/autorim, 455 webley, and 45 schofield. Try your 45 acp dies, they might work OK.

My favourite 45 S&W load is: 6.5 gr Unique + soft cast 250 gr RNHP bullet, COL 1.395", sized .454". Chrony shows 850 fps from a 6" barrel. Quickload estimates this load at 12,000 psi. There is some room to make a hotter load but the 6.5 gr Unique/250 gr bullet shot to POA at 25 yds in my pistol so that is what I stayed with. Anyway a 250 gr bullet at 850 fps is no slouch.

I also tried some 200 gr cast bullets with 7.5 gr Unique and got over 1000 fps. Quickload shows this as 12,000 psi too.
 
I looked up the specs and they showed the Schofield has a .477 diameter verus .480 for the 45 colt. I guess once they were fired in a colt 45 cylinder they would become a 45 colt case that was shorter. Is this safe to do this ? Could you then use the colt 45 reloading dies ? Does the slightly larger rim cause any problems. I have a 1875 remmington with a 45 colt and 45acp cylinders. It would be great to fire a 3rd cartridge in it.
 
When the US Army first adopted 45 colt revolvers as the official sidearm, the 45 colt cartridge was specifically dersigned by Colt so that 45 S&W Schofield ammo would be interchangeable. This because the US Army had large supplies of 45 Schofield ammo and they did not want to spend more money replacing it. There is an old fella that used to live aound here that referred to the 45 Schofield as "45 Short", and 45 colt as "45 Long". Pretty good description actually.

I've shot 45 schofield cartridges in 45 colt pistols a lot. No problem with anything i tried. I've also had good luck with this cartridge in some 476 Enfield guns.

There might be some variations in rim size amongst ammo and firearms manufacturers and it is possible that you might find a gun/ammo combo that doesn't work, but i never did. The Starline brass worked in everything I've tried. It's good brass.

I expect your 45 colt dies will work fine for 45 S&W Schofield but i havn't actually tried it. if there is a problem it would be with the seating die, I expect.
 
Lee 455 carbide dies work good for me with the 45 sch , there cheep and the seem to do a very good crimp.
 
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