45 Schofield convertable?

[NHlever]

After venturing into the area of heavy boolits in the .45ACP case, and finding both pressure, and crimping issues I have started to wonder about the practicality of a .45 Schofield cylinder. Since the .45 Shofield is in essence a .45 Special, and the guns available are usually lighter than the magnum guns it would seem that the .45 Schofield, loaded to .45 ACP pressures would make a fine walkabout round with all weights, and styles of .45 boolits. It would also seem that the ACP chambers would clean up with the new chamber making a conversion much more affordable than a .44 Special conversion. A quick look at Quickload tells me that 1000 fps. + is easily attainable at modest pressures with quiet loads, and of course, ACP speed loads would work much better in the shortened .45 Colt case. Brass is readily available as are the dies. Taper crimp .45 ACP dies are everywhere for the ACP style boolits.

Waste of time? Other thoughts?

[MKT]

Since it appears you are looking to use these in a revolver why not try the .45 Auto Rim. The AR allows the use of these cases in a revolver without the need for moon clips. While I have not used any (I only have one .45 ACP revolver) I seem to remember reading that the cases might be a little heavier construction and able to withstand what you are contemplating. The upside to these is there are no additional cost relating to their use, no need to ream the chambers as they were designed to be used in the .45 ACP chambered revolvers.

[Throwback]

Reaming out a .45 ACP cylinder for Schofield bullets would not work. The space allowed for moon clips and the thicker tims of the Auto Rim would create unsolveable headspacing issues with the Schofield and .45 Colt. MKT is right - use the AR instead. Lyman's crimp die applies a roll crimp and is intended for the Auto Rim. I have used it succesfully with .45 ACP and full moon clips also although I am pretty careful that these loads (with 250gr and heavier bullets) are not used in any of my automatics.

1,000 fps is achievable with certain careful consideration and the right cast bullet in the right revolver. I have little concern with the Blackhawk in this regard but hey - that is why I have the .45 Colt cylinder.

In my Smiths I do not ask for more than 900 fps with 250gr plus slugs. I could shoot the very nice RCBS 230 CM to 1,000 but I don't. I run that at about 900 too. I have one load at 1,000 using the old Lyman 200 grain two groove SWC mold. (The newer design - they still sell both - uses one lube groove and has a bevel base)

[runfiverun]

in some of the convertibles the ar rim will not fit but the thinner colt rim will.
not all acp guns are made for moon clips.
if your dies are made for the acp/ar round they will have a roll crimp which you can easily use on the shortened schofield/colt cases.
you only need to cut one case down to try.

[NHlever]

Yes, I was thinking more about the Blackhawks that are not set up for the moon clip. Mine is still at the factory being repaired (hopefully) so I can't measure the headspace. The Taurus is not set up for moon clips either I guess. I'm just tossing thoughts around during a series of snowy days.

[Piedmont]

NHlever, A friend and I have talked this one through several times. There is no reason it won't work fine in a single action. You lost me on the guns being lighter than magnums. If you have a convertible single action and want power your .45 Colt cylinder will outperform a Schofield cylinder. Where the Schofield is better than the .45 Colt is with loads that are short of .45 Colt power. Then you don't have to put up with the huge case capacity of the .45 Colt. But if that is what you want it for the .45 ACP cylinder is even more of the same reduction in capacity.

You do realize that .45 ACP pressures are higher than .45 Colt pressures? So you want the intermediate Schofield case and want to load it to higher than normal factory .45 Colt pressures. Sure it is doable, but why not just use a .45 Colt case?

Were I to do this conversion I would have a .45 Colt seater die shortened so I could roll crimp the Schofields rather than taper crimping them. That gives you something you can't have in an ACP cylinder in a single action, and those roll crimps may well be important with 250 grain bullets. Your overall length won't be as critical as it is with the ACPs either because the end of you chamber will be a funnel instead of a shelf.

[StrawHat]

If you haven't seen these, they are 45 Colt cases in all dimensions except length. The are 45 ACP length, with the Long Colt rim. And already reamed to accept boolits.

http://www.cowboy45special.com/

If I did not already have 500 Schofield cases, I would be looking at them. I may anyway, the are kind of cute and would get me a 45 Short Colt to go with my Long Colts!