Bullets for 45 auto same as Long Colt?

[Prof Young]

Loaders:

I'm thinking about adding 45 LC to the my reloading repertory. It already includes 9mm, 44 mag and 223. My question is about the bullets. Is there a difference between those one might load for 45 auto and 45 long colt? Or is a 45 caliber bullet is a 45 caliber bullet is a 45 caliber bullet?

Live well be safe
Prof Young

[DiscoRacing]

most use 230grain bullets for acp and 255grain for LC...

the 230 would be light for lc and the 255 would be heavy for acp.

but they could be used ..yes.

[arch308]

The caliber is the same. The difference is that the 45 colt bullets have a cannalure for crimping. These can be loaded in 45 ACP but I wouldnt recommend going the other way around although I must admit I have. Just don't use a non-crimped load in a rifle with a tubular mag as the bullet can be hammered farther into the case increasing pressures. And if you are loading hot loads for, say, the Blackhawk, the recoil could possibly loosen the bullet in the case.
I have loaded 260 grn. hollow points in my G21 for hogs that shot just fine and have loaded 230 gern. FMJs in my Colts with no problems.

[Pilot]

I use 200 grain LSWC for both my .45 ACP and .45 Colt, although I prefer a heavier bullet for my SAA, so I more often load a 250- 255 grain for the Colt, but the 200 grain works fine.

[Slamfire]

I have never met a 45 caliber jacketed bullet that was not .452 or .451" in diameter.

However some 45 LC's require a lead bullet to be .454" or more.

Older revolvers have huge chamber mouths. My Colt New Service revolvers shot poorly and leaded with .452 lead bullets but shot better with .454". A S&W M25-2 needed .454" diameter bullets, at least in part due to big, maybe 0.455" chamber mouths. I traded that for a M25-7 and came out ahead.

In 1989 Smith and Wesson changed their cylinder mouth diameters to .452" and these and later S&W 45 LC's shoot very well with .452 bullets.



Colt SAA's are all over the place in chamber mouth diameters. You can read Mike Venturino and Brian Pierce's measurements on Colt 45 LC diameters. Mr. Pierce measured Colt SAA chamber mouths as large as .458"!

Rugers are good, the ones I had and got to measure the 45 LC chamber mouths are .452". Rugers shoot well with .452 lead bullets.

Replica Colt SSA's, heck if I know. USFA puts theirs out with 452 chamber mouths but the Italian versions, don't know.

I have shot 230's both LRN and FMJ in my 45 LC's. It is not a natural combination, the 45 LC is better off with 250-255 lead bullets.

[mikejonestkd]

I use 200 gr SWC, and 230 gr FP from www.mastercast.net in all of my .45 ACP auto loaders and my three .45 colt revolvers. I never have had any problems and accuracy is excellent.

[jaguarxk120]

I was always under the impression that the 45 ACP used bullets of .451 diameter and the 45 Colt used bullets of .454 diameter.

[mehavey]

I've always shot .454" cast lead (particularly Lyman's 454424) and now LeadHeads at 0.453"

But I also note Lyman's Cast Handbook has both 452 and 454 bullets listed, with historical note that "The groove diameter of PreWar diameter of revolvers normally measure .454". Later production revolvers and lever-action rifles are built w/ .451 diameter grooves.

As other posters have noted (in any case), the 45 Colt is designed for/capable of heavier bullets -- 250gr to as much as 340gr (the LeadHeads) in strong actions.

It'll shoot lighter, but.....

[dahermit]

I was always under the impression that the 45 ACP used bullets of .451 diameter and the 45 Colt used bullets of .454 diameter.

That changed sometime after the 1960. Ruger and Colt began to use .452 for the standard of both. Some early guns will have .454 diameter bores, but all modern 45 Colts have gone to .452 nominal size.

Those of us who are old enough to remember the change likely remember that Winchester and Remington shot shells had different size primers and the faces of pistol primers were rounded and the rifle primers were flat.

[FrankenMauser]

Those of us who are old enough to remember the change likely remember that Winchester and Remington shot shells had different size primers and the faces of pistol primers were rounded and the rifle primers were flat.

...except for Euro and Mexican ammo, where all primers were rounded. (Berdan primed, or not.)



I've heard of .45 Auto. I've even heard of the incorrectly referenced, but SAAMI-supported ".45 ACP".
And, I've heard of .45 Colt. But, I ain't never heard of no .45 Long Colt.

....Must be one of those new Super Mega Magnums.

[jaguarxk120]

The Federal No. 210 were rounded large rifle primers, got some around here somewhere. My A2 press came with a rounded punch in the priming arm.

