[102511]

I felt this was more of a black powder thing than a reloading thing so Im posting it here. I want to load some .45 acp with black powder for a wild bunch type match. Nothing special. 230 grain led round nose with pyrodex p. The bullets I got from hornady have some kind of dry lube on them. Ive loaded them with trail boss and the lube seems to work but trail boss is not bp. Do I need more lube? Can I use bore butter? I was thinking of putting it in a syringe and putting a bead around the case mouth before I seat the bullet. Then I thought it might contaminate the powder. What if I put a paper card over the powder? If I have to go with a lube cookie can I buy them pre made? Sorry for all the questions but I really want to try the wild bunch thing. Thanks.

[MutinousDoug]

I wouldn't do that if I were you. But if you do, bring plenty of soap and water.
Doug

[floridaboy]

I think you might learn something by using BP in a .45 ACP. Let us know how it works. And buy a bottle of Dawn dishwashing detergent.

[kingmt]

I felt this was more of a black powder thing than a reloading thing so Im posting it here. I want to load some .45 acp with black powder for a wild bunch type match. Nothing special. 230 grain led round nose with pyrodex p. The bullets I got from hornady have some kind of dry lube on them. Ive loaded them with trail boss and the lube seems to work but trail boss is not bp. Do I need more lube? Can I use bore butter? I was thinking of putting it in a syringe and putting a bead around the case mouth before I seat the bullet. Then I thought it might contaminate the powder. What if I put a paper card over the powder? If I have to go with a lube cookie can I buy them pre made? Sorry for all the questions but I really want to try the wild bunch thing. Thanks.

That isn't black powder. Have fun on your load though. Wish I could give more info but I would have to Google it myself because my black powder experience is very limited & I have none with pyrodex.

[Nicodemus38]

questions you need to answer honestly and openly.

1. do you have the ability, or know someone who has the ability to completely strip down the handgun you intend to shoot the bp cartridges in down to every individual part? unless you do, you dont really want to try bp or pyrodex or triple seven in a semi auto handgun.

[Fingers McGee]

Don't let the NaySayers dissuade you from using BP or subs in a .45 Auto. While I haven't used (and never will use it in anything) Pyrodex; I have used T7, Pinnacle, and GOEX under 160, 200, and 250 grain lead bullets in an AMT Hardballer with no untoward results. The 160s and 200s had crayon lube, and the 250s had a BP lube. I put a couple hundred rounds through the pistol & wasn't any harder to clean than if I had used factory hardball loads - probably easier. The 200 grain loads with Pinnacle were the most pleasant and accurate, followed by the GOEX loads.

[102511]

Im going to shoot it out of a stainless springfield gi. Its my beater range gun. I clean my 51 navy in the dish washer. I plan to do the same with the gi. One more question. What do you use to fill the extra space in the case? I think I read cream of wheat somewhere but I dont remember.

[Fingers McGee]

BP and subs work best with full cases. The 45ACP case only holds about 16-18 grains (volumetric measure) of BP or subs depending on what bullet you're using. That gives about 1/16 to 1/8 inch compression.

YMMV

[robhof]

You might not have enough energy in b/p to drive the slide effectively, it might stovepipe the rounds or just not reshuck the next round, b/p and subs, except 777 is much lower pressure than any smokless powder.

[Cosmoline]

Fingers--are you saying the 1911 cycles fine with straight BP loads?

[Fingers McGee]

I've shot my AMT Hardballer with T7, Pinnacle and GOEX loads with no failures. Used it in a SASS match shooting Wild Bunch Category. Don't ask me what the spring weight is, cause I have no idea. It's a box stock Hardballer that I bought about 30 years ago.

[kentucky bucky]

Don't use a regular plastic tubed powder measure, the ones the use for BP have aluminum bodies and metallic tubes due to the danger of static. After you're done shooting you had better field strip your pistol and drop the whole thing into hot soapy water and scub every piece or there will be corrosion.

[Stophel]

This is one of those things where I just throw my hands up and shake my head....

Why on earth would anyone feel compelled to do such a thing?

[Fingers McGee]

Don't use a regular plastic tubed powder measure, the ones the use for BP have aluminum bodies and metallic tubes due to the danger of static. After you're done shooting you had better field strip your pistol and drop the whole thing into hot soapy water and scub every piece or there will be corrosion.

And the myths still won't die.:cuss::cuss:

This is one of those things where I just throw my hands up and shake my head....

Why on earth would anyone feel compelled to do such a thing?

Cause it can be, and it freaks out IDPA/IPSC/USPSA types.

[alemonkey]

Sounds like fun. Main rule of BP cartridge loading, don't leave any airspace between the bullet and powder. A plain base cast bullet with a card wad seated over a lightly compressed powder column is what you want.

[scrat]

Yep what alemonkey said. Size the case prime then load up the bp almost all the way to the top. Then seat the bullet. Its best to use a black powder lube. you can easily make a lube by using bees wax melted then add about 40% of olive oil. I dip the bullets in the lube then let them cool on wax paper then load them. that should do you good. Just make sure you seat the bullet to the powder. dont worry about compressing bp. thats what you do when you load a 1851. as for the cycling you will have to try it out. for sure the recoil will be softer than a regular round. may even want to try 777 as it runs 10% hotter and stronger than regular bp.



Oh as for the lube go to your local dollar store and get some kind of tupperware container. after you mix and melt the lube pour it in the tupperware container make sure its microwave safe and stove safe. now when your done cover it up. next time you go to use it put some water in a pot and take the top off the container and put it in the water make sure the water does not get into the lube. then heat it up when it gets liquified then pull the container out and repeat. if you take a jumbo paperclip you can bend it long then make a loop and bend it at a 90 degree so it looks like a long L. then you can set the bullet on the round end and lower in the lube and pull out. Works like a charm.