Reloading for 45 ACP Revolver

[Skip Sackett]

I guess I am a little odd.

I am reading all of these post stating that: "I use the same loads in both" and I am wondering WHY?

To me that is like owning a magnum anything and only shooting shorts in them. I understand the ability and need of shooting lighter loads, don't get me wrong. But someone that doesn't "wring out" their magnums at some point, needs a little help, in my opinion.

I mean, you wouldn't buy a 'vette and ONLY drive it 25mph would you?

The 45ACP revolver platform allows you a place to experiment with that caliber in ways unavailable when shooting it from a semi-auto.

Bullet shapes and weights can be fully explored in the M25, M625 and to a certain extent the M1917. Why wouldn't you do that? I mean, at least once.

If it is for convenience sake, I suppose I can understand. The thing is, you have a 'vette in your firearms lineup that you are driving 25mph everywhere. Not me!

Buy a heavy 45Colt bullet and do some experimenting.

 

[RG45]

Interesting smith crazy

I load for the 45 Colt as well.
I may have to try some of the heaver bullets in the 625
RG45

 

[fredj338]

I love the 25 and 625 in .45 ACP - I can shoot nearly any bullet with no concern about feeding, cycling the action or picking up brass. I also favor the 300 grain RNFP - works perfect for me. I shoot the 25 with iron sights and the 625 with an UltraDot 30 - best of both worlds.

I made my demooner from a piece of 1/2 inch conduit - also long enough to hold 6 rounds. I polish all of my moon clips with the Dremel - makes loading and demooning smoother. I have no need for fast reloading so I usually use .45 AR brass.

I shoot a lot of Trail Boss in mine.

I'm sure you meant 200grRNFP.

 

[Amici]

I am reading all of these post stating that: "I use the same loads in both" and I am wondering WHY?

I thought that the question had been answered. Here it is again:

Convenience. It reduces bullet inventory and reduces the likelihood of grabbing the wrong box on the way to a match.

I mean, you wouldn't buy a 'vette and ONLY drive it 25mph would you?

Nope. And the point of owning a 625 in .45 ACP is moonclips.

For reloading QUICKLY (or trying to) so I can keep shooting it QUICKLY (or trying to) because time wasted means matches lost.

THAT is what I bought it for and THAT is what I use it for; not trying to duplicate a Napoleon load with a .45. If I need to bring down grizzly bears, zombies or "black helicopters," a rifle would be the better choice, anyway.

If it is for convenience sake, I suppose I can understand. The thing is, you have a 'vette in your firearms lineup that you are driving 25mph everywhere. Not me!

Asked and answered.

 

[VonFatman]

I have and do load some revolver only "bunny fart" loads for my 625. These are for light shooting and are excellent for new shooters. Not much recoil, but also not enough "umph" to reliably make my 1911 function. BTW, these are lite bullets and light charges (155gr SWCs in front of 4.5grs of 700-X).

I'm with Skip on the d-Mooning tool (I don't see the need in a moon-clip "loading" tool...my fingers are doing the job just fine) Here's my d-mooning tool...made from a piece of copper tubing. There ARE plenty of tools you can spend your money on...I just have not seen the need.

Bob

 

[Hammerless-12]

45 ACP tool

Hey Smith Crazy, that is really cool. I can see where that would really work well. I hope I can wear out this darn excpencive tool I have as I want one like you have. I wish I had talked to you before buying mine. GREAT idea and advice.

 

[Beans]

I am reading all of these post stating that: "I use the same loads in both" and I am wondering WHY?

To me that is like owning a magnum anything and only shooting shorts in them. I understand the ability and need of shooting lighter loads, don't get me wrong. But someone that doesn't "wring out" their magnums at some point, needs a little help, in my opinion.

I mean, you wouldn't buy a 'vette and ONLY drive it 25mph would you?

.

I somewhat disagree. In my younger day I would drive any car as fast as the road would allow. I even floated the valves on 1968 Shelby GT 500. The Speedo was beyond reading.

I have rode motorcycles over 150 MPH including a Harley FXR with an aftermarket SS engine, that was clocked on Rader.

I've hot loaded my prior 44 mags and got over 1400 FPS out of a 3 inch K frame 357 Mag.

Now days as I passed 65, I am more interested in driving 75 MPH, the local Speed limit weather it is a vintage Vett or my Jeep wrangler.

AS my eyes are till good-no glasses yet-- my goal is to get little bitty groups out of my rifles and pistols with as little recoil as is possible. Hence Light loads. I have been the 7mm Magnum then the 8 MM magnum rifle as well as the Win 458 rifle route. I have settle for very accurate 308 and a very accurate .223 rifle.

Shooting at least 100 pistol rds- 2 times a week I find, that for me, the light loads serve my purpose.

I have no problem with those that want to shoot the MAX loads, been there and done that,

I used the latest greatest factory loads for home/self defense and I try to settle on a minimum number of handloads that provide the accuracy I DEMAND.

If I find a light accurate load that I can shoot in IDPA, SASS, ETC and works in more then one handgun then Horary for me.

It simplifies the amount of different powder and bullet weights I have to stock.

To me accuracy is more important then power. Taking home a turkey I won shooting a pistol at 42 yards means more to me then shooting a lower score using a max load.

If I find a Powderful load that has the same accuracy as the light load I will still choose the light load.

I have been reloading for almost 40 years now and have become somewhat opinionated in what I like and I have become jaded to the "WOW" factor in heavy recoil.

