.45 Colt blowback

[Rye Miles]

When I switched to BP about 6-7 yrs ago I traded and sold all my .45's including a couple of pairs of Colts. I went all .44-40 in pistols and rifles. That's the only round I use for CAS. If I want to go ....egads....gulp....smokeless I can load up the .44-40's with that stuff too. Get rid of the .45's and go .44-40, you won't be sorry. It's my favorite all time round!

Rye 

[Paladin UK]

I think this thread go on forever...

The 45LC pards defending the 45LC  (which as it happens... is also MORE powerful than the 44-40 in the evil smokeless stuff ) and the 44-40 pards defending the 44-40.

Bottom line choose what suits/makes you a happy cowboy 

Paladin (What lurvs the HB in ANY calibre  ) UK

[Mad Mucus]

Just keep ya rifle cases seperate, fireformed & necksized only, with a firm roll crimp.
'Tis the nature of the beast.

[Cuts Crooked]

How about I jist remove every post that  touts the 44-40 replacement, instead of speaking to the OPs question?

Seriously gang, those 44-40 posts aren't helpful, the topic was .45s and that's what we should stick too. Let's help the guy with what he's dealing with. Not what he doesn't have and may not be able to afford.

[Lefty Dude]

O.K., then just get some 44WCF cases, reload them as 45's.

Now that is as simple as it gets.

Many CAS/SASS shooters have solved the problem as such.

BTW;
Starline ships the 44WCF cases new as straight walls. The user/owner must size them prior to loading.

[Bull Skinner]

O.K., then just get some 44WCF cases, reload them as 45's.

Now that is as simple as it gets.

Many CAS/SASS shooters have solved the problem as such.

BTW;
Starline ships the 44WCF cases new as straight walls. The user/owner must size them prior to loading.

There ya go Paladin, Lefty's got the best answer I have found. Since I shoot both I got the 44WCF cases and its no biggy to do.

[Cuts Crooked]

Read the link I provided earlier......you will see that using 44-40 case is not the panacea some think it is.

[Paladin UK]

`sides.. Who would wanna  a.45 by stuffin a 44 in it      `taint right ner natural jest like that smokeyless stuff

Paladin (What lurvs his .45 LC Smokepole ) UK

[Angel_Eyes]

Just checked out your superb website, reeeeely reeeely good.

No messin with high falutin language, just sez it like it is!

We really must get a comp set up down your end of the country.

Brian.

Check BWSS site for dates at Stourport, could be worth a visit for you and your posse.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

All things considered my first move is to order some .44-40 cases and try them. My second move will be to get a .45 CS lifter and convert one '66 to that short caliber. The third move will be to load a 230(+) grain bullet along with a cracking big case full of BP and see if that helps. Annealing the  case mouth  looks like more work than it is worth
Like I said it can't be stopped completely, but may be controlled.
I was surprised to see how clean the inside parts were after one shoot of about 60 rounds. There will be a 10 stage at the Plum Creek Shooting Society May 1-4 (see pccss.org for info) and we shall see what happens after that shoot.
Thanks to all
Bunk

[Bibbyman]

Last fall I bought a Marlin 1894 Cowboy in 45 Colt.  The serial number says 2005 manufacturer.   The gun looked new on the outside save for the sharp edges where it was parked in cart.  Whin I got it home and opened it up I found a Kentucky coal mine of crud.  I spent a good bit of time taking it apart and flushing the crud out.  I suspect the first owner never really cleaned it.   I then got a lesson in blowback.   I've up my charge and reduced the blowback somewhat.   

Last Sunday was our first match.  Right off the Marlin failed to eject about half the time.  On the last stage it didn't eject a single case. It would pull them from the chamber but leave them on top of the next round coming up.  When I got home I pulled the bolt and knocked out the pin holding the extractor.  The extractor cavity was packed full of black crud.  So packed I had to use some considerable force with screwdriver to get it to budge.  This is one part I didn't remove and clean when I cleaned it up last fall.  I went out and ran 10 rounds through it and it worked flawlessly. 

I have reloaded 100 rounds and have backed off the sizing die so it only sizes the top 3/8" of the case. They now have a bottle shape to them. I've not shot any yet but I'm confident they should work better.

[Lefty Dude]

If you use 44WCF cases and are loading with 45 Colt dies, you may have to use a 44WCF shell holder or plate. The 44WCF has a wider rim than a 45 Colt case.
BTW; the 45 S&W case has the same size rim as a 44WCF.

