Lyman #2 in 45ACP

[jsizemore]

Anybody use Lyman #2 in their 45ACP? If you do or gave it a try, what do you think about your experience? Loads you tried?

[lwknight]

Should be most excellant!! For all 45 ACP loads even.

[Shooter6br]

I use Lyman #2 in both my 45 acps.i use 25-1 for HPs at 850 to 1000fps. With the 45ACP 200g HP i get about 970 fps. i try to save my Lyman #2 for 45-70 and 7.62x39 (160g Lee).Of course you can always shoot Lyam #2 at lower velocity but not 25-1 at higher velocity. I read that Elmer Keith used 16-1 alloy in his mag loads Hardness less than Lyman #2.That is the fun of trying diffferant alloys . Rick

[RobS]

It will work well although a lower BHN bullet will work equally well such as WWs at 45 ACP pressures. If I had a stash of Lyman #2 I would save it or cut it with WW or even some straight lead as to make it last a bit longer.

I've used Lyman #2 only once with my regular 45 acp loads.........nothing special.

[RobS]

If you haven't seen this page it's a good one for general cast boolit knowledge.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[kawalekm]

I use Lyman #2 for everything, from 38 special to .44 magnum. It's just too much work trying to determine which alloy is best for each application. I like #2 so that's what I use for everything. My .45 acp load is Lyman's 200 grain SWC with 10.5 grains of Blue Dot.

By the way, I make my #2 alloy by adding a pound of tin solder or pewter to 19lbs of wheelweight lead.

[jsizemore]

I made up some Lyman #2 with;

8lbs 6ozs of WW
1lb 5ozs of Monotype (got 80lbs)
5ozs of pewter (got 60lbs)

I'm trying different alloys to see if I can get a little more size from my molds. Tried lower temp, higher temp, sprue hole against the bottom pour nozzle to as much as 1" of drop.

Not that my pistol doesn't shoot good (it does), just trying to learn more. You never know what you might run up on just around the corner.

[Lloyd Smale]

most of my acp shooting is with #2 or an alloy that tests close to it.

[winelover]

I strive for Lyman #2 for all PRODUCTION moulds since that is the standard (regulated) alloy used by the Big Three mould makers. Anything softer (heavier) should be expected to cast undersize!:holysheep Of course, custom moulds are a different story, since you are able to specify the as cast size with the desired alloy of choice.

Winelover :coffee:

[dale2242]

I use home made #2 alloy in all my handguns.
For the 45ACP I use 4.5 gr Bulls Eye or 4.5 gr 700X with Lyman 452460 .
The loads both give slightly over 800 fps and great accuracy....dale

[Char-Gar]

I have fired many, many thousands of rounds through a number of 1911 pistols (45 ACP) that were cast from Lyman No 2 with zero problems. It is harder than necessary, but works just fine.

[Uncle R.]

I once mixed a batch of Lyman number 2, carefully weighed out the components and got as close as I could to the correct mix. Of course, there's question about what actually IS the correct mix for number 2, but that's another issue. It bothered me to put in so much tin, but when I actually tried casting with it I became a fan. Picture perfect shiny bullets every time, easy casting, great shooting, no leading. It works.
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You don't think they didn't know what they were doing way back then, did you?

[jsizemore]

It sure does make some nice lookn' boolits. I don't have a HP mold, YET, but it will be the first alloy I try WHEN I get one.

[grumpy one]

I think using 5/5 alloy for such a low pressure load is a waste of money, and it is not quite optimum metallurgically (3/3 will give better toughness, the same castability, and slightly lower air-cooled hardness which may be a slight advantage for 45 ACP and other low pressure loads). However like 3/3, 5/5 is a delight to cast and is extremely versatile (if you use heat treatment for high pressure loads). In other words, it's a great alloy - 3/3 is a slightly better one, but they are both at the top of the list.

[Echo]

Well, you could use #2 for .45ACP boolits, but there is no need to use spendy alloy for Old Slabsides. I use WW+2%Sn for all pistol boolits.

Still, if the alloy is available, I guess go ahead and use it.