a first

[45sixgun]

I finally took my first game with a bullet I cast myself.....just a desert cottontail, but a little milestone for me. I used a 160 gr. LBT FN from WW lead in a .38 special case with 4.2 grains of Unique and my Ruger .357 BH. A very light load, but nice for bunnies.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dt6VQZgO4FE/UIoQzJX2UtI/AAAAAAAAaVY/6zj8g1UhprQ/s800/P1090366-001.JPG

I posted awhile ago about reaming the cylinders on my .45 long colt BH convertible. I reamed both the long colt cylinder and the ACP cylinder. I have to say that while being a handgun newbie and not shooting that well, I can still hit better with the .45 than I can with my .44 Special BH. Here are my best groups with the .45 from the last time I got out a couple of weeks ago. I'm still having a few glitches in my reloading. I shave lead with just about every round. Probably my die isn't set right to bell out the case mouths enough. And I'm using my .45 long colt dies to load the .45 ACP rounds. The bullets don't seem to seat straight and often look a little cockeyed, though accuracy seems decent.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NV1y4isPjik/UItbgD7xE3I/AAAAAAAAaWI/R1dT1uq6CeA/s800/P1090178-002.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U5u-QzEqtg8/UItatP60x0I/AAAAAAAAaV4/-fxaCci8g60/s800/P1090202-001.JPG

[captaint]

45 - In MY opinion, you need a set of 45ACP dies. I have the Lyman M die set and they work really well. No issues. I know I'm spending your money, but I really think you would be happier with the right dies. enjoy Mike

[glenkans]

Congrats on the cottontail.Jst about perfect game for a pistol.Good eating too.Wish I was with you and I 'd fry it up and we'd have a feast.Little gravy and some bread to put it on.Keep up the good work,Glen (love those Ruger single actions)

[PS Paul]

Well, you're in good company on this board with the .45 BH, for sure. My favorite handgun - and caliber- of all time!
Good work and welcome to the forum!
Paul

[45sixgun]

Thanks, guys.

Share your sentiments about SA's and eating bunnies, Glen.

Did you do any cylinder work on your .45, Paul?

I'll get the dies next chance I get, Mike. Operating on a low budget, but the flat base bullets I'm loading need some help getting into the cases, and I really enjoy shooting with the ACP cylinder.

I'm real new to this, and I was wondering how best to connect with others of similar interest. Are the shooting ranges a good place to go? I've never been to one.

[bigboredad]

with cast in my opinion with the right set of .45 colt dies you can get by without spending the extra on .45 acp. In my experience hornady is the right die set to use for both colt and acp hornady also has a sleeve on their seating die that helps keep your bullet strait during the seating process. A taper crimp is best but if you are careful a roll crimp can work with the .45 acp. Lee sell a taper crimp for under 20.00 so it may be worth it to get if you don't already have one

[PS Paul]

I have not done any cylinder work on my BH, BUT four of the six chamber mouths are all .451. Two are like .4509 or so, making them just a smidgen tighter than the others. I started a thread a few weeks back about doing some polishing on my own, bu I am still kickin' that idea around OR just going to send to Cylindersmith to get him to take care of it and make them all the same.

It's a pretty tight gun and I have found both the .45 ACP and the .45 Colt cylinders shoot pretty well with little or NO leading in my cast loads and store-bought cast boolits. I don't necessarily need perfection, but I think it is possible to get the groups in the 1.00" to 1.5" area. right now they are right around 2" at 25 yds, more or less......

[45sixgun]

Bigboredad, I appreciate the tip on the crimp die. Sounds like that's what I need.

Paul, I just offered another member here to let him borrow the manson reamer I have at no cost. It's in like new condition, and comes with all of the pilot guides. If you are inclined to do it yourself, let me know. I have to say I am not mechanically inclined and made some pretty dumb mistakes while I was doing it, but the cylinders still seemed to come out better anyway.

Since I'm posting about "a first," I'll post another one I'm tackling....a holster. Of course I messed things up right away. I cut the pattern so the rough side of the leather faces out. It may end up being ok though. I found some thinner dark leather that I think will look real good sewn onto the outside.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OXeTTtk_2L4/UI7NgZDZucI/AAAAAAAAaWg/R9I5XwuCqds/s800/P1090382-001.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Cyh6Gyk0M6g/UI7NfhNs41I/AAAAAAAAaWc/fVek0pdWYW8/s800/P1090380-001.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vUoaGrz3vjU/UI7NhUvhgmI/AAAAAAAAaWs/8VQfTVVsb-c/s800/P1090386-001.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nMxvcVVtAlI/UI7Njr7CGNI/AAAAAAAAaW8/iTXJ3vJTqHg/s800/P1090394-001.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SsTK8IhpQJ0/UI_ffPK3EqI/AAAAAAAAaXg/ABBEEhfALh0/s800/P1090405-001.JPG

[scattershot]

Good shooting, but I think you would be happier with the ACP dies. You can load better ammo with the correct dies.

[PS Paul]

I think that leather holster will turn out nice there......
sixgun, I sent a PM on your post above. Hope you're not out where the hurricane has shut everything down.....

