model 25 ammo

[rustybass44]

hi i would like to first say hi to you all, first timer to this forum.. i recently purchased a model 25 in .45 colt and am wanting to know what kind of jacketed bullets to use .i have fired lead loads but found the fouling to be excessive in the first inch of the barrel "hard to remove" so i have been reloading hornady xtp 250 gr and 6.0 grains of titegroup this works well but the xtp's are hard to find where i am and my local shops seem to always be out of them . so does anyone have an alternative jacketed bullet 250gr -255gr weight you have used and i could reload ?? thanks

 

[buck45]

I'm not a pro on these matters but it sounds like soft lead bullets loaded fast with a hot powder. I gave up using Titegroup with anything lead in my 45ACP 625 some time back and don't have the issue anymore. FWIW I now shoot Missouri bullets with Clays powder. Your results may vary.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

If your Model 25 is a 25-5 with the larger sized cylinder leades (throats) this is a common problem. It is especially problematic I have found if you are using very hard cast bullets that are undersized or the wrong powder (I count Unique as among one of the more difficult ones get correctly balanced for a specific bullet's hardeness/size to avoid this problem).

One possible solution is to use larger diameter soft swaged bullets. Both the Rem and the Winchester classic 250gr LRN bullets are larger diameter (.455-.456) and usually work very well. I load mine with a charge of 9.5gr WSF for around 875fps in a 4" 25-5. Watch the OAL too...a little longer OAL seems to work better for me.

As far as jacketed bullets, anything seems to work pretty well. Hornady's bullets are always one of my first choices. Noslers, iirc, are a little undersized around .4515 vs .452. Speer jacket bullets are good, and although their swaged bullets are always my first go-to choice in my Rugers, they are sized at .452 and can cause leading issues when used in revolvers with in oversized throats. However, they are really great in my 25-13 that has properly sized throats!

edit: corrected charge weight

 

[hawgleg]

Hornady also has a 255 gr swaged .454 dia. lead FP in the cowboy line, # 12458. You might want to look around for something like that. I really like the round and it has a dry coated lube to help with smoke when reloading.

Sometimes you just have to get online to get the bullets you want or try to get the LGS to order some and set them aside for you. Good luck.

 

[JoeHatley]

My 25-5 shoots quite well with plated bullets. Soft enough to obturate and the plating prevents build up in the barrel.

 

[blujax01]

45 caliber plated pistol bullets

How does $155 per thousand grab you?

 

[Lou_NC]

Don't give up on cast bullets!

Don't give up on cast bullets! I picked up a tip that I've used successfully in ALL of my revolvers and pistols at one time or another.

Get yourself some "Chore Boy" copper scouring pads from your local Ace Hardware (mine carries them, you can also buy them on Ebay). CAUTION: If you buy another brand, use a magnet to ensure that they are copper and not copper-plated steel!

Pull some strands of the copper Chore Boy from the pad (you may need to use your "shop" scissors to cut them) and wrap it on brass brush. Experiment here, you want a snug fit in the barrel, but not so tight that you need a pliers to pull the cleaning rod out. Run the brush back and forth through the barrel about 10-20 times. The lead will be gone.

I also use this method in the cylinders of my revolvers, only I chuck a straight cleaning rod in my battery powered drill at low speed, and run the brush with the Chore Boy in each chamber for 30 seconds, slowly working it back and forth in the throat area.

In less than two minutes, your gun is totally free of lead, with NO harm to it.

If you choose to pursue and correct the cause behind the leading, by all means do so. I have done that as well. But whenever I get the occasional lead deposits, for whatever reason, they're gone in minutes. And I continue to enjoy the economy of cast bullets in all my handguns.

Good luck,
Lou

 

[David LaPell]

With my 25 I shot a 250-255 grain lead round nose with 8.0 grains of Unique and had hardly any leading.

 

[sixshot]

I have a 25-2 that has oversize throats, I also have a 4 cavity 205 gr HP mould that drops at .455", I just tumble lube them, unsized & they shoot great. Many of the custom casters can supply you with oversize slugs that will work in your gun. 4.7 grs of WST shoots clean & accurate.

Dick