HL 264 Full

7mm TCU In a Rifle!
NEW .45 ACP Loads!

.38 Special and +P Update
.38 WCF in Revolvers
February 2010
No. 264
02
Big Bores Live On!
Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER $5.99
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AMMUNIT ON RELOADING JOUR AL AMMUNITION REL NG JOURNAL
February 2010 Volume 45, Number 1 ISSN 0017-7393 Issue No. 264
8 14 18 22
Revolver Accuracy
Reloaders Press Dave Scovill
24 28 30 32
Bull Barrels in the 1911

Pistol Pointers Charles E. Petty
42
King Gun Sights Colt SAAs

Before Their Time
Charles E. Petty
.41 Magnum Loads

Bullets & Brass Brian Pearce
Load Development
From the Hip Brian Pearce
50
.32 Harrington & Richardson Magnum

Cartridge Board Gil Sengel
Alliants Power Pro 300-MP

Propellant Profiles R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
.45 ACP 200-Grain Performance Loads

The Middle Ground
Brian Pearce
Mistakes
Mikes Shootin Shack Mike Venturino Page 42 . . .

Often Overlooked, Never Ignored
Mike Venturino
60
7mm TCU Rifle

Haviland Battles Winter in Montana
John Haviland
Page 50 . . .
Page 60 . . . 4
Background Photo: 2010 Vic Schendel
Handloader 264
On the cover . . .
Two Colt Single Action Army .38 WCFs (top and middle) are shown with a Colt New Service, also chambered for the .38 WCF. Photos by Yvonne Venturino.
Page 60 Page 50 Page 68
Page 68 . . .
Issue No. 264
February 2010
AMMUNIT ON REL NG JOUR AL AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL

Publisher/President Don Polacek Associate Publisher Mark Harris Editor in Chief Dave Scovill Managing Editor Roberta Scovill
68
Cartridges That Smell of Gun Smoke

Big Bores Live On
Terry Wieland
Art Director Gerald Hudson Production Director Becky Pinkley
Contributing Editors
Associate Editor Al Miller John Haviland Ron Spomer Brian Pearce Stan Trzoniec Charles E. Petty R.H. VanDenburg, Jr. Clair Rees Mike Venturino Gil Sengel Ken Waters
78
.38 Special Update

Standard Pressure and +P
Mike Thomas
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Handloader (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bimonthly by Polacek Publishing Corporation, dba Wolfe Publishing Company (Don Polacek, Pres ident), 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301 (also publisher of Rifle magazine). Tele phone: (928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions single issue, $5.99; 6 issues, $22.97; 12 issues, $39.00. Foreign and Canada single issue, $5.99; 6 issues $29.00; 12 issues, $51.00. Please allow 8-10 weeks for first issue. Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights reserved. Change of address: Please give six weeks notice. Send both the old and new address, plus mailing label if possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader Magazine, 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Handloader, 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona 86301. Canadian returns: PM #40612608. Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
91 94
Master Index
Volume 44 -
No Shortage of Lessons
In Range Terry Wieland
Publisher of Handloader is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of published loading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Publisher assumes all North American Rights upon acceptance and payment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.
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2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A Prescott, AZ 86301 Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124
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Background Photo: 2010 Vic Schendel
Handloader 264
REVOLVER ACCURACY
RELOADERS PRESS
s Brian Pearce alludes to in this issue in his feature on the .45 ACP with 200-grain bullets, we receive regular requests for accuracy loads for a variety of revolver and semiautomatic cartridges. For the most part, the requests are so general that it is sometimes difficult, if not impossible, to narrow the broad selection of bullets and powders to a single solution. Thats especially true for cast bullets, which come in a variety of shapes, sizes and alloy composition the latter of which affects hardness and, in turn, affects velocity and accuracy potential. If we factor in possible variations in chamber and barrel dimensions, we sometimes dont have a clue about what might shoot well in any given handgun. We can offer an educated guess, of course, but its still a guess; albeit, in my situation at least, its based on 50 years of solving my own problems.
by Dave Scovill
bushes and dirt to salvage brass, which is not to ignore the littering factor. So, I put in a supply of factory loads from Winchester, Federal and Speer/CCI. In the end, I fired around 13 different factory loads, but only one Speer/CCI Lawman with the 200grain jacketed hollowpoint, aka: the flying trash can was capable of hitting a three-pound coffee can at 50 yards.
Some imported Colt replicas reek of reamer marks.

