45ACP Shot Loads

[deltaenterprizes]

Working on a batch of 45ACP shot cartridges made from some 308 blanks and also some 45 Win Mag brass.
The 45 Win Mag brass wall thickness is.010” and the 308s are .020”.
I made some hole punches to cut over shot wads and a .400” works well with the 45 Win Mag brass but it’s tight with the 308s
I am going to make a new punch that is.385” to see how much better it fits.

[Outpost75]

I use Buffalo Arms .38-40 card over powder and either Federal .410 plastic shot cup or Cheddite waxed felt 11mm cushion wads in mine.

EXACT same wads as for loading .44-40 shot.

[steve urquell]

Working on a batch of 45ACP shot cartridges made from some 308 blanks and also some 45 Win Mag brass.
The 45 Win Mag brass wall thickness is.010” and the 308s are .020”.
I made some hole punches to cut over shot wads and a .400” works well with the 45 Win Mag brass but it’s tight with the 308s
I am going to make a new punch that is.385” to see how much better it fits.

You already have a perfect sized hole punch. I chucked a piece of brass in my drill press and turned it on. Laid a flat file against the case mouth and sharpened it then use the drill press to hole saw my wads with a stall mat rubber backer to keep from dulling the case. Drilled the primer cup out so I could punch the wads out of it. I had cut a rubber bullet with it here

the

[Mk42gunner]

I normally use a 3/8" hollow punch to make over shot wads from thin cardboard or primer sleeves.

Or a .35 or .375 caliber gas check if you want to really run up the cost.

Robert

[Intel6]

While I prefer clear thick acetate to cap off my shotshells I also used a single OO buck to do it also and it worked good also.

This is one of my longer revolver shot loads with more payload but the nice thing with the acetate you can see what size shot you have in it when loaded.





This is a standard ACP length shot load. With a bit more crimp I found I could crimp a OO buck and add to the payload.

[deltaenterprizes]

I have been using clear, white and blue plastic container covers with a hammer to drive the punch but the small arbor press with a Delrin backer is working the best!

[deltaenterprizes]

I made a little progress today cutting the 308 Winchester blanks to proper length on my ancient CH power case trimmer!
I did about 60 and have about 130 left to go.
Next time, if there is a next time, I will set the chop saw closer to finished length.
I have some not so pretty cases that I am going to experiment with annealing the case mouth to see if it makes crimping easier.

[deltaenterprizes]

More progress to report!
Finished the trimming part and now doing a test batch to see if annealing the mouth is worthwhile.
I cut the wads to length also.
I will tumble the annealed cases because they are kind of ugly after annealing and were not real pretty before I annealed them.
107+ cases are a lot to trim! 45 Win Mag brass is the way to go but the price was right on the primed blanks.

[Larry Gibson]

I also use 7.62 blanks to make my 45 ACP shot loads. Since I don't use them very often the "chore" of making them isn't a problem. I don't remember how many years back I made the last batch but I'd bet it's 20+ years.....

I shortened an old steel 45 ACP sizer to use as a cut off die cutting the cases with a fine tooth hack saw just a bit long to allow for a final trim to length. I the chuck the head of the case in a 3 jaw chuck on my Mini-Lathe. I use a M1903 Springfield firing pin backwards in the tail stock with dril chuck. The outer diameter of the firing pin is a slip fit in the case and holds the case concentric. I then turn the case back forming the case "mouth" for head spacing leaving a bullet length of the case in front. The depth of the cut is just enough so the "bullet portion" enters the rifling with ease. Formed cases are then "plunk" tested in M1911 barrel to ensure correct headspace and chambering.

Using such formed cases there is no "step" inside the case. The shot load is full diameter for better functioning and a larger payload.

I use a steel 45 acp case with the mouth sharpened and primer drilled out to cut full diameter over powder and overshot wads out of primer tray covers.

I usually form the cases using unfired blanks so the milsurp primer is used. If a fired case is used the crimp must be swaged/removed to reprime. I've not had any M1911 FTF the rifle primers. When reloading the cases LP primers are used, usually WLPs or CCI 300s.

6 gr of Bullseye is loaded in the case. A card wad is then seated down on the powder. The case is filled with #12 shot [#9 shot also works well if #12 isn't readily available] to about 1/8" of the case mouth. An overshot card is then seated. A 44 cal rod works well to hand seat the card wads but I use a seating die with the seat stem screwed way in.

A roll crimp is then applied using a Lyman 55 powder funnel in a press adapter. A coat of red nail polish on the wad then "seals' the wad in place.

These loads fully feed and function through throated and unthroated M1911s. The are very deadly on snakes and vermin at relatively close ranges.

The cases can be reloaded by FL sizing in a 45 ACP die then sizing the "bullet" portion in a 44 sizer.