I've been drooling over a 45 acp revolver for sometime. I think it's a neat combination of fun to shoot, suitable for backup field work, and easy to feed. I'm a sucker for multi-tasking, and the surprising thing to me has been the number of really interesting and varied bullets available for 45 acp revolvers.

This thread has some pictures of really different / neat 45 acp revolver only bullets.
45 auto rim

What else is out there? I'd love to see pictures of what people cast or buy and accompanying loads.

Thanks,
QD

QD,

That link speaks volumes. Lotsa folks trying lots of thing with the pistol. Great info!

I load and shoot practical pistol with my Colt .45 acp. My load is light to save the gun, my wrist and ears but it will flat out, knock down 8 inch steel plates with ease. The load is 200 gr LSWC over 4.9 gr W231. ok, 'nuff about ole slab sides.

I'm picking up my 1917/37 this Friday. I have already shot it at the range using my .45 acp rounds. The thing shot beautifully. Nice group not much recoil. I plan to use that load from now on.

One thing I've learned about the old 1917's is that some folks tend to lighten up the hammer spring sometimes by shortening the sring screw. I understand they do it to make for a much smoother DA trigger pull. Sometimes it causes
very light trigger strikes and misfires. Usually it's a simple fix but it's something one needs to understand.

As soon as I figure out how to post pics I will!

LP

Here's a few I've shown before.

200gr LSWC, Sierra 200gr FPJ, 255gr WFNPB from Beartooth, 260gr Scorpion & 260 Manstopper. The last 2 are from Northwest Custom Projectile.

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"DE OPPRESSO LIBER"

No picture, but good old 452423 is hard to beat. If you feel adventurous there are some very heavy loads in Speer Nr 8.

A quick fix is to take the anvil out of a spent primer and put the primer under the screw, between it and the mainspring.

For the frame mounted firing pin models, you can add an extended firing pin too. I did both on my stock M625JM and it works 100% now. Even with Winchester or Wolfe primers. Before it would only go 100% with Federals.

Yes, I had heard folks were using Federal Primers because they usually go off even with light strikes. Kinda thin walled. A bunch of SASS guys I know use the Federals because they load everything light and work on those six guns until they're very light with triggers and hammers.
I guess it carries over both ways.

260 manstopper.....ouch!

For target work with my 6" Model 25-2, I use 200 gr LSWCs with 4.3 grains of Bullseye. Sometimes I use 5 grains of W-231. I find both loads to be very accurate.

The Model 25 is one of my favorite Smiths, it's big and bad, but easy to shoot; have fun!

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NRA Life Member

For a really nice performing and accurate load that mimics .45 Colt factory ballistics, try 6.3 grains of Unique beneath any quality 250-255 grain cast SWC bullet such as Lyman's No. 454424. This load gives 830 fps in my .45 ACP guns and still shoots to point-of-aim. Such a load has a proper measure of "thump" and will handle a large percentage of reasonable handgun tasks. Tight groups too!

My pet loads for the S&W 625:

- 230 RNL over 5.1 gr. Unique. OAL 1.238". Mixed brass. Cheapest primer available.

- 230 FMJ over 6.2 gr. Unique. OAL 1.260". Mixed brass. Cheapest primer available.

I have two 625's (a 4" 625-8 JM Special and a 5" 625-6 Model of 1989). They are way-y-y beyond satisfactory. They are my most shot revolvers.

I mostly shoot the 200 gr SWC H&G #68 clone from a Mihec mould with 4.0 grs of Bullseye or equivalent for targets. I also shoot my share of the H&G #130 with the same powder charge.

For serious "inter-personal" self defense use this load should do the trick - a Mihec moulded 200 gr H.P. at 1000 fps (in this instance loaded in Auto Rim cases):



If you want/need a heavy bullet load, then the Lyman 454424 250 gr Keith SWC (from an NOE mould) ahead of a heavy charge of Unique can safely give you 900+ fps in Auto Rim cases (so I don't inadvertently put into a 1911):



This is a superb field load and should do well for those four legged tasty or those that might find YOU tasty animals that can be found in the field.

FWIW
Dale53

I have a pair of Glock 21s so I need to be careful in regard to what I load into ACP brass for the 625s. As a general rule, I don't load anything heavier than 230 grs. for the Glocks. I have found the 250 gr. XTP to be very accurate in my 625s. I killed the most critters with the Lee 250 gr. RF in both my .45 Colt and .45 ACP revolvers. Another great bullet for the 625 is the Barnes 225 gr. XPB. I load it long so it won't fit into any semiauto's chamber. Power Pistol is used for all these loads, though I have gotten excellent results with 231 and my cast 250 gr. bullets. Velocities are pretty surprising, even out of my 3" barrel. Some of these are loaded to .45 Super ballistics and have never given me a hint of trouble. Oh, and another interesting revolver only concoction is Speer shot capsules loaded into .45 ACP brass. Those definitely do not chamber in the autos.

Dave Sinko

no more lost brass! i just got a 625-3 3 inch and i am realy enjoying it, loaded some 252 cast swc with 6.0 gr of unique and they are real thumpers!

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

dale those 250 cast bullets look great!

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Dale53,

Those bullets look nasty! Those 250's look like the ticket!

Have you casted any of the mihec 270's?

QD