[1858rem]

my main issue to overcome i think would be feeding, and im not worried about leading. thinking card base wad and overshot wad, heavy crimp, but would this profile likely feed?

[rcmodel]

NO. They very likely won't feed unless your gun will feed empty cases.
They could be single loaded, but the extractor would have to snap over every one, and thats really hard on 1911 extractors.

I have made .45 ACP shot loads by turning down .308 rifles cases with a headspace shoulder and enough extra length to star crimp them.

Here are .380 ACP shotshells I made from .223 brass the same way.
They "sorta" feed O.K. in a Kel-Tec P3AT.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/380ShotshellJPG.jpg

rc

[1858rem]

They very likely won't feed unless your gun will feed empty cases.....im gonna go see if that works, would be a miracle lol

[Walkalong]

They very likely won't feed unless your gun will feed empty casesI have one that will (http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=49950&d=1167160983), but have never fooled with .45 ACP shotshells, just .38 & .44.

[1858rem]

nope didnt work lol. i just past 500 rd mark though....maybe in time.


I have one that will, but have never fooled with .45 ACP shotshells, just .38 & .44.
so what is the one that will feed empties? ill follow the link i think....

[rcmodel]

There is little reason too unless you use a shot cup or make longer cases & star crimp like I posted above.

Otherwise, the case is too short for the powder, and a useful charge of shot, & two wads, and room to glue the top wad in place, and -- -- well you get the picture!
Just not enough room in a .45 ACP case.

BTW: My old 1911 match gun I built will feed empty cases.

But I use CCI .45 ACP shot-shells if I want shot shells.

rc

[Walkalong]

so what is the one that will feed empties?An old box stock Springfield. Pretty much the equivalent of the GI Springer these days. It has never failed. It will feed empty brass every time too.

I traded a Colt SS 1911 for it and some cash. :eek:

Yea, yea, but I have never regretted it. :)

Nothing against Colt. I have some, and love em, 1911s and revolvers both.

[1858rem]

what is different that it feeds empties? i would think a tight chambered match 1911 would have more difficulty than my RIA does feeding empties.

[Walkalong]

It is not all that tight. I guess it was just machined right. I don't know, it just works.

[Vacek]

C.E. Harris wrote an entire article on it.

Here it is.

From: Ed Harris Submitted: 18 Feb 93 21:59:00
Subject: Instructions for Loading Status: Public
RE: Instructions for Loading Shotshells

Instructions for Loading the .45 ACP Shotshell

Complete instructions for reloading the .45 ACP shotshell
appeared in American Rifleman, April, 1976 p.20. This article was
reprinted in the NRA reprint on The .45 Automatic, which may be
obtained from NRA Books.
To briefly summarize the article, cases should be made from
.308 Winchester or 7.62 NATO cases, using the RCBS trim die
provided in the die set. Use of .30-'06 cases or others which have
a narrrower extraction groove may cause extractor breakage, and is
not recommended. Cases should NOT be annealed because the
extractor will tear through the rim, due to the mouth obturating
into the rifling upon firing.
The correct powder charge is 6.2 grs. of Olin W-W231. I do
not recommend any changes to the powder charge other than minor
adjustments in the order of +/- 0.2 grain to obtain reliable
functioning. No other powders are recommended.
The correct wad is the Remington SP410 shot cup used for 1/2
oz. .410 bore skeet loads. No other wad may be substituted. Seat
the wad firmly over the powder charge using a dowel and a few light
blows with a plastic mallet, then trim the wad off flush with the
case mouth using a sharp knife. A shot charge of 105 +/- 5 grains
of No.8 or #9 shot should be measured with a Lee No.065 dipper.
The Lee dipper numbering system has been changed since the article
originally appeared, so you may have to improvise a measure to
throw the correct amount of shot.
The top wad is a 7/32 or 10mm disk cut from .005" thick
acetate plastic "sheet protectors" from an office suppy store.
You can use an Osborne punch from the hardware store or make your own
punch. The plastic top wad should be sealed with lacquer.
Velocity is about 1200 fps in the M1911A1 pistol. Typical
patterns are 70% in a 15" circle at 25 feet, with an average of
10 pellets in a 5" diameter target, simulating a small game
animal. This is the maximum effective range for this shothell
on snakes or small game.
For defense use larger shot up, such as 28 pieces of No.4, may
be used, and a single piece of 00 buckshot crimped in the case
mouth in place of the top wad. The buckshot does not impair the
shot pattern, but will string out ahead of it. The single buckshot
will hit within 8" of point of aim at 25 feet and #4 shot will
penetrate a 3/4" pine board at this distance.
The shot load, when correctly prepared, will function the
Government Model pistol semi-automatically, so that a shotload
can be carried in the chamber, with service loads in the
magazine, and the pistol fired immediately in an emergency
without having to extract the shotload. You should, of course,
fire enough of these loads in your own pistol to ensure they
function reliably, as with any handload.


Regards, Ed

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I have the RCBS die set and have made many shot-shells for myself and buddys with .45's. I used the recommended .308 cases and believe me the forming of them is difficult I had to bolt my Chucker down to my welding table (3.8" thick steel) to handle the required pressure. after forming 100's of them from .308 brass I happened upon some spent .45 Win mag cases at the range and behold, the OAL is the exact size needed and forming is much easier. and the need to trim-to-length and debur is done away with.
what I can offer I believe I do not need any sort of 'license' for private sale of formed cases is to sell the preformed cases for Harris' load data. I followed his data and indeed the shells do feed and function relable in my Colt. and others too. the RCBS dies are pricey and this will keep cost to a minimum.
the required expanding can be done with a .45 acp or Colt long expander useing a very light touch. I have tryed this and it works so the expander die isn't absolutely required. this would require only the seating/crimping die be purchased or if you wished to reload the spent cases of course you would need the sizeing/decapping die also. maybe one of the more senior members could buy the required die(s) and ask for contributions to send to other members to use the die to load the shells.
I have an oppurtunity on another forum to buy 500 Win .45 mag new cases from a fella that sold his pistol to another that doesn't handload. so I have a source of cases and I think maybe Starline makes them too.
if there is any interest in this please send me PM and we'll smoke it over.
I shoot these in my Marlin Camp .45 too and have bagged small game and birds as I use the carbine as a woods-bumming gun the pattern opens quickly though so range is limited I practice on carpenter bees and june bugs and such too for fun.

[Bush Pilot]

Unless you have unlimited time it sounds like buying a package or two of CCIs would be much easier. How many can you use at one time?