Lipsey's .45/.45acp

[fecmech]

I just bought a new Lipsey's .45 colt convertable and am pleased with it. I'm 68 yrs old and always wanted a "cowboy" pistol and now I have one. I've had a Ruger 3 screw SBH since 1972 but that's not quite the same. I bought this mainly to shoot .45 acp's as I don't even have dies or molds for the LC and don't want to shoot the heavy bullets anyway.
I loaded it up with my bullseye loads and other acp loadings and it shoots pretty good. With the 185 and 200 gr SWC's in the 750 -850 FPS range groups run right around 1.5" and the same with the Saeco 160 swc@1000 fps at 25 yds. GI ball and my RN loads seem to run more like 2+" at that distance. Cylinder throats are .452"and the groove mics .4505" after going through a tight area in the frame so I'm guessing the actual barrel groove is .451". The dimensions are obviously good as evidenced by the accuracy and total lack of leading. The only minor problem I have is my acp's are set for my autos with a bit of shoulder exposed and that requires a firm push into the cylinder to keep from dragging. I ran one slug through the Colt cyl and it is also .452". Lipsey's spec'd these with a very high front sight as you can see by where my rear sight is. I plan on filing off about 1/16" to get the rear cranked down a bit as I won't be shooting any 300 gr. bullets. All in all I'm a happy camper!

[theperfessor]

Nice looking gun there pardner. I'm a big fan of the .45ACP (or .45AR) as a revolver round, although my only experience is in S&W 25/625 models. You can safely shoot 250-260 gr boolits at 900+ fps if you want to duplicate .45 LC ballistics, but there is nothing wrong with 200-230 gr boolits at ACP velocities either. I think Dale53 has posted a lot about heavy boolits in .45 ACP revolvers. Maybe he will jump in here.

[LUBEDUDE]

Congrats on that beauty!

I hope you have better luck than me.

I have a 1976 Bicentenial model similar to yours. However I can not get more than a few cyls of ACP through it without the cyl throats leading up so bad that lead fodder can not be even forced in the cyl.
The only way to get the lead out completely is with Outer's Foul Out (electrolysis) or with a chamber reamer.

Hopefully, Ruger fixed that problem.

Enjoy!

[fecmech]

I have a 1976 Bicentenial model similar to yours. However I can not get more than a few cyls of ACP through it without the cyl throats leading up so bad that lead fodder can not be even forced in the cyl.

I put about 100 rds through it today trying a little bit of everything I have loaded (all lead). The last load I tried was the Saeco 160 @1000 fps and 5 of them off the bench went into 1.5", so far throats seem OK.

[Dale53]

fecmech;
You have a FINE single action there, pardner! I have a couple of the .44 flattops but a year or so ago I bought a SS Bisley .45 Colt/.45 ACP Convertible so I won't be buying one of these (dern the luck).

At any rate, you have a VERY nice revolver. Using the .45 ACP cylinder and .45 ACP brass, I use mostly a Mihec clone of the H&G #68 (flat based) bullet for groups under 1" at 25 yards off a rest.

My particular revolver allows me to use .45 Cowboy Special brass (same capacity as .45 ACP but with a .45 Colt Rim) if I want to use an NOE clone of the Lyman 454424 (250 gr Keith cast bullet). With the rim controlling headspace, I can roll crimp those cases. Lee can furnish an insert and the required spacer for your factory crimp die to roll crimp. You can load those cases with standard .45 ACP dies (I use a four die set) but you do need a .45 Colt shell holder or in my case, a Dillon shell plate for .45 Colt (which I already have).

Before you run out and order a bunch of .45 Cowboy Special cases, I suggest you try some in your .45 ACP to make sure that your revolver is headspaced the same as mine (I would assume so but you know what they say about "assume")?

