Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Bullet mold advice for .45 ACP?

This has probably been asked many times before. But, I'm looking for an affordable mold to cast .45 185-200 grain bullets that will feed reliably in the .45 ACP. Are any of the Lee molds suitable? Some Googling shows mixed opinions. My casting experience is limited to muzzleloader round and Maxi balls many years ago. I'm only reloading for one pistol in .45 ACP. So, I don't need high production and plan to use the Lee drip pot I already own. I will also cast for a couple of other calibers. But, I'm starting with the .45 and welcome opinions. Thanks

The Lee 200gr lube-groove SWC mold is a great choice especially in 6-cavity flavor. I'm not as fond of the tumble lube version, but the lube groove version is very accurate and has fed reliably in all my 45 Auto pistols. Size to .452-.453" and seat it with about .050" shoulder sticking out of the case mouth, adjusted for your barrel of course.

I recommend the 6 cavity instead of the 2 cavity for a few reasons, even if you're not planning to cast a few hundred at a time:
- quality is usually better on the 6 cavity molds. This is a big deal; in the last 5+ years I haven't seen a single bad 6 cavity mold, but have dealt with several out-of-spec 2 cavities.
- temperature seems to be more stable compared to the newer T-shaped 2 cavity blocks
- the sprue plates are better

https://leeprecision.com/6-cav-h-g-68-200-swc.html

http://outfittersworld.com/lee-prec...ity-mold-aluminum-without-handles-90310/

Thanks to both of you for the recommendations. The tumble lube idea doesn't appeal to me either. Do you have a lube preference for this bullet? The only thing about a 6-cavity, is I would worry that it would empty my little Lee, bottom-pour pot too quickly.

Dittos on the Lee 200 gr swc six cavity. I happen to like the tumble lube design, great plinker and you can cast and lube 1000 bullets in under and hour. Draining a furnace quickly is not a bad thing.

+1 to the 6 cavity 200 swc, it shoots great in my 1911. Mine is only the 2 cavity and it seems to take forever to make any headway. If I hadn't gone on a marathon casting session over the winter and put out over 40 lbs with the 2 cavity, I'd be looking for a 6 right now. I have the 6 cavity in the 200RF and it's a much better mold from all aspects. Your throat will need lengthened for better results with this one though.

"Emptying my little Lee bottom pour too quickly?" The same amount of lead will be gone from it after X amount of bullets regardless of how many cavities are in the mold.

I never had much luck with lightweight SWC's feeding 100%, so I've stuck with good old 230 grain RN's that duplicate hardball bullets. They do feed. Of course mostly I've fooled with gov't issue 1911A1's that I didn't want to polish/modify feed ramps in. Besides, the RN's make holes in paper targets too, and if needed in a "serious social encounter", well, I wouldn't want to be hit by one.

Lube preference - powder coating, by a mile. It's just as fast as tumble lube (if you use my method) and has a lot of advantages. See my thread about it in this forum if you're interested.

But, if you have to stop often to refill a small pot, wouldn't keeping the molds at the right temperature be more of a challenge? My experience is limited to single molds, but, I gradually add lead as I work.

Just cast a little slower, or get a second (bigger) pot. The Lee 20lb bottom pour (I use the Pro 4-20 IIRC) is preferable to the smaller pots for that reason, and they are pretty inexpensive.

Using a small pot seems like poor justification for buying the lower quality 2 cavity molds.

Lyman 452460.

Ive used and loaded these cast bullets for several years loaded over 6 grains of unique powder

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...diameter-230-grain-tumble-lube-truncated-cone
I don,t tumble lube I run them through a lyman lube sizer
I find they are more accurate and more effective on hogs

a decent capacity lead melting furnace cost a significant amount

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/7...ter-230-grain-tumble-lube-truncated-cone

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/267665/lyman-mag-25-digital-melting-furnace

limited on funds like most guys you have cheaper options and with a 40 lb capacity that heats faster.

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-cast-iron-dutch-oven-44705.html

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Lym...KA9wEAQYAiABEgLAvfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ou...ol-zP4AIVCMDICh00VQS1EAQYBCABEgJxJPD_BwE

You can pick up a Lee Precision Pro 4-20 pot for around $70, and don't have to mess with turkey fryers and dutch ovens.

Whatever you do, at least use a thermometer or better yet some sort of temperature controller, but that's a different subject.

Thanks to all for the advice. I have a big supply of lead that's not very clean. I do have a propane fish fryer that I plan to use to clean my lead and cast into usable sizes. But, I will do the actual casting with a Lee pot, either my current one or maybe a little bigger one.

On bullets, I do prefer a lighter bullet in the 185-200 gr. range for lighter recoil target shooting. I'm thinking a round nose would be more reliable for feeding.

One sure fire way to find out...

