Handloading .45 Colt & .45 Schofield

[David]

I would like to get started handloading cowboy loads. I have tons of load data and brass and some equipment. My main concern right now is a press and dies. I'm leaning towards Lee's turret press. The 3 or 4 hole. What about the dies? Lee has the 4 die set for .45 colt with the factory crimp die, and it seems that I would need to perchase their 3 die set for .45 Schofield minus the factory crimp die? Is it not needed for the schofield. Does the bullet seater die make the apropriate crimp? Also I was looking at the RCBS Cowboy Action 3 die set. It seems that they advertise theirs will load both the colt and the schofield. Is this true? I want to load 200 grain cast lead SPG lubed FN's. I'm open to all suggestions.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I use a Dillon 550B press (4 stages) and Lee dies. I use the seat/crimp die to do just the seating and a Lee factory crimp die to crimp only. You can use the .45 LC die for Schofield if you lower it enough. If it doesn't go low enough, you need to grind a bit off the bottom of the die so it won't hit the bottom of the press. Recently I took my Schofield set to load the Cowboy 45 Specials. I used a 45LC seating die and ground the bottom off the Schofield seat/crimp die to use for crimping only. It works great.

What all this is saying is, set up for 4 stages. If the crimp die works, the crimp is fine. The only difference between .45lc, Schofield and Cowboy 45 Spl is the length of the dies. If they can be adjusted down enough, you're in business. Looks like the only one that can't be adjusted down far enough may be the crimp die. A few minutes with a grinder takes care of that, just don't heat the die.

[Pettifogger]

It's kinda like loading .44 Special with .44 mag dies.  Just depends on the die.  The sizer is the same.  Most of the time the seater has enough adjustment to seat bullets in the Schofield case.  The biggest IF is the crimper.  If the crimper is specifically made for the .45 Colt it will be to long.  If RCBS is advertising it will fit both, they have made the dies a little shorter to they will load both calibers.  On three die sets the seater is also the crimper.  Takes just a little more time to adjust, but once set works just fine doing both jobs on one stroke of the press.

[Marshal Deadwood]

The RCBS cowboy die will load .45lc and .45 schofield with the same die set. The .45Schofield does use a different shell holder than the .45LC.

Marshal Deadwood

[David]

Good deal. Thanks for the input ya'll. Now I have one ? left. Taper or roll crimp? And why? OK 2 questions.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Taper crimp is for automatic rounds like 45acp, 9mm and such. Roll crimp is for pistol cartridges with rims like 38spl, 45lc, Schofield, etc. The very best dies are the Redding Profile Crimp dies that are a taper crimp down to a roll crimp. They hold the sides of the case in while applying a roll crimp. Second best are the Lee Factory Crimp Dies.

.45lc Profile Crimp Die

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

I like my Lee factory Crimper that Bernie Knowles at Old West Moulds reworked for me it works great on the 44 Colt brass and his 248 Grn heeled Bullet for my Remy's.