RELOADING THE 45 COLT

[Coffinmaker]

Have some further tidbits of pertinent thruput.

Some time back ... OD#3 shamed me into trying Annealing my 45 Colt cases to help with the ubiquitous Blow-By one encounters shooting 45 Colt in Rifles.  Extra-Specially Uberti Rifles.  B-Cause if you gotz a Uberti Rifle in 45 Colt U-Gotz Blow-By.

I believe I previously reported success with Annealing as a means to control (eliminate) Blow-By.  Well, since this season started, I have shot the same Henry rifle in all of this seasons matches.  A 45 Colt Henry rifle.  Too date, All cleaning has entailed has been to swab out the bore.  The Carrier Block and it's attendant Mortice have required no more than a drop of oil.  NO gun gas nor fouling has escaped the chamber.  Voonderbar!!!  WHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (Hicup)

SO!!  Now Oh Dee Tre's,  Zactly what am I suppose to do with all these 44-40 cases I have fire formed into 45 Colt???  They achieve (mostly) the same thing but cost more.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Reform them back to .44-40, or even to .38-40. I you or a frienf needs them.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

Howdy All You Big Bore Shooters
I had the same problem as Coffinmaker with blow back in my oversized chamberUberti rifle.
Since the .44-40 does not blow back and those cases have a very thin neck my thought was why not use .44-40 cases blown out to .45 Colt. It just might be the thin case would obturate sufficiently and seal the chamber.

It took some experimentation (and ruined cases) to open the case neck to size but I will be dad blamed it didn?t work. These cases run through my Uberti slick as can be the lifter stays clean but those cases will  not work in a .45 Colt Single Action. Presumably something about case head size.

Some one gave me an idea to try for annealing. Fill an electric lead pot with clean dry sand,. Then heat that up to a proper temperature and use the hot sand  to heat treat the case necks. If that would work, and I see no reason why not, it would be safer than using lead and a lot cooler than a burner.
Just my random thoughts
Yr? Obt? Svt?
Bunk

[Coffinmaker]

Actually I am of two minds (Don't bring me into this).  I like simple and easy solutions to problems (I are the guy who found a #10 Split washer would fix Uberti's).  The simple, easy and quick solution to Blow-By inna 45 Colt Uberti is the 44-40 case.  It works a treat.  A tad expensive at startup, but then .... And, folks will give you all sorts of 44-40 brass at a match.  Only real down side is when you get a piece of brass caught in the case feed and you crush it.  No recovery, it's scrap.

As, of course, too Annealing.   Annealing is skull numbing boring, time consuming, repetitious drudgery.  It does however WORK.  REALLY WORKS.  If you are going to use cases other than 45 Colt, you will need to learn to anneal.  44-40 only really works as a solution for 45 Colt.  45 Schofield and C45S are whole nother ball game.  No thin wall substitute cases here.  Just Stubborn O'l standard cases.  If you wish to mitigate Blow-By for Schofield cases or C45S your going to have to Anneal.  Yule love the destination even if the Trip really Sux.

[Navy Six]

I had two Uberti 1866s in 45 Colt when first starting Cowboy shooting. Could barely get through two stages with blackpowder loads. Never considered annealing the cases back then. Doesn't matter now as those two guns are now short rifles, one in 44-40 and the other 38-40. If I ever get the itch to try 45 Colt again--blackpowder of course-- I think I would go with a Marlin. Have two Marlins in 38/357 and they run pretty good with blackpowder.
PS--Coffinmaker, just where are these people who give away 44-40 brass?

[Coffinmaker]

Six ..     Several of the places at which I shoot, employ "Brass Pickers."  Sometimes it's the local Boy Scout troop, sometimes the children of the Shooters.  I invariably wind up with 44-40 cases that aren't mine and aren't marked for ID.  I consider those cases to be tasty treats.  I just process em with mine and make em 45s.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I take great pleasure, for a change, to give a +1 to Coffinmaker on the .44-40 solution. It is a slow and frustrating operation to make a .45 Colt from a .44-40 case but is well worth the while. My Uberti Yellowboy works slick and clean with them but those cases will NOT work in a .45 Colt single action. I am not sure why, but a 10 miss with revolvers match is my excuse, however lame that is.
My technique is to open the case mouth with a .44 special die, then open that with a Lee .45 Colt powder die. Charge that strange looking thing with your favorite  flavor of bang juice, top with a bullet of proper weight roll crimp  and fire form. Annealing the case mouth of the fire formed case is a necessary evil, but important. After the work that goes into making the case a split mouth hurts.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Four Eyes Henry]

I've said this before a couple of times, I use MagTech 45 Colt brass in my Rossi with a generous chamber and for me it works very good. Had my sizing die reamed out a little so it is a "straight walled" case with a 452, 200 grain BigLube bullet in it.
Using the same brass for 7 years now and I can't remember when I had a split case. Those cannelures fade away over the years BTW

[DeaconKC]

I just traded for a Rossi 92 in .45 Colt, do these display the same type of blow back you have experienced? Thanks

[Cliff Fendley]

Or just shoot a 44-40 rifle and not worry about all this nonsense   

[Bunk Stagnerg]