Of course, the definition of accuracy depends on what a load might be used for hunting, plinking, target shooting or home/ self-defense. Hunting loads, by their very intent, should shoot as well as possible, say inside 2 or 3 inches at 50 yards. Self-defense loads are held to less stringent requirements minute-of-belt-buckle at 15 feet, for example. I could get some arguments about that, but thats my take on the issue after years of doing my best to avoid nasty folks. Readers are free to form their own opinions. As an example of how demonic some handguns can be in terms of finding a suitable accuracy load, I once had a Colt Series 80 Model 1911 .45 ACP. It was lightly used, and the previous owner said it didnt shoot well with anything he tried. I knew him to be a casual IPSC shooter, so his accuracy requirements were understandable.
I carried the Colt daily for a few years, popping an occasional coyote or rabbit on my morning jog and/or cross-country drive to the office, but after paying through the nose for an accuracy job which cost more than I paid for the Colt and ren-
The Colt New Frontier .45 Colt is shown with the longer 7.5-inch barrel (original equipment) that refused to shoot well with anything but the Nosler 250-grain jacketed hollowpoint. The arrival of the RCBS 45-270-SAA in later years made the Colt a two-bullet sixgun until a new 4.75-inch barrel was installed.
dered even the Lawman loads to mediocre status I gave it to a friend who wanted something for repelling would-be home invaders. And there were others, includHandloader 264
These Kimber 1911s are outfitted with the Burris FastFire II (top) and Crimson Trace Laser Grip (bottom).
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I have a general dislike of handloading for semiautomatics simply because I have an aversion to scrounging around in the grass,
www.handloadermagazine.com
ing a most frustrating Colt New Frontier .45 Colt with a 7.5-inch barrel. Some folks might be quick to note that any single action is a dubious choice for anyone set on hunting accuracy long hammer fall, marginal triggers, etc. but Ive had a number of single-action Colts that shot well enough with cast bullet loads to hunt deer and coyotes out to 130 yards or so, which is not to leave out Ruger Blackhawks, either. I was about to give up on the New Frontier when a box of Nosler 250-grain jacketed hollowpoints arrived. The Noslers were seated over 20 grains of H-110 and H-4227 and my old standard, 16.5 grains of 2400, with Federal 150 primers in Federal cases with an inside neck diameter of .448 inch plenty of grip with a moderate crimp to ensure good ignition with a non-magnum primer and relatively slow burning powders. All three loads generated over 1,000 fps from the 7.5-inch barrel. The first critter to challenge the Colt was a jackrabbit that stopped running at what later proved to be 111 paces. The Nosler seated over 2400 dropped the hapless critter like a sack of potatoes. That was several years ago, and since then there has always been a box of .45 Colt loads on hand suited up with the Nosler bullet for the New Frontier for serious work, along with the RCBS 45270-SAA semiwadcutter (which didnt exist in the early going with the New Frontier) over the same powder charge. Looking back, Im at a loss to explain why the New Frontier refused to shoot well with bullets cast from a variety of alloys in the RCBS 45-255-SWC or Lyman 454424 version of the Keith semiwadcutter mould. That is most perplexing, since the Lyman bullet cast from a one-in-15 (tin/ lead) alloy, sized to .454 inch and seated over 13.0 grains of Blue Dot or 16.5 grains of 2400 and the
February-March 2010
Federal 150 primer would print five shots inside 5 inches at 100 yards when fired from a most temperamental Smith & Wesson Model 25 .45 Colt with gargantuan .457+ inch throats in that too-short cylinder! Weve also received a number of requests for accuracy loads for Colt SAA replicas. For that reason, several years ago, I laid in a supply of same from three differ-
ent importers. Calibers range from the .32-20 to .45 Colt. One of the .44 WCFs is a rework with imported Uberti parts by U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co., the other is pure Uberti. Most of the imports are rough inside and chambers reek of reamer streaks and/or cross hatching that tend to leave telltale images on the outer walls of fired cases and/or sticky extraction.
9
Some Colt replicas, with a misplaced full-cock notch on the hammer, position the trigger too far forward, allowing it to snap to the rear of the trigger guard upon firing excessive overtravel.
The .44 WCFs are partial to the RCBS .44-200-RN sized to .428 inch and seated over 16.5 grains of 2400. (The .44 and .38 WCFs and .45 Colt all have the same
powder capacity and can utilize similar powder charges with 200-, 180- and 250grain cast bullets, respectively. That is not a recom mendation, just an observation.) As a practical matter, loads that exceed 17.0 grains of 2400 in .38 and .44 WCF Remington or Winchester brass will inevitably cause case head separations after a few reloads, sometimes only two or three, and rough chambers only aggravate the situation and collect fouling. Experience also suggests the RCBS bullet cast from run-of-themill wheelweight alloy and/or one-in-15 (tin/lead) will shoot well up to 900 fps from a 7.5-inch barrel. The Remington and Winchester 200-grain jacketed softnose bullets measure .427 inch and shoot fairly well in .44 WCF six-
Properly dimensioned .44 WCF cylinders have .428- to .429-inch chamber throats, and barrels measure .427 inch, as do Remington and Winchester .44 WCF 200-grain jacketed bullets.
guns and rifles. As a reminder, .44 WCF Colt barrels measure around .427 inch, with appropriate chamber throats at .428, give or take .001 inch. (A properly chambered .44 WCF sixgun should not chamber a loaded round with a .429inch bullet in Starline brass.) My replica .44s have corresponding measurements. Ruger .44-caliber
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Handloader 264
sixguns .44 WCF, .44 Special and .44 Magnum use .429-/.430inch barrels with slightly larger chamber throats. The only import in my inventory that is relatively clean and free of milling marks in the chambers and inside the frame is a nickelplated Uberti .45 Colt. It shoots well enough with black-pow der loads under the Remington swaged, lead 250-grain bullet (with a smear of SPG in the concave base) and just about any rational .45 Colt cast bullet loads listed in various manuals that do not exceed SAAMI pressure requirements. This brings up another interesting point. A number of folks want to know how strong the imported Colt SAA replicas are. I have no idea, but looking at the quality of workmanship where prying eyes cant readily see, I wouldnt push them much beyond 14,000 psi or thereabouts, which is roughly standard SAAMI for the .32-20 WCF, .38 Special, .38 and .44 WCFs, .44 Special, .45 S&W and .45 Colt. When in doubt, consult reloading manuals for maximum loads with cast and/or jacketed bullets. I draw the pressure line in Colt SAAs at starting loads listed for Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colts with cast bullets, not jacketed designs. (That, too, is not a recommendation, just an observation.) Imported .357 magnums can fire any factory load. There is so much steel surrounding smallercaliber barrels and chambers, e.g., .38 Specials or .32s, they dont concern me, but I reserve stout handloads for Colts, Rugers and Smith & Wessons so chambered. Again, its quality of workmanship that helps form my opinion(s) not Rockwell hardness or some such scientific mumbo jumbo. The catch-22 in all this is that it is folly to buy a relatively inexpensive imported replica and then attempt to horse it up to match +P loads in a Colt, or exFebruary-March 2010
pect it to shoot as well as a finely tuned and polished Colt, U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. or custom six gun, such as a Turnbull Restorations built on Colt or U.S.F.A. Mfg. Co. parts. Even Colts will shoot loose after a steady diet of 17.0 to 18.0 grains of 2400 or 9.0 to 10.0 grains of Unique with 250to 270-grain cast bullets, and I would expect the cylinder pin cross latch on replicas to shoot
loose with lesser loads soon enough. The problem appears to be rooted in heat treating, and some imported cylinder pins and cross latches are starting to turn oval after intermittent use for 8 to 10 years. Ive replaced the cylinder pin and cross latch three times in a Colt SAA .45 Colt that Ive been using since 1973, consuming thousands of loads with 250- to 270-grain cast bullets over
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ustom Bullets
16.5 grains of 2400. So even Colts arent immune. The real problem with replicas is that most suffer from timing problems, when the trigger sear locks into the full-cock notch on the hammer. If the trigger on a Colt SAA locked up at full cock that far forward, it would be logical to expect the trigger sear is broken. On a replica, it represents overtravel, which is hardly conducive to target-grade accuracy. All I have to say about heat treating cylinders is that I cut up an imported cylinder with a somewhat worn fine tooth hacksaw blade to expose the rough chambers and thickness of the wall under the cylinder bolt lock-
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ing notch. The blade went through the chamber walls easily, with just a bit more difficulty than cutting through a 58-inch water pipe. I trust these sixguns are proofed properly, so they are not going to break easily, but I wouldnt push the issue. For anyone who may be under the impression that I dont trust these sixguns, I own a half-dozen and am satisfied with their accuracy potential and reliability with factory duplication loads, and I dont push them beyond that level. The other issue that applies to nearly all replicas, and sometimes to Colts, is sight regulation. A nickel-plated .45 shot 8 inches high and 4 inches left at 20 paces, but most arent off that far, unless you vary much from standard bullet weights for the cartridge of interest. That particularly applies to cowboy loads using light-for-caliber cast bullets at low velocities. The caveat here is that when folks attempt to do things with these sixguns that they were not designed to do, including pressure, velocity or bullet weight, you will have problems to solve.
PERSONAL DEFENSE
I vowed many years ago to avoid getting involved in discussions of handguns and self-defense: loads, bullets, guns, etc. There are sufficient experts around that I dont need to add to the confusion. Lately, however, Ive been working with a Kimber with Crimson Trace grips with a laser light that can be adjusted to accommodate the point of impact with the load of interest. The principal advantage is that you dont really have to aim the handgun, just point the light where you want the bullet to land and pull the trigger simple, efficient and effective. Well, sort of simple. If you jerk the trigger, it will affect bullet placement. One drawback is, of course, battery life. They also shoot across
12 www.handloadermagazine.com Handloader 264
the path of the light when distance exceeds the range the light and load are sighted in for. At modest ranges, they would work fine for hunting as well. If you fail to turn the light switch on, its back to basics by using the issue sights. So folks need to train with and without the light. The other gadget is the Burris FastFire II, where the aiming point is a reflected light on a transparent lens. With the FastFire II, you must raise the handgun high enough to see through the lens, but with practice its quite effective wherever the dot is placed in relation to the target, thats where the bullet will go assuming the dot and load are coordinated. And, as with the Crimson Trace light, you must remember to turn the switch on. Even though Im loathe to crawl around on hands and knees picking up .45 ACP brass, Ive used the Crimson Trace and Burris FastFire II enough to believe they are trustworthy and with practice are much better than searching for the sights in poor lighting conditions. For the trained pistolero, it may be a tossup, but the novice would benefit beyond any doubt.
COMMON SENSE
Within hours after the North Koreans seized the U.S.S. Pueblo in 1968, I was issued two Colt .45 ACP 1911s and was accompanied on and off military installations with an armed escort, but I worked, for the most part, in secure/classified facilities on several islands scattered around the Pacific. Doors on either side of a hallway between classified spaces had keypad locks and required personal or military I.D. Inevitably someone would leave their I.D. in their office and knock on the door. I instructed officers and enlisted personnel to not open the door, even if the admiral was on the other side, which they would have no way of knowing anyway.
February-March 2010
One day an officer knocked on the door and was ignored. By chance, another officer came into the hallway and opened the door with his I.D. The staff officer expressed his displeasure with the combination/I.D. requirement to me in no uncertain terms as a challenge to rank and privilege. Shortly both officers, who outranked me by a combined 30+ years, wound up in
front of the admiral enjoying a brisk lecture on security. To keep the peace, I asked a techtype to drill a hole in the door eye level for the standard issue 5 foot, 4 inch WAVE officer and install a peep lens. The moral of the story is that if you cant see and recognize folks on the other side of any door that provides access to your home or business . . . dont open it.
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.41 MAGNUM LOADS

