Can I use .45acp die to do .45colt?

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44caliberkid

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i have a Lee .45auto carbide 3 die set( you know, the one that comes in the red cylinder). would it be possible to use it to load .45colt- obviously resetting the lengths. much in the way you use one die-set for .38spl/.357mag. i understand the difference between the OALs is not at drastic as .38 to .357...but???
 
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The answer is no. The 45 Colt case is a lot longer and the .45 ACP die would be unable to completely size it.
 
True. You'll also need a crimping die that makes a roll crimp. The 45 ACP's taper crimp won't cut it.


Okie John
 
When I first got my .454, I used .45 ACP dies. That was over 20 years ago, and I don't remember what I used for a crimp die.

If you are loading standard pressure .45 Colt loads, neck tension will be sufficient for the taper crimp die to work just fine.

Try the ACP dies and see if they don't work for you. You can always add a Lee Factory Crimp Die or a dedicated .45 Colt Die Set if not satisfied with the ACP dies.

FWIW,

Paul
 
Ifg your .45 ACP die allows you to size the case all the way down to the rim, the answer is "yes". You need to size the .45 Colt case down to the rim to allow the case to enter the seating/crimping die enough to seat and crimp the bullet.

Yes, the standard .45 ACP die only allows taper crimping, which is not optimum with the .45 Colt round, but it can be done.

You may have to play with the expander plug a bit to get the best case neck tension. The older .45 Colt dies and cases were intended for .454" diameter bullets, and are a loose fit for the modern .452" diameter bullets.
 
You can buy a 3 die Carbide die set for the .45 Auto from Lee for only $22. Is it really worth the trouble trying to use dies that really won't work??
 
Short answer is yes, they will work fine. You will want to buy a roll crimp die though. Depending on bullet diameter you are using a Lee Carbide FCD will work fine.
 
You will also need a different shellholder as well. Personally, I would just buy the correct dies.
 
Good morning
Well alot depends on actual diameters.
IF your 45 Colt had very small cylinder throats about .452 or .451 Or the Lee sizer actually was rather large large diameter it would work some.
You do not have to full length size your brass IF it will reinsert into all the chambers after firing. But you must segrigate that brass to that revolver. So now you are just "Neck sizing the brass" . The 45ACP is going to size that mouth about .473 OD while a 45 Colt die will go about .480 OD. If using a jacketed bullet there would be planty of case tension BUT you are going to have to flare the mouth a bunch to get the bullet started. So now you are looking at overworking the brass right at the opening where case mouth splits will want to happen.
So then you are going to want to crimp and again that 45ACP crimper is going to be real tight ... maybe .003 to small.
Well I tried to spell it all out.. it just is not worth all the hassle...
45 Colt used dies are out there for half the price of new...
 
I have dies for every caliber I load and some I don't anymore! :)

That being said, I used some of my H&G #68 bullets in the 45 Colt and wanted a taper crimp. I used my 45ACP dies to make that happen. Worked super.

Use them to do the whole thing? No, never have. I like having all the tools I may ever need. Just me though.
 
Back when I couldn't afford nothing I loaded 45 colt with my RCBS 45acp dies.It was all I had and all I could afford and worked fair enough.Would I do that today,probably not as I can buy some cheaper or even used dies that are correct.
 
My RCBS .45 Colt carbide resizer sizes the case body excessively, they really look wasp-waisted when loaded. It annoyed me. Using the standard steel die and case lube annoyed me more.

I tried my RCBS .45 ACP carbide sizing die and the cases looked normal and chambered in all my .45 Colt guns just fine.

If you look inside carbide sizer dies, you will see that the carbide insert is just a ring at the bottom of the die. The whole inside of the die isn't carbide. My ACP and Colt carbide sizers look the same from the bottom. They are both RCBS; Lee carbide sizers may be different, but for their cost, I bet they aren't full length carbide, either.

Adjusting the other dies higher (like for .38 Special/.357 Mag) worked just fine. I already had a roll crimp die from the original .45 Colt die set, so crimping wasn't an issue for me.

I keep meaning to return the carbide .45 Colt sizer die to RCBS for replacement or repair, but I keep forgetting. It has been 30 years now, so maybe it isn't a big deal.
 
Last edited:
I use a carbide 45 ACP die to resize Remington cases for use with jacketed bullet's as it does resize them smaller with the ACP die and allow's for a tighter bullet fit in the case.
 
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