Sabots in 45 colt.

[Tackleberry41]

I was digging thru some stuff looking for something, found some 45 - 40 cal sabots I had bought. I had tried them in a conversion 1858, all I had at the time in 45 colt. Was not impressed, the cylinder gap and forcing cone creates issues, I would get peppered with bits of plastic. It was a while ago, and I have learned considerably about not in the books hand loading, and I have other 45 colts now to work with. Found this:

https://www.shootersforum.com/handguns/4557-45-colt-%40-1700-fps-2.html

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?213035-Hornady-45cal-sabots-used-in-45acp-and-45-colt

Tho not much if any info in the cast bullets thread. I have a single shot pistol, standard pressure, and a single shot rifle will take Ruger level loads. Nearly 200 of the sabots, 40 cal pistol bullets, so no need to buy anything to experiment. Is there any more info on this subject as to powders or amounts to use? Seems I could finally find a use for the single shot pistol other than slowly firing the same bullets that come out of my other guns. Looks like it could become a potent hunting gun firing 200gr 40 cal XTP.

[Tatume]

I have a smokeless muzzleloader that likes H4198 with this bullet/sabot combination. You may or may not be able to get enough into a 45 Colt case to be effective. The much larger 460 S&W works well with H4198 though. Good luck.

[Tackleberry41]

They do work, followed the load info as it was in the thread, had some green dot, sabots and everything. 1537fps w 150gr 40 cal bullet at 10gr. Not much recoil, no idea on the pressure. Would like it to work in a standard pressure gun. Tried some spitzer 200gr the place near me had, a little boost over a standard 45 200gr.

Only thing I did different was cut the base of the sabot down, they tend to go pretty deep in the case. I sand them flat, get rid of the cup for more case capacity. Will try a couple this weekend as to their accuracy to see if its worth messing with further. Most I have read on the accelerators, 223 in a 308, lots of velocity, not much accuracy.

[Johnch]

I load those sabots in 45 ACP cases with the Lee 175 Gr bullet
I am not sure of the pressure of my loads ....but the slide just go's back far enough to strip the next round out of the mag

I had a police officer realy thinking when I showed him the loads ....look at the bullet in this guy ...no rifling LOL

John

[JohnH]

I load those sabots in 45 ACP cases with the Lee 175 Gr bullet
I am not sure of the pressure of my loads ....but the slide just go's back far enough to strip the next round out of the mag

I had a police officer realy thinking when I showed him the loads ....look at the bullet in this guy ...no rifling LOL

John

True police work doesn't involve "find the gun with the matching rifling and you find the killer". That's so much Hollywood and so much of what drives idiotic gun control thinking on things like firing pin micro marking and shell case identification banks. Even the State of New York abandoned that idea. Police work involves motive and opportunity. Things like bullet rifling only serve to create a train of evidence. Your "non rifled bullet" and your knowledge of how to make such a thing becomes just as much a part of the train of evidence where you have motive and opportunity as does having the gun which matches the bullet's rifling. Methinks your police friend is not a detective. If however they are, not sure I'd want them investigating my murder, or having me as a suspect.

[Tackleberry41]

I was just experimenting, had the stuff, maybe a way to get more uumph out of a standard pressure 45 colt. I used load data straight out of the book, 9gr of unique w a 200gr bullet. The plastic sabot gives less resistance, so goes faster. Some of those 200gr spitzer 40 cal bullets you buy at the gun shop. 1200fps I was getting. The cases were still sooted up same as the conventional standard pressure loads. Will try them this weekend, see if they have any accuracy or not. Sort of a dead end if their not very accurate.

Yes the sabots would eliminate being able to trace a bullet to a particular weapon. But that tends to be more of a nail in the coffin, vs the reason they catch someone. They tend to have to catch the person to be able to get their gun to test. Real criminals would toss the weapon to begin with. As for cops investigating. Friend of mine is constable, were he an actual investigator, I do not see many crimes being solved unless they walk in and confess. A chronic procrastinator, took him 5 mo to finally put a new element in his hot water heater, and the pressure tank on his water system has needed replaced for a good 4 mo now. Drove a truck for 2 yrs with the brake pedal going to the floor. Even offered to help him fix it, just wouldn't do it. I know a couple other cops, they do not fill me with confidence either.

[Tackleberry41]

Not really much future in the sabots. They do work. Had a bench to shoot off of, setup my chrony. I doubt the 150gr 40 cal bullets I had on the shelf were made to fired that fast. I get a bit a good 30fps extra going to my friends place down lower than where I live. But mid 1500s on FPS. Not very accurate, well group wise. You could ding the gongs he had at 50yds easy. But the rifle shoots regular 45 cal bullets way tighter. And the same rifle will launch 300gr bullets going all of 200fps slower. I have some 357 sabots, and some bullets that could take that kind of velocity. Might just be finding the right combo. No idea on pressure, but not going to try them in a standard pressure gun.

Tried some 200gr spitzers they had at the gun shop, used conventional load data. 9gr of Unique same as if it was a 45 cal 200gr. Do work, even group pretty well. But no real boost over non sabot bullets. 1223fps was average out of a 17 in barrel. Pretty low ES tho at 11.7. No signs of pressure, still sooted up the cases.

[Tatume]

You have a pressure gun?