BULLETS & BRASS
by Brian Pearce
were obtained using 7.5 grains of Alliant Unique with a 223grain Hensley & Gibbs Keithstyle cast bullet 258. That load produced 1,035 fps from a Smith & Wesson Model 657 Mountain Gun with a 4-inch barrel and 1,061 fps from a Ruger Blackhawk with a 612-inch tube. I do have on hand a 231-grain Keith-style cast bullet by a manufacturer that does not supply to the general public. It is a somewhat different design than the 235-grain bullet you mention, but the extra 4-grain weight will prove inconsequential in terms of pressure and velocities, as long as your bullet seats to the same depth in the case. The point being the data presented here should be safe with your bullet. The above 231-grain bullet pushed with 7.0 grains of Alliant Power Pistol produced 974 fps from a Ruger New Model Blackhawk Bisley with a 5 12 -inch barrel. Increasing the charge to 7.5 grains achieved 1,015 fps, while 8.0 grains clocked 1,065 fps. The last load gave the best accuracy with a 25-yard group clustering under one inch from a sandbag rest. Extreme spread was 15 fps for a five-shot string. Cases were from Starline, capped with CCI 300 Large Pistol primers. You will need to determine the accuracy of the Leadhead bullet with that powder charge.
: I have used your reloading information for the .45 Colt, .44 Magnum, .44 Special and .45 Auto Rim and found it very helpful. I am also a big fan of the .41 Magnum and have used your load data with the Cast Performance 250-grain WFNGC and am very pleased with it. I am trying to find some .41 magnum load data for Leadhead bullets, specifically its 235-grain Keith style and am not having much luck. I would like to find a load somewhere between 1,000 and 1,100 fps to use as a general-purpose load. G.B., Morristown TN A: Going back through my notes on the .41 Magnum, good results
The Ruger Blackhawk .45 ACP cylinder can have the headspace changed to accept a .45 Auto Rim cartridge.
fired a single round through the ACP cylinder until now. After reading your articles on the .45 ACP and .45 Auto Rim in revolvers, I became curious and decided to try that cylinder. It works fine with factory .45 ACP loads, but I wanted to try some of the heavyweight cast bullet loads you list. The problem is that since the ACP headspaces on the case mouth, I am not sure if I can get the necessary crimp to keep the heavy bullets in place. I tried chambering the .45 Auto Rim case, but the rim is too thick. Is it possible to alter the chamber so the Auto Rim case can be used? L.C., Las Vegas NV A: The headspace is too tight to allow the unusually thick rim of the .45 Auto Rim to fit. It is possible to have a qualified gunsmith turn the back of the cylinder down, changing the headspace and allowing it to chamber the Auto Rim cartridge.
Handloader 264
RUGER .45 COLT

