.452 jacketed bullets for 45 ACP

[USMC87]

My friend bought a box of Lehigh defense .452 jacketed bullets, they say 220 gr extreme defense. He said that all his load books call for a .451 jacketed bullet, he wants to know if anyone has used jacketed bullets .452 in 45 acp and is it okay to do so? I told him that my cast bullets are .452 and shoot fine in my pistols but he said jacketed are different than cast, your thoughts are appreciated.

[elmacgyver0]

I would use them, but that may not be saying much.

[Winger Ed.]

I thought all handgun .45s were .452.
I'd heard the self defense stuff is just a hollow point that had a real thin jacket.

If he's worried about shooting his eye out, ya might take 'em off his hands to keep him safe.

[Baltimoreed]

451 or 452 will work in a 45acp, 452 is good for modern 45colt but older 45colts are bored for 454 lead.

[DougGuy]

Put a dummy together with the .452" bullet and see if it will plunk. He may need the barrel throated to use .452" and the same thing no matter if cast or jacketed, .452" is .452" no matter the boolit/bullet. A great number of people will have the barrel throated rather than seat short and make it fit that way.

As a joke, SAAMI specs call for a .453" lead boolit. Guns that are WWII era and earlier will have larger freebore, modern made guns since about 1990 have very little freebore and for sure it will not be .452" it will be smaller.

[USMC87]

I really appreciate you guys helping out here.

[Sandspider500]

The Lehigh defense "extreme defense" bullets are pure copper, not jacketed. Although it would probably shoot well, those 220gr bullets are .845 long, or about as long as a .452 327gr bullet. If it has a long throat maybe, but you'd have at least .465 inside the case.

[Sandspider500]

Just for reference





45 acp and 45 colt share the same bore and groove diameter.

[DougGuy]

The Uberti "Old West" model in my avatar has .4565" cylinder throats and the .451" barrel, I shoot the 454190 cast in 50/50+2% with SPG lube sized to .456" it's really pretty accurate, and doesn't lead the barrel at all.

[HumptyDumpty]

I've used .452" in a smattering of different 45 Auto pistols, it's never caused a problem. However, as previously mentioned, the 220 grain Lehigh Defense projectile is LONG for its' weight. Pure copper has a lower density than lead, hence the difference. For reference, I use the 120 grain Xtreme Defender, and it is only slightly shorter than a 230 Grain FMJ, with the 135 grain version actually being the same length (or close enough not to matter, anyway). I personally wouldn't use the 220 Grain copper bullet.