Another vote for the 452460..With my alloy these drop 205 grs and have been my go to accurate target load for many yrs over 6.5 grs of Unique for 850fps,



Seated to 1.187" OAL and factory taper crimp they have never failed to feed in the Glock or 1911..

[url=https://postimg.cc/tZXXbQbd]

FlyboyFlem,

Do you have any problems with leading in that Glock? Of course there was, all that is needed is a simple cleaning. But I was wondering if you did something to prevent leading with that bullet.

Are you shooting lead from your stock barrel ? I replaced the stock barrel which has a polygonal rifling with the" Lone Wolf " brand SS standard rifling replacement specifically for shooting cast however it will digest anything as well..Polygonal barrels aren't recommended for lead..

No leading issues other than routine cleaning,this bullet carries a decent amount of lube which helps.

I’ve got a Lyman 185swc mold, an RCBS 200swc, and a Lee 200rn tumble lube. I load the RN from the Lee most often, they’re easy to get to feed in any 45 and very accurate in my 1911. I just run them through my lubesizer like you would any grease groove bullet. They seem to carry plenty of lube, haven’t had any issue with leading.

I’m going to cast up a bunch of handgun bullets here soon and I may have to work with the SWC designs some more to get a load I like. The idea of the little 185 Lyman moving along pretty fast makes me want to try it on some pigs.

Note: your point of impact will undoubtedly shift when switching from heavy RN to light and fast SWC's. Does your gun have adjustable sights? My .45 platform is a 1913-vintage government issue M1911 (refurbished in WWII at Rock Island Arsenal), complete with the early "no see-um" sights. The sights are regulated for hardball ammo and as such they work to shoot true with 230 RN cast loads driven at hardball velocity, but when jockeying bullet styles/weights/velocities I have to employ "Kentucky windage and elevation". (And no, I have no intention of altering the old girl at this point in her life with better sights. She is what she is, and I love her warts and all!)

Yes my 1911 wears a Bomar adjustable rear. I’ll have to see how close the RN and the RCBS SWC shoot to one another since they’re the same weight. I know from previous experience that the FN is a far superior killer to a RN.

There is that. I doubt though that I'll ever need or want to kill anything with mine!

Due to the abundance of Pigs, coyotes, armadillos, snapping turtles, snakes, and other varmints where I live I try to shoot something with every gun I own. I used to have a personal rule that I wouldn’t buy another gun until I’d killed something with the last one I bought. Kinda fell behind on that when I lived in AK due to the smaller scope of opportunity but I’m pretty much caught up now that I’ve been back here for almost 3 years.

About all I have used for a good while have been cast with a SAECO #069 - a copy of the 200 grain SWC Hensley & Gibbs #68. I've also owned a real #68 mould. The SAECO design is at least as accurate as the original. These bullets will feed through any gun. Same for the SAECO 185 grain #130. The Lyman #452460 and #452488 as well as the similar RCBS design make very accurate bullets, but some unmodified guns won't feed any of these bullets reliably.

Lee moulds...The 190-200 gr. SWC (non-tumble lube design) makes an accurate bullet that also feeds well. I tried tumble lubing just enough years ago to find I'm not a fan of the process, but seems it works well for some. Lee moulds are a bit fragile in comparison with other moulds, but generally work fine. Just don't expect them to last forever.

Have this one on order at present .I shoot a lot of hard ball as well and think this should track a similar POI. We'll see....

The only thing needed is to size them correctly for the barrel, and avoid using really soft alloys. With a properly sized and lubed bullet cast of something like clip on WW alloy, that factory Glock barrel will be more accurate and less prone to leading than any Lone Wolf barrel, in my experience.

But guys do love to repeat that line about not shooting lead in Glocks. Read it on the internets, it must be true.

Another opinion noted : The key as these articles explain is proper sizing,cleaning and alloys as least a BHN of WW or harder.. The myth I see repeated is how much more accurate the poly barrels are vs standard rifling..I shoot a lot of both and my 1911 will hang with the Glock easily all the time ..Again it has to do with proper sizing although some even disagree with this approach..

I look at used handguns frequently and see more fouled Glocks than many other brands..My guess they were traded for loss of accuracy, not the gun's fault by any means but the guy behind the trigger..Without a doubt the MFG warning has to do with liability since they have no control over the buyer's diligence for cleaning...Leading in polygonal barrels causing excessive pressure? Don't know but I'm sure it would have some bearing on safety.

The SS Lone Wolf bbl shoots great think I'll keep it..

I have several 45 molds could send you a few from each if you are interested. Was planning on selling the molds got rid of my 45.
Lee 452228
Lyman/ideal
452515/670
452460
452488
452490

Like whats been said, any one of the H&G clones should shoot and feed well. RCBS makes a good casting quality mold and they offer that bullet. The RCBS mold will cost more than the Lee but in my experience it will be easier to cast with. Midway often has them and the handles on sale for 5 or 10 dollars off.