Q: I have a Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt with the extra .45 ACP cylinder that I bought new in 1972. During the years I have fired thousands of .45 Colt loads through it, mostly handloads, but have never
Alliant Power Pistol was used in .41 Magnum to push a 231-grain Keith-style cast bullet 1,065 fps.
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This alteration is easy to accomplish and should not be costly.
RUGER .44 SPECIAL

Q: First, I want to compliment you on your article on the Ruger Blackhawk .44 Special in the June edition of Handloader magazine. I personally feel it was way overdue, and thank you for the influence you had in making it happen. Ive had a love affair with the .44 and Ruger single actions since 1975. I started today inquiring at our local gun shops to put one on order. A prize such as this will not last long. This brings me to the second reason for writing you. I have asked Ruger in the past if there was a possibility for a .44 Special in the New Vaquero. The response was that there is not enough public interest. I personally think it would be a big hit with the cowboy action group and would make a great all-around working gun
Lipseys has had many requests to chamber the New Vaquero .44 Special, the same as the medium-frame Blackhawk currently in production.
and side companion. After you have had time to think it over (and see that I would be correct) maybe you, with the help of Lipseys, would be able to convince Ruger to produce this little gem. Again, I want to thank you and Lipseys for the Blackhawk .44 Special. E.C., Byrdstown TN A: Thank you for your kind remarks. You may find it of interest that since completing the article on the Ruger Blackhawk .44 Special, Lipseys managed to convince Ruger to increase production to 1,500 units for each of the two barrel lengths (458 and 512 inch). According to Lipseys, sales have been strong. Also I do not take any credit for the birth
The 45-120-3 4 A Guide to Reloading and Shooting the Mighty 45-120

1
of the Blackhawk .44 Special, other than agreeing the gun was long overdue and that it would most certainly sell! I also agree with you that fixed-sighted single actions are very handy and practical everyday working guns (as long as they are sighted correctly), and a New Vaquero .44 Special would indeed be a Special sixgun! In checking with Jason Cloessner at Lipseys, they have had many requests for that gun and will entertain the idea with Ruger.
Find us online at: www.getagripgunbooks.com Address your questions to the author Steve Carpenter Phone: 920-833-2282 E-Mail: shoot45120@centurytel.net
HOCH CUSTOM BULLET MOULDS
.270 WINCHESTER
Q: I am looking for .270 Win chester load data to be used in conjunction with the Nosler 130grain Partition. I am not necessarily looking to achieve the highest possible velocity, but rather looking for consistent accuracy. What powder or powders would you suggest? I am relatively new to handloading but would like to know if it is necessary to weigh each charge, or can they be thrown? Any suggestions you can provide would be appreciated. L.G., Kansas City MO A: I have had good results in the .270 Winchester using IMR4831 powder, with 58.0 grains pushing the 130-grain Nosler Partition to 3,000 fps from a 22-inch barrel, which is below industry maximum pressure limits. Use a large rifle non-magnum primer, and best results will be seen if cases are from one manufacturer (and preferably of the same lot number). Not all powder measures are created equal, but if the variance in thrown charges exceeds 1.5 to not over 2.0 grains for the .270 Winchester, then it would be suggested to weigh each charge to keep loads consistent. To speed that process, set the measure to throw charges slightly under the desired amount, drop that charge onto the scale, then trickle in the remaining grain or two to reach the desired weight.
16 www.handloadermagazine.com
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The 130-grain Nosler Partition in the .270 Winchester can be pushed to 3,000 fps using IMR-4831.
With some practice this method is reasonably fast.
SUPER BLACKHAWK .44 MAGNUM

