Ed Harris 45 Cal Cast Bullets; 45 Colt (Ruger Level Loads)

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Larry Gibson posted this 18 February 2017

 

Ed Harris 45 Cal Cast Bullets; 45 Colt (Ruger Level Loads)

 

 

Ed sent along a request to test his 45 Colt “Ruger “level loads  consisting of 7.5 gr Bullseye under the 45-240H1, 45-262H and 7 gr under the 45-290H cast bullets.  None of the three loads generated a MAP higher than the “classic” 45 Colt load of 8,5 gr Unique under a 250 gr 454190 RNFP cast bullet.  That “classic” load is shot by most everyone in Colt SAAs (Gen 2+) and the clones of today.  I have shot thousands of that load myself with the 454190 and the 45-255-KT through my Uberti clone SAAs without a single hitch. 

 

 This is also the last of Ed’s loads to test.  Here is a picture of the test firearm; TC Contender with a 10” octagon 45 Colt barrel.  I’ve laid the 455 Webley, 45 Schofield and 45 Colt cases on it so you can see the relation of the strain gauge to each cartridge.  The gauge is centered as per SAAMI specs for the 45 Colt cartridge.

 

 

Test results:

 

 

 

45 Colt Ruger Level w/45-240H1;   Excellent uniform internal and external ballistics with the 7.5 gr Bullseye load.  Note the M35P velocity measurements were within 1 – 2 fps of the M43s velocity measurement for the entire ten shot test.  The ES (24/25 fps) and SD (7/8 fps) of the velocity measurements is excellent.  The MAP is 16,500 psi(M43) with excellent ES and SD measurements also.  Accuracy is about the best I can do anymore with iron sights.  Velocity in a revolver should be 900 – 950 fps +/-.  Overall an excellent load.

 

Concealment is not cover.........

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Larry Gibson posted this 18 February 2017

 


45 Colt Ruger Level w/45-262H;     Once again we see excellent internal and external ballistics with the 7.5 gr Bullseye load under this bullet.  A velocity ES for both the M35P and the M43 of 16/15 fps and an SD of 5 fps for both is superb, especially for a ten shot test.  The MAP at 17,700 psi(M43) also has superb ES and SD psi’s.  The accuracy is also about as good as it gets with me.  I called the low shot low and also the high shot but did not really call it.  None the less it’s excellent.  Revolver velocity again should be around 900 fps +/-.

45 Colt Ruger Level w/45-290H;    Very interesting here as we see the longer, heavier 45-290H bullet over 7 gr Bullseye come into its own as velocity increases which perhaps has improved the stability(?).   Looking at both the velocity (M35P and the M43) and psi measurements for each shot we see they are very uniform for the 1st 8 shots.  Then for whatever reason the bottom fell out on the last 2 shots.  Both the velocity and psi for both shots was low.  Those two shots also are the low two hits in that otherwise excellent group.  While the MAP is listed at 17,400 psi(M43) it includes the 2 low shots.  If we look at the first 8 shots the MAP is actually closer to 18,200 psi(M43). 

 

 

 

 

 


All in all these 3 loads are very good for use in adjustable sighted revolvers as the impact was 4 – 16” higher than any of the other loads.  The Contender sights could not be adjusted any lower and these groups were impacting 11 – 12” high at 25 yards. 

This ends the tests of Ed’s cast 45 Cal bullets.

LMG

Ed; would you like a hard copy of the Oehler data printouts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concealment is not cover.........

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RicinYakima posted this 18 February 2017

Thank you very much Larry, these are going into my permanent file. (On paper, printed in ink, and in a real file cabinet.)

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John Alexander posted this 19 February 2017

Very nice contribution to the forum Larry.  Thanks for all of us.

John

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Ed Harris posted this 20 February 2017

Larry, 

If you could send a .pdf scan of the data and targets, that would be sufficient.  Also if you care to do a short write-up for The Fouling Shot, it would appear that these loads would have safe general application for modern .45 Colt revolvers other than the Ruger.  While I still wouldn't shoot them in a “black powder frame” Gen1 Colt, they should be fine in the Gen2, Colt New Service and the modern clones.  Thanks for the validations of my loads which I thought worked purty durn good! 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ed Harris posted this 20 February 2017

Thank you also for the .455 Webley loads.

Truly valuable data in this project.

You have performed a great service!

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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