anyone have experience loading for a .45 carbine?

[hipoint]

Well, my screenname was/is a joke but I actually do own a hi-point now... Got one of those nifty .45 carbines.

I've been reading a little bit about it and it seems that because of the nature of .45acp and carbines with recoil type actions having long barrels is supposed to make things behave differently.

anyhow, I was just wondering about this and whether it is true or not...

 

[Searcher4851]

I have one of them 'so ugly they're almost cute" carbines myself. It's eaten everything I've put through it so far, including some of my 45 acp target loads with 200gr LSW. I was surprised they worked that heavy action, but no problem, and feeding was not an issue. It's never going to be a target gun, but it sure is fun.

 

[hipoint]

I was mainly referring to burn rates being optimized in a blowback system with a long barrel.


I've owned a couple of them and they're what they are, good enough for this farm boy. But, I got this critter hoping to dispatch varmints on the farm. It meets most of my criteria as far as they're fairly rain proof, small, and packs a whollop. My .41 magnum is my carry gun on the farm and it's good for any ranges I can get here, but I mainly just wanted one and have for a while now... sadly with the ammo "shortage" I haven't been putting it through the hurldes like I would with a new to me gun.

I've seen a few mentions online where they really don't like the 230 grain bullets or heavier (pertaining to accuracy).

I am hoping to find a reloader with a little experience loading for a longer barreled carbine type .45 to get the most that can be gotten out of it. It may be a pipe dream but I'm hoping for minute of deer at 75 yards or so... we'll see... I know with the .45 and bullet selection I'll need to focuse on penetration over expansion at these ranges.

 

[rondog]

I have HP 9mm and .40 carbines, and they're a hoot! I'd like to try the .45. But as I understand it, the longer barrel gives a slight velocity boost by allowing more burn time for the powder and more of a pressure curve. Perhaps one could load slightly hotter rounds just for these carbines to get a little more performance from them, but I'd recommend researching this first. Probably call the manufacturer and ask them.

I don't know that I'd go over the max load listed in any recipe, but using max loads should be OK, I'd think. At least for jacketed slugs. Not for lead or plated.

And my carbines are more accurate than you'd think.....but they're not long-range guns by any means.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Not really but it should work with what works out of a pistol. If it was me I'd not use the very fastest powders but maybe something like Green-Dot and or Unique.
Here's this also..

http://www.thehighroad.org/search.php?searchid=11246993

 

[joneb]

I have a Marlin 45 carbine, I mostly shoot Nolser 185gr jhp with,
Accurate #5
Unique
VV n340
I did try Blue dot with 230gr GD jhp loaded warm and they shoot well but it seemed abusive.
I am using a heavier recoil spring and after market recoil buffer.
The accuracy of the camp 45 is surprisingly good.
Sierra has data for the Marlin camp carbines.
The best gains in velocity are with lighter bullets.

 

[rcmodel]

I was mainly referring to burn rates being optimized in a blowback system with a long barrel.

The guns blow-back action was optimized for standard .45 ACP commercial handgun loads.

Not the other way around.

rc

 

[joneb]

I am waiting for Power Pistol to show up locally. I think this powder would work well with jacked bullets in my 45 carbine.

 

[ljnowell]

I have used Power Pistol in both an old 9mm milsurp carbine and a Kris. It yeilded very good results.

 

[hipoint]

so what I'm gathering here is that I am way overthinking this... I appreciate the info folks!

 

[fallout mike]

Mine shot the same load as my xd in .45acp shot with great results. I never shot it past 50 yards. It was surprisingly accurate at that range.

 

[Walkalong]

The guns blow-back action was optimized for standard .45 ACP commercial handgun loads.

Yes, which means it will not like large doses of slow burning powders trying to maximize the barrel length. It will be dirty. Blowback actions soot up cases pretty good due to their breaking the case to chamber seal immediately upon firing as they start to move. Fast burning powders which peak and end quickly will be cleaner for the cases and the action, but will not get top velocity. Gotta decide which way you want to go.

 

[joneb]

I have used Power Pistol in both an old 9mm milsurp carbine and a Kris.

Hi lj, so your Kris is a 45acp delayed blow back action ?
I've wondered about PP being to slow in my straight blow back action Blue Dot will work but to get it to clean up the head stamps begin to fade

 

[MikeS.]

Mine shot the same load as my xd in .45acp shot with great results. I never shot it past 50 yards. It was surprisingly accurate at that range.

