45LC & 45 AR/ACP

[Heavy C]

I've seen where Ruger offers Blackhawks with 2 cylinders: 1 for 45 LC and 1 for 45 ACP.  I started wondering would it be possible to run 45 auto rim through a 45 LC?  It's the same caliber and the rimmed cartridge would eliminate the need for a different cylinder and moon clips.  Just a thought that I wanted to run by you all.  Any thoughts? :idea:

Thanks for your help!

Chuck :cb1:

[Jon_E]

Yep its done with moon clips or Steller Clips like my Taurus Tracker uses, although the Tracker does not use .45 Colt cartridges.

http://www.ezmoonclip.com/
http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=52&min=0&dyn=1&%20
http://www.cactustactical.com/bladetech/moonclips.html

[Mikey]

Ramos1212:  You can use the 45 acp and Auot Rim interchangably in revolvers chambered for the ACP/AR with half moon or full moon clips.  You cannot do the same with revolvers chambered for the 45 LC, which has a thinner rim than the 45 Auto Rim cartridge.  

I am sure someone has made the revolver that handles all three cases but the difference in rim thickness betwixt the 45 LC and the 45 AR makes this difficult.  

If you want to purchase a Ruger in 45 LC for hunting/field use, that cartridge can be loaded hot in those revolvers but I do not believe you can chamber the 45 ACP or the 45 Auto Rim in them.  

If you want a revolver in 45 ACP, you can use the 45 AutoRim cartridge interchangably.

There are tons of full moon clip type quick reloaders around, but the original half moon clips used in the 1917 S&Ws and 1917 Colts have always worked best for me.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Heavy C]

Thanks guys.  I was aware of the interchangeability between the ACP and AR.  I have a Taurus Tracker in 45 ACP and love it.  As I said it was just a thought.  I've been considering a revolver in 45 cal. for quite some time now - 45 LC, 454, or even a 460.  My thought was that it would have been cool to also be able to run one of my favorite cartridges through it as well.

This is why I decided to post.  I knew somebody would know.  Have a great weekend!

Thanks,
Chuck :cb1:

[sui generis]

I've seen where Ruger offers Blackhawks with 2 cylinders: 1 for 45 LC and 1 for 45 ACP.
Yes, and I have so far resisted the urge to get one. AFAIK, it will NOT handle .45AR cases in the ACP cylinder. There's no incentive for it to do so as it can't handle clipped rounds anyway. The .45AR rim is THICK. It's much too  thick to work in a .45 Colt. I do have a S&W 625 in .45ACP and normally use AR in it unless I'm using it for a house gun, when I use full moons.

[Tom C.]

The NMBH in .45 Colt handles only .45 Colt and .45 Schofield in the .45 Colt cylinder. The .45 ACP cylinder handles .45 ACP, but not .45 AR unless the cylinder is trimmed to allow the .45 AR to properly headspace, then it handles both interchangeably. I have had that done to several of my .45 Colt NMBHs. I feel it works well. Although I have plenty of .45 ACP brass, the length varies all over the map and can cause problems when headspacing on the mouth in a NMBH. I like .45 AR brass for light loads and .45 Colt brass for “Ruger Only” type loads.

[J.Solo]

Funny you should ask.
I'm currently experimenting with my 4 5/8", Ruger NMBH .45 Colt/.45 ACP to use a .45 Auto Rim Case.

It's true that a true Auto Rim Case has a rim thickness too thick to fit between the fire wall and cylinder.

I wanted to be able to shoot a rimed case in the .45 ACP cylinder so I don't have to worry too much about trimming the brass for exact head spacing on the case rim. I decided to take some old, split necked, .454 Casule brass and cut it to .45 Auto Rim lemgth.  I trimmed the large amount of brass off with a carbide tube cutter and finished the rest of the trimming with my Forester Case Trimmer. All pieces of brass were trimmed to the same length that was dictated by how the cases fit and functioned during cylinder rotation. I finnally found a length that fits and functions in all cylinder holes during cylinder rotation.

The rim of the .454 brass is thinner than the .45 Auto Rim Case and about the same as a .45 Colt Case that the Ruger NMBH is set up for.  I now have 50 pcs. of  .454/.45 Auto Rim Cases with small primer pockets and I will soon be working up loads using Unique Powder.

Next time around I will use split necked .45 Colt Brass so I can use Large Pistol Primers.

Just thought you would like to know - J.Solo

[Heavy C]

Now that's thinking outside the box! :idea:  It'll take some work but it works!  Thanks for sharing.

Chuck :cb1:

[PaulS]

Funny you should ask.
<<clipped>>
I now have 50 pcs. of  .454/.45 Auto Rim Cases with small primer pockets and I will soon be working up loads using Unique Powder.

Next time around I will use split necked .45 Colt Brass so I can use Large Pistol Primers.

Just thought you would like to know - J.Solo

J.Solo,
I am confused. isn't all 45 colt brass made to use large pistol primers?
oops! I understand - The 454 brass uses small rifle primers not large.
never mind. I did get my mind re-engaged.

[slabsides]

For casual readers, to clarify: The Ruger .45 convertible models come with two cylinders: one chambered for the .45 Colt ('Long Colt') rimmed cartridge, and one chambered for the rimless Colt .45 ACP cartridge.
Some revolvers, including the S&W 1917 through 1955 models, and the Colt New Service, were chambered for the .45ACP, but since the rimless ACP couldn't be readily ejected in a swing-out revolver, so called 'half-moon' clips were provided so that three (and later six) ACP rounds could be chambered and ejected in the cylinders of these guns. Later, a 'rimmed .45 ACP', called naturally the Auto Rimmed, which would work in these guns without the moon clips, was introduced. It has a very thick rim, as thick as the moon clips, and much thicker than the .45 Long Colt case.
Rugers, and all other SA revolvers chambered for .45 ACP, don't need and can't fit the moon clips behind the cartridge heads. The ACP case in those guns is headspaced on the case MOUTH, and ejected singly with the ejector rod.
The .45 Auto Rim has little advantage over the regular ACP case (although it does hold a bit more powder) and is scarce and expensive. I see no point in adapting a Ruger cylinder to accomodate the round.

[Tom C.]

The advantage of the .45 AR case is that it headspaces on the rim. .45 ACP cases vary all over the map in overall length. The short cases can cause ftf. The AR case takes care of that. I can load the AR cases and use them in my NMBH .45 and also in my S&W 25-2 and 625-8JM. They eliminate the need for moon clips in the S&Ws.

[slabsides]

The advantage of the .45 AR case is that it headspaces on the rim. .45 ACP cases vary all over the map in overall length. The short cases can cause ftf. The AR case takes care of that. I can load the AR cases and use them in my NMBH .45 and also in my S&W 25-2 and 625-8JM. They eliminate the need for moon clips in the S&Ws."

I assume you mean that AR cases are usable in your ALTERED NMBH ACP cylinder. But then of course the regular ACP cases, much more numerous and inexpensive, would only work if fitted to moon clips. IMO, not the better case. It's easy enough to gauge the length of ACP cases when reloading them, and the variance is seldom a problem anyway. I routinely roll-crimp ACP cases for the BH convertible and S&W 25-2, paying little attention to case length, and find accuracy outstanding.

[Reed1911]

Now that's thinking outside the box!  It'll take some work but it works! Thanks for sharing.

Chuck

Dont you mean thinking outside the brass

   :-D

LOVE IT!