Do 45ACP Shot Shells Only Work In 1911??

[crandall crank]

Have loaded many shot shells for revolvers in various calibers. I have been thinking about trying to load up some 45ACP shot shells, but it seems that many of them reference that it functions only in a 1911. I don't have a 1911 currently and don't want to waste my time on a project that I can't use.

So my questions is.... will the 45ACP shot shells function in any 45ACP Auto?

I plan on making the shells using 308 cases and the 41mag style. If they work, I can have a set of dies made.

[Mk42gunner]

I can't see any reason they wouldn't work in another design. You are making a custom load, make it to work in your gun.

I also don't remember anything on CCI factory shot shells saying they won't work in anything except a 1911, although it has been a while since I saw any on store shelves.

Robert

[MrWolf]

Up because of pain but 45acp is used in revolvers like my Blackhawk and semi's like my Marlin camp. I may not be thinking clearly and apologize if I totally missed the question.

Sorry missed the shot shells portion. Told ya was in pain.

[Jsm180]

I didn't have any luck with them in a Glock, cycle fine in the 1911.

[Castaway]

I’ve made them from 30-06 brass. I trimmed the brass to the length of a loaded 45 ACP semi wadcutter. Then I sized the neck with a 40 cal die to the point the empty brass head spaced on the rifling. After loading an appropriate combination of powder/cardboard wad and shot, I rolled the neck slightly with a 38 die over a cardboard wad with a liberal amount to Elmer’s glue. Loads would function in my 1911. It’s been some time but the powder was either Bulls Eye or Unique

[Combat Diver]

Only .45 I tried using the CCI shotshells in was a 1911 so don't know. Got some 7.62mm blank cases that I intend to cut down for the same thing. Good .308/7.62 brass gets used in the .308 rifle. Can't use those blanks cases for anything else in my collection.

CD

[crandall crank]

Thanks for the responses...I was wondering if they would function in a non-1911 pistol, such as Glock, Beretta, Kimber, Springfield, etc. It sounds like no one has made the shot shells and got them to function in a non-1911 pistol. I guess I'm going have to try and see if it can be done....challenge accepted

[Castaway]

Not sure what the difference would be for Glocks, Berettas and so on. What am I missing?

[crandall crank]

Not sure what the difference would be for Glocks, Berettas and so on. What am I missing?

That's exactly why I asked, because most write ups call it "45ACP shot shells for 1911" vs "45ACP shot shells". Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I had to ask.

[Mk42gunner]

All of the magazine or book articles I can think of were written when the 1911 was the only common semi-auto in .45 ACP.

Don't worry about asking questions, much better than having a meeting with St Peter when things don't work.

Robert

[Rfeustel]

I think Mk42gunner nailed it. I haven’t tried it, but will for sure in my M&Ps. I’ll probably use 45 Win Mag cases - got that idea from another thread on this forum - purely for curiosity sake.

[Alferd Packer]

They work ok in two Glocks that they were tried in.
Older recoil springs, but with a brand new recoil spring you may need to cut back on powder to adjust.
Glock barrels can give big problems with cast bullets too.
Glocks are hardball only.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

CCI factory 45 ACP shotshells work fine in Colt Lightweight Officers Model(3.5" barrel), an XDS, a 1937 S&W Brazil 45 ACP and double stack Para Ord 12-45(3.5" barrel).

[Larry Gibson]

Besides using the 45 ACP shot shells I make out of 7.62 blanks in my 1911 type pistols I also use them in my two 45 ACP revolvers; the S&W M197/25 and the Uberti Evil Roy SA w/45 ACP cylinder. They work fine. I cut the 7.62 blanks to 45 ACP loaded round OAL and then, with a UniMat lathe, turn the "bullet" part back half the thickness of the case to where the 45 ACP case mouth would be. That way the case headspaces correctly. Of course i use half moon clips with the S&W but they still headspace fine w/o the half moon clips.

You see 3 of the loaded 45 ACPs front right in the pic.

287460

[gunther]

When the 45 shot loads were reverse engineered from WW2 survival loads (1980's), the other common 45acp's were revolvers. And the original load was a trimmed Remington 410 wad full of shot over 6.2 grains of 231 in a 1.180" case. The case was sized in a RCBS custom die that created a shoulder for headspacing. These were made from commercial .308 cases. 30-06 cases, with a smaller extractor groove, were rough on 1911 extractors.
These loads would often set back the headspacing shoulder and tie up a revolver's cylinder. They still will. Recent 45 autos shouldn't have this problem.

[Baltimoreed]

I’ve built them out of cut down .308 brass and they would operate my 1911. I had a RCBS .45 shotshell case forming die set, used 410 shot wads and #9 shot. They never worked well in revolvers in my experience, with the longer case they were hard to extract.

[DDriller]

Thanks for the responses...I was wondering if they would function in a non-1911 pistol, such as Glock, Beretta, Kimber, Springfield, etc. It sounds like no one has made the shot shells and got them to function in a non-1911 pistol. I guess I'm going have to try and see if it can be done....challenge accepted
Kimber and Springfield are 1911 pistols

[Texas by God]

I tried the CCI aluminum case shotshells in a convertible. 45 Blackhawk and they binded the cylinder upon firing. They worked fine in my old Ballester.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Char-Gar]

I have some old Remington 45 ACP shot cartridges and it says do not fire them in a revolver. I think the CCI says the same, but am not certain.

[Outpost75]

When fired in a revolver tye cases set back forcefully and jam the cylinder.

[Gray Fox]

I wonder what CCI does differently with .38/.357 and .44 Spec/.44 Mag shotshells? GF

[Combat Diver]

I wonder what CCI does differently with .38/.357 and .44 Spec/.44 Mag shotshells? GF

Might be a headspace issue. Rimmed verses semi rimmed in a cylinder?

CD

[Mk42gunner]

Its definitely a headspace issue, the same one that says no to bottle necked cartridges in a revolver (which is what a .45 ACP shotshell is).

You will see the same setback and hard turning of the cylinder if you make cylinder length brass for shotshells in the .44 mag or .45 Colt, at least I did in my Vaquero.

Robert

[jmorris]

I make them longer for my 45 ACP revolvers. Hold more shot and a real wad vs 45LC and Speer capsules.

My semiauto 45acp load on the left, next to a 230 LRN, and a cylinders worth of the long ones.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=293407&d=1640045153

[15meter]

I wonder what CCI does differently with .38/.357 and .44 Spec/.44 Mag shotshells? GF

Just a question, would drilling the flashhole out help or is the whole case being set back as opposed to just the primer?

[Bwana John]

I'd bet the cylinder is hanging up on primers, and enlarging the flash hole to 1/8" would cure it.