Anyone load the 45 long colt

[dingus]

Anyone load the 45 long colt?
Elmer keith says 18.5 grs of 2400 with a 250 gr bullet is safe in old guns but he doesnt say how old.
Now im talking old like 1880s Colt
I have read that alot of guys load 8 grs of unique with the 250 gr bullet.

Starline has the thickest brass walls now with the solid base, so thats what i want to be able to load and not pussy loads ither.
Whats a old factory Domion 45 colt loaded to?

Anyone load and shoot this Caliber?

 

[Mystic Precision]

do your research carefully. There is a very wide variance in chamber pressures to suit all of the firearms chambered in this rd.

I shoot the 45LC in a Win Trapper and 325gr GC hard cast FN monsters. I use a moderately stiff load of H110 to go 1550fps out of a 16" barrel. This is certainly for modern firearms.

hodgdon site is usually really good for cowboy loads to modern pressures. match the load to the firearm.

I also use Starline brass and really like them. I find the Win LP all the primer I need.

Jerry

 

[outdoors]

.45 Colt

Anyone load the 45 long colt?
Elmer keith says 18.5 grs of 2400 with a 250 gr bullet is safe in old guns but he doesnt say how old.
Now im talking old like 1880s Colt
I have read that alot of guys load 8 grs of unique with the 250 gr bullet.

Starline has the thickest brass walls now with the solid base, so thats what i want to be able to load and not pussy loads ither.
Whats a old factory Domion 45 colt loaded to?

Anyone load and shoot this Caliber?

Dingus,

I am no expert so this opinion is worth what you are paying for it!.....

The steel in the 1880s Colt is very weak by modern standards and most sources advise blackpowder loads and pressures in first generation Colts of that vintage. 8 grains of Unique would be a factory duplication load or maybe slightly less. I use 8.5 grains with a Keith style 260 grain cast SWC in a Colt New Service with great results. Universal Clays is on my shopping list to try as well after reading many positive reports.

I have read lots of Keith's loads and have enjoyed and learned from them but don't forget that he blew more than one first generation Colt to bits before switching to a .44 with its slightly thicker cylinder walls. Also the 2400 powder of his day burned slightly slower than that of today and most loads should be reduced. I believe that Dave Scoville of Handloader favours 16.5 grains of 2400 for Colts but may still be too much for older guns. That .45 caliber slug at 850 to 900 fps will get the job done and be easier on the shooter and gun.

I have used both Federal and Winchester brass with excellent results. Many who hot rod the .45 favour Federal brass and that is what I used in a Ruger Bisley with heavy doses of 296 powder when experimenting at that power level. Even with very stiff loads the Federal brass worked great. Starline is supposed to be good stuff but I have not used it, however brass thickness alone is not always an indicator of strength. All modern .45 Colt brass that I have seen has been of solid head construction for the 19 years that I have been reloading. I do have a few really old balloon head cases poked away that I located in case I ever get the desire to duplicate the original black powder load.

A Colt SAA of that vintage is a really nice gun but it must be treated differently than a Ruger Blackhawk or even a modern Colt SAA. Just like my Browning made 1886 .45-70 carbine can handle far heavier loads than my 1903 made (pre nickle steel barrel) Winchester 1886.

Enjoy your Colt and accept its limitations or perhaps you should sell it to me and purchase something more suitable if your primary goal is heavy loads.

Regards,

Outdoors

 

[dingus]

Well i said old like a colt as a guide, its actully a Antique British revolver im looking into with a much better cylinder it has thicker side walls than a colt and from what i have seen british steel or there casting process is far superior to any U.S Gun i have seen.

But i love British guns.

I have an old Pryse type revolver i had polished the thing it looked like Stainless steel, left it for 2 months with no oil on the steel, Came back to it Not a spot of Rust.
I polished a colt thunder Cylinder left it a week and it was Orange.

Thanks for all the advise im thinking 8.5 grains of unique with a 250 grain bullet.
Hey where can i get Keiths Bullet that guy knows his stuff and i would love to use his bullet. If i could get his mould i can cast the bullets a little softer.

 

[Micky Finn]

Mark, try IMR TrailBoss. They seem to have hit the sweet spot for all those old BP carteidges with this one. Very accurate and consistant.
5.5 to 6.5 for 225 gr LRNFP
4.5 to 5.8 for 250 gr LRNFP
4.0 to 5.0 for 270 gr LRNFP