.308 Brass in .45 ACP eh?

[Driller640]

Has anyone tried shorting .308 brass to 45 acp length, inside turning to proper id? Read about this to shoot heavy loads in 1911, Made one with hacksaw and taper mill and stone in drill cause I don't have the proper set up to make it eh. It looked rough but it chamberd fine. Didn't use primer or powder just wanted to see if the idea with the brass worked eh[smilie=1: Has anyone taken this a step more and shot it eh??

[jhalcott]

I made some "shot shells " by cutting down 308 and 30-06 brass. after running it thru a Trim die and final trim to length it looked funny. I would use Speer shot capsuls to hold the shot. I tried the gas check under the pellets and over the pellets trick but was afraid the checks would come loose and allow the shot charge to mix with the powder..That worked alright IF loaded singly in the gun, but the capsuls could be fed from the Magazine better.

[only1asterisk]

You will have to ream it out some for the bullet to seat right. Too much work for me, but it can be done in a pinch. The extractor groove is a little different, enough that it might give some trouble in some guns. I never had a problem.

David

[Charley]

If you have plenty of time, and plenty of .308 brass, it is possible. If you are lazy like me, you just order Starline's .45 Super brass.

[32 20 Mike]

Has anyone tried shorting .308 brass to 45 acp length, inside turning to proper id? Read about this to shoot heavy loads in 1911, Made one with hacksaw and taper mill and stone in drill cause I don't have the proper set up to make it eh. It looked rough but it chamberd fine. Didn't use primer or powder just wanted to see if the idea with the brass worked eh[smilie=1: Has anyone taken this a step more and shot it eh??

I used to fish in the ft-hills that had a high pop. of buzz tails and started using an old 1917 S/W 45 with half moon clips. I mounted the 308 or 06 brass in a clip, chambered them for marking to end of cyl. Then I trimmed and fire formed them. They would hold a little under 1/2 oz of # 8 shot over a wad cut from a cereal box with 4 grs of unique. I held the shot in by pouring a little white elmers glue to seal the open end. This will take the starch out of a snake at about 10 to 12 ft. I always wanted to try some smaller shot like #10 or #12 however I couldn't a source. If anyone knows where drop me a line. Thanks, Mike

[BluesBear]

Has anyone tried shorting .308 brass to 45 acp length, inside turning to proper id? Yes I have.
Tried it about 20 years ago.
A whole lot of work for much much advantage.
One problem is you lose so much internal space due to the ticker web. Especially if you use 7.62 NATO cases or USGI .30-06 cases.
But the big problem is that some extractors just don't get along well with the smaller extractor groove of USGI cases.

As for chamber length shotshells in moon clips in a 1917...

32-20Mike, how big of a hammer did you use to get the empties out?
Even one is a real pain to eject. That's why CCI says to not use their extended case .45 shotshells in revolvers. They really are damnedable hard to extract.

[DLCTEX]

My cases made from 308 blank cases do not expand in my 1911. The neck is formed with a 41 mag. die, 3.5 gr. bull'seye, 1/2 oz. shot. Single loading and hand extraction. Dale

[lar45]

The Canadians have a round called the 45-08 that uses reamed out 308, 243... cases and a 200 SWC at 1300. I think the load is 10 gn Longshot. They have a stronger recoil spring also, don't remember what weight right now. they say it works good on blacks and grizz.
I got a couple of cases from a guy to look at. I belive he was paying $1 each for them. The two I measured had a big difference in internal case capacity. I couldn't imagine that the rounds would have very good consistency with the big difference between individual cases.

I have a bunch of TZZ 45 cases. They are Israeli made and very strong. They will handle way hot loads without any problems. I didn't have to do anything to the primer pockets. Just reduce the load by 15% to start with.

[Catshooter]

.32-20Mike,

If you call Wideners they will put two 25 pound sacks of #10 shot into a flat rate USPS box and ship it to you. They did for me and it cost less than $60.


Cat

[USARO4]

Driller640 what goal do you have in mind? Are you wanting to work up a 45+P load? What gun will you be shooting it with? I shoot 45 Super through a Ruger Blackhawk, it definately gets your attention. If you want to shoot it through semi-auto pistol you will need to modify the gun. It's much easier just to buy 45 Super brass from Starline, it has the stronger web and is designed to handle the increased pressure.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Driller640 what goal do you have in mind? Are you wanting to work up a 45+P load? What gun will you be shooting it with? I shoot 45 Super through a Ruger Blackhawk, it definately gets your attention. If you want to shoot it through semi-auto pistol you will need to modify the gun. It's much easier just to buy 45 Super brass from Starline, it has the stronger web and is designed to handle the increased pressure.

I have a 45 convertible Blackhawk. I'd probably be better sticking to the 45 Colt for hot loads, but the 45 Super interests me. Will this chamber and shoot in the 45ACP BH? I thought that they were longer.

[USARO4]

4fingermick, Yes they will chamber and shoot in your Blackhawk Convertible. The brass and cartridge dimensions are the same as 45ACP. The super brass is just made stronger to handle the increased pressure. The longer cartridge you're thinking of is the 460 Rowland. You can work up loads just about as stout as a heavy 45 Colt but your bullet will be smaller as you use 185 to 230gr bullets designed for the 45ACP. I always bring the 45 Super out when I have friends over, it really gets their attention that such a little cartridge packs such a wallop. I have a Blackhawk Convertible with the 4 5/8" barrel, it's one of my favorites. You should see the fireball that 45 Super puts out of that short barrel!

[BluesBear]

I recently came across a small stash of .45 Super and .450 SMC hidden away on the bottom shelf of a local dealer.

They both shoot very well in my 7½" Blackhawk Convertable.
I have an extra .45acp cylinder that I'd like to have rechambered for .45 Winchester Magnum.
I've seen it done and it makes an excellent deer gun.

[Mohillbilly]

I have in a pinch made .45 Win mag ( Starline has them and a bunch of other.45 stuff too) from 30-06/308. Case capacity is smaller so use less powder for the same pressures.A co worker had a Blackhawk with a re chambered ACP to winmag and we shot factory loads very spareingly(that cylinder is now retired) as the pressures run much higher.It is much better to just load the colt hotter than the winmag as it is longer chambered yet. Remember, the brass is to be the gasket, the steel holds it all together.... 44 automag(AMP) is about the same except a little less /more neck ream'n .Then the wild cat rounds(.357/45 Grizzly/winmag,.357AMP,and .41AMP) are made the same only necked down(after ream'n) to.357,or .41. I make them outa 7mm benchrest as it does not need neckream'n and has a small primer pocker for higher pressures.....It is more expensive to do it that way..# 12 shot can be had from Ballistic products....

[robertbank]

Gunnar Christensen out of Pr. George. B.C. has developed the .45-08 cartridge using .308 brass cut down to .45acp dimensions and reamed out down to the webbing to allow the boolits to seat and to add case volume. Cartridge is used as a defensive load for bears up here.

Only modification we do to our guns is to add a 20# recoil spring to the gun. Some use shok buffers...I don't.

We get 1350 fps using 200 gr hardcast LSWC. Boolit has proven a real performer when it really is necessary. I use the load in my Norinco. Gunnar sells the cases for a dollar Cdn I think. If you want more info on this load and cartridge contact Gunnar at:

http://www.armco-guns.com/

HIs email is:

armco@telus.net

This time of year he is usually quite busy with IPSC but you can give him a try if you are interested.

Take Care

Bob