Cheap 1911 Barrel

[ExtremeTolerance]

My grandfather-in-law gave me a ton of reloaded .45. They have straight lead bullets, that I am pretty sure he cast from tire weights. I am kinda worried about what this is going to do to my 1911, but also can't resist creating lots of smoke and loud noises.

I was thinking of picking up a cheap/crappy barrel (not expecting accuracy from these things anyway). Got any ideas on where to look or what to look for? Or is this an non-issue and I should just shoot them from my factory/good barrel?

Thanks in advance.

[MadHatter1]

Shoot them and have fun with free ammo. Reloaders have been using wheel weights to cast bullets since wheel weights were invented. Depending on the hardness of the alloy and powder load, you may get some leading in the barrel, but nothing that a little cleaning won't fix.
A new barrel and the gunsmiths time to fit it will set you back a couple hundred bucks, and isn't needed.

[RickB]

What would you expect lead bullets to do to a barrel? Assuming they're properly lubed, you'll find only that the gun needs to be cleaned more often, but that's not too high a price to pay for cheap shooting.

[VHinch]

The only issue for me personally would be shooting someone else's reloads, the lead is nothing to worry about.

[orionengnr]

The lead is so much softer than the barrel (and even softer than copper FMJ bullets) that there is no risk involved (unless there is a triple-or-quadruple charge of powder in one of those rounds).

But that is virtually impossible. A plain old-double charge will ruin a magazine, and split a set of grips...and it will get your atttention (ask me how I know ) but it will not hurt a steel framed 1911.

I would put on a cheap set of grips, use cheap magazines, and shoot up all those reloads...and then buy a press and start making more.

Or you could buy a press now, buy a kinetic round disassembly tool (about $20) and re-assemble all those rounds in perfect confidence.

[KyJim]

As others have said, shoot using your current barrel. Leading shouldn't be too bad at standard .45 acp velocities and you should be able to get it out without much problem.

[Skans]

Reloaders have been using wheel weights to cast bullets since wheel weights were invented.

Ditto this! Lead is softer than copper - if you're not worried about copper, then you sure shouldn't be worried about cast lead - at least not in non-polygonal rifled barrels.

[HisSoldier]

What would you expect lead bullets to do to a barrel?

Most people load cast because it's cheaper, but some do because the barrels will last longer using cast bullets.

[dmazur]

I was thinking of picking up a cheap/crappy barrel

followed by

A new barrel and the gunsmiths time to fit it will set you back a couple hundred bucks, and isn't needed.

Yep. 1911 barrels aren't generally drop-in, despite claims. (The discount outfits selling them tend to be a little shy about this fact, because they want to sell them...)

[SmokyBaer]

Shoot the cheap lead then end the day on a couple mags of regular hard balls.
Helps clean it up. Enjoy!!

[BigJimP]

I have an issue shooting anyone else's reloads .....unless you know he was really particular about what he was loading / and had good Quality Control...and even then, I'd be very careful ....

Ask him for the specs on what he loaded / check it against current manuals and make sure the loads make sense. If he's been reloading a long time / he would probably expect you to ask .....

Shooting your current barrel is no big deal / just clean it ....which you should do anyway ...in my opinion.

[Unclenick]

Originally Posted by orionengnr

. . . there is no risk involved (unless there is a triple-or-quadruple charge of powder in one of those rounds). . .A plain old-double charge will ruin a magazine, and split a set of grips...and it will get your attention (ask me how I know ) but it will not hurt a steel framed 1911.

A double-charge is not to be taken so lightly. It can, indeed, do more damage than described. Guess how I know?

I fired an accidental not-quite-double-charge of PB in a Springfield 1911A1 back in '92. This was under a 230 grain cast lead RN bullet. As you described, it cracked grip panels and mangled other rounds in the magazine column. But it also jammed the gun (took hammering to open it), bulged the barrel 0.002" just ahead of the chamber, and, more importantly (to me), it blew brass fragments back through the gaps in the slide and frame and into my face that had to be surgically removed. If I hadn't been wearing glasses I would likely have been blinded, judging from powder residue pattern on the lenses. Lots of face bleeding was involved, so I may have scared a few children as I got myself into the doctor's office (I was shooting by myself at the time).

No, the gun did not blow apart, but my point is that isn't required for serious injury.

Pressure goes up very roughly as the square of the increase in powder charge. The PB load in question was a standard hardball load. Maybe 16,000 psi. But doubling it would have run the gun at close to 60,000 psi which it is not built for. The barrel steel is too thick to let go at that pressure, but obviously other damage was done to the barrel and there was some peening visible in the slide locking lug edges that had to be filed out before putting it back into service.

If anyone is curious, I traced the cause of the double-charge to a mechanical problem in the powder measure on my progressive press. Two, really. One was that after reassembling it after cleaning, I had allowed a Delryn guide washer to fall out. I found it on the floor later. The whole thing was sort of rattling as I loaded the rounds, and I thought at the time it looked odd, but couldn't place the problem. (Lesson one, always stop loading when something looks odd and don't continue until you figure it out). Secondly, the drop/actuator tube is one I had made myself before I had a full-size lathe, and I'd gotten lazy and not fully chamfered the top of it adequately. The two factors combined so the press tilted enough to cause one round to be given little powder, leaving the rest bridged up on the unchamfered tube. In the next round that powder combined with the normal charge, and they fell in together. So, this was quite not a full double-charge, but probably about 1 3/4 charge. Still, the potential for personal injury was significant.

Anyway, lesson learned about being careful not to drop loose parts out of a powder measure and not to machine parts for it that don't meet factory specs.

[apr1775]

I use an automatic powder measure when loading pistol rounds. During loading I'll sometimes stop and spot check the powder charge with my scale. 45acp and 38spec come to mind as ones that have a large case volume in relation to the small fast buring powder charge they use; easier to double charge. A double charge of slow buring powder in 357 or 44mag will dump powder on the bench.

[ExtremeTolerance]

Took them to the range. Blasted them out just fine. After a but of scrubbing the barrel looked new.

My fingers were black from loading them.

Thanks for everyone who replied.