1911 45 acp

[Bowen4]

Finished reading "Ingot to Target" by Glen Fryxell. Full of great info! My question is
pure lead boolit around 625-700fps (45 acp) anyone have any info? Is it even possible, without leading?Lube? Sizing .452? A couple of us were at the range and the discussion was brought up, no one really had a answer. Older black powder guy thought it was possible!

[Char-Gar]

Try it and report back. That way we will know for sure and not just have to guess and speculate.

[fredj338]

Certainly possible but accuracy may vary w/ the bbl. The 1911 usually has very shallow rifling. I have good accuracy w/ bullets cast as soft as 25-1 lead/tin alloy in most of my 45acp.

[Bowen4]

Well, looks like I'm the guinea pig! Any ideas welcome!

[Bloodman14]

Bowen4, you may not be alone; I may try it myself.

[btroj]

Someone has to be the guinea pig! Nothing in shooting can be known until it is tried. In that exact firearm.
We can speculate, approximate, or just plain guess but only your gun can KNOW.

Each gun and load is a unique set of variables. Just because it did or didn't work for another set of variables doesn't mean it will or won't work for yours. Information from others helps you better formulate the proposed experiment but it doesn't guarantee the outcome. And yes, every new load/gun Combo is an experiment.

[Blammer]

Why waste perfectly good pure lead when it should be properly used in a muzzleloader. :)

[geargnasher]

+1 Blammer. Now for nearly pure, scrap/trash/unknown soft lead I've used roofing lead with some battery cable ends and stick-on weights thrown in along with a smattering of other accumulated junk from yardsales like fishing weights etc, the whole mess ended up about 7.5 bhn and I shot over 40 pounds of it in .45 ACP and .38 Special, tumble lubed and sized to fit the guns in which it was shot. Clays for the .38 (just enough to expand the cases to seal the chamber), and Universal for the .45 just enough suds to work the slide. NO leading in either gun, no problems. I suspect the .45 ACP was cruising at about 650 fps.

Gear

[35remington]

3.6 Bullseye and the Lyman 452488 (pretty much identical to the HG 130, a shortnosed SWC of the classic target type) gets around 710-720 fps for an average in my 1911's when loaded to an OAL of 1.175." Recoil is very mild, and assuming your 1911 has a 7/32nds radius firing pin stop (the standard one) this will function with a 16 lb. spring; in my guns, anyway. Going much below this will require a lighter spring. Since trying to remember what spring is in the gun is a PITA, I run a 16 lb. all the time and make sure the bottom end loads are heavy enough to cycle the gun......and the ones that will cycle are mild indeed.

A charge of Bullseye similar to this, and a similar bullet, is the classic target loading for a 1911.

The large lube groove in some pistol bullets like the 452488 and some HG 68 clones hinders accuracy when a good lubricant like 50/50 is used as the bullet is overlubricated. I get better accuracy with a simple coat of LLA, as the lube demands of this low velocity load are not too great. A smaller lube groove would be nice for those of us that want to use one lube and one lubrisizer all the time.

Alas, one of the truisms of lubing bullets, if you have only one lubrisizer, is that the wrong lube is in it half the time. Which is why I have two of them, one with a "better" lube and another with a "poorer." Covers the range from low velocity pistol to HV rifle somewhat better.

I would think a bit harder than pure lead, like 8 to 10 BHN, would maybe work better, but then I haven't tried absolutely pure lead in the 1911. Something to duplicate the swaged lead bullets sold in bulk by Hornady might be the ideal (for all I know). I do know that shooting the swaged lead commercial bullets in mild loads leaves little leading, and they shoot well.

[Wayne Smith]

I have shot pure lead out of my 40-70 loaded with a full case of Goex. That was before I had a chronograph, so I don't know how fast they were going but I'm sure they were faster than your 800fps idea. I had no significant leading.

[skeet1]

When you look at the swedged lead bullets offered by Hornady, Speer and others they appear to be near pure lead. I see no reason cast near pure lead would not work as well. However you will probably experience more leading.

Ken

[Bowen4]

Okay, Here's a start! Lee TL452- 230 pure lead, coat or two of LLA, 3.5 gr. Trail Boss. Sized
.452 OAL of 1.200? Any thoughts? Just thinking outloud for now.

[35remington]

Your OAL is correct if you are talking about the truncated cone bullet, which should be in the 1.200-1.220" vicinity.

Have at it. A 12 and 14 lb. spring would be handy.

Pure lead bullets often have castability issues.