Reloading Older 45 Colt Cases

[Char-Gar]

A long standing reloading issues has been resolved. I have a lot of older 45 Colt cases without the groove ahead of the rim. These won't fit in any of the three makes of 45 Colt shell holders I have in my shop (Lyman, RCBS and Lee. Neither will they fit in the old Pacific solid ram for the Pacific C.

I have been reloading these by sizing them in an old Lyman hand die and an arbor press. The priming, expanding and bullet seating is done with a 310 tool is 45 Colt. I thought about putting one of the shell holders in the lathe and removing a bit of the offending lip, but never got my round tuit.

Day before yesterday I screwed a Lyman All-American turret press onto my bench. I like it very much, it is butter smooth and sort of a poor man's Hollywood. I have a number of the old J shell holders for this press and one of them is a #11 for the 45 Colt.Knowing the 310 priming die works well with the old case, I wondered if the J shell holder would also. Well, it does and I can now reload with a bench press. The current Lyman shell holders don't work with these old cases, but the old J types will. Hot dog!

I am just passing this on as a little reloading factoid should anybody have an interest.

[Outpost75]

The 100 or so WRA Co. balloon head .45 Colt cases I have which I load with black powder, I prime on the Lyman tong tool.

[Char-Gar]

The 100 or so WRA Co. balloon head .45 Colt cases I have which I load with black powder, I prime on the Lyman tong tool.

Yes, I did too, but unless firm pressure is kept on the case with a thumb, it would jump out of the tool often putting a nick on the small rim, which I would have to remove with a file. If I didn't remove it, it would tie up the cylinder on my USFA SAA clone which has a very tight headspace. If I paid close attention everything was good, but I did not always pay good attention.

The J shell holder on the All American, will make the task easier and shorter.

[ReloaderFred]

That lack of an extractor groove is why the Winchester 1873 and other leveraction rifles of the era were never chambered in .45 Colt. It wasn't until the extractor groove was added to the case that they were able to make the extraction in the rifles viable. The clones in this caliber are a modern invention due to this.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Wayne Smith]

So a TLJr would do as well. Uses the Jtype shell holders and the 310 dies. I load 38 Special, 32 S&W and Long, and 32-20 on my TLJr.

[Green Frog]

So a TLJr would do as well. Uses the Jtype shell holders and the 310 dies. I load 38 Special, 32 S&W and Long, and 32-20 on my TLJr.

+1 to this. I can't imagine going to all the trouble to use a "big" press for my little pistol rounds, or so it would seem anyway. I DO have an All American, but it is dedicated to loading 327 Fed Mag right now. Actually, the only reason I like to use a full size (7/8X14) press is so I can use TC sizing dies, otherwise the little TL Jr does the rest.

Froggie

[Geezer in NH]

I would buy some new brass myself and forget about it.