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Reloading 45 Colt with .454 LCRN


Mister Ricochet

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I picked up a batch of LCRN 250 grain and I want to load for an Uberti 1873 Cattleman and a Henry BB, Both 45 Colt.  The bullets measure .454.  optimally they should be .452, correct?  how much difference will the extra 2 thousandths make?

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If you aren't loading at the top of the pressure scale they should work fine, they will just size down when fired. That's assuming they will chamber, so you might want to load a couple first for a chamber fit test.

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Typically, we don't use Round Nose bullets in a magazine tube.  Folks will tell you that we use low recoil loads and they've done it hundreds of times and on and on...

But, occasionally the stars align and that round nose will pop a primer in the tube.  I watched a '73 detonate and shred the mag tube and forearm recently.  Not a fun thing.

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I load .454s in .45lc brass for my caliber altered WW1 and WW2 martial .455 British caliber Colts, Smiths and Webleys. They reload fine and are a necessity for the .455 caliber. Great old revolvers. You might notice a little more recoil but they’ll swage down ok. 

B4423F91-639E-4C2E-ADD5-C3AE253E8F5E.jpeg

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Depends on your firearms bore to size.  I recently tried some 250 gr. SWC that I had sized to .454 in my 45 colt, Ruger Blackhawk.  My normal load is with the same bullet sized to .452.  Same load except for the difference in bullet diameter.  The difference in recoil between the two loads was like comparing a mid range 38 spl. load to a hot .357.  Will not be shooting those in my revolver again.

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Howdy

 

When the 45 Colt cartridge was first developed in 1873, rifling groove diameter was specified as .454 min, .455 max.

 

After WWII 45 Colt standard groove diameter was reduced to .451 to match the groove diameter of the 45 ACP cartridge.

 

That is the main reason there are two different bullet diameters available for 45 Colt today, 454 for the older guns, .452 for the newer ones.

 

The real key here is how closely does the chamber throat diameter of a revolver match the groove diameter?

 

Some Rugers were notorious for having tight chamber throats, well under .451. Any bullet, .452 or .454 going through those chambers would be squeezed down before engaging the rifling. 2nd Gen Colts, on the other hand are notorious for having overly large chamber throats. My 2nd Gen Colts have chambers on the order of .455 or so in diameter. So my .452 bullets will allow a little bit of gas to escape around them in the chamber throats, potentially softening the lead and causing leading in the barrel. Since I only shoot Black Powder in my Colts, I don't worry about this, there is never any leading with Black Powder.

 

I can't help you with your Henry, but with your Cattleman try this:

 

Hold an empty cylinder in your hand, with the business end pointed at the ground. Drop a bullet into a chamber. What happens?

 

If the bullet drops right through, it is too small for those chamber throats.

 

If light pressure with a pencil will shove the bullet through the chamber throat, it is the ideal diameter for your chamber throats.

 

If it takes a lot of force to shove the bullet through, it is too big.

 

Let that be your guide.

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My reloading manual shows .454 as THE bullet diameter for 45 Colt.  Shooters that have issues with blowback will often ask me for a heavier bullet to stop/reduce blowback. While I’ve got heavier bullets, they’re significantly more expensive... and I figured there had to be another solution. So... after consulting with some folks who are smarter than I, I began offering a 200gr RNFP (lubed, not coated) Bullet for folks to try. Most have had quantifiable improvement in blowback and cleaner, cooler brass. 
 

I don’t this is inappropriate however, if you’d like to try a handful, I’d be glad to send you some to try or they're available for purchase in a pack of 100 or 500. 

 

Big hugs!

 

Scarlett

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Thanks all.  LCRNFP= Lead cast round nose flat point.

 

Thanks Driftwood, very useful, and I will try that cylinder method.  I will contact Henry to see what they think.  2 thou should run down the barrel, but I will ask them first.  I also have an 1873 rifle in 45 Colt so I guess the same applies to that as the Henry.  I will make a couple dummies and see if they chamber.  I may make one over oal to see what it hits in the chamber.

My Lyman 50th only states one load for the .454 in the 45 Colt and it is specific for the older revolvers.   all other loads are specificly .452.
Lyman has no rifle data for the .454 in 45 Colt.  Doesn't even mention in passing in the text. Only .452 for cast.

So, I am thinking that the idea from my brother's sniper friend from the army of making a dummy round longer than oal to see if it marks the bullet may be something.

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