SUPER REDHAWK .454 Casull

[AIRLORDD1]

Question about .454 Casull loads

A few years back I purchased a Super Redhawk in 454 Casull/45 LC. With the purchase I received 2 boxes of MAGTECH 260 gr 454 ammo. I loaded up and shot my first 6 rounds. When I went to eject the rounds all but one were stuck in the cylinder. I had to tap them out. I also got a nice flash out of the gun between the cylinder and the barrel. Does this sound like a ammo problem ? I have since bought Hornady 300 gr 454 ammo but have not shot it. Thoughts ?

 

[Arizona_Mike]

They may be a little too hot for your gun. Are your cylinders rough? If so you may want to hone them/have a gunsmith hone them for you. Expect a lot of flash from everywhere with full-power .454

Mike

 

[Barry the Bear]

Was it the semi jacketed soft point? I had a similar issue with my raging bull I switched over to my hand loads and federal a frame, haven't had the same issue since.

 

[eldon519]

If you check the reviews on MidwayUSA for the Magtech 260gr, about 50% of the customer reviews mention some degree of sticking from minor to severe.

 

[the Real Alpo]

Do you normally shoot 45 Colt in it?

I usually shoot 32 S&W Long in my 32 H&R Smith, and when I ran some Hornady H&R loads through it, they were stuck tighter than Dick's hat-band.

I hear people warning about that, when shooting shorts in a long rifle chamber, or 38s in a 357 chamber, but I've never heard anyone warn about 45s in a 454. But it seems quite possible.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

I always assumed that if the 45 colt cartridge drops into the 454 cylinder when you load it, the build-up is not bad enough to cause a problem when firing it.

Am I wrong?

Andy

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Is it a new gun or used?

I'm with the guys thinking there may be a ring from 45LC's being shot in it. Even if they do fall in fine the expanding case can bind against that ring.

With the price of LC ammo I would reload using .454 cases and simply load them mild to eliminate the problem.

I would scrub the cylinder some and try different ammo.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

A crud ring from shooting 45 Colt could certainly be a possibility. Clean the heck out of it and then try some 454's only. Maybe try different ammo too. If the problem persists, it's possible the chambers are not adequately polished.

I had a Ruger with this issue and solved it by using a bore mop and Mothers Mag Polish. I hand polished the chamber, very lightly until extraction felt normal. DON'T overdo it if you try this. Go slow, and test it at the range before doing more.

The easier option is to call Ruger and ask them.

Another thought. Did you clean and oil the gun before firing it? If so, make sure you get all the oil out of the chambers. Any left over oil will get sticky as it dries in the chambers and cause sticky extraction.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I always assumed that if the 45 colt cartridge drops into the 454 cylinder when you load it, the build-up is not bad enough to cause a problem when firing it.

Am I wrong?

Andy

That's only partly correct. Because the 454 case is longer and unexpanded at the time of loading, it could slip passed a crud ring caused by shooting 45 colt ammo and then make extraction difficult.

If you are only shooting 45 Colt, loading more 45 Colt isn't going to tell you much.

 

[gbran]

I've had this for many years, never any stuck cases. I have never fired 45 Colts. I do make some handloads that are hotter than the Colts, but not hot wrist-wreckers, everything else factory.

 

[WardenWolf]

This is a fairly common issue with many firearms. Always fully clean the chambers before shooting .454 after you've been shooting .45. You get a LOT of carbon fouling in there, and just because it drops in doesn't mean it's not there. The Mosin Nagant rifle has a similar issue after shooting steel-cased ammo then switching to brass; steel doesn't expand as much as brass, so you get carbon blow-by into the chamber until it builds up enough to form a seal. If you then shoot brass through it without cleaning it, it expands fully and sticks like glue. The brass chambers just fine, but getting it out is another story.

 

[Bogow]

It's the ammo. My friend had the same problem with his raging bull. Tried HSM ammo and no problems.

 

[AIRLORDD1]

I have never fired any 45 Long Colt thru the gun. Gun was brand new when I shot it. I kinda suspected the ammo but wanted to get your thoughts on it. I'll try running a few Hornady shells thru it to see how they react. Might even see if i can locate some 45 Long Colt and see how they do. The MAG TECH 454 shells might even be old. the boxes looked a little worn. They give off one heck of a flash though. Thanks for all your thoughts !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nathan Detroit]

There is another possible source for this problem. Hornady .480 Ruger in SRHs had the same problem. It was due to soft brass. Once the brass had been loaded and fired a few times it work hardened and the problem went away.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Did you clean and oil the gun before firing it?

Just wondering, since it was a new gun.

 

[eldon519]

As noted previously, this is a common complaint for the 260gr Magtech load.