.45 ACP cast lead?

[FC]

I thought about casting my own .45 ACP bullets for my Tommy Gun, but I don't want the leading, and I don't like the one and only gas-checked mold, by Lyman. Give up on the idea and just keep buying Berry's Bullets, 230 gr. jacketed?

[Dr.Hess]

I just went on a reloading binge in 45 ACP.  I did about 1500 rounds of I think 5 GR (if I recall, check your load tables) Bullseye and a 230 grain cast bullet, sized and lubed in my Lube-a-matic.  I cast them with a 4 cavity Saeco 230 gr round nose mold from straight wheel weights and water dropped them.  I wanted to avoid the extra time/labor of powder coating them.  I ran them through a carbine and some 1911's and have had no leading problems at all. Not counting the cost of the lead, which I bought about 3 decades ago, they cost me about 6 cents each.

[AzRednek]

Tony I've cast and shot tons of cast 45 ACP and never had problems with leading. I've heated up both plain base and gas checked 230gr. Far as I'm concerned the gas checked bullet at 45ACP velocities was a waste of time and effort. Did absolutely nothing on paper but might add a few FPS velocity. I do use gas checks for hot mag loads but found them useless in 9MM, 38 Special and 45 ACP. The only exception are a 9MM round nose mold I use to load 357's for a lever action rifle. As long as the lead flow fills up your mold completely, castings properly sized and lubed you shouldn't have leading problems. 

For general plinking I've had great results with the Lee 200gr RF. Lee's 200gr SWC is really accurate but not being a round nose may cause feeding problems. Best I recall I used 4.0- 4.5grs of Bullseye. It's a mild but very accurate combination and should provide enough oomph to function in an auto loader. Functions fine with my 1911 but your mileage may vary if more pressure is needed to drive your Thompson. 

The original load developed by Hercules Powder for the military using 230 gr ball and Bullseye powder that was developed specifically for the 45ACP. Was 5.5 but reduced to 5.0 when the ammo went into production. I've found the milder loads are easier on brass and more accurate. 

Past few years the majority of my 45ACP shooting has been revolvers. The SAECO 228gr full wadcutter is my most accurate but simply won't flow in an auto loader. For years like Doc, I used clip-on wheel weights and water dropped. Plenty hard enough for 45 ACP velocities and filled the mold. Now that lead alloy clip-on wheel weights are getting scarce. You might have to add some tin to your alloy if you have problems filling up your mold. My last batch I used a 50/50 mix of clip-ons and lead scrap, worked fine. Be very careful not to get any Zinc wheel weights in your lead pot. Could ruin the whole batch. 

[ken98k]

Back in the 80s I used to shoot a lot of cast bullets through a ruger gp100 and the barrel would become quite visibly lead fouled. I did a considerable amount of brushing with little effect on the fouling. then someone told me to just fire a factory jacketed cartridge, and that seemed to clean the fouling right out. 

[AzRednek]

3 hours ago, ken98k said:

Back in the 80s I used to shoot a lot of cast bullets through a ruger gp100 and the barrel would become quite visibly lead fouled. I did a considerable amount of brushing with little effect on the fouling. then someone told me to just fire a factory jacketed cartridge, and that seemed to clean the fouling right out. 

Ken, I discovered the same method but occasionally the jacketed bullet ironed out the leading making it more difficult to remove. I've had good luck using lead away patches and recently used Mother's Aluminum and Mag wheel polish also removes leading. 

[Sailormilan2]

The newest thing to prevent leading is powder coating the bullets.  Powder coat, then size.  It's not hard to do, though a little tedious.  Some of the colors used are wild.  I have a serious issue with pink and purple bullets.  I'm using something called Translucent Copper.  I't a bit different.It sort of looks like a copper washed .22 bullet.  But, it does seem to leave the barrel cleaner.

Here's a 45 acp bullet, and 2 9mm bullets. Flash kind of washes out the color.

 

[AzRednek]

I've had good luck using Lee's tumble lube. More often than not I shoot mild 38's and 45's intended for revolvers as cast with no sizing just rolled in Lee goo. The only additional step is dusting with Motor Mica. All the Motor Mica does is keeping the slugs rolled in Lee goo from sticking together in storage. Serious stuff I size and lube using a heater on my Lube Master with a hard wax I think is named Red Rooster. 41, 44 Mags and occasionally hot 357's I use gas checks with the hard wax lube. I haven't tried the powder coating yet but net chatter says it's good, possibly better than conventional lube. What I like best about using a heater and hard lube. Pistol and rifle bores using handgun ammo. The bores are bright and clean after shooting. 

The only rifle shooting I've done with my home cast slugs are 30/30, 30 Carbine and powder puff loads in a 458. The cast 30/30 slugs didn't shoot worth a hoot. I'm told I need an oversized slug to engage Marlin's Micro Groove rifling properly. In an Iver Johnson M-1 Carbine. The lube (can't recall which lube method I used) the lube got into and bound up the gas piston. From what I've seen on the Cast Boolit board, posters claiming the powder coated slugs won't bind up a Carbine's piston. 

[Dr.Hess]

Here's how I do it:

I've done 30-30 and it shot very well.

[FC]

My gas-checked .30-30 bullets shoot extremely well out of my Winchester 94 built in 1951. When did micro-grooving start? 

I don't know squat about powder-coated bullets, or how it's done. Guess I'll put that on my look it up list.

[Dr.Hess]

Not sure on the micro grooving date.  Or even if the 94's use it.  .

 

Powder coating bullets is pretty easy and cheap.  Takes maybe $20 worth of supplies/materials and a thrift store sourced toaster oven.  They work great.  I've run them through a 94, Desert Eagle (micro grooved), and 300 blackout.  My thread, linked above, explains it all.

[rebel49]

SNS bullets, the red coated ones. We've been shooting them for over a year now. I load at +P for the .45, no lead fouling. .357 Sig same bullet Mfc, running a 125gr @ 1375 fps, no leading.

Try them you can order direct or thru Dillons, I live about 25 miles from them and go and do a pickup.

[AzRednek]

On 12/12/2018 at 7:20 AM, Dr.Hess said:

Not sure on the micro grooving date.  Or even if the 94's use it.  .

 

 

The Micro-Groove rifling is unique to Marlin, far as I know Winchester or anybody else ever using it. Never knew Desert Eagle used it. Marlin claimed it gave better accuracy but in recent years Marlin has been getting away from it  and promoting Ballard style rifling in their large bores.

[Dr.Hess]

Maybe I'm thinking Polygonal Grooving, not Micro Grooving on the Desert Eagle barrels.  Regardless, the powder coated cast bullets work great.  I've seen the adds in Dillon's Blue Press.  I think even one of the big ammo manufacturers is using powder coated cast boolits.  They don't call it powder coated, but "polymer coated" or something like that.