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Thread: Using .455 MkII brass in a 45 colt vaquero.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Using .455 MkII brass in a 45 colt vaquero.

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    Started this project after talking to a fellow cas shooter about him using srp in his .38 spcls. Doing this in order to stretch my lg pistol primers out in my cas rifles, revolvers and 1911s. For the single actions I decided to try to make a .020 shim to go under the thin rims of Fiocchi .455 brass as they use small primers instead of large. Without the shim the firing pin doesn’t touch the primer. I have 9000 srp but only half that in lpp. I’ve machined 6 so far starting with plastic and aluminum but after finding some 26 ga [.020] sheet steel at Lowes and correctly setting up the rotary table on my HF mini mill [had been doing it wrong] I’ve got it figured out and the last one was spot on. Made it a 5 shot as it’s pretty fragile and the extra steel stiffens it up. I had to replace my wussy hammer springs on my main vaqueros and turn down the ratchet area in the center to clear the larger diameter .455 brass but they work. I have also bought and had collected small primer 45acp that I’m loading and that function fine in my 1911s. I will now be able to shoot cas and WB shoots only using half as many lpp’s as before. Only need them in my .45colt and .44-40 rifles. Also have a .45acp blackhawk cylinder coming that I’ll fit to a vaquero, hopefully I can get it to work on more than one as I have 5. I’ve even thought about doing a .45colt cas lever rifle mod to .45acp but they are very pricy. Desperate times…..
    Last edited by Baltimoreed; 10-14-2021 at 12:45 PM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Got a question. I’ve come across some .45 brass that’s new to me in sorting through range brass that was given to me, headstamp is WIN NT 45 AUTO with a small primer. My research says NT is short for Non Toxic. Can I treat this like any other .45 case?

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Small primer .45 ACP with standard small pistol primer gives a wee bit lower velocity than a large primer, but results in a safe, satisfactory and accurate load. I prefer the small primer for mild wadcutter target loads and it seems easier to maintain accurate grouping at 50 yards with the faster burners such as Bullseye, TiteGroup or WST.

    If you are trying to produce near- maximum full-charge loads to meet power factor, a small pistol magnum primer produces the same velocity as a large pistol standard primer when using powders such as Unique, Power Pistol or Autocomp.
    Last edited by Outpost75; 10-16-2021 at 08:31 PM.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Been using small rifle primers as that’s what i have the most of. They feel like my standard large pistol primer load. 3.5-4.0 gr Bullseye powder, 200gr lead or coated swc, rn rnfp. I had never seen the WIN NT brass before.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Shot them yesterday at my cas club’s monthly match. Did fine with no misses. Might bump them up a hair. Also used my 1894 Marlin Trapper build with .45 Schofield brass loads. Had two misses but still came in first. It’s a pretty slick rifle, sights are bigger than I care for but thinking I will like this as much as my 24 inch Marlin.

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    all you need to do is to make a disk that fits onto the back of the cylinder, with a hole for the cylinder star to slide through and holes to line up with the chambers.. its all done...

  7. #7
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    When you get your 45 acp cylinder, I’ll offer some type of trade for those MKII cases for my small primer 45 acp brass. I am in sort of a reverse situation than you, I have a very good supply of large pistol primers but a bit short of small pistol. My colt SAAs in 357 and my Marlin 1894C has plenty of force to fire small rifle primers.

    Our cowboy group is happy to have participants these days of shortages. A friend of mine used his 30 carbine Blackhawk ( it was loaded with a 32-20 bullet) and a borrowed 30 carbine Blackhawk. Worked fine with a reduced load of unique.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    I’ve shot my .455 vaqueros in 2 shoots and the 45 acp cylinder vaquero in one but I used cowboy special loads instead of acp and they did fine. Planning on doing my RNWMP impression in December using a .455 Webley MkVI, a real RNWMP New Service and my 1873/1876 NWMP Carbine. I’ll carry my stuffed plush Yukon King with me too. He’s a good boy.
    Last edited by Baltimoreed; 11-25-2021 at 11:49 AM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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