barrel twist rates and other q's

3-fitty-7 · February 9, 2009, 12:58 AM

i've decided to give handloading a try and i have read through abc's of reloading and nosler's guide and planning to get another or so. i plan to load for 2-3 handguns at first just to get the feel for it, a model 29-2 .44 magnum and a colt anaconda .45colt and maybe a colt 1911 gov't series 80. does anyone know offhand the twist rates for these barrels? from what i understand the slower the twist the lighter the bullet must be to stabilize and a faster twist can stabilize a lighter round but not vice versa.
another question is what powders, and heads are you guys (and girls) using for these calibers? for .44 i kinda want to do a slightly reduced magnum load and for the anaconda and 1911 i want to find some normal factory spec. loads. i would also like to use jacketed ammo in all calibers because when i got the m29 used it took hours to remove the leading from the previous owner and i wouldn't want it to happen again. i plan to get a few load guides eventually as well. thanks everyone!

rlm · February 10, 2009, 10:59 AM

Most handguns use a 1:16 twist as the standard, or so I was told. But you may want to email each manufacturer to see for sure on your particular model. For example, there is one barrel maker that uses 1:32 for 1911's.

I am new as well and for powder I am going to use AA#5. I know several reloaders near here that use it, plus both the range owner and the powder distributor I use recommended it for economy, cleanliness, burn rate and broad application. I bought 8# for $129. That's a lot of powder, but I am doing several calibers and try to build some stock.

For primers I am going to use Winchester for the handguns, and CCI #41 for my AR15.

For brass, I was ordering a bunch of stuff from Midway, so I bought some new Winchester and Remington brass for a fairly decent price. I have a lot of range brass from a friend of mine, but wanted some new brass that I can be sure about its starting condition.

For bullets, I bought some at the gun show from a couple of nearby reloading supply places. Eventually I want to cast my own.

I might suggest getting hold of the Lyman #49 reloading manual. It is a good read with lots of info. Also, Modern Reloading, Second Edition by Richard Lee is a good book to read. It gets pretty detailed plus he pushes Lee stuff in it real hard. But still a good book and a lot more reloading data that the Lyman or ABC's. I read all three and glad I did.

GOOD LUCK!!

February 9, 2009, 12:58 AM	#1
3-fitty-7 Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2006 Location: philadelphia Posts: 276	barrel twist rates and other q's i've decided to give handloading a try and i have read through abc's of reloading and nosler's guide and planning to get another or so. i plan to load for 2-3 handguns at first just to get the feel for it, a model 29-2 .44 magnum and a colt anaconda .45colt and maybe a colt 1911 gov't series 80. does anyone know offhand the twist rates for these barrels? from what i understand the slower the twist the lighter the bullet must be to stabilize and a faster twist can stabilize a lighter round but not vice versa. another question is what powders, and heads are you guys (and girls) using for these calibers? for .44 i kinda want to do a slightly reduced magnum load and for the anaconda and 1911 i want to find some normal factory spec. loads. i would also like to use jacketed ammo in all calibers because when i got the m29 used it took hours to remove the leading from the previous owner and i wouldn't want it to happen again. i plan to get a few load guides eventually as well. thanks everyone!

February 10, 2009, 10:59 AM	#2
rlm Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2009 Posts: 5	Most handguns use a 1:16 twist as the standard, or so I was told. But you may want to email each manufacturer to see for sure on your particular model. For example, there is one barrel maker that uses 1:32 for 1911's. I am new as well and for powder I am going to use AA#5. I know several reloaders near here that use it, plus both the range owner and the powder distributor I use recommended it for economy, cleanliness, burn rate and broad application. I bought 8# for $129. That's a lot of powder, but I am doing several calibers and try to build some stock. For primers I am going to use Winchester for the handguns, and CCI #41 for my AR15. For brass, I was ordering a bunch of stuff from Midway, so I bought some new Winchester and Remington brass for a fairly decent price. I have a lot of range brass from a friend of mine, but wanted some new brass that I can be sure about its starting condition. For bullets, I bought some at the gun show from a couple of nearby reloading supply places. Eventually I want to cast my own. I might suggest getting hold of the Lyman #49 reloading manual. It is a good read with lots of info. Also, Modern Reloading, Second Edition by Richard Lee is a good book to read. It gets pretty detailed plus he pushes Lee stuff in it real hard. But still a good book and a lot more reloading data that the Lyman or ABC's. I read all three and glad I did. GOOD LUCK!!