Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns How to turn a 44 Mag into a 45 ACP!

I have absolutely NO doubt that they would knock the starch out of a bad guy. Wadcutters have an excellent record for straight and deep penetration, and when you are already starting out with a larger diameter projectile, it is hard not to like it. The meplat is .420. Hard to ignore. Reference your Marlin question, in my unmodified 1894 Marlin both the WCs and RNLs have feeding issues. As I have been informed there are kits that you can get to modify your rifles that will remedy this. They are primarily aimed towards the CAS crowd.

Curious, brass supply issues with the Magnum and Specials or still readily available?

I personally have never bothered with the spacers/shims. That said, if you really wanted, just set your Russian dies up to size, bell, seat and crimp the little Ivans. Then put the spacer ring between the die and the press, you should all set for Specials.

Yes there are supply issues.


The new Biden agenda calls for all new ammo sales to be conducted through an FFL and paperwork be filled out, just like they do in California. Same for buying components, gun parts, etc. Partly due to that and for the other various reasons, the industry is massively behind on product orders. I doubt there is going to be any relief this year. It is going to be a rough ride. If guys thought 2020 prices were high, and current prices are steep, just wait...

Anyways, short version is that yes new brass can be tough to easily obtain.

I have not cast bullets in several years. I always felt good about knowing the basics of how to do it. I thought I had a life time supply of WW ingots stashed that I smelted down 30 years ago.... "somewhere around here".... not finding them though. I did have a few boxes of them under the workbench.

I just recently made my first batch of powder coated bullets. It's cheap and easy to do plus the guys on the cast bullet forum have 35 pages of "Hey look how pretty my last batch of bullets turned out" pictures posted.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?251956-Powder-coated-bullets-pics-only

Apparently the only real "trick" to powder coating is picking powder that has proven to work well with lead. This vender has that sorted out and the cast bullet forum people love this guy.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?252509-VS-Hi-Quality-Powdercoating-Powder-For-sale

Thanks , thought the old spacer trick would be the same . Russian dies available but no specials . Have to work with what you have nowadays.

Maine,

That is the great thing about being a handloader. Being able to find alternate solutions. More than once I have modified something to achieve my goals.

2ndwind.



Idaho1945 is THE guy when it comes to powder coating, cast bullets, etc. Same with handgun hunting for that matter. Here is a pic of a few of his PC bullets he has sent my way. They are simply Awesome!



The one in the middle is a 170 grain Keith and I load it warm in .38 cases. It is just the ticket for keeping in my old Model 15 Combat Masterpiece, that does house duty.



CHEERS!

Mack, the 2nd bullet from the right looks like Smokes flame red powder coat. I just made a batch of .452 200 HP for Valentines Day. Red is Jayne's favorite color . I may have messed up my shooters karma by telling her they "might help her shoot better". The thrill of being able to see the red dot well enough to pull back into the steel target shooting lead must have gone to head.

We have 2 friends that have shot with hunted with (and yes Dave I'm talking about you) tracked deer after dark through the thickest steepest wild rose infested parts of our property with us. My guess is that they would both place bets on my lovely and very determined bride being well into the steel shooting competition winner's circle well before next deer season gets here. We shoot heavy 255 and 280 grain bullets in auto rim and .45 Colt loads at modest velocity. 240 grain cast in our Model 69 maybe my current favorite. Any of these loads should shoot straight through any game on our property.

I still shoot full power magnums in a scoped Ruger Redhawk from time to time but moderate loads from compact big bore handguns topped with micro red dots is what we are currently having the most fun with.

For the 240's .429 or .430's please?

.430 works fine for me.

Yep also .430. Interesting side note I have had a box of SSK style 320 hard cast bullets on the shelf that are .429. and from a LONG time ago. IIRC J D Jones took an elephant using one of his custom Ruger revolvers and this bullet. It's been so long since I test fired some of these on pine logs that I don't remember for sure how much penetration I got but I'm thinking it was 12" +

I have recently taught a friend how to reload and cast bullets. The guys on cast bullets forum have argued for years about what kinds of toxic solvents would be needed to clean lubed bullets up well enough for powder coating to then stick. Dave didn't realize that it was a waste of time to do that kind of thing so he just boiled some cast 9 MM bullets I had given him and then powder coated them without trouble. I think he said they come out .002" fatter. I'll ask him to post some pictures

On my "to do " list is to give that a try with the 320s and then resize to .430 in flame red.... just incase of an unexpected arrival of escaped and angry elephants or really fat zombies.

While looking through Ken Waters I saw .429-.430 and .427 Find my self good to go with what I have in stock. Thanks! Powders in stock are Unique, Bullseye , HP -38
and W-231. Sure I'm missing some others that are suitable.

Bumping this up for someone who was inquiring.

Yep.
I use 6gr of Clays, (cause I have a lot of it), behind a .430" Brazos 240gr hitek-coated lswc (cheapest), in Starline 44mag brass, WLP, for 860fps from my 4" 329pd. 800'ish fps seems to be where the grandkids don't complain about recoil. I used to run them at 930fps but it was a touch too much for noobs.

Years back I got a 624 but couldn't find any brass. I drove 45 acp brass into a 44 mag die, all the way to the rim. Left just enough to chamber. 429421 over four grains of bullseye and I could at least shoot.

Since the .45 ACP is rimless, how did this work in a cylinder designed for rimmed cartridges? Please explain.

Just bought a .44 tracker my first 44 in about 23 years. Naturally I got the Pmc and Hornady 44 Special ammo,I may not be really smart but Special sounds better than Magnum in a 35oz .44.