Red Dot question

what does your manual say?

Checked only one, Lyman, but says that's max load.

I've only shot someone elses reloads on time: Resulted in a squib in my Colt Series 80 45ACP. I will never buy reloads again.

My old Hercules Reloaders Guide from 1992 shows 6.0 grains of Redot is MAX for 250 gr lead.

Lyman 47th shows 6.0 grains of Redot is MAX for 255 gr lead.

You mention the ex is deceased. What did he die of?

I'd toss them in the lake.

Mine is the 48th. Lyman
Powder must be getting weaker.

I've been using Red Dot exclusively in all my hand gun calibers (.32 up to .44 mag) for about ten years. Its a fast powder, it burns clean, and I use it with lead, FMJ, and plated bullets. Also use it for .30 carbine and for rifle loads with lead bullets. But I don't load 45LC anymore and don't remember the loads. However, in my SW .44 magnum I load a 240g lead bullet with 7g of Red Dot. I don't crimp. On a 1-10 rating compared to factory .44 magnum loads its recoil is about an eight. I usually shoot 100 rounds of it per range trip. Have easily fired a couple of thousand rounds of it. Still using the same 250 brass that I got with the gun. The gun handles it well. To answer your question, if I loaded it I'd shoot it. But since you didn't and its at max might want to let it go. Here's my shooter

Looked at my reloading history.
Use 7.5. RD. 240 lead in my Anaconda.
And 5gr. RD. 158 lead in my 686.

Is a good powder for midrange loads.

The 2000 Alliant manual clearly shows max 6.0 gr Red Dot for a 250 gr lead bullet in 45 Colt.
http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Freebies/RM/Alliant.html

This is interesting..

http://www.stevespages.com/451p_3_240.html

This is also interesting. Seems it might get it out the pipe at 750fps. never know though

http://www.castpics.net/project2/CastDatalist.php?t=CastData&z_Cartridge=LIKE&x_Cartridge=45+colt&v_Cartridge=AND&w_Cartridge=LIKE&y_Cartridge=&z_BulletWt=%3D&x_BulletWt=&z_Bullet=LIKE&x_Bullet=&v_Bullet=AND&w_Bullet=%3D&y_Bullet=&z_Powder=LIKE&x_Powder=red&v_Powder=AND&w_Powder=%3D&y_Powder=&Submit=Search+%28*%29

If I trusted the man with his reloading ways/reputation, I'd shoot them as they seem safe enough to me. That's just me though. Make your own decision as I don't know the fellow from Adam.

Sounds pretty mild.
Speer #10 listed 6.7 gr Red Dot as a 15,900 cup load.
You could take one apart to make sure.
You could give them to someone who has a Ruger.

It should be a good load.
I shoot 7.5 grains in a Ruger but *that* would probably be too much for a S&W.

Lyman 4th edition Cast Handbook has Red Dot load data using two 250gr lead bullets. With the Lyman #454190 bullet they list a range of 4.5gr to 6.5gr Red Dot. With the Lyman #452664 bullet they list a range of 5.8gr to 6.5gr Red Dot. With the 255gr Lyman #452424 bullet they list a range of 4.5gr to 6.0gr Red Dot.

It looks like that charge of 6.5gr Red Dot is at the max but not excessively hot and probably generates no more pressure than any other normal .45 Colt loads do. Unfortunately none of the Red Dot loads in the Lyman manual show pressure numbers but the loads that do are all under 14,000 PSI with many being just below or just above 13,000 PSI.

Since you said, "The reloads are all clearly marked on the boxes as to all the pertinent data you'd want to see for reloads, and knowing the history of this ammo, I am confident they are what they say they are" I would think those Red Dot loads are safe to shoot...

...take a few apart to confirn the powder loads....

This is not a recomendation but I've gone as high as 8g of Red Dot in my 45 Colt Blackhawk. Red Dot is VERY accurate in my gun. Velocity is out of a 4 5/8" bbl


Some of the above are over max for standard 45 Colt

...you cannot trust the labels on boxes of handloads - even if the person that loaded them is alive and can respond to your questions.

I think the only way to get some assurance for your own safety and the safety of others, is to pull apart and inspect a representative sample of the reloads and see if they are consistent with the the information on the label.

If the labels are accurate, the load still looks hot; right? ....proceed with great care.

My concern would not be what load was written on the box but what was in the case. Did the man have a long suffering illness?
Was the ammo loaded during the time of his sickness?
Was the illness of the type that it could have caused problems with concentration or memory, motor skills?
No matter how meticulous and trustworthy the man might have been if his health was failing and he was loading ammo I wouldn't use it. The stated load won't hurt a thing, a double charge will.
I Had a similar situation with some rounds given by a trusted friend who received some reloads from a friend of his widow. I broke them all down.

As previously suggested, break down one of the reloads to confirm the powder and weight. A 6.5gr load of Red Dot with a 250gr lead bullet will shoot just fine in your S&W Mountain Gun.

Don

SAAMI spec 45 Colt loads are kept intentionally weak / low pressure due to the black powder guns and guns substantially of the black powder design that are still in circulation. A modern S&W Mountain Gun can take a hell of a lot more than the 14k psi / 15k cup pressures SAAMI specs out. My old Herc. manual from 1990 shows 6.0 gr. to be 12k cup. My Lyman 49 shows 6.5 gr. to be a "top" load with a 250 gr. lead bullet...ie an under 14k psi load.

Check one...if it is 6.5 gr. +/- .1 and you find a red flake in the powder mix, you know you have what he said it was. Then put it back together and shoot. Because of the dispersion of the red flakes in the canisters, you may need to check more than one round to find the identifier.

45 Colt is one of the rounds that in a modern gun, of modern metallurgy, and modern design an EXPERIENCED loader knows that you can go well above published standard pressure loads. That is why modern manuals have a Ruger / TC section. 6.5 Gr. of RD is NOT a full throttle Ruger load by any stretch of the imagination. At worst, you just barely hit +P territory.

Edit:
1) If you really trust the loader, a cursory check should do.
2) Your gun is WAYYY stronger than an Uberti Clone.
3) I run 7.0 gr. under a 240 gr. plated in my 44 and have very rounded primers and cases drop right out...ie not even showing pressure signs. The 45 and 44 cases are the same length with the 45 having more volume; thus less pressure for equal weight bullets of equal construction. I consider this a plinking load since they run around 950 fps. out of a 7 1/2" barrel.

I'd knock a few down to check the powder and charge. if as stated find a friend with a Ruger and let him fire a cylinder off.
I use RDot under all the cast slugs I load for .32acp up to .45acp w/good results. it's clean and economical