Cowboy .45 SPL

[German Jim]

What dies are used to reload Cowboy .45 Special?  Would .45 ACP dies work?

[Bulldog Brown]

Yes,

[Warden Callaway]

6 minutes ago, Bulldog Brown said:

Yes,

 

But need 45Colt smallholder.  I also use a 45 Auto Rim roll crimp die. And 45 Colt carbide sizing die.  (45 ACP over sizes them).  Actually, now that I think about it, I don't use any ACP dies. 

[Tom Bullweed]

I use .45 Colt for case holder and sizing.

I use .45 ACP for expanding, seating and crimping.

All Lee.

 

[Sarge]

That will work.  You'll see that most folks are putting together their own customized die sets based on their experience.  I'm using a Hornady set up for the .45 Auto Rim/.45 ACP.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

Here's a link to Adirondack Jack's post about the dies for his cartridge:

https://www.prairiedawg.net/nick/cowboy45special.pdf

--Dawg

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

NO - - - YES - - - Sort of.  45 ACP die sets are not optimum.  The ACP resizing die imparts a slight taper to the case, promoting Blow-By and long term over-works the brass.  45 Colt resizing die is a better choice.  45 Colt expander/Bell/Thru powder works best.  ACP crimp die applies a taper crimp, not optimum.  I'd recommend a Redding 45 Auto Rim Profile Crimp Die, especially if you run the round in a Toggle Link Rifle.

[Ripsaw]

45 colt sizing die, 45ACP powder drop/belling die, 45 ACP seating die, 45 Colt crimping die, ground down to appropriate length to work properly. The ACP crimp die is a taper crimp so not ideal, though many use it to good effect.  Did not try the auto rim die set. 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I use Hornady .45 Colt die set. It’s the only standard set I know of where the seat/crimp die goes low enough to put a nice roll crimp on the C45S cartridge. 
 

if you already have another set of .45 Colt dies, you can get the individual dies others have mentioned. 
 

+1 to Coffinmaker on sizing and roll crimp vs taper

[Warden Callaway]

I'm real sure this is the RCBS roll crimp die I use.  It's available and on sale at MidwayUSA. 

 

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1011377157?pid=169099

 

 

I load 454 diameter bullets because my old Colt SAA have BIG throats and My Marlin 1894 seems to make less blowby. 

 

 

 

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

I had to go look to make sure. I have a 45 Colt RCBS Cowboy sizer/decapper, a Dillon 550 expander/powder drop, a 45 Colt RCBS  Cowboy bullet seater ran ALL the way down, and a 45 Colt Dillon roll crimp die that has been shortened.

[Null N. Void]

I shot 45 Cowboy special for a couple of years using a Dillon SDB.  I used 45 ACP dies for the resizing, belling, bullet seating and crimping.  I used a 45 colt base plate.   I shot them in Ruger New Vaqueros.  No problem with shooting 160 grain bullets.  I still use that setup for 200 grain reloads that I use for over the top loading on a 73.

[Warden Callaway]

4 minutes ago, Null N. Void said:

I shot 45 Cowboy special for a couple of years using a Dillon SDB.  I used 45 ACP dies for the resizing, belling, bullet seating and crimping.  I used a 45 colt base plate.   I shot them in Ruger New Vaqueros.  No problem with shooting 160 grain bullets.  I still use that setup for 200 grain reloads that I use for over the top loading on a 73.

 

I had two Ruger Vaqueros in 45 ACP that I could shoot C45S in if I loaded them with 451 bullets and use ACP dies to make very tight loads.  Any flaw and they wouldn't chamber.  

[Charlie MacNeil, SASS #48580]

45 ACP including Lee Factory Crimp die. 45 Colt shellholder.

[Oddnews SASS# 24779]

On 12/11/2020 at 9:45 PM, Ripsaw said:

45 colt sizing die, 45ACP powder drop/belling die, 45 ACP seating die, 45 Colt crimping die, ground down to appropriate length to work properly. The ACP crimp die is a taper crimp so not ideal, though many use it to good effect.  Did not try the auto rim die set. 

Can I ask what problem you had with the auto-rim set? That is what I was going to try.

[Ripsaw]

Never tried the auto rim die. Should work I think. I had the extra 45C die insert for my SDB press. 

[Baltimore Ed]

While we’re talking .45 Cowboy, my Marlin 1894 will run 200 gr rnfp Schofield loads fine but will it run .45 Cowboy? If not can it be made to run the short brass? Just curious. Thx. 

[Ripsaw]

I don't know about the 94, but the Smith Shop has a carrier for the 73 for the C45S.  Have been toying with trying it out. It's a direct swap with the standard 45C carrier, no other changes required, I'm told. 

 

[Boolit Boomer]

51 minutes ago, Ripsaw said:

I don't know about the 94, but the Smith Shop has a carrier for the 73 for the C45S.  Have been toying with trying it out. It's a direct swap with the standard 45C carrier, no other changes required, I'm told. 

 

I have two from the Smith Shop. One is for the C45S and the other is for 38 short colt in the 357. They work flawlessly with no other modifications. Just need to know your OAL and Bill will deliver what you need. Third one is on the way to work with the 38 long colt.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Info on the Smith Shop page says you need to file a flat spot on one side of the bolt head.

[Boolit Boomer]

On 12/15/2020 at 12:58 AM, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Info on the Smith Shop page says you need to file a flat spot on one side of the bolt head.

You are correct. Guess I was just thinking about the carrier itself. You have to file 20 thousands off the left side of the bolt to help it slide pass the spring loaded stop plased inside the carrier. The bolt still barely contacts the stop, but it's the flat spot you filed on the bolt that's pushing by the flat area of the spring loaded stop. There is no resistance felt.

[Griff]

The best results will be with a 45 Colt sizing die, an appropriate bell/expander or if on a Dillon thru powder die, and a 45ACP roll crimp/seating die.

[Black RZR]

Yeah I just use my 45 Colt dies. I use the acp to expand is all. 

[Eyesa Horg]

Using an SDB here. 45 colt shell plate and sizing die, 45 ACP seating die and made a crimp die from a 45 colt die as I just didn't like the taper crimp from an ACP die.

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

On 12/14/2020 at 1:11 PM, Oddnews SASS# 24779 said:

Can I ask what problem you had with the auto-rim set? That is what I was going to try.

As a newbie to the C45S myself I solicited info on the Wire as well. I am using the Hornady 45auto/AR/Win die set (part #546554) in combination with a Dillon 45 colt powder through die on my Dillon 550. Hornady sizer in position one, Dillon standard powder die with 45 colt expander funnel and Dillon powder measure at position two and the Hornady seater/crimp die in position three. Some were concerned about the seat/crimp in the same station but I have had 0 problems so far. None of the dies have been modified and the seater/crimp puts a very nice roll crimp on the finished cartridge as the Auto Rim die is short enough to reach the short C45S case. My choice of this die set was based on Wire info and the previously published recommendation of the cartridge developer. Works like a champ using Shooting Foxes 130 grain “Barnstormer” bullet in NM Vaqueros. 
YMMV

Regards

  

Gateway Kid

[Sarge]

On 12/14/2020 at 9:58 PM, Ripsaw said:

I don't know about the 94, but the Smith Shop has a carrier for the 73 for the C45S.  Have been toying with trying it out. It's a direct swap with the standard 45C carrier, no other changes required, I'm told. 

 

I have two guns set up with the Smith Shop Carrier.  Easy to install.  Absolutely no issues.