Me too, my XD and Camp .45 get the same ammo. A Missouri Bullet and Bullseye powder.

 

[oldpapps]

Using the same 200 (204 weighted) grain SWC and my charge of 231/HP38, I get the following results:
1911 type with 5 inch bbl - 675FPS range
Marlin Camp with 16.5 inch bbl - 1040FPS range

I opted not to adjust for the longer barrel. If the weapon was running a fixed breach mechanism, it would be a maybe, but with the blow-back system.

 

[fallout mike]

Mine was Missouri bullet #4 and unique.

 

[Searcher4851]

Sorry hipoint, I guess I didn't really mention that I don't load any different for the hipoint carbine than I do my 1911. To me, it just didn't seem like the .45 ACP cartridge called for it. I just settle for the incrased muzzle velocity I get from the longer barrel.

I have loaded different charges for my .357 mag lever guns, than I do for my revolvers in .357, just because I felt I could get more of a power increase with that round, and did. I do however shoot revolver loads most of the time out of the lever guns with good results.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

.45 carbine load

I have the marlin camp .45 which does great - easily minute of deer shoulder/neck @100yds - with the 185gr rem gs over power pistol and no unburned flakes as the blue dot I tryed.
been meaning to try aa#7 just have'nt gotten to it
good luck the pistol caliber carbines are about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

 

[joneb]

been meaning to try aa#7 just have'nt gotten to it

I've tried #7 with 185gr jhp. I have a 16.5 lb recoil spring in my Camp 45, #7 was to slow for it, leaving partially burnt powder in the action.

 

[Dthunter]

In my JR Carbine I had real trouble shooting factory ammo of "ANY SORT". I was just to hot for the 18" barrel. By this I mean:

The velocities reached were much higher than what pistols generally get. This caused my blow back type action to operate much too aggressively. The spring isnt of sufficient poundage to absorb the increased pressures resulting from the extra barrel length/pressure curve senerio. The action tended to rebound so hard against the spring buffer that it slammed closed VERY aggressively! Sometimes the fresh round waiting to be chambered was fed so hard that it tended to stove pipe. The action then would continue to close and totally CRUSH the unfired case. Often puncturing clean throught the side of the cartridge case, dumping powder into my magazine full of rounds! If the case managed to feed mostly into the chamber, the leading edge of the case would get snagged by the chamber/barrel junction. This also tended to crumple/accordian the case mouth badly!

When I proceeded to reload for 45ACP, I dropped my powder charges down until I got the typical pistol velocities from the carbine. The carbine worked flawlessly at this pressure range. Its strange that they never accounted for this difference!

Still really like the carbine though!

 

[hipoint]

all this is great information, thank you all. I don't have any .45 dies yet and don't expect to till all this crazy junk blows over, so I have only shot a couple mags through the little carbine, don't even have enough ammo to try tweaking the sights yet... booo.

I'll get some more ammo eventually but until then I thought it might be prudent to ask about what was working best for folks. If I can get pie plate accuracy out of this thing at 75 yards I'll be stoked, if it's only 50 yards I might still be happy enough to keep it around.

 

[FROGO207]

I have an AO Thompson in 45 ACP and see little difference in loads I tried over factory as far as accuracy. To be fair the barrel is kind of shot out however. My standard hardball reload for my pistols is a 230 grain X-treme bullet and 700-X. I also use it in the Thompson and it shoots as accurately as commercial ammo and piles the brass right by my shoulder on the ground which I do not get with any commercial ammo.

 

[dihnen]

I use the same loads for my HiPoint 45 carbine as I use for my Glock 21. I've never had a problem with accuracy out of the HiPoint using these loads, in fact it is amazingly accurate and makes me look like a pro at the range. I use 5.5 grains of W-231 behind a Berry's 230gr RN. This has always cycled the Glock even after 250 rounds in freezing weather (which 5.0 grains didn't quite do once and cycles the HiPoint just fine with very little felt recoil) I use a reduced load of 5.0gr W-231 behind that same bullet for my S&W 625-PC 45-auto revolver.

I'm taking the HiPoint out to a steel match tomorrow so I better stop procrastinating in this forum and get moving on making some ammo!

 

[dmurdach]

I reload with unique and 230gr fmj for my 1911 and hi-point. 50 yds you wont have any problems. I haven't shot mine past that, but think you should get reasonable groups. I recommend a red dot on it too.

 

[Cherokee]

I have had one of these for many years, it gets standard loads for my 1911's and shoots great. I would stick to standard loads for the HiPoint