45 ACP shotshell reloading?

[Mike SC Hunter]

I have done it, but not quite the way some people have done it.

The good thing about using a 625 or any revolver is that a case can be made that can hold shot all the way to the front of the cylinder, and no special forming dies are needed, but you will need a .44 mag/special die set in addition to the .45 ACP die set.

Let me see if I can find my pictures.

Ah...here is one, although it is a bit out of focus....

I tried it with .308 brass first, but I've had better luck with .243 brass, as it seems to fit the moonclips much easier. By easier, I mean I could eventually get them in there! Check any of the brass that you may use for fitment on your moonclips first, as most will be very tight, and will make loading later much harder.

Trim back the rifle cases to a length so that they are just shorter than the front of the cylinder- maybe a tenth of an inch. If it's junk brass that won't be used over once, don't anneal it, but if you plan on reloading it again, anneal it. Then run it through the .45ACP sizing die. For the next step, have the cylinder handy from your revolver- you'll have to run it up into the .44 Magnum sizer so that the top part of the case is sized down far enough so that the case will go into the cylinder all the way, and the "shoulder" stops the case from going in any farther.

Once this is done, do all the cases the same and you are ready to load them with powder, wads and shot. I used the same powder load data that is used for the CCI capsules, but I put a .44 caliber wonder wad over the powder, and fill the rest of the case with shot and top it off with a .410 overshot wad that I use for loading .410 brass shells. I use some of the wife's fingernail polish to seal the overshot wad in with. I figure I'm throwing over twice the amount of shot the capsules do, and I have a much more sturdy case too.

If you partner one of the blank forming dies from CH4D and crimp the end so it looks like .22 crimped shot, you'll have a tough shot cartridge indeed!

WOW! I did this same thing many years ago. Worked fine. Still....after about 10 feet from the muzzle the pattern was gone. Still have the cutdown .308's in the moon clips in my loading room. In restrospect end result not worth the effort.
If I wanted 45 shotloads I'd just by the crimped Blazers and be happy.

 

[flintsghost]

I reloaded my own .45ACP shotshells for several years. I used 7.62 GI brass and cut it off. RCBS makes both special reloading dies for shotshells and also case forming dies for shotshells from rifle brass. At the time I bought mine they weren't too expensive but I'm willing to bet they are now. I used .410 wads, 700x powder and #9 shot. They worked fine. I started doing that in the 70's. However, these days CCI sells aluminum cased shotshells in nearly every caliber one could want and so to reload them is an exercise that is hardly worth the effort. The only handgun shotshells I consider worth the effort to reload are .41 mag and a friend does that and I use the ones he has come up with when I need them. I have .45, .44, .38, .22 and .22 mag that I have purchased and just take them with me when needed. It's a heck of a lot easier.

 

[rwsmith]

Speer has data

Speer books have data for revolver shot shells. Even though your case is different (being ACP) I'm pretty sure the loads will be about that same.

One nice thing is that Speer recommends lighter loads in order to produce better patterns. Higher loads deteriorate the pattern. They also have shot size recommendations. I think with a .45 you can go as big as #7 shot.

Speer sells shot shell components for revolvers. Just get a bag of shot and off you go.

 

[Warren Sear]

WOW! I did this same thing many years ago. Worked fine. Still....after about 10 feet from the muzzle the pattern was gone. Still have the cutdown .308's in the moon clips in my loading room. In restrospect end result not worth the effort.
If I wanted 45 shotloads I'd just by the crimped Blazers and be happy.

Been there, done that, same disappointing results and conclusion.

I suggest that if you simply MUST shoot shot shells in a revolver, just get one of the hated Judge/Governor revolvers and be done with it. The .410 is (edited to read "fecal matter"), especially in a handgun, but is light years ahead of any shot shells that fit into a standard 44 or 45 cylinder.

 

[dickttx]

I lived in the country for the past 15 years. The log house had a porch all the way around it and the copperheads loved it.
The 38 CCI shotshells never failed to kill one with one shot.
I had used the Speer capsules in 38 brass but it was hard to get them to all chamber.
The first package of ten CCI's I bought were marked $3.45. The last were $14.95.

 

[Alpo]

Many years ago I received the RCBS forming and loading dies for Christmas. I've used 'em once.

I used 7.62 blanks as the base - they were already primed.

I topped the shot load with a 000 buckshot, instead of a gascheck or an overshot card. Made my own "Malay Loads".

They would not cycle in my Gold Cup. Shot fine in my Blackhawk convertible, and were a real pain getting into and then back out of the clips for my '37 Brasilian.

I, pretty much, decided they weren't worth it, especially after I sold the Blackhawk.

 

[ddixie884]

.............................