Bullet molds by Arsenal Molds (you can order them in any diameter, no extra charge):

453-210 swc flatbase ( H&G 68 copy) by Arsenal
http://arsenalmolds.com/products?product_id=63&limit=99999999999

Heavier weight...
453-230 RF by Arsenal
http://arsenalmolds.com/products?product_id=102&limit=99999999999

Do you have a lubrisizer? If not, reconsider the tumble lube design.

Maybe I’m doing it wrong but I’ve never loaded any swaged bullets and not had leading issues. I don’t cast my bullets really hard but I have pistols and revolvers that have never seen a jacketed bullet and have went hundreds and hundreds of rounds without any cleaning or loss of accuracy.

Agreed. I avoid swaged lead bullets myself. It's not always about leading issues, but I've yet to see a soft swaged lead bullet that's as accurate as a good WW alloy cast bullet in anything except the very lowest pressure plinking loads. Even in those very mild loads, I get better accuracy from 10-12 BHN than I do from 5-6 BHN as swaged bullets usually are.

Also those "jacketed" bullets are not jacketed, they're just a thin copper plating over the soft swaged lead.

I shot swaged lead one time in my Colt 45 and made a choice that i will never shoot them again in any pistol i own.

Even shooting them slow they leaded up the barrel.

I use them in a pot to alloy with other lead for the muzzleloader.

I have 3 molds that cast 200-230 grain round nose for it now and love them.

Might look at N.O.E molds and see what they have,i have several of their molds and have not been disappointed price was good too.

LBT 215 FNB .452, sized .452.

For best results, heat treated wheelweights. This is true for shallow Colt rifling as well as polygonal rifling, as the old timers like Elmer used straight lino to "hold the rifling", which means the bullets are hard enough not to lose any side engagement from the lands, which is where the leading starts in most shallow land arms.

It's nice to make a ton of inexpensive bullets, but best results for a ton of cheap bullets don't come from cheap or second rate equipment.

Said another way, I wouldn't cast anything at all if I used LEE moulds or pots. I'd rather watch paint dry or the WNBA....

The only times I had leading in 1911 Colts (1911, 1911A1, and a Series-70 1911A1) was when I used straight linotype. Got poor accuracy too no matter the powder or charge. Switched back to 10-12bhn soft alloy and all was right with the world again. .452 diameter always too.

Leading and poor sustained accuracy usually go hand in hand.

It's pretty difficult to have leading in a fixed chamber in such a low pressure cartridge; fit and losing land engagement being the primary suspects.

Once fit and finish is knocked out of the park, you don't even need but a sliver of lube (not the hard wax) at regular 45 auto pressures. Gas checks are certainly overkill unless the barrel is cobby; at that point, soft or hard doesn't matter.

I run tested 25 BHN stuff in most contraptions and have nary an issue. Another plus is that the hard stuff feeds like like jacketed and correctly designed ones feed as slick as hardball.

Ditto this bullet. Very accurate for me in a 1911, bullseye or w231, wlp primer. Size to 0.452, alox lube.

I use the Lee carbide crimp die, crimp to 0.469" at case mouth. Never had a fail to feed.

I just now picked up another 1911, a Series-70 Gold Cup, '78 vintage, mint condition. The deal sweetener was the H&G #68 200gr.SWC mold that came with it. The old boy swears that 4.0gr. Bullseye can't be beat in this gun shooting that bullet. I tend to believe him and can't wait to prove him right!

Looking back over the previous posts in this thread I note my comment regarding less than 100% feeding reliability with SWC's in my ancient 1911. I should have clarified that it has its original barrel which you may know is not chamfered at the breech end, it just has a tiny little feed ramp bottom center. Those relatively sharp edges the rest of the way around don't tolerate much ammo that isn't radiused from the bullet tip right down to the case mouth. Really hard taper crimping of SWC's helps a lot but still generates about one failure to feed in every two or three magazine fulls.

Try having about the thickness of a nickel of bullet shank coming out of the case, then taper crimp. I had one that fed and shot the best with the bullet just barely engraving the bullet, barely...200g SWC from a Saeco mold.

Thanks. I'll try that.

He's right about that load, it really is excellent. IMO, it's a good enough load (if that's the type of load you want to shoot) that it's worth having the barrel smoothed and tuned to feed them reliably. If you are inclined to do that yourself, the Kunhausen (sp?) 1911 shop manual has some good info on that.

Back when ammo was scarce, I started buying molds for my handguns.

I can't say as I've run a lot of them through my 45's, but the Tl452-230-2R works quite well. I've loaded it with both Universal and Titegroup. I size to .452 and use a Lee Factory Crimp

I'm trying something different with the .45 ACP now. I cast and sized some 454424's to .452 instead of the usual .454 I shoot in my old Colt New Service .45 Colt. That 260 grain Keith SWC at very modest velocity ought to make a decent thumper akin to the old .455 Webley. Stay tuned...