45 Colt Dies

[Kron]

I am in need of some basic assistance on 45 Colt dies. I am in the market for a set to use with a new SAA revolver I am buying this month.

In preparation for that, I am buying some dies and a mould or 3 to get ready for loading once the new family member arrives. Likely molds are 452424, RCBS 45-255-SWC, and RCBS 45-270-SAA.

I typically buy Redding or RCBS dies and have no problems with those. I also have a handful of Lyman M dies and a couple dozen plugs for them.

I plan to shoot cast more or less exclusively in this revolver.

I am fairly certain I want a carbide die set, but from there...

Redding? RCBS? RCBS Cowboy? Something else?

What will I find the most luck with? Is there a reason to buy RCBS cowboys if I already have Lyman M dies?

Don't have the revolver yet, so can't pin gauge the cylinders or slug barrel to see where I'll be on sizers yet. I expect somewhere in the .452-.454 range though.

Rounds will be loaded on either a Pacific Super Mag press, or a Forster Co-Ax if that matters. Might end up using the Dillon 650 eventually.

Any words of wisdom?

And thanks!!!
Kron

[geargnasher]

I am in need of some basic assistance on 45 Colt dies. I am in the market for a set to use with a new SAA revolver I am buying this month.

In preparation for that, I am buying some dies and a mould or 3 to get ready for loading once the new family member arrives. Likely molds are 452424, RCBS 45-255-SWC, and RCBS 45-270-SAA.

I typically buy Redding or RCBS dies and have no problems with those. I also have a handful of Lyman M dies and a couple dozen plugs for them.

I plan to shoot cast more or less exclusively in this revolver. You'll probably be happier if you keep it "MORE" so you don't have to clean the copper out.

I am fairly certain I want a carbide die set, but from there... The .45 Colt, as you my have surmised, typically has grossly oversized chambers and grossly undersized reloading dies, resulting in overworked brass. I highly recommend the RCBS Cowboy dies, and you can use a home-made, spritz-on case lube that takes no time to put on and even less to clean off, so don't fear the properly tapered steel die. The Carbide ones work ok, but usually overwork the brass, especially the back half.

Redding? RCBS? RCBS Cowboy? Something else? Cowboy.

What will I find the most luck with? Is there a reason to buy RCBS cowboys if I already have Lyman M dies? As I mentioned above, the .45 Colt chamber is tapered, and carbide dies size parallel. Also, the cowboy dies don't size as much, therefor you don't need to expand as much, and this adds to case live considerably. The Cowboy die set has a larger expander, too, and I personally prefer the shape of the RCBS expander/flaring spud to the two-step Lyman M die.

Don't have the revolver yet, so can't pin gauge the cylinders or slug barrel to see where I'll be on sizers yet. I expect somewhere in the .452-.454 range though. Size to the cylinder throats. I agree with your predictions, but you don't know 'till you get the gun.

Rounds will be loaded on either a Pacific Super Mag press, or a Forster Co-Ax if that matters. Might end up using the Dillon 650 eventually.

Any words of wisdom?

And thanks!!!
Kron

Buy at least a 500-count box of Starline .45 Colt brass, the best stuff there is. DO trim and chamfer it all. Use a "medium" alloy like air-cooled wheel weight metal with maybe one percent tin added. Use a good lube that fills the grooves. Look at the offerings of Bullshop and White Label Lubes. Size the boolits so you can push them through the throats easily with a dowel from the chamber end, but still have some resistance. Seat and crimp in two operations, and don't overdo the crimp.

Red Dot and Unique are powders that are tough to beat in the SAA, and for some real fun you might try the real, black powder stuff sometime, but be aware of the need to soak the brass afterward and all that stuff.

Have fun!

Gear

[r1kk1]

Cool choices. You have Dillon with the ultra fast clip removal for die cleaning without losing adjustment. RCBS cowboy dies. Hornady nitride dies. CH4D with their TiN coated dies. Redding dual ring sizing dies.

So many to choose from.

Take care,

r1kk1

[Kron]

Did they offer the RCBS Cowboys for 45 Colt in something other than the carbide set at one point?

And thanks for all the input :)

[David2011]

Have fun with the .45 Colt. I love the versatility of the cartridge. It's my favorite pistol caliber. Just be sure your dies will make a nice roll crimp. I'm not a die-hard Lee fan but am very satisfied with my Lee .45 Colt dies. I have Dillon dies in several calibers, just not .45 Colt and they are first class.

David

[wrench man]

I load my 45 Colt on my Dillon RL550B with RCBS 454 Casull dies (#232212) and a Dillon 45 Colt crimp die for the crimp, I use the Dillon powder funnel as issued with minimal belling.

[arkypete]

My first set of 45 Colt dies was Lyman, this was 35 years ago. They worked but were pretty sloppy. My next set was RCBS, a vast improvement.
Then I bought a set of Redding 375 Whelen dies and was so impressed that I started replacing all of my die sets with Redding.
I no longer even look at the companies I just go to the Redding web sight and order.