A simple operation just fill the case with either real Gun Powder or American Pioneer Powder to the base of the bullet roll crimp and enjoy.
Either one "works a treat" to quote our friend the Retired Gun Plumber.
Easy Peasey Lemon Squeezy
Bunk

[Gabriel Law]

I shoot a Pedersoli 'Colt Lightning' in .45 colt, and admittedly, would have bought it in 44-40 if I had to do it again.  When I started with it, I experienced 'blow-by' for sure, and it was annoying and distracting during a stage.  All that is gone away now, as I shoot 250 gr. bullets and full loads out of it now, without bow-by.  When I say full loads, they are still within safe parameters and pleasant to shoot, and accurate too.  I won a speed rifle match last year at a shoot in Alberta, Canada, against all comers with their tricked out short stroked whatevers.  I love this rifle.  Annealing the case mouths would just make these cartridges and rifle even better.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

iIam presently in the chaos of moving to a new range, but when I get set up this fall the heated sand in the lead pot will be something to try out.
if it works, and I see no reason why it will not work, an inexpensive Lee pot will be dedicated to that rather than my new RCBS pot.
The plus iof this is there is no danger of getting a damp case in the lead and causing an explosion.There will be a test with the sand idea thought just to see what happens.
Almost got all the panniers filled and on the pack saddles about ready to move the mule train out.
Never a dull moment
Bunk

[Pappy Myles]

Annealing........years ago when I could see and was shooting high power, I picked up one of these to anneal 223, 308, 30-06, and 300 WM.   since I changed priorities to the best shooting sport involving a uberti 45 colt 73 I had lots of blow back, esp when I started shooting the holy black.   So, I dusted it off, reset the level of the nozzels (you only really need 1) and away I go.     Yeah, its a tad pricey it you buy for one sport, but if you got it why not use it.   I find I anneal about every 5th or 6th reload.      Now to figure out how to get this to work with 20 ga magtech or 12 ga...........

[Coffinmaker]

Hey Pappy   

If your shooting 20Ga and 12Ga Magtech in double guns for CAS ....... I would suggest skipping the Annealing Process for your Shotgun hulls (Maybe). 

I shoot All Brass Magtech 12Ga as my sole and only Shotgun Hull.  While the get a bit dirty, they come out of the guns just fine.  I would be concerned Annealing would make the cases some sticky to get out quickly.  Please don't take this thought as the bottom line as I have not never ever annealed my Shotgun Hulls so this is pure speculation on my part.

Rest assured no shotguns or parts of shotguns were injured in the production of this missive.  We also conjured to ensure the safety of all Shotgun Hulls while in. production.

[Pappy Myles]

I appreciate the comments CM.    Last weekend I had a couple split on me while firing.  12 g out of an old TTN 1878 replica.  Now they have been loaded several times....55 gn 2f - 7/8 oz  with the shameless red clay busters wad.  and a fed large pistol.  Initial cleaning begins between stages with primer punched and dropped in a container of water, small squirt of dawn, and a splash of white vinegar.  Rinsed when I get home and final cleaning in a frankfort tumbler, steel pins water soap, lemon shin.    Dry, reload   I started with these about 10 years ago so they have seen plenty of service.  Very light crimp on the end.  a diluted solution of Elmer's wood glue or water glass to seal the overshot card.

I do have an expensive full length sizer I got from CH tool and die, but the only time I EVER use it is when the shells get seriously out of round, like when they get stepped on.........

They normally fall right out after firing.   unless split and gunk up the chamber.

Was looking at annealing the mouth to soften up the lips?

[Drydock]

BTW, to answer a long ago question, yes the playground sand in the Lee pot works very well indeed, and makes annealing easy and cheap.  I use this method on 10.4x47R Italian BP brass, which is a tapered bottleneck that works it's brass VERY hard with every firing, since I've begun hot sand annealing these cases, I've yet to lose one.  It also allows me to form 8MM Lebel brass to this caliber as well.

Though I must also say, using a .454 255 grain bullet over a FULL case of BP also eliminates Blow by, at least in my .45 Colt Uberti Henry.  I mostly anneal to extend case life, as all brass work hardens over multiple reloads, and thus begins to split.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I solved the blow back problem in mt rifles by fire forming .44-40 cases to .45 Colt size. The thin neck seals perfectly.
BUT only in rifles. There is some difference in either rim thickness or diameter or something and those expanded .44-40 cases will not work at least in my Uberti revolvers. So I just shoot .45 Cowboy Specials in my revolvers and not get the ammo mixed up..
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Pappy Myles]

oh   I have annealed a bunch of 45 colt for my uberti 73.  That solved the blow back problem I was having.  I shoot trail boss when I shoot modern and either goex 2f or 777 when I shoot FC or frontiersman.   After annealing the 45 colt, they seal completely and have not soot except on the inside.    The 50 cal disk came in Saturday, as an experiment, I did anneal 25    correction 23 (- the 2 lost last weekend due to splits,  I figured with this batch havning been shot several times and starting to split, I'd either fix em of kill 'em the brass that is.....  Well see how they work this Saturday.........

[R.M. Conversion]

I sold my Uberti 1873 in 45 Colt, primarily because I couldn't get it to shoot accurately at all, but because of this too.  Got one in .44-40 and it shoots both BP and modern cartridges really well.