FWIW
Dale53

[fecmech]

Thanks for the info Dale I appreciate your comments and experience with your convertible 45. I will be just shooting acp's in this one as I have an Auto Champ progressive set up to load acp's and that was the idea behind buying this gun. I'm no longer a big fan of recoil, I got that out of the way years ago with my .44 mag and I doubt this gun will see more than a hardball load. I think this one may be capable of accuracy in the 1" range with a little fine tuning and I plan on working on that. I've got 452374, 452460, Saeco 185 swc and a Saeco 160 swc so somewhere in there should be the magic load.

[Dale53]

fecmech;
I can appreciate the logic of relatively light target loads (I personally subscribe to that). I load 4.0 grs of Bullseye (or equivalent) behind a 200 gr SWC for my most used load. This is super pleasant shooting out of my 1911's (requires a lighter spring than standard), my two Smith 625's and my Ruger Convertible.

Here's how mine shoots (it was in the dead of winter and it was COLD so I was shooting at my local club's indoor range at 50 feet off an improvised rest):

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/img072.jpg

I had just finished reaming the cylinder throats of both cylinders and had not even sighted the revolver in.

The most important thing I have found for good accuracy, is the quality of the bullets. Your Lyman 200 gr SWC should do just as well. I have shot just as good a groups with my original H&G #130 (short stubby 195 gr SWC) as I do with my preferred long nose clone of the H&G #68 flat base by Mihec. In fact, one time I shot the two different bullets with three different powder charges in one of my 625's standing at 25 yards (using the timed fire target) and shot a perfect 100x100. I was just using up some remnants of ammo.

The .45 ACP (and Auto Rim) are very forgiving cases. That, I believe, is one of the advantages of a small capacity (for the bore size) case. Mike Venturino has often mentioned how much he likes the .45 ACP/Auto Rim in a revolver.

What is not commonly seen in the literature, is that this target load makes a dandy edible small game load. When hunting rabbits, I would take head shots on the close ones but at 25 yards or so, I would put a shot through the slats. Instant stop and no real meat loss. One thing for sure, you don't have to shoot them twice...:veryconfu

FWIW
Dale53

[Char-Gar]

I have one of the Lipsey's 45 Flatop 45 Colt/45 ACP sixguns and without a doubt it is the finest Ruger sixgun I have ever owned or shot. The fit finish are superior to what Ruger has been doing and the charge holes, and throats are of correct size. The barrel is smooth and as you mention does not lead at all.

The only things that bothers is is why Ruger has turned out so many sixguns in the past that had issues with them. If Lipsey's can hold their feet to the fire on quality, why has Ruger not done it in the past. Sort of irritating!

[fecmech]

Nice group Dale, indoors is where most of my pistol shooting will be for the next 3-4 months! Actually 4.0/BE seems to be magic in handguns. In my wad gun 3.8/BE and a 185 Saeco or 4.0/BE and 452460 are 50 yd slow fire loads. In my K-38 4.2/BE and a 158 RN is my silhouette load for Hunters pistol and that same load is excellent in my Ruger GP100. Bullseye hasn't been around over 100years for nothing!

[Alan]

I like just about any commercial 230gr RN cast bullet and 4.9gr of Hercules Red Dot. (I've shot a can or 2 of the newer stuff, but I have large stocks of older stuff, and it is still in great shape. Stored in temp/humidity controlled closets)

My OM convertible wants to cut ragged holes at 25 yards with that load. Just bought a 5 1/2" Lipsey convertible for my nephew's b-day.

[DLCTEX]

I was just reading in Handloader this past week about this gun. I really, really lusted after this one. But I still am putting #5 son through college. Maybe they will make another run in a couple years. Makes you wonder why Ruger doesn't make their production guns closer to this. Maybe results from this one will wake them up.

[MtGun44]

Nice pistol!

Just set your seating depth a hair deeper and hope the semi-autos stay happy.

I had to do that to satisfy a new Dan Wesson Pointman 7 with a very short throat after decades
of a "settled" standard .45 ACP IPSC and plinking load. The other guns didn't care one
bit.

Bill