Accuracy in the .45 cal BH convertable

[tacotime]

Just wondering what the comments are on the accuracy in the Blackhawk convertable .45 when using the .45ACP cylinder? Is anyone shooting the ACP cylinder 30 to 50 yards or so with a good bit of experience to report?

Also, did they make the .45 convertable in stainless?

Thanks.

 

[dwayne]

My brother has a stainless BHFT convertible that, with the 45 ACP cylinder, will regularly shoot ~1" groups at 25 yards using 4.5 grains of WST and a standard Laser Cast 200 grain LSWC sized to 0.452" with an OAL at 1.230" and crimped to 0.470". So far, it will shoot circles around my new 44 Special FT Bisley. But ... I am still working on that Bisley!

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have four .45 convertibles. 2 - Vaq. 1- BH and 1 flat top. all with 4 5/8" barrels except the BH has 5 1/2".
Every one of them is a great shooter and will print in the same location with both
.45 Colt and ACP when shooting my favorite loads. Every one of them will shoot ACP more accurately than .45 Colt.
I mostly shoot RCBS 230gr. 45-230-CA cast bullets in both cartridges but the Hornady
200 gr.XTP bullet will make you wish you could buy them by the case,they shoot so good in the ACP.

 

[Jim Puke]

Mine shoots the same with both cylinders.

 

[tacotime]

And is simply swapping the cylinders all there is to changing calibers? Or is there some other step involved?

Is there any issue with handloaded 45acp without the exact taper crimp not headspacing correctly in the acp cylinder?

If I simply load using the Lee decapper/resizer and bullet seater, will I have issues for not using the factory crimp die? Or in other words, is it a "must" to use the factory crimp die?

And why is "able" spelled "ible" when is comes to deductible and convertible? I vote for deductable and convertable.

 

[Rodfac]

dwayne, nice post...accurate as to what you used, and that will allow the OP to duplicate the load for his own purposes...kudo's my friend....

Just a thought, did you have to open up your cylinder throats to get those LSWC's to group? My .45 LC, New Vaquero was far too tight in that regard. I had Cylindersmith.com open them up to .4525" for me and I'm getting similar results compared to yours, but with the larger 250 gr bullet employed by the .45 Colt.

Best Regards, Rod

 

[357Nut]

My brother has a stainless BHFT convertible that, with the 45 ACP cylinder, will regularly shoot ~1" groups at 25 yards using 4.5 grains of WST and a standard Laser Cast 200 grain LSWC sized to 0.452" with an OAL at 1.230" and crimped to 0.470". So far, it will shoot circles around my new 44 Special FT Bisley. But ... I am still working on that Bisley!

I shoot a similiar load in either Starline or Remington cases. 4.4grs of WST or 4.2grs of Bullseye has worked well in a couple of my Blackhawk convertibles. You can substitute 4.2 - 4.6 grains of Trailboss and it seems to work well too.

For the 45Colt cylinder I've shot 250 - 255gr SWCs behind 6grs of Trailboss and had great accuracy with no leading. My guns don't suffer from small throats but I understand some do so if you shoot lead bullets be aware.

 

[Rclark]

My guns don't suffer from small throats but I understand some do so if you shoot lead bullets be aware.

Your lucky . 100% of my Ruger .45s had small throats. Some more than others, but none were .4525. Reamed them all.

I really haven't shot enough .45ACP in my convertibles to give an informed opinion... so I won't . I did shot 200g TC bullets for awhile then moved on to 250g RNFP in the .45 ACP case. But haven't got back to testing much as I shoot much more .45 Colt and don't see the need to load much .45 ACP for my .45 convertible revolvers.

 

[dwayne]

Rodfac, The guns is my brother's but I know he has NOT opened up the cylinder throats. Interestingly, the ACP cylinder will regularly shoot 1" groups at 25 yards but the COLT cylinder will not. That may be because of the throat geometry of the COLT cylinder. Interesting ... The next time he visits, I'll measure both and let you know if there is a difference.

 

[Rodfac]

Dwayne, Yep, thats my experience as well...on a Colt SAA to which I fitted a .45 ACP cylinder. The short shell actually shot better groups than the .45 Colt that it was born with. You'd figgur that long leap from case, through the cylinder, past the forcing cone then into the rifling would be the death knell for that stubby bullet, but not so...and especially with that Truncated cone, LSWC...a real tack driver. Come to think of it, I've never slugged the throats on the .45 Colt cylinder, just assumed that Colt had it right...but really, it's good with that longer shell as well, doing around two inches at 25 yds for me...with that hog-wallow rear sight notch and a blindingly bright front sight, that's about my limits. Gotta have the sun behind me to do good work with any short gun but especially with those less than idea sights.

But a thought comes to mind...My 1955 Target Smith in .45 ACP is a tack driver, and in spite of that extra long leap to the rifling, so maybe I'm making more of it than is justified.

Be interested in how your cylinders slug for you...let us know...and the accuracy it's capable of too!

Rclark, master guru of all things .45 Coltish...I'd be interested in the load that works for you with that heavy bullet in .45 ACP brass....that's a pasture I've yet to till, and might be a good combo for an ancient S&W 1955 Target of mine...in .45 Auto-Rim...

Best Regards, Rod...here's a pic of the Smith...been with me since the spring of '88, a great shooter, but with that post front sight, not much of a carry gun...

 

[Rclark]

Concerning .45 ACP in a revolver.... You can use .45 Auto Rim data as you have no worries about banging a slide into submission.

Here is Taffin on the Auto Rim that may be of interest. In there he has some 250g+ bullet loads.

http://www.sixguns.com/range/sw6252.htm
http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/148053-45-auto-rim-heavy-bullet-loads.html

When I left off testing 250g RNFPs, I was using AA#5 . 7.0g (865fps) and 7.5g (909fps) under 250g bullets looked promising. Keep in mind these were shot in my medium frame convertible.... Not in a S&W. I also tried Unique, Universal, Red Dot, Green Dot, and Bullseye, but hadn't marked any one of loads I tested as standing out. Need to get back to it I suppose sometime for fun.

 

[dwayne]

My USFA SAA convertible likes the 45 ACP cylinder, too. I have not mic'ed either one. It likes the same loads as my Wilson 1911, 200 grain LSWC, 4.5 grains of VV N310 with an OAL of 1.240" and a crimp of 0.469" and Federal LPP's. With the sights (and my old eyes) it's impossible to be too precise, though.

I hope to get my hands on my brother's BHFT 45 convertible this weekend. If so, I'll let you fellas know what I find.

 

[tacotime]

Good info.

And beautiful old Smith.

I concur with the worry over cylinder throat size and leading with cast bullets. Throats too small are trouble, and throats too large are trouble...

 

[Rodfac]

Rclark, many thanks for the .45 Auto-Rim references....I'll report back in a different thread on results, but that'll have to wait what with deer season upon us, and all the Christmas hand made items to finish up. BTW, that Smith really perks with 231 in medium doses with most any 200 gr TWC...did as well with Missouri Bullet's 230 gr LRN and with some pulled US military 230 gr Jacketed round nose bullets I'd been saving for test purposes. The gun's wearing a more recent pair of S&W grips...the originals are stashed somewhere in one of my grips drawers...but either set with full house loads are not fun to shoot. Best Regards, Rod