.45LC boolit in a 1911?

[Remington788]

Maybe this is a stupid question, I am new here.

I ran out of the 200gr Semi-Wadcutters .45 while loading for my 1911.
Opened my cabinet and grabbed another box of them. They looked a bit dfferent and I looked at the box more closely.
It turns out I bought a box of 255gr Semi-Wadcutters .45LC.

They are both sized to .452

Other than being much heavier, what is the difference between a .45 boolit and a .45LC boolit?

Is it safe to load to shoot in my 1911?

[KYCaster]

The heavier bullet leaves less room in the case for powder........MUCH HIGHER PRESSURE!

Be careful.

Jerry

[mikeym1a]

Just checked my new 'Modern Reloading' by Richard Lee. The loads he lists for the the lead 200gr runs from 17000 up to 23000. The listing for the 230gr lead boolit for the .45acp run the same range. You adjust the pressure by adjusting the powder charge. As long as you follow safe loading techniques, and approved loads listed in any of the manuals for that weight boolit, there should not be any problem. Remember, the .45ACP was designed for a 230gr jacketed bullet, so a 230gr lead boolit should be fine.

[Remington788]

My book does not list a load for Clay's powder.
I had been using 4.1g for a 200gr semiWC, probably between 11000 to 14000 cup (just guessing at that).

I guess I will fire off on to see how it goes, then start working up a load from scratch.

[mikeym1a]

I just reread your post, and see that my brain did the dyslexia thing. You wrote 255gr, and my brain saw 225gr. SO, as there is no loads listed for the 255gr boolit for the ACP, you would have to use a lighter powder charge. I wouldn't even know how to figure it out. I just checked the Lyman #3 cast boolit manual, and compared the 200gr and 225gr boolits. Using Unique as a reference, they list the max load for the 200gr as 7.5grs of Unique, giving 980fps mv, and 16,600psi CUP. For the 225gr boolit, the max load listed is 7.3grs of Unique, for 905fps mv, and 16,500psi CUP. The minimum load for the 225gr is 5.5grs Unique, for 695fps, and 10,100psi CUP. You could probably start with the 5.5grs, but you mv is going to be around 600fps, although you pressure should be safe. That is just an assumption on my part, so If you decide to proceed, be very careful. If you have a manual that lists the .455 automatic cartridge, there might be usable data there, as the brits seemed to like big boolits at a lower speed, and they did have a .455 auto, for a time. In the end, it might be simpler to just get some new boolits of proper size.

[mikeym1a]

Just checked the Lee manual, again. It does list Clays. Min load for the 230gr boolit is 3.5gr, 716fps. Max load is 4.0gr, for 793fps & 16,800psi CUP.

[Remington788]

I think I should just pull these (I made maybe 25-30) and scrap the whole box.
I'm not fond of exploding guns :)

[mongoosesnipe]

http://reloadersnest.com/detail_handgun.asp?CaliberID=17&BulletWeight=255&LoadID=487

[BruceB]

With normal caution, the heavy bullets should work fine... as long as they'll feed through the 1911.

When I had a Smith & Wesson 25-2, a .45ACP target revolver, I used many 454190 bullets in the .45ACP case. This is the original .45 Colt bullet of around 255 grains as I cast them. The loads also worked fine in my several 1911s of the day, at least partly because the 454190 has a rather feed-friendly shape..

The First Edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (1958) contains .45ACP loads with the 454190 bullet, as well as .455 "Colt or Webley" with the same bullet. I'm certain that a 1911 can safely contain loads for a Webley, as well as those intended for the .45 Auto-Rim revolvers of that time.

The max load for the .45 AR with 454190 was 7.0 Unique, for 805fps....barrel length not listed. 6.0 Unique gave 800 fps.

In the .455 case, 6.0 Unique gave 725 fps.

Consider these facts as you decide what to do with those loads.

[snuffy]

I loaded some 255 SWC for a bowling pin match. I got a load somewhere using Alliant blu-dot, but that was 20 years ago, don't remember how much powder. I DO remember that they kicked like a Missouri mule! AND they shot very high, even with the 1911 colt's adjustable sights all the way down, I had to float the pins off the front sight,(aim low). I also don't know where I got the load data.

Your main problem will be getting the SWC boolit to feed in your 45 auto. It's most likely NOT made to function in an auto loader.

I found one load in my load data subscription for a 250 lasercast 250 rnfp. Using power pistol. I won't list the charge weight, because it's a +P load in new starline cases, and is listed @ 934 fps. A very stout load. Just saying there's data out there ya just gotta look around.

I have a mold for 45-255 SWC, and I have a SA 1911. I also have PP and some starline cases. I might just try that combo, just because I can!

I certainly would NOT use the fast burning clays for a heavy-for-caliber-boolit like that. A slower powder like power pistol is much better.

[44MAG#1]

I use the Lyman 454424 bullet at time in my 1911's.
This is not rocket science and it doesn't take an Einstein to figure it out.
I use 3.8 gr of Bullseye which is fairly low pressure.
Speer #13 lists loads with a 260 gr jacketed.
Unique will be great as well as Herco.
Speer lists 6.9 Herco, 6.3 gr Unique, 5.2 gr Bullseye and 5.9 gr 231 as maximum loads with a 260 Speer loaded to 1.200" oal.

[dale2242]

I have used 454242 in my 1911 successfully.
They fed and shot well....dale

[Dan Cash]

You can get the heavy bullets to work in the 1911 but in my opinion, they are really hard on the gun. Regardless of pressure which the barrel will withstand, the slide gains a good deal of velocity due to the inertial resistance of the heavy bullet. Slides and frames will crack; the .45ACP was designed around a 200-230 grain bullet. Exceed the design parameters at your peril.

[44MAG#1]

If one has the heavies one doesn't have to load them flat open. If one is getting 850 with a 230 there is no way one could convince me that a 255 at 700 to 725 will hurt the gun.
Again this is not rocket science. One knows to take it easy with any gun.

[davidalyn]

The below information is from the Laser-Cast reloading manual for a 250 grain RNFP cast 45ACP:

3.3 Clays
3.8 Titegroup
3.5 Solo 1000
3.9 Bullseye
5.0 Unique

These loads are in the 700 to 745 fps range. I have successfully used this same information with a 255 grain SWC loaded to an OAL of 1.200.

[Outpost75]

Speer Manual No. 13 has data for loading 250 lead SWC and 260 JHP bullets for the .45 ACP.

6 grains of Unique with #454424 works well in pistols which will feed it for 820 fps