Any one have a 454 Casull Handi?? I DO NOW!!

[cwlongshot]

  I know Tim has the 460, but what about its lil brother?
 
 After much deliberation. I have decided to have one. I have a BC 45Colt barrel and just rented the 454 reamer from 4D. It should be SO QUICK. We all know that the difference is only .100. But the handis chamber is so long the 454 almost chambers now.  Its only the rim left out of its chamber.

I had 60 or so cases on hand. But I also ordered 100 new starline cases.

Just curious how you got it and how you like it.

CW

 

[LONGTOM]

Im have one I got from a member on here but have only test fired it so far.
Just picked up some more brass and a set of dies for it here also.
Have 1 box of 240gr JHPs and 2 boxes of 260gr JSPs made by Freadom arms stamped for 454 Casull.
They also came from here.
Hope to work with it and my 445 as sone as the weather breaks.


LONGTOM

[tn_junk]

I reamed a 45 Colt Handi barrel to .454 Casull. Pretty sure it is the one that longtom has now. It took me longer to take the barrel off the frame than to ream it. Reamer removed just a very little material. I saw no accuracy decrease after the rechamber, probably due to the fact that the throat was so deep anyway.

alan

[PHATINJUN]

I had 10 Buffalo Bore 454 bullets I kept when I sold the Encore and after working with Tim on a heavy load for my 45Colt found they are virtually identical and chambered just fine in my colt same bullet type and nearly same velocity the 45colt is about 25-50 fps faster . I have shot 4 of these out of my BC with no indication of any pressure problems on the cases or primers. The Buffalo Bore ammo was loaded for pistol so I think if it was for rifle and you were hand loading you would probly work to seat bullet a little farther out but has worked fine in my chamber .Keep us posted when you start to get them 454 over 2000.It just seems to me at about $10 a turn of the reamer and me being cheap I keep letting you guys turn them reamers.  :DKurt

[cwlongshot]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will post up once I get the reamers and do the deed.

 This whole thing started when I got those FTX bullets and found out the vel that they where designed to work at was higher then I was comfortable pushing the long colt to. I will most likely still shoot "Ruger level" long colt velocity's. But will experiment and shoot what shoots best. My intention is not to push the envelope for top velocities, never has been. The long colt has been a very efficient killer for me. Hopefully the 454 will only improve on an good thing. 

CW

[PHATINJUN]

CW what was the gr on those 45FTX bullets? They were .452 ? Kurt

[cwlongshot]

CW what was the gr on those 45FTX bullets? They were .452 ? Kurt

 Yes they are .252 dia. There are actually two of them, one with a canalure it is 200Grs and designed for the 460S&W and the other, this is what I have, is 250Gr and its designed for the 450 Bushmaster WO a canalure.

CW

[eod20]

454   heck i'd be happy to just find a 45 LC to play with

[cwlongshot]

The doc cleared me for more activities, so what is the first thing I do???  Yup, saddle up the Comanche and head for Cabala's!! 

 I picked up three boxes of Barnes XPB bullets for the 454 and one for the 500 at clearance prices!!  At 7-12 bucks a box of 20. I also got another 100 Starline Casull brass and a box of 300Gr SPs from Sierra. They also had two plastic boxes for the 454/50AE. So I grabbed them too. I posted up in its own post, but found 5 100rnd bags of 460S&W on the shelf. But no 357Maxi's. I didn't expect to find them and I have plenty. But would have grabbed them as I am sure someone here would take them from me.

 SO, now I have about 300 PCs of brass ready to go!! yea, I have cabin fever,,, BAD!!! 

CW

[dpe.ahoy]

CW, as long as your chamber is not sloppy, the 45 colt brass will handle the kind of pressure you are talking about.  The chamber on mine must have been one of the first ones used as it's letting the brass swell more than any other 45 I have.  John Linebaugh used 45 colt brass for his 5 shot conversions and it handled his pressures just fine.  I've run mine hotter than I will admit in print and have yet to blow any primer pockets, only lost cases to split necks.  I bought 500 Starline cases for any warm loads and have loaded some of them 11 times and no problems.  I have quit loading so stupidly now and the weakest gun I shoot the 45 in is a 94 trapper.  The really hot 45's were shot out of a 454 by the way, mom raised a smarter boy than that.   DP

[cwlongshot]

I got a present from 4D reamers in my mail box today!! 

