using black powder boolits in a .45 auto?

[stubert]

I just inherited a Colt Commander in 45 acp. As most people know, getting a new mold is about impossible anymore. I do have a BP mold for my Ruger Old Army. It is a 456-220, For the colt I would need to size it down to .452-.453. Have any of you folks tried anything like that? It should work, the weights are the same, it is a flat base and sizing it down 3-4 thou. should be ok. any thoughts on my idea?

[fcvan]

I have the Lee 450-200 1R designed for the 1858 Remington. This is a smaller version of the mold you have. The front band of my mold drops at .453 and tapers to .450 at the base. I have fired these through my 1911 after running them through a .452 sizer. I was fortunate to not have any leading even though the base was undersized. For .45 ACP loads I was fine.

Now, I am using the boolit with plain base gas checks made from soda can. I have run them at 45 Colt +P loading through my Vaquero and my Classic Carbine. I actually have two of those molds, a double cavity and a single cavity hollow point. I have loaded the 452-228 1R for 25+ years (and occasionally the 452-200 SWC) but am now going to be loading more of the HP with gas checks.

Your mold should work great for the ACP. When sizing, you will likely get some shaving just like when you seat them in the ROA. Load them up, shoot them up, live it up!

[prs]

I have shot some 200 and 250 grain PRS boolits in my SR1911 and they ran as well as any. The excessive amount of soft boolit lube was kinda messy -- the lube star was more like spitting out a chaw of t'baccer. I even thought about (for a few seconds) running off a batch of 2fg Swiss BP rounds for it. Nahhhh. I have a DD-PRS mould for Ruger New Army, but did not try that one in a 1911.

prs

[fredj338]

Sure, why not? I have sized down 300gr LFP from 0.459" to 0,452" for my 45colt back before thay made a heavy 45colt bullet.

[kir_kenix]

Should be good to go. As said above, the lube used may be very messy in your auto with smokeless powder. If you are sizing them down yourself, you will probably lube them with an appropriate lube, so this will likely not be a concern for you. If you are just shoving them through a Lee sizer and they are already lubed with BP lube, then a very liberal cleaning will be necessary for the die, the boolits after sizing (it will likely get lube everywhere on the boolits), and your gun after firing. Go out and have some fun!