Even said all of that I still feel that to each their own, keep shooting and enjoy.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Everyone has an opinion, some smell as bad as the attitude behind them!

Bob, VonFatman's post puts the icing on the cake of what was being said in my post. If you load one round for both, fine. That's fine for you and all you do and all you want to do and (are you getting the drift?).......


If you want to share and spread the knowledge to others your goals may be just a little different. I want to be able to run my 45AR 240gr rounds to 1100fps out of a 4" barrel or the 160gr RNFP one I mentioned that my wife would like to shoot.

If it's all about you then your mileage may vary. Fine.

Beans,
I'm just trying to figure out why being 65 has anything to do with my analogy. It's had nothing to do with how old the driver is. You aren't going to buy something then only use it half way. If you ever do buy a 'vette that will go real fast can I borrow it when you aren't driving it? I'm only 53 so that's 12 years until I have to slow down like you have!

 

[lafayne]

Yes, I meant 200 grain RNFP - too much relaxing on the screen porch with a nice Pinot Grigio.
However, I did get some shooting in today between thunderstorms with the new Ruger Bisley 5.5 inch stainless steel .45 Colt. Shot pretty well, and will be better after Alan Harton works his magic.

 

[epj]

Here's my homemade moon tool. It will both load and unload moon clips. Cost of materials was less than $5.

 

[Win]

Back to the question of reloading 45 acp for revolver, when using mixed brass, I find a seperate die to seat and a seperate die to crimp, will work best. Otherwise, thin walled cases don't get enough crimp with a combo seat/crimp die and bullets will back out under recoil in a revolver.

Just my experience and how I fixed it.

 

[VonFatman]

I agree 100% with Mr. Win. I have gone to separate dies for each function on all pistol calibers.

Bob

 

[Skip Sackett]

Good minds same frequency!

I agree 100% with Mr. Win. I have gone to separate dies for each function on all pistol calibers.

Bob

Glad to be in this group!

Using a Square Deal B makes this a no brainer as it can't happen any other way!

Now that I have an XL650, I have gone with an extra die in the 5th station.

If I am loading on my Lee Custom Turret press, I may do something different. Some of those calibers I load on that, I don't have separate dies for. I will use the same seating/crimping die, only in two steps.

 

[Paul5388]

Thanks for the kind words Skip. I try to help out when possible.

I guess it's about time for me to wade into this discussion.

I'll be 65 in a month or so. Even so, after I put some new struts on my Mercedes 300D Turbo I wanted to make sure the front end had quit acting like it had a tire out of balance. When it hit 90, while still in 3rd gear, I decided to let off and then turned around and did the same thing on the way back!

I've had 2 model of 1989 M625s and neither one was babied.

When I grab these, it's a no brainer to know they aren't for a 1911.

Not only are they a 270 gr bullet, but they're also in .45 Super brass.

I stopped playing games 20 years ago, right after my second tour, when I was only 45 and even then, the game was softball.

Other than load development, I shoot things that need shooting, like critters in my front yard. I guess that may contribute to maintaining my supply of primers.

 

[gressang]

I have and do load some revolver only "bunny fart" loads for my 625. These are for light shooting and are excellent for new shooters. Not much recoil, but also not enough "umph" to reliably make my 1911 function. BTW, these are lite bullets and light charges (155gr SWCs in front of 4.5grs of 700-X).

I'm with Skip on the d-Mooning tool (I don't see the need in a moon-clip "loading" tool...my fingers are doing the job just fine) Here's my d-mooning tool...made from a piece of copper tubing. There ARE plenty of tools you can spend your money on...I just have not seen the need.

Bob

I just purchased a 625-4. It came with metal moonclips and I bought some plastic moonclips to try too.

The plastic moonclips are definitely easier to load and unload. What are the merits of the metal moonclips compared to plastic moonclips?

Thanks, Jim

 

[VonFatman]

Jim,
I can't honestly say as I've never used the plastic clips. I am sure someone will chime in and offer an opinion.

Bob

 

[H Richard]

Made mine exactly like Smith Crazy, except made out of 1/2" ID copper pipe. Work great.

 

[Paul5388]

RIMZ for the M625 will break if you drop them while they're loaded. The M25 RIMZ can be modified to fit the M625 and they have some metal reinforcement made in them.

Of course, I don't make a practice of dropping mine, but I have broken one of them.

I have S&W half moons and metal moons, but I rarely use them.

 

[akjaeger]

I use the Rimz clips for all my range shooting. They are real easy to load and unload.
I still use the steel clips when carrying my 625-6 Mountain Gun, I think the steel clips hold the rounds more securely.
I've got a couple of 1911's and the 625-6 in .45ACP. They all seem to prefer different loads.
All three will work with the 230 gr bullets at the standard velocity that my Kimber is set up for with it's fixed sights.
I guess that's what I should shoot in all three, but I've like the 200 gr. SWC's at 1000fps in the Para and the S&W.
Now I'm gonna have to try the 270gr SWC that I have for my .45 Colt in the ACP.

 

[Stophel]

The old trick was to use an old 45 auto barrel to "de-moon" the clip. I thought I had one on hand, but couldn't find it, so I just bought one from Brownell's. It's just a tube with a shoulder notch to pry against the clip with.

I have a 230gr RCBS "cowboy" bullet mould that is kind of a "round nose flat point", but it still has a bit of a shoulder...kind of a "semi-semiwadcutter". HUGE flat point. Finally I have a proper sizer to size down this .454" bullet. Haven't loaded any up yet.