load suggestion?

[Jim]

Anybody have a suggestion for a starting load for .45 Colt with a 250-255 gr. cast boolit using 2400? I know it's usually used as a magnum powder, but it seems like it could be used for something a bit milder.

[Bass Ackward]

Anybody have a suggestion for a starting load for .45 Colt with a 250-255 gr. cast boolit using 2400? I know it's usually used as a magnum powder, but it seems like it could be used for something a bit milder.


The starting load listed by RCBS for Rugers and Contenders is 15.9 grains.

[Jim]

Actually, I failed to provide enough details. The pistol is an old 1917 Colt New Service revolver in .455 Webley. The chambers are bored straight though with out forcing cones. I'm using .454 Casull cases to eliminate bullet jump. I was wondering about using 2400 'cause I've got a ton of it. The loads would have to be kept moderate to avoid overworking this old pistol.

[runfiverun]

i like about 12 grains in my 44-40 with 200 gr cast
this is with large pistol primer
but it might compare to your case volume
seems to bump up my slightly under sized bulllets to a good fit in the 92

[Dale53]

I have never been in favor of using slow burning powders in "reduced" loads. Ignition problems often raise their ugly heads. I suggest forgetting about using an unsuitable (in my view) powder in that old and "weak" revolver (compared to modern "N" frame revolvers). You need to keep the pressures on the modest side and Win 231 and Unique would be MUCH more suited for this task.

I have a pretty good arms and reloading library and all the information that I can find on the .455 Webley is from Phil Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Reloading" and the data is for obsolete powders.

I would suggest that you enter into this project carefully and you probably should not hold high expectations.

Dale53

[NVcurmudgeon]

Actually, I failed to provide enough details. The pistol is an old 1917 Colt New Service revolver in .455 Webley. The chambers are bored straight though with out forcing cones. I'm using .454 Casull cases to eliminate bullet jump. I was wondering about using 2400 'cause I've got a ton of it. The loads would have to be kept moderate to avoid overworking this old pistol.

First thng I would do approaching this project would be to make sure there was not a .454 Casull chambered revolver or a sngle round of real .454 Casull ammo on the premises. Murphy's law is as immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians.

[freedom475]

First thng I would do approaching this project would be to make sure there was not a .454 Casull chambered revolver or a sngle round of real .454 Casull ammo on the premises. Murphy's law is as immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians.

I would have to give this a VERY strong 2nd vote...Can you say "Grenade":twisted:

If you are going to use the 454cases, I would try Trail Boss as it's very bulky, only 9oz. per can. Works well for reduced BP type loads.

[DanWalker]

I've never had much luck with 2400 in reduced loads in the 45LC.
Below 15 grains I seem to get a lot of unburned powder and erratic results.
it really seems to need some pressure to work well.
15 grains under a 250 swc has worked well for me in the past, but I wouldn't go any lighter
A really nice working load I shoot a lot of is 6.5 grains of RED DOT under a 250 grain Keith SWC cast from a GB mould we did here last year. It clocks at 850 fps from the 5 1/2" barrel of my blackhawk. RED DOT seems to have a softer recoil impulse than 2400 to me also.

[Stevejet]

HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK OF USING .454 Casull CASES AND ANY UNPUBLISHED/UNTESTED LOADS IN A NEW SERVICE CYLINDER???????

freedom475 is "Spot On' in his suggestion....GRENADE!

It's your eyesight, hands and disfigurement, along with anyone standing nearby, so I decline on supplying any "Starting Loads" for the dangerous gun, case and powder lash up you wish to attempt. Go easy with that "GRENADE" brotha'.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have to go with the other guys and say DONT use the 454 cases. Even if i give you light 2400 loads i use in my 45s you are going to have to use small rifle primers and thats going to change things. What id consider is going totally the oposite way and finding some scofield brass and use the gun for plinking loads. Those old colts were good guns but i dont know how there going to hold up to your 2400 loads. If nothing else those colts had a tendency to shoot out of time after a while and you could run into problems fast.

[Jim]

I got out to the range yesterday with 6 different loads to test in the 1917. A friend brought along a S/W .460 to check what we figured would be the hot loads. As it turns out, those were the best.

FINAL RESULTS:

STARLINE .454 CASES
LEE 255 GR. RNFP BULLET, BHN-20
LITHIUM/4X GRAPHITE LUBE
13 GR. 2400 POWDER
SM. PISTOL PRIMER

No pressure signs at all. No M/Vs as no time to take and set up chrony.

This load was tested with powder against primer and powder against bullet. Position had no bearing on ignition. All loads lighter than this one showed sooting. At this load level, the sooting stopped and all rounds fired perfectly.

[calsite]

second on the 231, unique or bullseye are another two

[9.3X62AL]

The 455 drove a 265 grain bullet about 700 FPS, and that is likely optimistic. I would be VERY careful with your project, sir.

[txbirdman]

Many years ago I had a New Service like yours except in 455 Eley. I had a machinist friend of mine rechamber it to 45 Colt and fired some loads I shouldn't have for quite sometime using Unique and a 255gr bullet sized .454. The gun shot very well but I eventually loosened it up with the load I was using. Take a "fool's advice" and keep those loads very mild so you can enjoy that New Service for years to come.

[bearcove]

Throw away the gun before you use 454 brass. Being blind or dead is no bargain! At least 45 colt would reduce your risk of a factory round getting in and blowing your day. If you have shot a 454 with healthy factory loads you would,or should understand. STOUT!!

SHOOT SAFE SHOOT TOMMOROW!

[leftiye]

If I understand Jim right, he's thinking of a setup resembling the 7.62X38R Nagant rounds where the case extends clear to the mouth of the cylinder. You're going to have some issues with retaining boolits in the cases. You could run the case into a crimping die clear until the ogive or scraping band was encountered, or maybe run the loaded cases into a cannelure tool with a smooth wheel to crimp the case into a crimping groove. Both approaches might not iron out real well and could size the boolits down when the ctgs. were fired. Or, you could get a wadcutter mold, and just crimp the boolit into the mouth of the case (!).

I'd think this would be your main problem. Loads could easily be found (unique, or HS-6 maybe) that didn't stress the gun too much. If your firing pin has good reach you could use small pistol primers. Or, maybe find summa them .454 cases with the large primer pockets.

[Jim]

As for a .454 cartridge winding up in my revolver, NOBODY shoots this gun but me.

Concerning the length of the cartridge case, the cylinder is long enough to accomodate the longer case with a .452-255 RNFP "cowboy" style bullet seated to the crimping groove and still several K shorter than the cylinder.
The load I reported sounds hot. It is not. Using sooting on the outside of the case as one indicator of pressure, there was just a touch of sooting showing on the outside of the brass. Absolutely no sign of pressure marks on the primer at all.