Heavy Bullets in .45 Auto Rim

[flint45]

My favorite cartridge is the .45 Auto Rim and my S&W625 5"1989 is my favorite handgun i own.One of my best loads is a RCBS .45-255-KT. with ww alloy goes 260 grains and with 6.5 grs. AA #5 is super accurate.It also loves Lee's 200 gr. micro grove swc. and4.5 grs. red dot or 6.0 to 8.0 grs. AA#5 plus many others to. .45 Auto Rim is a great cartridge with light or heavy boolits.

[katch1]

my 625 is one of those guns i will not sell, had one in late 80's and sold it, will not happen again.
current one is a michulik sp? everybody that picks it up can shoot it well, my daughter especially. cast load is a 255gr rnfp commercially cast slug over 10. gr blue dot, not for older guns for sure, 955fps ave out of 4" bbl
jacketed load is ?grs of red dot under a 185grjhp nosler, chrnonoed @ 975fps if i remember,very controllable in the revolver.
with all the auto brass i have accumulated over the years i should look into moon clips and a re-de-mooner
4.5gr bullseye and a 225tc is a great paper punching load, mid 700's in fps and great accuracy

[Dale53]

katch1;
An alternative to the steel full moon clips which require tools, are the RIMZ polymer full moon clips. They have two kinds - a flexible polymer and a semi rigid hydro carbon reinforced model (the #25). I have some of each. You can easily load these with your fingers. Further, they have long life (I have several thousand rounds with the polymer clips and have yet to lose one. They are not expensive, either.

http://www.ezmoonclip.com/

Dale53

[ddixie884]

Which of the Rimz clips fit the 1917s and do the same ones fit the 1950 and 1955?

[Dale53]

I was confused, myself, after visiting their web site. Give them a call. They were very helpful to me on the phone.

http://www.ezmoonclip.com/

937-919-5915

I have shot thousands of rounds with their flexible clips but just recently got their new, much improved Carbon/polymer #25 clips. They are my new "standard"...

Dale53

[Michael J. Spangler]

Time to revive and old thread.
The more I shoot the auto rim and read about it the more I like it. This thread is a great reference.

Have any of you played with universal clays in this cartridge?

I loaded some seriously stout loads with an approximately 280 grain bullet over a whole lot of universal.
I really need to get a chrono to test these.

Great thread guys

[35remington]

Define "a whole lot."

[338RemUltraMag]

Define "a whole lot."

Dip case, level with knife, seat boolit? LOL

[Michael J. Spangler]

Basically

I need to check my notes but it was around 6 grains.

From the Brian Pierce article on the 45 auto rim.

It was supposed to be around 1000 fps

[Dutch4122]

Ah, 6 grains of Hodgdon Universal Clays.

That is my favorite load using the 45-270-Ohaus (Lee Group Buy) in my 625-6 Mountain Gun.

IIRC Pierce got something like over 900 fps with this load. I have not bothered to chrono mine. The gun absolutely stacks 'em at 25 yards so I am happy.

[Michael J. Spangler]

That was the bullet Dutch!
I weighed them and they were about 280 grains lubed. Man that's an awesome load.
I think a 240 or so grain bullet would rock nice and fast.

[35remington]

As mentioned, 1000 fps is optimistic for Universal with a deeply seated 280. That would be +P+. Much more than 900 fps shouldn't be exceeded with such a heavy bullet, so best to work up with the chronograph starting a 5.5 grains.

[johnfl]

Pierce's article on that bullet are what caused me to buy a 625 as well... I have pondered getting some .45 Super brass or maybe getting the cylinder chambered to .460 Rowland... I have yet to find load data on the Roland with bullets even close to the 280 grains that my slugs drop out at...

[Dutchman]

re: Brazilian Modelo 1937 barrel patent dates.

I've not seen this addressed in this thread, that is the barrel patent dates of the U.S. Model 1917 and the Modelo 1937 Brazilian .45.

My copy of Jinks History of S&W, page 327:

.45 U.S. Service Model of 1917 Dec.17, 1901, Feb.6, 1906, Sept.14, 1909

My Brazilian s/n is 195,xxx. The barrel patent dates: Feb.6, 06, Sept.14, 09, Dec.29, 14.

For .44 Hand Ejector Third Model: Sept.14, 1909. Late issues- Feb.6, 1906, Sept.14, 1909, Dec.29, 1914

[Shooter6br]

Also wanted a 45 ACP revolver. Got oneAttachment 85463

[50target]

I have used the 45 AR in several 45 revolvers, 50 Target, Pre 1955, 1917 S&W and most recently a 1917 Colt that was completely rebuilt with NOS parts and wears an S&W rear adjustable and a Micro Patridge front. In developing a load, I had used previously the Lyman 452460 (very accurate bullet), Lyman #452374 and the Lee 190 swctl and had good luck with all. I picked up some 452423 off this forum that weighed at 240 gr. Using PB (an old Ken Waters recipe) and Unique, I finally settled on 6.3 gr. Unique for a consistent 840 fps, excellent accuracy, no leading, no pressure, and just a good load. Not going topush it any faster, figure a 240 gr at 840 fps will take care of most things. Will try other powders and see if I can tweak the accuracy some more. Great boolit.

[Old Dawg]

I currently use a Taurus 'Stellar Tracker' in 45 ACP. I too dislike the 'clips'. Get some .45 Special brass. It comes with a thinner rim, same thickness as other common revolver rims. Works great.

[Chainsaw76]

I have a Chilean Navy 1917 with a badly pitted bore that I can't shoot cast boolits thru. I think they shot up the last of their ammo then turned the revolvers in uncleaned. The pistol is mechanically sound and finish was very worn but surfaces are smooth.

It shoots WWB very well though and I really like the old gun.

Jim

[Nueces]

Jim, it will take a while (months, likely), but ebay is a good source for older barrels. I would not mention it, but I already found most of what I want there!

Most recently, I got a nice Smith 455 barrel to replace the demilled one on a good condition 1917. The 17 has the standard large throats of a wartime 45, so the 455 barrel is actually an upgrade.

And, thanks for resurrecting this old thread. I read every word again and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[LAGS]

Interesting information.
I recently picked up a S&W 25-2 that someone had shortened the barrel to 2 3/4"
It was done professionally, and is a joy to shoot.
It looks like a Detective Special on Steroids with the Pachmyer wood and rubber grips on the Round butt frame.
I am playing with a 255 Lee RF slug , sized to .455 and powdercoated.
I haven't had much chance to play with different loads yet, but I am in the process of playing with different rear sight blades to get it to print on paper center of target at 25 yards with the rear sight almost all the way down.
That way I have maximum elevation for shooting at 50 to 100 yards.
So far the pistol shows promise shooting at those distances with ammo loaded with 45AR cases and standard .452 sized Boolits.
But the cylinder measures .455 at the front, so the extra width can only help.
You guys have any Powder or Load preferences for the boolit I currently have ?