45acp wheelguns use 45 auto rim brass??

[218bee]

Hey guys, I was wondering if anyone uses/ has used/ can use 45 auto rim brass in their Smith or Ruger 45 acp revolvers. The concept sounds good to me although the brass is going to cost more. Just wondering if anyone has experience good or bad doing this. My fat fingers and moon clips don't always agree

[StrawHat]

I have used both ACP and AR brass in my S&W revolvers.

My brother uses both also, in his S&W M1917.

I use the same recipes and bullets just different cases.

Some find a difference in accuracy but in my guns I have not noticed it.

I also made a tool that makes it easier for me to load and unload the moonclips, but I still use the AR when I feel like it.

I always use the moon clips when I carry my 45. I have not bothered with speedloaders for the AR cases, they won't be as fast as the monclips.

Unless Ruger has come out with a DA revolver in 45 ACP you will not be able to use moonclips in the Balckhawk unless you have machined the cylinder to accept them.

Since it already uses ACP without problems, I can't see the need.

I can understand if the reason is "I want to"

[Bret4207]

Starline makes nice AR brass. Lots easier than messing with moon clips.

[MGD]

I have used alot of AR brass, it's a lot easier than messing with the clips. But you wind up with revolver only ammo.

[Dale53]

I am using .45 ACP in my 625-8 with RIMZ polymer clips. Easy to load and unload the clips and I utilize the thousands of ACP cases I already had. No tools needed with RIMZ clips.

I have steel full moon clips and if I need the 625-8 for serious use I have that option (and have all of the tools necessary).

Whether ACP or AR, these revolvers are a treat!

Dale53

[218bee]

Does the Blackhawk headspace on the case mouth? hence the reason not to use moon clips??

[Mk42gunner]

The Ruger Blackhawk is a single action revolver that you load one at a time through the loading gate; thus no need for a half or full moon clip. Plus I don't believe there is enough room between the recoil shield and the cylinder for the rim on an AR case.

Robert

[lathesmith]

AR's will NOT work in the Ruger SA's, at least not without machining the cylinder. I picked up some AR brass to use with my Smith, but have yet to use it because I haven't found a shellholder yet. My idea was to use ACP brass for plinker loads, and use AR brass for slightly hotter stuff. Not hot-rodded, mind you, just slightly stiffer than the usual creampuff ACP loads I normally use. This was just for visual ID; no real practical value. I picked up a bunch of moon clips, because I hate having to fool with loading and unloading the clips at the range.
lathesmith

[Dale53]

lathesmith;
You mention the fact that Rugers won't allow the use of the AR cases. That is new information to me as I have never owned a convertable Ruger. I have a Taurus Tracker five shooter .45 ACP that won't allow AR cases, either. Works well with ACP cases of course but does not have sufficient headspace for AR cases. However, for the Taurus there is a very nice alternative - The use of .45 Cowboy Special Cases. They are the same capacity as .45 ACP and .45 Auto Rim but have the rim and headspace of the .45 Colt. They work PERFECTLY in the Taurus. You might check that out for the Ruger ( I cannot recommend it as I have never tried it but I would certainly check it out).

Dale53

[NoDakJak]

Dale, Who produces the .45 Cowboy Special Cases? I recently made up a batch of 455 Webley brass using 45 Cplt brass. Lots of trimming. I shoot both 45 acp and 45ar in my 1917 S&W. I'm real partial to the 45 ar cases. Neil

[Dale53]

NoDakJak;
Here is the full story:

http://www.cowboy45special.com/index.html

Dale53

[NoDakJak]

Whoa! My last post may have been a bit misleading. I shoot the 455 in a S&W 455 Hand Ejector Mk2. It shoots 452460 boolits sized to .452 fairly well but requires .454 for heavier slugs. I usually shoot a Hensley & Gibbs slug in the 1917.
Some .455 revolvers require the .45 Colt cast to have the rim thinned from the front but some don't. I had one of each. Neil

[9.3X62AL]

No experience with the Starline 45 AR cases, but I used Remington AR brass in a Model 25-2 I once had. LOTS easier, and HKS once made their speedloaders to fit N-frame S&W 45 AR revos.

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont use them much. I prefer clips. Its alot more conveint for me. I can load about a 100 full moon clips at home spend a day shooting. take them home and demoon them there. I sure makes dealing with your brass at the range easier with clips. evey time you bend down you pick up 6 instead of one. A big help for us old guys with bad backs.

[Bass Ackward]

No experience with the Starline 45 AR cases, but I used Remington AR brass in a Model 25-2 I once had. LOTS easier, and HKS once made their speedloaders to fit N-frame S&W 45 AR revos.


Starline case are a lot softer which is working better with softer PB boolits. With the Remington's that are heavier, I need to use harder bullets to do as well.

Love that short stubby case for cast loads.

[Bret4207]

Missed the Ruger part of the first post. Sorry for the confusion.

[lathesmith]

Dale, that is a good idea about the 45 Cowboy brass. I have heard of that, but had forgotten to check it out. I have an 1858 Remmy that uses a 45 ACP conversion cylinder, and the Cowboy brass would be a good match for it. It is actually seems more accurate than my 45 Colt cylinder, and I like that stubby brass.
The Rugers are like my conversion, they of course control headspace with the case mouth and don't leave room for AR rims. My Smith can actually be fired without the moon clips, but used this way it can give misfires. I have even seen guys claim that not using moon clips adversely affects accuracy, though I have not verified this.
lathesmith

[Dale53]

It has rained nearly every day here for a month (at least it seems so). We have had flooding and of course, mud up the kazoo!

Today the sun was shining and it got up to 54 degrees this afternoon. I got out to the range for some much needed "therapy" with my 625-8 with the RIMZ clips. Had a pretty dern good day. My scores are nearly back to where they were a year ago before surgery. Each time I hit the range it gets better!!

This 625-8 is such a forgiving piece. I had some "odds and ends" from the loading bench. Different bullets, different seating depths from setting up the press, etc and ALL of them shoot to the same point of impact at 25 yards. Just is not all that sensitive to small variations in ammo. LOVE IT< LOVE IT< LOVE IT!!

Al, you better get one of these before they stop making them (S&W has dropped the 625 5" revolver :confused:). I would like to get one of the 5" but guess it is not to be. I really have little need for one as the JM Special shoots and handles SO WELL for me. If there is anything I can do to encourage you, just let me know:mrgreen:).

Dale53

[Frank V]

218bee, the auto rim was developed about 1920 by Peters because the S&W & Colt 1917s would not extract the ACP ctg, so they put a rim on it. The half moon clips were used so the .45acp could be extracted. Frank