Best bullet for use in 3rd Gen. Colt SAA in .45 Colt?

[jphendren]

I have a 1997 3rd Gen. Colt SAA in .45 Colt.  I have read that the cylinder throats on these later SAA's usually measure .455-.456" in diameter, but the barrel groove diameter usually runs .451".  I have fired quite a few commercial cast bullets that measure .452" through this SAA, but usually get very bad leading.  Is it okay to shoot a larger bullet through the .451" barrel?  Like say a .454" or .455".

I don't cast, so would like something that I can buy.  Are there any companies that make a bullet in the .455 diameter size?

What do you guys use and recommend?

Thanks,

Jared

[Shotgun Franklin]

Slug your bore.

[Sagebrush Burns]

The leading you are experiencing is probably as much (or more) a matter of bullet hardness as of bullet diameter.  Almost all commercial cast bullets are "hard cast" and don't obturate properly at standard 45 Colt velocities thus leading the bore, especially the forcing cone area.  Commercial bullets are also usually bevel base instead of flat and use hard lubes, two more factors in barrel leading.  Since you don't cast your own, you might try commercial "black powder" bullets.  They are usually of softer alloy and use soft lubes.  Best of all is to start casting your own bullets.  I have found that straight wheel weights, unquenched, using Javalina lube solved the leading issues I was experiencing using commercial cast bullets in my Colts.  I did not find that using .452 or .454 bullets made any difference in leading or accuracy in any of my Colt revolvers.

[jphendren]

" I did not find that using .452 or .454 bullets made any difference in leading or accuracy in any of my Colt revolvers."

That is good to know.  I usually shoot Goex Black Dawg lead bullets loaded with Swiss FFFg black powder in my Colt SAA, and that load usually never leads, but hardcast smokeless loads always lead.  The Goex bullets are much softer than the hardcast bullets that I have been using, and they are lubed with SPG instead of that hard red crayon type.  I will probably just stick with Swiss blackpowder, but was interested in trying some smokeless once in a while.

Jared

[Shotgun Franklin]

I've used 200 gr flat based .451 bullets from the start. I use both Colt's ans Colt clones. Never had a leading problem. You might have your forcing cones checked.

[Sagebrush Burns]

Try the Black Dawg bullets with smokeless powder.  That should take care of the leading.

[Fiddler Green]

Try the Black Dawg bullets with smokeless powder.  That should take care of the leading.

Get in touch with Springfield Slim (on this forum) about your bullet needs. He's been casting them for a while and I've been shooting his bullets for 4 years; in my .45 Colts.

Bruce

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The easiest thing to do is to let the gun tell you what it needs. Yes, standard groove diameter for 45 Colt has been .451 since the SAA was reintroduced in 1954. Prior to that the standard groove diameter was .454. That is why the two different bullet diameters are made.

However, chamber throats can be another story. The easiest thing to do is to take out the cylinder and hold it pointed down to the ground. Then drop a bullet in the chamber. The correct sized bullet for your chambers will catch slightly in the cylinder throat and not quite fall through. The correct sized bullet can be pushed through with slight pressure. Try this with both .452 bullets and .454 bullets. If the bullet needs a lot of force to be shoved through the chamber throat, it is too big for that chamber throat. If it falls right through, it is too small. Try both sizes of bullets in all chambers. The gun will tell you what it needs.

If you choose a .454 bullet, as long as pressure is moderate, you will not have a problem pushing them down the .451 rifling.

If you ask Springfield Slim, he will tell you that most of his customers ask for their bullets to be sized to .454. But bear in mind he is selling soft lead bullets for Black Powder.

On the other hand, I always size my bullets for all my 45 Colt revolvers to .452. Accuracy is good and I get no leading. When I was shooting Smokeless and buying bullets, I always bought .452 bullets. Yes, I did get a little bit of leading in the chambers, but that is tough to avoid with any diameter bullet and Smokeless powder.

[rep1954]

I've always had good luck with these in all my 3rd. Generation SAA's. Kept in the 750 to 850 fps range they perform rather well.
http://www.hornady.com/store/.454-45-CAL/