Loads for Pedersoli Colt Lightning .45 LC

[Gabriel Law]

I have had some success feeding my new Lightning.  I bought a box of 200 grain RNFP bullets, and loaded them with 6.7 grains of Trail Boss and seated and crimped OAL 1.573"  They feed easily into the rifle and cycle perfectly.  but here's the thing...

There is some gas blow-by which without shooting glasses would be very dangerous.  Can someone suggest how I can eliminate this phenomenon??  Increase the powder to increase pressure?  Anneal my brass?  Help. please!

[PJ Hardtack]

Hi Taylor

Congrats on your new rifle!

My Uberti 'Lightning' is in the hands of Stoeger/Canada after it threw a shoe. While I had it, I had the usual case smudging of my .45 Colt brass, but no gas "blow-by".
By all means, try annealing some brass to see it if helps. Your load certainly isn't a pip squeak.

I hear that PG has a new CAS Director. Good, perhaps now things will happen .....

[Pettifogger]

Almost EVERY CAS .45 load shows evidence of blow-by.   That is the result of stiff modern brass and very light loads that don't expand and seal the chamber.  Other than dirty brass it doesn't cause many problems and most people simply aren't willing to increase their loads (and recoil) to get a good gas seal.  Annealing brass helps, but quite frankly if you shoot a lot annealing 2000 or 3000 cases is time consuming and very few people will invest the time simply to eliminate a little case staining.

[rbertalotto]

I have the Taurus Colt Lightning in 45LC and it is horrible to shoot because of the blow back. As you said, impossible to shoot without glasses, if not a welding helmet!

I tried everything and I've decided to rebarrel to 38-40.

In 45LC the rifle is simply unusable.

[Gabriel Law]

Thanks for the input lads.  The first five rounds that I shot out of the rifle were some 200 gr. bullets in front of Winchester 231 powder, and there was no gas blow-by.  I have no problems shooting guns with recoil.  Before I bought the rifle, I loaded only for my Uberti 1875 Outlaw that I purchased new in 1975.  My favourite load was 30 grains of 3Fg BP and a 250 grain slug.  That bullet will not load or cycle in the rifle unless I seat it ridiculously low.  Perhaps all I need to do is go back to that load, but with a RNFP bullet in 250 grain.  It might sound strange to you, but I honestly don't care a lot about where I place against my fellows - I just want to shoot realistic loads and have fun.  "Spirit of the game" .   I thought Trail Boss would be a good choice, but perhaps not.

[Gabriel Law]

You'll notice that I've edited my profile to employ my SASS handle.

[pakm]

I was shooting my pedersoli in .44-40 today, 200 gr. bullet with 6 and/or 6.2 gr. of trail boss. the accuracy was great and that little pump would throw the brass 10 ft up or working the action easy it would drop the brass in the pawn of my hand.  ok, I was only shooting at 25 yards(thats as far as i can see) but my shoot with the pedersoli was flaw less.  My .45 LC henry was flaw less also but it wasn't quite as accurate

[Gabriel Law]

Great to hear some news about the Lightning rifle.  We will have too much snow at our range to shoot anything but revolvers for several months yet, but believe me, I'm loaded and ready.  Can't wait.