Q: As a subscriber to Handloader and a beginning reloader, I enjoy your articles. I want to load for my customized 4-inch Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum. I like the load in issue No. 255, wherein you suggest a 250-grain Keith plain-base bullet with 24.5 grains of Hodgdon H-110 capped with a Federal 155 primer for 1,300 fps. My question is, can I use my Winchester brass, or should I use another brand? I dont cast bullets, so can you suggest a source where I can purchase some? D.H., Jackson KY A: The load in question is within SAAMI pressure guidelines for the .44 Magnum, although it is considered maximum. Nonetheless it is safe in any case (including your Winchester brass) that is suitable for reloading. Montana Bullet Works (7730 Hesper Rd., Billings MT 59106; w w w. M o n t a n a B u l l e t Wo r k s . com) offers high-quality, handcast Keith bullets for the .44 Magnum.
Handloader 264
www.hochmoulds.com
.32 HARRINGTON & RICHARDSON MAGNUM

CARTRIDGE BOARD
by Gil Sengel
Then the pesky justification process set in. Upon reading the first reports on the round, which didnt become generally available until mid-1984, the enthusiasm evaporated. No one, not even gun writers, could find a justification for the cartridge or wouldnt acknowledge it. Before getting into this part more deeply, lets look at the background and ballistics of the new round to help rower yet were still titled .32s. The .32 H&R Magnum is even a bit smaller yet. Groove diameters I have measured run .311 inch and bores .303 inch or so. The round is not a .32 caliber, or even a .31, but really a .303, though more than one source insists this can vary .003 to .004 inch. In fact, when Thompson/Center made a Contender barrel available in .32 H&R, it was cut .30 caliber (.300inch bore, .308-inch grooves). Ammunition for the new round was produced by Federal Cartridge, as the project had been a joint venture with H&R. The 1984 Federal catalog showed only one entry for the .32 H&R Magnum. The bullet consisted of a swaged lead semiwadcutter weighing in at 95 grains. Muzzle velocity was given as 1,030 fps from a 458-inch test barrel; energy came to 225 foot-pounds (ft-lbs). A quick look up and down the Energy column of the catalog showed the new round bettered the standard .38 Special 158-grain bullet load by over 10 percent. The .25, .32 and .380 Autos were also below the H&Rs figure. Federal added a second loading in 1985. It featured an 85-grain jacketed hollowpoint achieving 1,100 fps and yielding 230 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle. There could be little doubt as to the new rounds purpose. Yet, as was said earlier, even gun writers struggled with the .32 H&R. One, after firing some 300 rounds through two H&R revolvers, stated trigger pulls were too great in single action mode for any kind of target shooting. Double action was too heavy for moving small game. He had no idea what to do with the cartridge.
Handloader 264
t should come as no surprise that there is a large number of shooters who are constantly looking for another gun. Chambering can be old, new, factory or wildcat. The idea is to bring it to life by handloading. It is this interest and desire to experiment that drives much of the new cartridge development, wildcat and custom gun trade. Also, its just plain fun.
.32 H&R Magnum

