45 LC/Schofield loading question

[Charlie T Waite]

I now know you can use 357 dies to load 38 & 44 mag dies to load 44 special. My question is can you use 45 LC dies to load 45 schofield?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Charlie

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Yes in most circumstances. But, you need a different shell holder since the Schofield rim is larger.

[El Sabre]

Since the Special cases are shorter, a Magnum crimp die will generally be too long to effect a proper crimp on the shorter cases. For that reason, you can load Magnum cases on Special dies, but often not the other way around. Right?

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Depends on the dies. My .45 RCBS seat/crimp die won't go low enough to crimp a Schofield case, but my Hornady will.

 

As Larsen said, you'll need a different shell holder, or if you have a progressive, a different shell plate because a Schofield rim is larger than Colt.

 

Good luck!

[Tuff Willy]

Since Mr. Pettifogger has opened the door I would like to know what shellholder to use for schofields.

I fixed the Dillon 550 locator pins by chucking up the colt pins in a drill motor with a piece of 400 sandpaper and sized them up to fit.

Every once and awhile I want to test something else and would like to single stage some schofields for testing and have not been able to master something to hold the shells.

Any help would be helpful. TW

[Justin O Lawman,SASS#7672]

Since Mr. Pettifogger has opened the door I would like to know what shellholder to use for schofields.

I fixed the Dillon 550 locator pins by chucking up the colt pins in a drill motor with a piece of 400 sandpaper and sized them up to fit.

Every once and awhile I want to test something else and would like to single stage some schofields for testing and have not been able to master something to hold the shells.

Any help would be helpful. TW

 

 

 

You can use a 44-40 shell holder

[Charlie T Waite]

I noticed that the bullets from the 44-40 fit the 44 mag & special cases, recon I could use them in those cases?

[Buckshot Dobbs]

I use my 45 acp Lee dies to load my Schofield's with....diff shell holder of course

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

As has been stated, it depends on the dies and what press you are using. I load 45 Schofields on my Hornady Lock a& Load AP with a set of Hornady New Dimension 45 Colt dies. These dies thread down far enough on my press to load the Schofield rounds. Your mileage may vary. I use the Hornady #41 shell plate to load 45 Schofields. You will have to look up what shell plate or shell holder to use, depending on what brand of press you are using. Most of them publish a chart so you can determine it. With some brands, you can use the 44-40 shell plate. But check before you buy.

[Go West]

Whoops, I didn't know about the shell plate and have used the same one for Schofield and Colt on my Dillon 650. I use dedicated dies on their own tool holder. It makes for a simpler change over.

[Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L]

Whoops, I didn't know about the shell plate and have used the same one for Schofield and Colt on my Dillon 650. I use dedicated dies on their own tool holder. It makes for a simpler change over.

You can get away with this if you keep the plate loose and use smaller keeper pins. Before I got the correct shell plate, I used the ones from my 45-70 shell plate.

 

CR

[Buffalo Dick, SASS #12880]

I've loaded .45 Schofield on my 650 Dillon for years using the .45 Colt dies, shellplate and locator buttons. All I do is crank down the dies at the expanding and seating stations and adjust the factory crimp die. There's enough rim clearance on my setup that nothing else is necessary.

[Charlie T Waite]

Checked the plate on my LEE LOADMASTER, it is the same. Ran 1 case and found all I have to adjust is the bullet seat & factory crimp for the schofields. Thanks for the feedback from everyone.

 

Charlie.