Cowboy 45 Spl In My Conversions

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I like shooting smokeless for CAS and have been trying to find good loads that don't hammer my '58's with conversion cylinders. I tried reducing the powder and using lighter bullets in my 45lc loads. The results were so-so because at lower loads the burn is too inconsistent for real accuracy. For this reason, I've just been shooting just my 38spl conversions.

I recently got a few cases of the Cowboy 45 Spl that Adirondack Jack makes and sells. I loaded some with 4.0 gr of Trail Boss and 205 gr Bear Creek RNFP bullets. I also loaded some with 165 gr Bear Creek RNFP bullets and the same powder. The 205's did a 2" group at 15yards, a couple inches high but the 165's were in a 4 " group with 3 or 4 really wild fliers, one almost missed the target. I mentioned this to Jack and he said to increase the load some to get more muzzle velocity with the 165's. I upped the powder to 4.5 gr of Trail Boss and shot ten of both bullet weights. The 205's grouped at about a 1 ½" circle with one just a little outside the group. The 165's were all within a 1 ½" group. This was certainly good considering I was at an indoor range with poor lighting and was barely able to see the sights. The center of the group with the 4.0 gr TB/205 Gr bullet was an inch or two above the POA. With the same bullet and 4.5 gr TB, the group was right on POA. The 165 gr bullet group, although the best, was a couple inches low. I decided to go with the 4.5 gr/205 loads and loaded 50 of them to shoot at our local match (yesterday).

They performed perfectly. I had tested just the 10 of those loads in my 6" conversion and never even tried my 5 1/2" pistol with any of these rounds. On one stage there were knock-down targets that would have been a bit of a challenge for my .38's and I breezed through them quickly. These little buggers shoot great and are easy on felt recoil. That means I should be able to accurately shoot lower loads, causing much less stress on the BP frames. On top of all that, Adirondack Jack is a good pard to deal with and all around, this whole thing has been a fun experience. I will have to try them with BP one of these days, which Jack says shoots as good or better. If I had originals, I'd be shooting these in them.

So, will I shoot them again? You bet. Last night I ordered another 1000 cases.

Here's a pic of a .45 lc and a CB 45 Spl for comparison:

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

How does the CB 45 Spcl differ from the 45 Schofield case?

[Adirondack Jack]

Two major differences.

First, some shooting irons won't  chamber Schofield because the Schofield  rims are wider.

Cowboy .45 Special case head is the same as Colt brass, so that is not a problem.

Then we have the length:

Colt brass is 1.285 long.

Schofield brass is 1.109 long. (.176 reduction)

Cowboy .45 Special is .898 long. (.387 reduction)

So, if ya figure the bullet seating depth and the case head thickness, you can see that the C45 S ends up cutting the available room under a bullet by as much as half compared to Colt cases.

Another way to look at it is the advantage Schofield has over Colt in terms of efficiency (by reducing case capacity) is more than doubled with the C45S.

[Peddler Parsons]

the 45 C S is the same as the 380 so you can use standard dies for reloading; I have been useing them for a year now with BP and love them in my 58 Remington conversions will be getting another 200 cases before long

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

1/2 waycharlie;  Before the Special, I made my .455 Webley brass from .45LC.  I used a .45acp trimmer from LEE and acp dies, then thinned the rims.  Only difference from the special is the rim thickness.  However, Special cases are made with properly tapered case walls.  As mentioned above, .45LC/S dies are suitable, but a .45acp seating die might work if the LC/S die doesn't.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I have been using all 45 ACP dies except for the crimp die. For that I shortened a Lee Schofield crimp die I had on hand by grinding 1/4" off it and re-grinding the outer and inner tapers. You can use the 45 ACP crimp die, but it doesn't do a genuine roll crimp. Next time I load some, I'll put the other Schofield dies in my too head and reclaim my 45 ACP dies.

[Marshal Tac]

I've been shooting the .45 CS in my '58 Remmie conversions for about 4 months now, using a 200 grain hard cast bullet and a mild 777 load, and have been absolutely sastisfied. The shoot right were I aim 'em, and they don't beat my guns or my hands up at all, plus there is plenty of smoke. Hard to beat that combo.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

My 1K of new brass arrived yesterday. I'm going to go load some more for the next 20 matches.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Actually, I only loaded 400 rounds. Then I remembered that these things are 20% shorter so I loaded another 100.

[Adirondack Jack]

Thanks for the kind words fellers.

One thing the C45S did for me is allow me to shoot duelist.  I shoot big ole .45 vaqueros, and was unable to shoot duelist without pain using .45 Colt loads.  I smashed up my elbow a few years ago and it just lights on fire if I push it too hard.  The C45S loads are soft shooting enough, even with 200s, that I can shoot duelist all day and  not have pain in that elbow.  I like that a whole lot.  I also like the reduced pain in the wallet when loading em with 777, using a load somewhere around 13 grains (weight) instead of 23.5, don't ya know.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I can shoot duelist all day and  not have pain in that elbow.  I like that a whole lot.  I also like the reduced pain in the wallet when loading em with 777

There's one shooter I know that's a pain in the butt. You think these help with that, too?

[Marshal Tac]

Kinda depends on where you shoot this "one shooter", Marshal.... Could solve your problem entirely... then again, if you don't shoot him in the right place, he could just be a louder, MONING Pain in the Butt!