F H
E B
Cartridge Dimensions
A - Overall Length -------------1.350 B - Case Length----------------1.075 C - Length to Neck----------------NA D - Length to Shoulder-----------NA
A
E - Rim Diameter ----------------.375 F - Head Diameter --------------.337 G - Shoulder Diameter -----------NA H - Neck Diameter --------------.337 I - Shoulder Angle ---------------NA
Before actually laying our money down, however, human nature seems to demand we have some justification for the purchase. All our toys require this cars, guns, computers, cameras and other non-essentials need a real or imagined reason to buy. We are probably going to get the thing anyway, but we feel better doing so. This process took a nosedive with the announcement of the .32 Harrington & Richardson Magnum in late 1983. Revolver addicts, combined with small cartridge fans in general, knew they simply had to have one.
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us see what the justifiers were up against. The .32 H&R Magnum was simply a lengthened .32 S&W Long (1896) that was itself just a longer .32 S&W (1878). These centerfire rounds evolved from even earlier rimfire versions that in turn copied bullet diameters and powder charges from percussion revolvers. The percussion guns were .31 caliber (.310-inch bore, around .319-inch grooves). Early rimfires were the same but called .32 caliber; just why no one seems to know. When inside lubed centerfires appeared, bullets got even nar-
Another fellow thought the H&R guns useless, but the Ruger Single-Six that was quickly available was perfect for collecting meat for the hunting camp pot. I have yet to see a grouse or bunny, head shot by a .22 rimfire, escape into the forest. How could a larger, noisier round be better? The best of the lot, however, was a chap who did little more than mention that H&R revolvers were available before going to the Ruger pistol. Here he noted the average maximum pressure of the .32 H&R was set at 21,000 CUP. Other cartridges chambered in Ruger revolvers ran to twice that figure, so he promptly worked up handloads generating much higher velocity (and pressure). These would no doubt destroy any H&R revolver! Another scribe at least suspected the truth. He stated the .32 H&R might have self-defense uses, but only in the single action Ruger. Good heavens. Suggesting a single-action revolver for personal protection by choice is like recommending an English longbow! No doubt some could make it work under certain conditions, but not very many. Personal protection was, however, the only reason for the .32 H&R Magnum creation. The U.S. was a different place in 1980 than it is today. Just like it will be a far different place tomorrow if we dont quickly find some political leadership. Many people who never thought about such things before were learning the police were unable to protect them from the growing number of really evil people the courts were refusing to lock up. Also, that law enforcement was under no legal obligation to provide such protection. Events were setting the stage for concealed carry laws. Sales of handguns were increasing. Harrington & Richardson saw an opportunity to sell revolvers to the growing personal protection market. The .32 H&R MagFebruary-March 2010
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num was given an overall cartridge length to fit the cylinder and frame of its existing double action models. These were smallframe guns, so pressure could not run as high as the big magnum rounds. Sure, quality wasnt equal to a Colt or S&W, but the price was a heck of a lot less. Buyers of H&R revolvers were generally not gun people. They were buying a tool to protect themselves and their families. Heavy trigger pulls prevented accidents when guns were carried in pockets at home while doing daily chores and when carried in purses and coats at other times, whether the authorities liked it or not. Unfortunately, H&R was a bit ahead of its time. Unfavorable press by writers who didnt get it or writers/editors who simply couldnt bring themselves to say that here was a revolver and cartridge designed strictly to shoot bad guys didnt help. Reports of variations in cylinder throat and barrel dimensions that led to very poor accuracy soon appeared. Next came tests that seemed to indicate inaccurate runs of factory ammunition. Also, the doom-and-gloom writers were then becoming popular. These were the folks who were always in condition red or orange or some such, because they saw bad guys everywhere. Infinite scenarios were described of citizens forced to shoot their way out of the local restaurant parking lot. Powerful, large-caliber handguns were absolutely mandatory or no one would survive to digest his dessert. Comments in one of these reviews must be mentioned to show how silly this became (and still is to some extent). The author
opined that compared to his favorite 125-grain, full-house-plus .357 Magnum, the .32 H&R slug was just a trundling chunk of misshapen lead. Trundling? Now think about that idiotic statement for a moment. Then we will ask for a show of hands of all those who will place their suitably hairy chest in the path of that trundling chunk of lead, protected by only a suntan and a foreign-made, half-cotton halfplastic T-shirt decorated by some cute phrase or stupid multicolor illustration. Make no mistake, inside 20 feet the .32 H&R Magnum will get the job done for a citizen defending herself, while doing it at a level of recoil and noise that allows repeat shots by someone not deeply trained in such things. This is exactly what it was intended to do. We should also observe that if one objects to an H&R revolver, the little Charter Arms six-shot, alloy frame gun is perhaps the best home the .32 H&R Magnum ever had. Shooting one cylinderful, double action will prove this to virtually anyone. For some reason, 2006 saw the velocity of the 95-grain lead bullet drop 10 fps to 1,020 fps and the 85-grain JHP increase from 1,100 to 1,120 fps; test barrel length went to 5 inches. Federal still lists these two combinations today. Obviously not everyone believed the experts. Yet the experts are still trying to have it their way. The recently announced .327 Federal cartridge uses the same case as the .32 H&R Magnum lengthened by 0.125 inch. It drives a 100-grain jacketed softpoint bullet to a published 1,500 fps from a 4-inch barrel. Pressure, recoil and muzzle blast are now in the realm of .357 Magnum loads. Writers turn out glowing reports on the new self-defense round after their ears stop ringing. Some talk of hunting deer and wild hogs. They insist they really got it right this time. Good heavens!
Handloader 264
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20
MISTAKES
MIKES SHOOTIN SHACK
by Mike Venturino
f you have been a handloader very long, you have made mistakes. Usually they are not disastrous, only inconvenient. Such an example would be when you seat a bullet out so far that it engages the barrels lands upon chambering. Then if that round is unchambered, the bullet sticks and the powder dumps right into the rifles magazine. Most of us have done that. Have no doubt about it, we handloaders are fiddling with potentially dangerous materials and the end result of our efforts our cartridges can generate amazingly high pressures for such a little item. I personally know of no one who has been killed from handloading mistakes but do know of some who have lost various body parts ranging from fingers to eyes. Those accidents can be traced back to mistakes made at the reloading or shooting bench. Personally, I have ruined one .45 Colt and damaged another. Back in 1991 (on our 13th wedding anniversary), I had a 1914vintage Colt SAA .45 let go with my handloads. I had loaded 200
rounds, and the .45 came apart on the first shot of the second five-round cylinderful. I stress that because all five of the first shots were hits, so there wasnt a bullet lodged in the barrel. The other 194 rounds were disassembled and the powder charges hand weighed. None were amiss. So that accident remains a mystery in my mind. Thankfully, I didnt get a scratch. The Colt .45 I damaged was due to pure carelessness. In a hurry to chronograph a load in order to meet a deadline, I thought Hodgdons Universal powder had been loaded but instead had grabbed Hodgdons Clays powder a much quicker burning propellant. That revolvers cylinder ended up with two bulged chambers. Why two? Because although heavy recoil and muzzle blast were noted for that first shot, I went right on shooting. By the second round I knew something was wrong and stopped. Neither of the cartridge cases for those first two shots were very accommodating about coming out of the chambers. They had swelled into the locking notches that
These damaged cartridge cases are the results of handloaders errors. From left to right, 9mm case with wall blown out because a shooter managed to get it chambered with a bullet already stuck in the barrels throat; a .45-90 case starting to separate because it was fired in a wet chamber; a 7mm Express (.280 Remington) that was fired in a 7mm Remington Magnum; and a .25-06 that a handloader gave to someone to repay a favor.
much. Colt fitted a new cylinder, so all ended well. Stop after the first shot seems odd. should be a rule of all handloaders. One fellow had difficulty chambering a second round in his 9mm after the first one failed to fire. So he helped it by pushing harder on the slide. When that second round fired, its case head blew out. What appears to have happened was the bullet from the first round stayed in the chamber throat when its cartridge case had been ejected. By helping the second round chamber, the shooter had just forced that bullet ahead enough (or the one in the case down far enough) to make room for the second carHandloader 264
Two victims of Mikes mistakes are a 1914-vintage Colt SAA .45 (left) that came apart for reasons still unknown but for certainty with Mikes handloads, and a Colt Custom Shop .45 (right) that Mike accidentally bulged two chambers in because he did not pay close attention to the powder he was dumping into the powder measure.
tridge. Amazingly the 9mm suffered no damage, not even a bulged barrel. Many of us handloaders dont make the mistakes at the reloading bench but rather afterwards at the shooting bench. My first one was about 30 years ago when doing an article for Rifle magazine comparing the 7mm Remington Express (.280 Remington) and 7mm Remington Magnum. While doing the photos, I mistakenly put an Express round in the 7-Mag box. It went unnoticed when chambered but not when fired! Luckily the escaping gas didnt damage me, but the Model 700s extractor was blown off the bolt. Personally I know of one .270 Winchester rifle into which a handloader managed to chamber a .308 Winchester round. That rifle came apart. Another handloader showed me a cartridge case that looked like a .30-06 but with a very short neck. It actually had started out as an 8mm Mauser handload the shooter managed to get chambered in a 1903A3 Springfield. He had carried both 8mm Mauser and .30-06 rounds to the range in one 100-round plastic ammunition box. He said it chambered tightly and admitted that should have been his first clue. That old military rifle held. He had it checked out and says today it still shoots well. I am fond of calling Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) silhouette and Long Range Target shooters The sharp end of the stick. Thats because to be competitive in those two disciplines one must not only be a good rifle shot, but also a knowledgeable and experienced bullet caster and handloader. Still we make mistakes. One very well known competitor with several national championship titles to his credit didnt do so great last summer at the Long Range Target Championship. Only after shooting his string did he discover that he had fired .45-90 (2.4-inch case) handFebruary-March 2010
tube (We use such to moisten the fouling just ahead of the chamber so rounds enter freely.) I was using a short one for .40-65. That left the chamber wet for each shot. Not only were some of those cases separating, but all of them also stretched excessively. The top half of the separated cases stayed in the chamber, but Ive seen this happen when that top section goes about halfway down the barrel before lodging. Last and foremost, the absolute worst mistake any handloader or shooter can make is firing ammunition that some other individual has assembled. Not knowing what components, what knowledge or what level of expertise was used in the handloading is a sure recipe for trouble. And it seems like those most eager to pass out their reloaded cartridges are those least competent at the reloading bench. I judge that by the fellow I knew 30 years ago who was fond of repaying favors by giving others his handloads. Last I heard he had four blownup handguns, one blown-up rifle and a dead eyeball to his credit.
At left and right are a standard .30-06 and a standard 8mm Mauser. In the middle is an 8mm Mauser case that someone got to chamber in a .30-06 and then fired it.
loads in his .45-100 (2.6-inch chamber) rifle. Thats not dangerous but not conducive to winning either. For a few years I fiddled with a Sharps reproduction chambered for the .44-90 Remington Straight, which is simply the standard .45-90 case tapered down to take .446-inch bullets. It was a very accurate target rifle, but at the first match I fired with it, the brass started separating about halfway up from the base. Finally it dawned on me that for a blow
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23
BULL BARRELS IN THE 1911

