.45 Colt Loads With ACP Ball Bullets?

[catblaster.375]

Just curious if anyone has tried loading 230gr FMJ ACP bullets in a 45 Long Colt.
results?
accuracy?
velocity?

[Mikey]

Catblaster375:  This might help you a bit with this question - recently an article in the Gun Tests magazine tested convertible cylinder 45 LC revolvers in both that caliber and the 45 ACP.  By and large they found the 45 LC to shoot better than the 45 acp through the 45 LC revolvers.  

I don't know if this means the LC bore is a tad larger than the acp bore or if there was too much jump from the acp cylinder throats to the forcing cone, but the accuracy with the LC cartridges in those convertible revolvers was better than with the acp.  

You may get better or different results with you revolver.  Sounds like another testing session coming up.  Let us know what your results are.  Mikey.

[catblaster.375]

Thank you Mikey,
I do not actually reload right now I just allways wondered about that.
I would love to reload I just don't have the space right now but we are in the the process of building a new house and I should start reloading by next spring when we get moved in. I will start reloading .44 Mag and .45 ACP and maybe latter .308 Win and .375 H&H Mag. Might even do some shotshell reloading. I will post back when I get closer to that time about what equipment and loading manals to buy. Thanks and God bless

[KN]

I do it in my birds head vaquero. A mid range load of about 10.5grs of W-231 with a 230 hard ball.Works real well as a target load. The 231 is not picky about load density either. Research that load though because I'm working from memory. I'll double check it tonight when I get home.  KN

[knight0334]

Isn't 45acp bullet diameter .451" and the 45LC's diameter .452"?

I know thats only a pubic hair of difference, but still...  sorta like shooting a .308" bullet down a .311" bore in a "30 caliber" rifle..

[KN]

Yes it is. In some barrels that could make a difference, but fortunately it works good in mine. I've also had good luck using various 38 caliber (.357) bullets in my 35 rem (.358) barrel.   KN

[10mmshooter]

Yes. I've done it and will continue, I get fairly good accuracy.  I have noted that some .45acp bullets in the Long Colt case seat longer than normal c.o.l. allows due to the longer olgive that only gives enough diameter to crimp at the longer lengths.  For my S&W 625-5 and the Redhawk this isn't a problem.  So when looking for 230gr ball look for the shorter nose profile.

[daddywpb]

Unless you've got an old revolver chambered in 45 Colt, lead bullets for the 45 ACP and 45 Colt are sized .452, and jacketed bullets are sized .451. Barrel dimensions vary on old Colt SAA, etc., sometimes up to .454. If you're loading bullets without a cannelure into 45 Colt cases, be careful about bullets setting back in the cases under recoil. I've never loaded bullets designed for the 45 ACP into Colt cases, but I've used thousands of .452 255 SWC's designed for the Colt cartridge in 45 ACP cases to use in bowling pin matches. Those big 255 grain SWC's function flawlessly thru my Glock 21 and S&W 4506, and knock pins off the table with authority. OAL is very important, so check it carefully.

[Mannlicher]

Some time back, I had my gunsmith fit a .45 ACP cylinder to my 25-5 Smith.
I ran across a great deal (free) on a quantity of Hornady 230gr JHP HP/XTP bullets, that are for the acp cartridge.  I loaded them for use with the ACP cylinder.  As an experiment though, I loaded some into .45 Colt cases.  They turned out to work pretty well, with good accuracy.  One load that I use now with some .45 Colt handguns that I use for CCW, is that bullet loaded over 15 grains of BlueDot.

[Doe]

Although i don't shoot the 230 grainers ,but i do shoot a .451 dia in my vacqureo it's a 250gr Nolser, in fact that is my hunting bullet. I also shoot the .452 but its in lead only. Like the 44mag.  Copper bullets are .429 while lead bullets are .430 in Dia. Got it!! :toast:  :grin:

[Redhawk1]

I have shot a bunch of 230 gr. and 200 gr. bullets intended for the 45 ACP out of my 45L/C. Not on problem.  

[redhawk44p]

I took my deer last season with my 45 LC Blackhawk using a 230 grain 45 ACP GoldDot pushed by 18.5 grains of 2400 in a LC case. It dropped him like a rock.

[Redhawk1]

I took my deer last season with my 45 LC Blackhawk using a 230 grain 45 ACP GoldDot pushed by 18.5 grains of 2400 in a LC case. It dropped him like a rock.

Nice deer.    

[redhawk44p]

Thanks :-)

[BAGTIC]

Generally it is pistols, not revolvers, than push the bullet back into the case. OTOH revolvers pull the cases back off the bullets.

[jro45]

I have noticed that. With my 45ACP I've had bullets that went back into the case. I never noticed any coming out of the case in my 45ACP or my Blackhawk LC 45. If they did I never noticed it and didn't cause any problems.

[Tom C.]

I load Hornady .451 bullets in the .45 Colt. 200 gr. JSWC and the 230 gr. JFP. In the large .45 Colt case, I use Universal Clays. I load the same bullets in the .45 ACP and .45 AR cases using Winchester 231. They work very well, but each gun will have individual preferences.

[Glanceblamm]

Great reading guy's
I have only been shooting the .45 Colt for 3 years and figured a light 185gr jacketed would be just the thing for plinking.
The bullet came from Sierra and I disremember the number but they were sized to .4515

I tested these from the bottom to the top of the powder scale and they remain to be the most accurate that I recorded with one five shot group measuring 1.338 from outside to outside at 25yds.
Problem with my fixed sight was that they printed waaay too low which seems to be a common problem.
Never did try any 230gr but instead went with the .452 in 250 to 265gr which serve me very well.