Another blackhawk question.

[guitarguy314]

Hey guys!

So, the Ruger Blackhawk fires .45 colt, and .45 acp. The .45 colt rounds that I have just have the lead bullet sticking out of the top, whereas most .45 acp I have seen are fmj. Will this have any adverse effects on the barrel, or the way the gun performs?

Thanks guys!

L

 

[243winxb]

Accuracy may not be the best when shooting J & L without cleaning. Will not harm the firearm.

 

[guitarguy314]

Thanks! I clean my guns after each use, so it shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

[Hammerdown77]

If your 45 Convertible is like mine was, the cylinder throats are probably undersize for the lead bullets. Should shoot jacketed just fine, though.

For lead, you want the throat dimension to be .4525" or so, since most lead 45 Colt bullets are .452" (same as lead bullets for 45 Auto as well). I think the throats on mine were .450" or so, before I had them reamed to proper dimensions.

This causes the lead bullets to be swaged down a bit as they are fired, before they enter the bore, and since they are now slightly undersized and do not seal well in the bore, hot gasses can shoot past the sides of the bullet and cause leading.

I'd shoot your lead rounds first and look down the bore to see what you have. Shoot about 25 rounds, then check. May not be a problem, or you might have leading in the first inch or so of your barrel.

A good way to check the throat dimension is to see if a bullet (just the bullet, not the whole cartridge) can be pushed with light finger pressure through the throats. If it can, you're good. If not, then you may have issues.

It will probably shoot like a champ with jacketed bullets, though. Mine did.