PISTOL POINTERS
by Charles E. Petty
n my column in the October issue (Handloader No. 262), I mentioned that a reader had asked if there was a difference in accuracy between conventional and bull barrels in the 1911, or if they had any advantage. I said my experience was almost exclusively with bushings, which was true, but it made me start thinking about how we might find out. The bad news is that comparisons of one barrel versus another is an apples/oranges thing with too many variables to permit objective judgments. I had given this some serious thought, and with the help of the folks at Brownells, we have a shot at getting close to an answer. I was looking through their catalog for something I needed for another project and stopped to look at the wide selection of 1911 barrels listed. There on page 67 was a listing of barrels from Storm Lake Machine that lit a mental light bulb. They showed both conventional and bull barrels in what they call pre-fit dimensions.
Storm Lake barrels were used for comparison.

The answer was to pick up the phone and ask my friend Larry Weeks at Brownells. He said, I dont know but Ill find out. The answer came back positive with the caveat that the slide would need minor modification to accept the reverse recoil spring plug needed with the bull barrel, but the change would not interfere with the use of standard parts. With the help of a friends Bridgeport milling machine, the tunnel for the recoil spring plug was reamed to accept the reverse plug. The modification removes a relatively small amount of metal, so it does not interfere with the use of the standard plug for the conventional barrel. Bull barrels also require full-length recoil spring guides. That is another variable, but I dismissed it on the basis of a
A Springfield 1911-A1 is shown with both barrels.

