45 Colt Liberty

This little Blackhawk holds a special place in my heart & has taught me most of what I know about shooting a SA sixgun. Seems it comes easy to many but not for me. The DA platform especially the S&W has always been easier.

Over the last year I've taken a S&W 67 with me each range trip. Regardless of which firearm goes out of the house the 67 went along. Well this year it will be my 45. I fitted this ACP cylinder to the little gun & load the Lyman 452374 bullet with 5 grains of Promo as my everyday load.

Here she is finally cleaned up.

In my opinion, probably the best "all around" do everything working six gun for an outdoorsman. I really like it!

Dan

Very nice!

I think about that gun often.

Glad to see it again.

Only had a couple hundred rounds loaded & shot those last week. Had to cast a few bullets for the gun. This Lyman mold mentioned above is a little odd as the bullet drops at .456 & weighs 212-215 depending on alloy. I sized this batch .453.

I purchased a Dillon Square Deal B in 1992 to load for my 44 mag. Latter I added a 45 ACP conversion. Since my loading bench is gone & I'm loading on a desk I went to Inline Fabrication & purchased a mount & mounting plates for a couple of my presses including the Square Deal. This way I can leave the press set up for the Ruger.

I've been thinking lately that I need to focus my efforts into a something like this. I feel like I'm spread too thin on too much other fun. If you're telling more, I'm listening.

Nice looking gun and bullets.

And, like you, shooting the SA with any degree of consistent accuracy, required a bit of work...and I still shoot the DA guns better, I just don't like them as well. I like my Ruger SA revolvers a lot, but I much prefer the SAA clones...they feel better and I shoot them better...and they will kill a deer, hog or black bear...nothing else in GA.

That is a nice gun.

schloss said:

I've been thinking lately that I need to focus my efforts into a something like this. I feel like I'm spread too thin on too much other fun. If you're telling more, I'm listening.

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I began shooting in earnest 1973. My first new handgun a Ruger Super Single Six played the role as everyday gun. Next everyday gun a Super Blackhawk 44 mag [1975]. Both those sixguns were basically truck guns that went were I went in rural WV. I purchased this Liberty Model 1977 but didn't use it in the everyday role. Next everyday gun was a S&W 4" Model 29. Shot that one from 1992 till 2000. After that it was just shoot this & that.

There's no doubt shooting the same firearm over & over produces fruit. The years of handling thousands of 55 gallon oil & antifreeze drums haven't been kind to my hands not to mention enough 5 gallon oil cans to fill a lake. But since I've retired I find myself healing so I'm moving from 38 Special to 45 Colt in hopes nothing comes back to haunt my hands.

Have the mold set up though I may later try a 4 or 6 cavity to speed up bullet production but at this point the Lyman bullet shoots too good to spend time looking though I'd rather have a flat nose. I still have plenty of Promo & bunches of large pistol primers so I'm working on what I always worked on, the theory: Keep It Simple Stupid.

I saw plenty improvement on my last range trip so we will see how far it goes.

The molds that cast at .456 were meant for Colt SAA's with there normal oversized chamber throats. If you can resize them without them canting or making the lube groove too small,they will work just fine.

Nice weapon!

Chuck 100 yd said:

The molds that cast at .456 were meant for Colt SAA's with there normal oversized chamber throats. If you can resize them without them canting or making the lube groove too small,they will work just fine.

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Are you saying some Lyman 452374 molds were made for the Colt SAA? I know this bullet is the standard 45 ACP bullet but wasn't aware of a Colt bullet. Thanks for the information.

Put 86 loads down range today. Probably 24 were fired at the 150 yard rock which is about the size of a 6 pack. Had 2 hits & many near misses but also had some landing 3 foot from the target. Considering all rounds were fired offhand I'm not ready to blame the bullet or load. Can you say PULL?

Keep having fun LAH! Good to hear your still casting and shooting. Clint

I'm glad your hands are healing up. That takes a long time for some things. I slipped on some ice and konked my elbow some time back, and it took 3 years or better for it to heal up. Not to mention the 20+ year problem with my knee (hopefully fixed now...)

Good pics and fun. Hopefully will put my another 45 to work tomorrow at the range, if I can work up some loads for some 185 grain plated bullets that I have on hand. (Have to set boundaries for myself until I'm done being on disability.)

clintsfolly said:

Keep having fun LAH! Good to hear your still casting and shooting. Clint

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Thanks Clint & you too schloss. Part of the healing was retiring from casting also. 4 or 5 hours a day running hand molds didn't help.

While at the range yesterday one of our local veterans/law enforcement/prison workers was present with a 10/22 Ruger Target which he shot very well. For a handgun he was shooting a Sig of some kind in 45 ACP. I placed my last 6 rounds in the Ruger & ask if he would like to shoot those to which he replied sure. He fired on the same 7 yard target used for his Sig. When the Ruger was empty he stepped to the target & made the statement: That "thing" shoots better than my Sig. I only grinned. 8)

schloss said:

If you're telling more, I'm listening.

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Out the range again today. Shot the little Ruger 80 +or- rounds. Made a little video for what it's worth if you care to watch.

https://www.facebook.com/575376242613174/videos/594096380741160/

I dig your range. Mine are club lanes, and much less organic. I tried to figure out how to subscribe to the page or "friend" it or whatever. I'm not a big fan of Facebook currently, though.

Watch the black spray paint...

Nice shooting!

schloss said:

I tried to figure out how to subscribe to the page or "friend" it or whatever.

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I'm not sure how you do all that either.

schloss said:

Watch the black spray paint...

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I was making a target & the wind was gusting thus the paint on my thumb.