 I know its a 454 thread.. but I got a 38-55 reamer as well..... I started with the 38-55's chamber as its not mounted on a frame. I clamped the lug in the bench vice and gave it a good cleaning. Followed by lots of cutting oil. I also cleaned the reamer and installed the T handle. Took me about 10 minutes and I had my throat/mouth opened up for .382 bullets!! I was very careful not to cut the rim but to just touch it and stop. A good strong light helped immensely. I even stamped the lug with "400 MOUTH".






 Thank you all for all the tips and advice!! You guys ROCK!!! 

 CW
 On to the 454...  I started the same way after removing the barrel from the frame and the scope from the barrel. (Oh DARN... ANOTHERONE to site in! Where will I find the time?  )This one was different... When I put the reamer in it was hung up on something.. Felt like one land was long or one thing was up onto the chamber area. A strong light revealed nothing. I carefully cut it back with the reamer until the mouth of the chamber was flush. Whole thing took me 15-20 minutes. The rim diameter was a bit out of round. I was very careful and didn't allow the reamer to wobble it was dead strait but the rim area was def cut about 1/2 thousands on 1/3 of the circumference. I was aging very careful not to deepen the rim as it would have a neg effect on head space...  I stamped the barrel with a "4" after the 45 and the complete caliber designation on the lug. I almost flipped when I looked at my pics and saw the rim of the seated 454 case ever so slightly below flush.. but I had snapped a pic of a 45Colt round seated last week and in comparison, seem identical. Here you look:

BEFORE


AFTER as a 454 Casull


 Here is the rest of the pictures:






 Thanks again,
 CW

[krod47nw]

CW,
I'm very interested in hearing how the 454 shoots both with 454 and 45 colt ammo.  I want to do mine, but am curious to see if rechambering changes how the 45 colts shoot.

Kevin

[cwlongshot]

 Dont give it another thought!  I will DEFINEATELY post up how it shoots. But may be some time as the doctors havent cleared me for any range time. ESPECIALLY heavy recoiling calibers...

CW

[JerryKo]

Looking good so far.  Keep up the great threads, even if you can't get out and shoot yet.

Jerry

[dpe.ahoy]

CW, let me help you out my friend.  Send er on over with some of that ammo you been buildin' and I'll help ya clear some space on that reloading bench.  No,no, don't thank me.  Just glad to help ya out.    Hope you get back out on the shooting bench soon.  DP

[cwlongshot]

Well, it was too long but I finally got to the range today!! I didn't bring the 38-55, but I did bring the 454 Cassull, 32-20, 357Maxi and 307 Winchester. I am very pleases with all of them!!!

The 454 was an exceptional shooter. I only had one 454 load to shoot. It was 32Gr's of H110 and a 300Gr GDHP, not a heavy load. I also brought a couple favorite 45Colt loads, 1) 20 grs of 296 and a 250gr bullet. 2) 16 grs with a 300Gr bullet. 3) 23 Grs 2400 and a 240HP bullet. These loads have proven safe in my guns, please check before loading in yours.

The 45Colt loads averaged about 1 1/2" @ 50 yards. That is a bit of a increase in size since rechambering. The 454 was much better. I shot a couple bullet touching 1" groups. Then I took care and really concentrated on good groups and shot almost a one hole 4 shot group the shape of a figure 8. The 5Th shot was jerked and dropped out about 3/4 below the group.



Overall I am VERY pleased. More loads and testing will likely find an even better load. I didn't have time to go to 100 yards.

CW

[Troyboy]

I'm glad your chamber job worked so good. Glad you are getting healthy enough to do normal stuff. Keep posting those pics!!