[45sixgun]

Got my holster stitched together today. For this project I didn't buy or make a single tool. That's not to say I didn't wish for something to make parts of it easier.

This is the filler.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Wn7KaXSuXeM/UJceat5b8oI/AAAAAAAAaZQ/LszyDY9tZ04/s800/P1090487-001.JPG

Feathering the ends of the extra fillers for top and bottom. Bottom of the holster where the end of the barrel goes is 5 layers of leather thick. Top where the trigger guard is has 4 layers of leather. Feathering the edges made it blend in nicely.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ONUFkXjyi3U/UJceYwuJfBI/AAAAAAAAaZI/l3gx_evbJBg/s800/P1090489-001.JPG

I still need to clean up the profile, burnish the edges, and put some kind of finish on it. I took it on a hike and it performed as I had hoped.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uwLcy1HTK0Y/UJcebfTV4wI/AAAAAAAAaZY/q9Qwwcj6exQ/s800/P1090493-001.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MsZ9YZQv_yY/UJceVC1hdiI/AAAAAAAAaY4/jDQ7eLYE_yM/s800/P1090500-001.JPG

[scattershot]

Nice looking holster. Nothing wrong with rough out, either. I order mine that way sometimes.

[Dutchman]

This has been the best dang hiking holster and the only holster I ever made. Radical cross-draw for the S&W 2nd Model HE .45 AutoRim (Brazilian Navy 1937).

http://images57.fotki.com/v1354/photos/4/28344/9895637/001-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v235/photos/4/28344/9895637/053x-vi.jpg
http://images27.fotki.com/v1024/photos/4/28344/9895637/054x-vi.jpg

Those little sissy cottontails are easy to kill. It takes a .357 Magnum to bring down a California Mountain Jack. S&W Model 28 using 358156.
Taken near Gorman, Calif elevation 5,000 ft+.

http://images61.fotki.com/v665/photos/4/28344/9895637/dutch81-vi.jpg

[45sixgun]

Dutchman, I love that holster! And that's a sweet shot of you with the jack. I know what you mean about those big thumpers. I took these with my .44 special. A whole lot bigger than the "sissy" cottontail.....

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sgQ79uzCKz0/TyqclJ7exsI/AAAAAAAAaGw/uYVHABXhVdg/s800/P1040991-1.JPG

[Dutchman]

I heard most wabbits are democrats. You're doing the world a fine service.

Dutch

[9.3X62AL]

You can do creditable work on 45 ACP ammo with a 45 Colt die set. In fact, I use the 45 Colt RCBS tungsten-carbide sizer die for my 45 ACP sizing now, since it sizes to .469"--about right for 45 ACP, and way too small for 45 Colt. I went to a steel sizer for the 45 Colt.

The mis-aligned boolits could be a seater stem not getting along with the bullet nose profile. To taper-crimp the 45 ACP loads, you can remove the decapping assembly from the sizing die, and just "kiss" the case mouth with the bottom of the sizer die.

Congrats on the first game critter with the handgun! Now, you're hooked.....

[45sixgun]

Thanks for the tips, 9.3X62AL! I'll try that taper-crimp method for sure.

[Bullet Caster]

You old bunny killer. Poor defenseless little bunny. My wife is now in tears. Lol. Nice holster you've made there. I plan on trying my hand at making a holster out of some old saddle stirrups that were given to me. Your holster sure turned out beautiful. Only thing is that the leather on the stirrups is almost a 1/4" thick. I've got an old Singer upholstry machine that will probably sew through that thick leather.

I've just got to find the time to get started. I guess if the machine fails to perform I'll have to sew it by hand with an awl and a leather punch I have on hand. If all else fails I'll have to send the leather to you and see what you can do with it. Ha. BC

[45sixgun]

Good luck, BC. I enjoyed the project, and it wasn't hard. The hand stitching went quite fast. That used leather will look great and have some character. I need to treat mine somehow.

Go for it, and post some pics.

[scattershot]

Todd, I have a friend who makes knives and the sheaths to go with them. He immerses his in liquid beeswax. I don't know if that would be practical, but you could sure rub some in to condition the leather. I'm not sure I'd do it on the roughout, though. Maybe a silicone spray of some sort.

[45sixgun]

Scattershot, thanks. I have heard about the wax treatment and was wondering if it would work for the holster. Some older gentleman who has been working with leather for many years, suggested using a 50/50 mixture of water and mop 'n glo. Said it has the same ingredients as some of the commercial leather treatments. I might try that. I soaked it in some coffee to color it some. It's drying now.

[Bullet Caster]

45SixGun,

Thanks for your incouragement. I use a lot of mink oil on just about all my leather and works as a water repellant as well as softening the leather. I use it on all my leather boots, belts, possibles bag, etc. I've also found that the old Orvis Gokey Indian Waterproof Dressing works even better than just straight mink oil. It's got some other leather conditioners in it as well. I've never had a boot to absorb moisture when using this product. I apply it with my fingers and let it dry overnight. Then wipe off any excess. I even use an old toothbrush to get into cracks and stitching. BC

[45sixgun]

BC, thanks for the leather treatment tips. I'll keep an eye out for the Orvis Gokey stuff.