45acp mold

dearslayer

dearslayer

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I was considering to order a .45acp 6 cavity Lee mold from Higginson's. Wondering which one you folks would recommend. I have not yet slugged the barrel yet but hope to in the next day or so.
 

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What weight are you looking to cast?

I bought a saeco 230gr SWC from another CGNer and after power coating and sizing I had quite a bit of tinkering to get the seating depth and crimp to the point where it would pass the plunk test, not drive the bullet back while racking and not be over crimped. However it does shoot well I had been looking for the 1R when I was in the market before I bought the saeco it seems to resemble the standard ball profile best.
 
I use the second from the left in my 45 Winmag LeMag converted M1-Carbine.
It's coated in a LEE alox mix. I did 2 50cal cans about 9 years ago and am still picking at the first can
 
I used to shoot an old civilian 1911, and used the 230 gr. tumble lube mould, as well as some I bought from the old Mike McGee/Bruce Martin sellers. Both worked just fine.
 
hatman1793 said:
Buy the 6 cavity 90310 mold. .452 200 grain SWC. It’s the classic style bullet, feeds great, accurate……cast the 1st thousand & it’s paid for. What’s not to like?
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Actually this is the one I've been thinking to get. I'm just learning to cast and from what I've read so far this style will probably be the one to give me the least problems.
 
I don’t think you can go wrong with the 452-200 gr. SWC. Have cast and shot a few thousand of these and have not had any problems. When l started casting for my 45, l was in the same boat and settled on this combination and have been very happy with it.
 
Haven't used a huge number of them but so far good success with the 200gr tl swc. Just have to be sure to seat them deep enough that the shoulder doesn't prevent them chambering all the way.
 
I have molds for bullets very similar to #5 & 6. Not LEE molds though. One's a Lyman 4 cavity and the other is an old H&G 4 cavity. My guns are Norks (2) and a Frankenstein gun built on an Essex frame and Ithaca slide plus a mishmash of parts!
 
I've only shot Campro 230 FCP RN in my Ruger SR 1911 but with the current pricing for projectiles, I'm thinking I may as well try to cast for the 45 as well as 9mm and .40.
 
dearslayer said:
I've only shot Campro 230 FCP RN in my Ruger SR 1911 but with the current pricing for projectiles, I'm thinking I may as well try to cast for the 45 as well as 9mm and .40.
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For some, casting is a job! For me, it's a labor of love. I'd much rather be casting than sitting on the couch dozing! In my mid 70's now and it seems that my eyelids have somehow become attached to my ass! When my butt hits the couch, my eyelids droop.
Funny how that works. Well, fire's on in the shop, I'm going to cast for a few hours!
 
oldrodder said:
For some, casting is a job! For me, it's a labor of love. I'd much rather be casting than sitting on the couch dozing! In my mid 70's now and it seems that my eyelids have somehow become attached to my ass! When my butt hits the couch, my eyelids droop.
Funny how that works. Well, fire's on in the shop, I'm going to cast for a few hours!
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I couldn't agree more. I have lots of hobbies and I enjoy them all much more than watching TV.
 
The only LEE TL or tumble lube bullet I have had success with is their 148grain FWC. This 38 special cast bullet is spectacular, incredibly accurate & you get to make six (6) at once. (All the other TL molds I bought that LEE makes were so undersize that they would tumble through the target 70% of the time.)
If you are going to cast, consider powder-coating the castings. Yes, this a a bit off topic but when you have a huge smile on your face looking at your huge pile of cast bullets, & your shooting buddies are getting jealous, powder-coating them over conventional lubing & sizing completes the whole process….
 
My favorite Lee mold was their 155gr SWC... but it seems like it's no longer available?
- It was my favorite bullet for our indoor bullseye match. It would punch nice clean how

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Of the one listed, I was going to say the 230-R2 with the push through sizer and liquid alox.
 
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I'm using this commercial bullet now, and I'd like to cast something along the same lines. This bullet is in all likelihood a Magma bullet. I'm rather new to 45 Auto, I bought my first 1911 a few years ago to participate in Wild Bunch, a spin off on Cowboy Action Shooting. To that end I only need something that feeds reliable and that I can load to a power factor of 150. a 230 gr bullet hits PF 150 at about 650 fps.

To that end I loaded to just under 700 fps. I installed a slightly lighter recoil spring and the load is reliable and fun to shoot.

But, I'd still like to have an alternative that I can cast myself. I own a few different 6 gang LEE molds and for the most part, they do a decent job of casting a usable bullet.

When I look at the array, for what I shoot, the 230 grainers are the only contenders. IOW, 5 to 8.

#5: Weight good. Lube grooves just the same as some of my other molds, so that's good. Negative; for a cast 45 Auto bullet to work well in a 1911, the ogive to shank junction should be a step.

#6: Weight good. Lube grooves are tumble lube, which is a negative for me, but they may work in a lube-sizer. The ogive to shank is stepped which is good.

#7, which is the same as #8, except it has a lube groove instead of tumble grooves. The shape may or may not feed properly in a basic 1911.

Therefore, for two years I have not picked one. I'm thinking that it may be possible to size-lube #6, and if that works, it would be a good bullet.

Has anyone tried lubing #6 in a conventional lube-sizer? I already have one set up to do 451 for my 45 LC rifle.

Nitro
 
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