Jim

[Dale53]

I use Lee Dies for my .45 Colt and .45 ACP cartridges. Starline brass is my favorite for all pistol calibers but admit that I am partial to military cases for the .45 ACP. However, I use mostly Starline .45 Auto Rim in my 625's (.45 ACP chambering).

My favorite bullet for the .45 Colt is the Mihec version of the RCBS 45-270-SAA in both solid point and hollow point. Mihec's pentagon hollow point is VERY effective at 900-1000 fps when used with the proper alloys.

FWIW
Dale53

[justing]

i have a set of lee carbide dies with about 2000 rounds through them with no issues.

[John Guedry]

I use regular RCBS (not cowboy) and am very well pleased with them.

[cbrick]

What Gear said in post #2 and for exactly the same reasons he mentioned.

Rick

[1bluehorse]

I keep seeing advertisments that the RCBS Cowboy dies are better for reloading cast bullets. I don't personally know anyone who owns them so I can't say for sure one way or the other...Anyone have a set they can measure and tell if there is actually any difference in size in relation to a "standard" die..personally I'd like to have a bit less case "sizing" for my cast boolits..(I've tried the "neck sizing", and didn't like the results) other than that, all manufacturers make good stuff. I prefer RCBS myself but also use Lee and Hornady..they all work for my applications.
I do think I need to get some "M" dies though...

[ZigZagMarquis]

Buy at least a 500-count box of Starline .45 Colt brass, the best stuff there is. DO trim and chamfer it all.
Gear

[smilie=s:
To what length do you recommend trimming to?

[Kron]

With regards to 452424 mould, do most of you crimp in crimp groove, or over forward driving band?

I see references to both in various print sources/manuals. My SAA Cimarron can handle either length, so that isn't really an issue.

Any benefits of one over the other? (Besides the lower pressure for seating/crimping in the crimp groove.)

And thanks again for all the advice/comments.

Got my RCBS cowboy dies. Was pleasantly surprised to find two expander plugs in the boxre (452 & 454). So far they are working great.

[joec]

I load using Lee dies and crimp using a Lee die I bought from Ranch Dog. I've never had a problem with my SAA or even my Rossi 92 in 45 Colt for which I load for hunting also.

['74 sharps]

I use the RCBS Cowboy dies and cast a 20:1 lead for my Colt SAA 45
with the Lyman 454190 direct copy of the original bullet for the 45. Smokeless powder should be banned in 45's. I only load real black, 3F, homemade lube, and as the song goes, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing". Cleanup is ultra easy, and have never had a speck of rust on my Colt. The full case of black, with the Lyman bullet is what Custer's troops had. They should have taken the Gatling guns when offered..........

[Cherokee]

I bought Lyman dies some 40 years ago and still use them today. Never had a problem. A batch of my light "cowboy" load brass has 18 reloads on them and still going strong. I like the RCBS 45-255 SWC in my 45 colts but some people liek the 45-270 better. Neither is a bad chlice. Must of my shooting is with the RCBS 45-230CM. BTW, the 45-255 I have cast at 265 gr from wheel weights plus 2% tin.

[1bluehorse]

I use the RCBS Cowboy dies and cast a 20:1 lead for my Colt SAA 45
with the Lyman 454190 direct copy of the original bullet for the 45. Smokeless powder should be banned in 45's. I only load real black, 3F, homemade lube, and as the song goes, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing". Cleanup is ultra easy, and have never had a speck of rust on my Colt. The full case of black, with the Lyman bullet is what Custer's troops had. They should have taken the Gatling guns when offered..........

Black Powder is for blowing stumps..........nasty stuff..:coffee:

[WyrTwister]

I am in need of some basic assistance on 45 Colt dies. I am in the market for a set to use with a new SAA revolver I am buying this month.

In preparation for that, I am buying some dies and a mould or 3 to get ready for loading once the new family member arrives. Likely molds are 452424, RCBS 45-255-SWC, and RCBS 45-270-SAA.

I typically buy Redding or RCBS dies and have no problems with those. I also have a handful of Lyman M dies and a couple dozen plugs for them.

I plan to shoot cast more or less exclusively in this revolver.

I am fairly certain I want a carbide die set, but from there...

Redding? RCBS? RCBS Cowboy? Something else?

What will I find the most luck with? Is there a reason to buy RCBS cowboys if I already have Lyman M dies?

Don't have the revolver yet, so can't pin gauge the cylinders or slug barrel to see where I'll be on sizers yet. I expect somewhere in the .452-.454 range though.

Rounds will be loaded on either a Pacific Super Mag press, or a Forster Co-Ax if that matters. Might end up using the Dillon 650 eventually.

Any words of wisdom?

And thanks!!!
Kron


My .45 LC die set is a Lee w/ carbide sizing die . Works fine .

God bless
Wyr