[Bibbyman]

Ain't the body of the 44-40 about .010 smaller in diameter than the 45 Colt? The little longer can be trimmed.  I suspect the base area would not expand. Do you still full length resize? Or just the top "neck" section?

[Gus Walker]

   Am i the on;y one not having blowback in a 45 cal 66 with black powder. Course i shoot a 250 grain rnfp with a compressed load of 2f goex.

[Lefty Dude]

Ain't the body of the 44-40 about .010 smaller in diameter than the 45 Colt? The little longer can be trimmed.  I suspect the base area would not expand. Do you still full length resize? Or just the top "neck" section?

Once fired in a 45 Colt chamber, you would full size in a 45 colt sizer die. The case is now a 45 Colt, with a thin mouth, but with a 44WCF rim.
Check the length, and trim if necessary.

[Blair]

Good grief,,,, Who cares?

How many "other" straight cartridge cases are available in cowboy action shooting today? (not just in revolvers but in repeating firearms these days?)
Does any of these other straight case seem to show this " blowback" problem?
Now, ask yourself why they may or may not.
My best,
Blair

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

You need to increase pressure, plain and simple, to seal the case better in the chamber. Forget the 210 grain bullet, I designed the original 200 grain version for less recoil than the only other 45 caliber bullet that was available at the time, the 250 grain PRS. Forget the 230 grain bullet. And certainly forget the Cowboy Special cases, you will not build up anywhere near as much pressure in those because of the limited case capacity. Forget about being authentic to the old 44 Henry load, those were soft copper cases that expanded better than modern brass.

Get some PRS 250 grain Big Lube bullets. Fill the case with powder. My standard 45 Colt load with Black Powder is 2.2CC of FFg, whatever brand I have around, and a 250 grain Big Lube PRS bullet sized to .452. With any Big Lube bullet you do not need any more lube, and frankly I never bother with a card wad between the bullet and powder either. You just don't need it for CAS distances. If you go to FFFg you will increase velocity by about 60 - 100 fps and may notice a slight increase in pressure too. 2.2CC will compress the powder around 1/16". Dunno how you are stuffing in 2.3 CC at present, my standard set of Lee dippers jumps from 2.2 CC to 2.5 CC, there is no 2.3CC in the set. 2.5 CC will probably be overkill and you will be mashing the dickens out of the powder to seat the bullet.

[Bibbyman]

Good grief,,,, Who cares?

How many "other" straight cartridge cases are available in cowboy action shooting today? (not just in revolvers but in repeating firearms these days?)
Does any of these other straight case seem to show this " blowback" problem?
Now, ask yourself why they may or may not.
My best,
Blair

An old friend once said, "If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done then what I need to do now, but can't.".   Or to state it as it pertains to why I'm working out blowback problems with 45 Colt in Marlin 1894;  I have a long history with the 45 Colt.  Also, brass, dies, molds, etc to load it.  When I got interested in CAS my first choice for revolvers were 45 Colt.   Continuing with the same logic,   I have an arm load of Marlin lever guns but none in 45 Colt. I figured it'd be cool to have an 1894 45 Colt.  I ran across a Cowboy for sale and bought it.  It's then that it hits me (literally) that the Marlin 1894 in 45 Colt has a reputation for having blowback.   I've reduced the blowback somewhat to a level I can live with but would like to reduce it even more.  Had I have known of the blowback problem,  maybe I would have looked for a 44 Magnum 1894.  My wife shoots a pre-safety 1894 in 44 Magnum shooting 200 grain bullets and has no blowback issues. 

[w44wcf]

How many "other" straight cartridge cases are available in cowboy action shooting today? (not just in revolvers but in repeating firearms these days?)
Does any of these other straight case seem to show this " blowback" problem?
Now, ask yourself why they may or may not.
My best,
Blair

The issue with the .45 Colt as compared to other straight wall cases is that there is more windage in the chamber. In other words the case needs to expand more to seal due to he more generous chamber dimensions.

Thus by annealing the case neck to make it more elastic and neck sizing the case so that it better fits the chamber, blowback is  pretty much eliminated.  

Historically, the first .45 Colt cases were made from copper which is much softer and thus more elastic.   

w44wcf    

[w44wcf]

Once fired in a 45 Colt chamber, you would full size in a 45 colt sizer die. The case is now a 45 Colt, with a thin mouth, but with a 44WCF rim.
Check the length, and trim if necessary.

The issue with using .44-40 brass is that unless your .45 Colt die sizes the thinner case neck down far enough to hold a .454" bullet, it will be a loose fit in the case.  In addition, the case diameter toward the rim is .020"(!)  undersize in my rifle's chamber.

w44wcf