[rclark]

Currently I am using 200g .451 for .45 ACP and 250g .452 RNFP bullets for .45 Colt. However I have also loaded the 250g RNFP into .45 ACP cases no problem. The one caveat here is mine are loaded for revolver use, not for semi-auto. Have no 'clue' how a semi-auto would work with the heavier bullet(s). Also don't load hot because I can't 'crimp' the .45ACP round as it head spaces on the case mouth.....

Note all modern .45 Colt revolvers throats are usually .452. In Rugers case sometimes .451 or .450.... and need reamed to .4525. All 4 of my .45 Colt revolvers needed the 'fix'....

[orionengnr]

I loaded some 200 gr SWCs and 200 gr TCFP in 45LC (yes, I said it), because I had the projectiles laying around.

But they tended to shoot low, so I moved over to the 255 gr projectiiles. Those seem to work a bit better.

I've heard of .45 Auto. I've even heard of the incorrectly referenced, but SAAMI-supported ".45 ACP".
And, I've heard of .45 Colt. But, I ain't never heard of no .45 Long Colt.

Triple negatives notwithstanding, good luck on both counts.

[edward5759]

I like to shoot 230 grain lead out of my SAA 45s

Loaded with about 5.5 grains of unique its fun, and pleasant to shoot.

[Prof Young]

Loaders:
Thanks for the help. If I do start loading 45LC it will mostly be for the fun of shooting them out of my short barreled Taurus Judge, which is surprisingly accurate for a two inch barrel at ten yard. Course my fear is that I'll be too inspired and have to get me a cowboy gun and do the real thing. So many guns . . . and so much fun.

Live well be safe
Prof Young

[TXGunNut]

I've heard of the 45LC, just can't say for sure what it is. My Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt likes 200 gr SWC's just fine, very accurate too! Little scamp also likes 300 gr Hornady bullets atop powder charges that make 44 mags look like wimps. My favorite load is a 255 Keith SWC @ just over BP velocities and wouldn't you know it, it likes those just fine, too!

[FrankenMauser]

Triple negatives notwithstanding, good luck on both counts.

What's wrong with a triple negative?
Two of them cancel out, and the last one gets you back where you started.

[rclark]

Course my fear is that I'll be too inspired and have to get me a cowboy gun and do the real thing.

Nothing wrong with that.... The .45 Colt is just fun, versatile, and has the history behind it too. Next comes a western style holster, belt .... All win-win.... Oh, yes, then load up some black powder .45 Colt for some smokey fun . If you reload the sky is the limit! The .45 Colt is my favorite cartridge.... Although the .44Special is hard on it's heels (but will never catch it ) .

[Shotgun693]

However some 45 LC's require a lead bullet to be .454" or more.

Up until WWII, Colt's revolvers used the .454 bore. After the war the machinery had to be replaced and Colt went to .451, like the .45 ACP barrels.
My Colt's SAA shoot closer to point of aim with a 200 gr bullet so that's what I use. I use a taper crimp die on all my reloads and I think that makes a difference.
When I used a 1911 at work, my friends and I experimented a lot. The 1911 will handle up to 265 gr bullets, I used a heavier recoil spring, but will shoot loose or at least mine did. I will not even begin to tell you how hot we loaded those guns,

[Prof Young]

Loaders
Well, I thought that's what it was called, a 45 long colt. Clearly the accurate designation is 45 colt. Still lots to learn. Whatever the case a 45 "cowboy" gun may be my next purchase.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[Shotgun693]

When talking to the general pubic if I say .45 Long Colt most understand I mean the revolver round. If I go to buy brass or ammo at a gun shop even the new kid with braces understands Long Colt. Here I use .45 Colt, all others get the 'Long' part thrown in and it doesn't make me have trouble sleeping either way.

[dickttx]

My circa 1970 Blackhawk .45 Colt is .452, however the RCBS carbide die set I bought at the same time is apparently .454, as a .452 bullet can be pushed in and out with your fingers after sizing.
I shoot 200gn RNFP and 250gn RNFP both in it. The 200's just shoot a little lower and are about $16 per K cheaper at MBC.

[arch308]

That's what I like about this web sight. You guys just taught me alot about my favorite cartridge. Since I only own a realitively new Blackhawk I've always used the store bought jacketed bullets. The gun is a convertable with an extra 45 auto cylinder so it didn't matter. If I'm ever lucky enough to get hold of an older Colt, etc. I will know to check. Thanks.

[mehavey]

If I'm ever lucky enough to get hold of an older Colt,....

While drooling over it, realize also that until Bill Ruger started making his BlackHawks,
revolvers chambered in 45Colt were limited to OLD low-pressure loadouts.