45 LC and 45 acp

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  • ptt811

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    I just got a Rock Island 45 acp and had some reloading questions. I have and reload 45 long colt. I use a 230 gr. round nose lead bullet and have several of them. My question is can I shoot the lead round nose bullet for the 45 LC in the 45 acp semi auto gun. I had a guy tell me it would shoot fine but he was concerned about the Lead bullet dirtying up my gun and I should use a jacketed bullet ??? I don't mean to be cheap but if I could use these lead bullets in both guns it would be easier. Any input would be helpful.
     

    Aszerigan

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    The short answer is: Yes.

    45 ACP uses lead .451 and jacketed .452. 45 LC is the opposite, it uses jacketed .451 and lead .452. In my experience, you can load the bullets interchangeably. When in doubt, slug your barrel - this should calm your concerns.

    The two main reason for fowling in lead is higher speed loads or soft lead. If you keep your speed around 850fps in a 45ACP, lead fowling shouldn't be much of an issue. A 45LC lead load should only be <100-150fps faster than this, so you should be good. If you really want clean loads, shoot copper plated bullets. They're cheap, and at these velocities, they'll be completely intact when they hit the target.
     

    bstewrat3

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    The short answer is: Yes.

    45 ACP uses lead .451 and jacketed .452. 45 LC is the opposite, it uses jacketed .451 and lead .452. In my experience, you can load the bullets interchangeably. When in doubt, slug your barrel - this should calm your concerns.
    quote]

    Your 230gr lead bullets should work fine.

    Most jacketed bullets intended for the ACP are .451 and some for the Colt are .452 but not all. The majority of lead bullets intended for either are sized .452 to .454. Speer shows loads for their 260gr JHP, which I would normally have considered strictly a 45 Colt bullet, for the 45 ACP which I have tried and they functioned fine.
     

    wolfman

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    The short answer is: Yes.

    45 ACP uses lead .451 and jacketed .452. 45 LC is the opposite, it uses jacketed .451 and lead .452.

    Mmmm not sure about the colt but doesn't 45acp use .451 for jacketed, since those ride on the lands, and .452 for lead, since you want it to completely seal the barrel to prevent leading? Everything I have read says that .452 jacketed is too large for 45acp. (.452 plated would probably be ok since it is lead with a very thin coating, usually a copper wash)
     
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    Aszerigan

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    Mmmm not sure about the colt but doesn't 45acp use .451 for jacketed, since those ride on the lands, and .452 for lead, since you want it to completely seal the barrel to prevent leading? Everything I have read says that .452 jacketed is too large for 45acp. (.452 plated would probably be ok since it is lead with a very thin coating, usually a copper wash)

    Well, Dr. Lyman's 49th edition might disagree. :) And me too. Berry's for a 45 ACP are .452, Hornady jacketed for a 45 ACP are .452 as well. Diameter is diameter, whether its lead or copper.

    Realistically, you can use anything from .450 to .455 in a 45 LC. .454 Casull bullets will work in a 45LC too. 45 ACP is going to be a little more particular since it gauges on the headspace, so I would stay in the .451 to .452 range.

    Either way, you're fine.
     

    Leadeye

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    I usually stick with .452 in the 45 ACP only because of ease in chambering but you can use larger if your pistol will accept it. A lot of leading also comes from not having a good bullet to bore fit when shooting cast so slug your bore on a 45 ACP and shoot at least .001 over.

    45 LC you can use a wider variety of bullets as the revolver is not limited like the auto to loads that make it work. I have used a lot of Lee TL 452-230 in my 45LC and in 45ACP for my Colt Govt. A Lee factory crimp die for 45 ACP is a great tool.
     

    wolfman

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    Well, Dr. Lyman's 49th edition might disagree. :) And me too.
    Yes, Lymans's does state that the lead in their tests was sized to .451 and I have always wondered about that, untill I went back and read the information just before the load data, which I quote "The shooter should not size cast bullets larger than .451 due to chamber demensions". The .451 diameter for the cast, aparrently is used to prevent chambering problem that could be possible if a larger bullet were used to load for a gun with a tight chamber. This recomendation completely ignores the issue of proper bullet/bore fit which is generally accepted as the leading cause of leading when using bare lead bullets.

    Berry's for a 45 ACP are .452
    Yes, but that is because they are a soft lead bullet, that has been copper plated, not a metal jacketed bullet. That difference is supported by refering to Berry's FAQ
    Berry's Frequently Asked Questions â?? FAQ's

    Hornady jacketed for a 45 ACP are .452 as well.
    No they are not
    Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: .452 45 CAL

    They are listed as .451
    Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Bullets :: Handgun :: Choose by Caliber :: .451 45 CAL

    Diameter is diameter, whether its lead or copper.
    Yes but hardness of the material makes a big difference when determining the proper diameter. You can't lump FMJ and Plated together under copper,
    Jacketed are harder, and must lightly ride the lands down the barrel, where plated and lead which are of similar hardness, and a lot softer, must be expanded enough by the force of the powder burning, to totally seal the barrel and fully engage the rifling.

    Realistically, you can use anything from .450 to .455 in a 45 LC. .454 Casull bullets will work in a 45LC too.
    I don't work with .45 Colt, but from everything I have read, you are quite right, but you still have to be careful to choose your bullets with the hardness difference between FMJ and lead/plated bullets in mind.
     

    Aszerigan

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    You're correct on the diameter - although I was loading 45LC with .451 Hornady XTP's this evening. :)

    Thanks for the corrections, Wolfman. You're input is valued. Repped.
     

    mospeada

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    The cheapest bullets you'll probably find for the .45ACP are 185g semi-wadcutters. I reload both calibers in lead and the 185g semi-wadcutters are cheaper than the .45Colt bullets I load that are 200g and much cheaper than the 250g.

    I've run 185g bullets through 1911s for about 7 years and they run in all my 1911s and there is no leading to deal with.

    As mentioned above, you can interchange the .45Colt and .45ACP bullets pretty much at will. The only exception I'd make is that if you have an older single action revolver in .45Colt, it may have a barrel that needs the .454 diameter bullets to be accurate as the bores were larger in those days.
     
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