I've been shooting some 245 grain Lee .45 bullets (a Lee 230 TC mold that casts heavy) using Ramshot Enforcer. Getting 975 fps out of my S&W 645. I don't have pressure testing equipment, but the fired case's primers don't show any signs of high pressure. You might want to check out this Shooting Times article.
https://www.shootingtimes.com/editor...e-45-acp/99214
AKA "Old Vic"
"I am a great believer in powder-burning".
--Theodore Roosevelt, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman
Have a camp carbine in 45 ACP. Have never shot a deer with it since we cant use semi here in PA. I cant see it not doing the job with the right round. Had a mauser in 45 a while back and it took down coyotes and with ease.
For a very versatile rifle, considered getting a break over single shot rebored to .45ACP so it could be used with either .45ACP ammo, breech loaded like a Civil War carbine or muzzleloaded with either hollow base or heavier lubed or paper patched boolits. From a .45ACP plinking round to a 45-70 type penetration and knock-down, it would do it all.
I did some research on velocities with .45 ACP in different barrel lengths. The results I found are that 10" is the optimum barrel length.
This has potential. . .
https://www.americanrifleman.org/con...911a1-carbine/
I have been using patched round ball in my 45 cal muzzleloaders for deer for several decades and inside 90 yards, that 132 gr pill has never failed me. I have passed up a couple shots at decent sized black bear.
One would have to know what was meant by "optimum".....optimum for what?
If in a Handgun with a single load that probably is pretty close. However, unless one wants to register a carbine with a barrel shorter than 16" as an SBR, pay $200 to BATF + associated costs, then a 10" barrel is neither practical nor optimum for a carbine.
Not too far back I chronographed (10 shot tests) my standard load (5.0 gr Bullseye) under a softer cast (9-10 BHN alloy) Lee 452-230-TC (sized .452, lubed with BAC) in mixed cases with WLP primers seated to 1.199 oal. All were loaded on my Dillon SDB press. An Oehler M35P was used with start screen at 10'.
The chronographed results;
Colt Combat Commander, 4 1/4" barrel: 849 fps
ParaOrdnance 14, 5" barrel: 891 fps
Colt M1911 w/Ed Brown 5 1/2" Comp barrel: 894 fps
Contender, 10" TC barrel: 976 fps
M98 w/Rhineland 16 1/4" barrel: 1025 fps
Uberti ER SAA, 4 3/4" barrel: 866 fps
S&W M1917/25, 6 3/8" barrel: 877 fps
Larry Gibson
“Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
― Nikola Tesla
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |