New pistol

[Harter66]

So who has a pet load for 45-200 or a 454-252 or 255 for a 45 AR ?
I found this little gem begging me to take it home ,since the tell tale is on the other side it's a 1917 S&W not a Colts. It wasn't a spectacular buy but with no add ons or tax and $30 in ammo/brass and clips It feels like a pretty good deal.

132026

[BK7saum]

Very Nice.

Guess we both scored today. A s&w 19-3 came home with me.

[Love Life]

Rich, send me your address. I have a bunch of ranch products clips you can have.

[Scharfschuetze]

I've had good success with 231 under 200 grain (RCBS) SWCs in my 1917s (both Colt and S&W). It's the same load that I use in my Government Model 1911s so I don't really load specifically for the revolvers unless using the 45 AR cases. Just check you loading manual for the recipe and you'll be good to go. Any good load with Bullseye, Unique or their siblings should produce a good load for you.

These revolvers didn't have today's steel or heat treating, so I wouldn't push the envelope with it. I also use a larger grip for shooting and keep the original grip for display. Despite their size, they do jump back on ya with those little bitty grips.

Oh, by the way, nice find and good on you to snap up such a nice piece of history. Good luck with her.

[62chevy]

Looks just as good here as over there, [smilie=s:.

[Harter66]

Love Life. PMs in.

I loaded some ACP for my Dad's Colts 1917 a while back. I loaded some 255s long and medium loads of Unique. It's an excuse for a new mould too,what about a a 452-230 RNFP ?

[Harter66]

62 looks like ya caught ol RB in the act.

[62chevy]

62 looks like ya caught ol RB in the act.

Nothing I haven't done and a couple others too. I can't blame ya that is one nice revolver to be proud of.

[MtGun44]

IME I need to either load really hot, which I do not like with these nice
old girls, OR use oversized boolits to fit the large throats. My S&W and
Colt 1917s both need about .455 diam to do their best.
Commercial cast, hard and .452 are OK out to 10 yds but will make
8-10 inch "groups" in my guns at 25 yds.

Elmer's load of 7.5 gr Unique under his 235 gr 452423 would probably have
worked fine, but is VERY, VERY hot and I would not load it. I stopped
at 7.0 gr and only fired that once (this is in ACP brass), but it shot the best
and closest to the sights of any. I do NOT recommend this particular
load which Elmer did recommend, I think it is unsafe, but shoots well. :veryconfu

[Harter66]

There's an RBH if I "need" a hot rod 45. My mould all drop my alloys at 454 +- . I would get my hands on her until Friday morning. I have some 50s GI 2 sets of dies and a spare taper crimp . All toll 8 die 3 with carbide inserts spare seater pins and I found my notebook that shows 5.0 Unique under a 255 seated out in the top lube groove for the Colts 1917 with foot notes about a 1"exit on a 55gal drum at 25yd . I expect that to be about all the hotrod I need .
I think I might even get a letter for this pistol and a 47' 38 that was my grandfathers. Maybe a little tuning to get the bolt off the cylinder and a touch up for that and a clp bath.

[rintinglen]

200 grain H&G over 4.6 grains of ww 231 was the medicine for my Brazilian contract revolver. Not quite to point of aim but very close, and accurate.

[Harter66]

I do have the RCBS 45-200 SWC.
Thanks.

[runfiverun]

my pop has one of those and I have a 624.
5 grs of unique under a 255 rnfp does pretty well in the AR cases.
I thought about trying the 454424 for a while but I just don't need all that much.
we finally settled down on a 225gr rnfp 45 colt boolit and kinda went the schofield type route with his.


I use the 624 as the main house gun, but will pack it along deer hunting sometimes just hoping for an inside 40yd shot on a young buck.
it's also super easy to snipe grouse with using a 160gr rnfp.

[Harter66]

Looks like she needs .454s . That works out it seems the the 6c 255 RNFP that replaced the 2c for the Colts is bigger than the 2c at .456. Now I gotta buy a sizer.