We know that the secret to accuracy often lies in the hands of the gunsmith doing the fitting, and no matter how good you are, it is virtually impossible to make something identical by hand. However it was logical to think that the company might use the same basic dimensions for the rear end of the barrel where most of the fitting is done anyhow. It is also reasonable to think that internal dimensions of bore and chamber would be the same within whatever tolerance they allowed. One obvious pitfall would be putting the parts on two different frames and slides, which would introduce another set of uncontrollable variables. Would it be possible to use both types on the same gun?
Charlies barrel test fixture is set up in a Ransom Pistol Rest.

Handloader 264
Table I
load (grains)
Springfield Loaded 1911-A1

velocity (fps) extreme spread (fps) standard deviation 1 2 groups 3 (inches) 4 5 average (inches)
Storm Lake bull barrel: 185 Winchester Match 200 Black Hills LSWC 230 Federal Match Storm Lake standard barrel: 185 Winchester Match 200 Black Hills LSWC 230 Federal Match 710 906 831 101 84 40 19 13 15 1.71 1.57 1.23 1.61 2.15 1.78 0.85 1.65 1.51 1.38 1.84 1.55 1.77 2.78 1.52 average: 1.46 2.00 1.52 1.66 734 892 833 91 116 56 27 34 14 2.26 2.38 2.74 2.67 2.44 2.29 1.75 2.55 1.74 1.46 1.80 2.09 1.57 1.62 1.85 average: 1.94 2.16 2.14 2.06
number of tests that show that full-length rods have no effect on accuracy. The gun chosen for the test was one of Springfields loaded, full-size 1911-A1 models that came with an outstanding slide/frame fit. When the barrels arrived, the first step was to measure them as thoroughly as possible to test my assumption that dimensions other than diameter would be similar. They were in fact very close. When I tried both barrels in the Springfield slide, I was delighted to see no daylight leaking in around the hood (headspace extension). That was always a difficult part of barrel fitting by hand, because you want the barrel to be able to move freely in and out of the battery or locked position with little or no light showing around the hood. Modern manufacturing technology has given us much more consistent dimensions everywhere and here is more proof. When I installed both barrels, the gun locked up very nicely. Each was function tested first with the ammunition to be used, and there were no stoppages. One of the important elements of an accurate gun is the fit of the barrel bushing both to the slide internally and barrel externally. The standard barrel came with a bushing that had a good fit with the
barrel, and a bushing wrench was helpful for turning it in the slide. My test plan was to shoot five, five-shot groups with each of three different loads from the Ransom Rest. The ammunition chosen was an ancient Winchester wadcutter target load, a 200-grain lead bullet load from Black Hills, and Federals vaunted 230-grain ball match ammunition. I started with the bull barrel in the gun and then switched barrels without removing the frame from the rest. Much to my surprise, there was very little shift in point of impact when the barrel was changed. We all should know by now that every barrel is a law unto itself. No amount of measuring will tell us why one barrel will shoot and its twin wont. Obviously this is a major sand trap in my plan, but we can take a little comfort from the fact that the velocity of each load is very close in both barrels. The greatest difference was a mere 23 fps with the Winchester ammunition, and the others were less; in one case only 2 fps. Of course, velocity doesnt tell us anything about accuracy, but it is good evidence that there are no major differences in bore or chamber dimensions between them. It was a relatively simple matter to make sure
February-March 2010
25
both barrels functioned properly in the Springfield and then test both in the Ransom Rest with a simple barrel swap without removing the frame from the rest. The results are shown in Table I and clearly show that the standard barrel is more accurate with a high (95 percent) degree of statistical confidence. I was discussing the results with a friend who asked, How about the barrel tester? Dang, he knew I had one built by my mentor the late Bob Day that made it possible to shoot the barrel alone without any influence from the guns operation. Basically it is just most of a 1911 slide welded upside down into a steel fixture. The front end is a standard bushing arrangement, and a removable breechblock and firing mechanism slips into a pair of slots on the fixture. The firing mechanism consists of a 1911 hammer, sear and mainspring
Table I
load (grains)
Day Barrel Test Fixture

1 2 groups 3 (inches) 4 5 average (inches)
Storm Lake bull barrel: 185 Winchester Match 200 Black Hills LSWC 230 Federal Match 1.58 1.40 1.06 0.74 0.91 1.20 0.99 0.63 0.97 1.12 1.52 1.16 1.13 1.16 1.31 average 0.40 0.98 1.52 average 1.11 1.12 1.14 1.13 0.96 1.44 1.84 1.41
Storm Lake standard barrel: 185 Winchester Match 200 Black Hills LSWC 230 Federal Match 0.82 1.65 1.86 1.49 2.03 2.14 0.71 1.11 1.88 1.38 1.47 1.81
Notes: Velocity data was not repeated, since all ammunition came from the same box used in the first test (Table I).
housing and a breechblock that is adjustable for both headspace and firing pin offset. The barrel is locked in place by a pair of cap screws and a crosspiece with a carefully shaped extension that fits between the bottom barrel lugs. With the screws torqued down, the back end of the barrel simply cant move. Those results are shown in Table II and clearly rained on my parade. This time the bull barrel was slightly but not statistically more accurate. With everything held as constant as possible, about the only plausible explanation is a difference at the front of the slide that fitted the bull barrel better in the test fixture than it did in the real gun. Wouldnt you know, both slides measured the same width at the point where the bull barrel would have touched. The most logical explanation is that when it was shot in the real gun the bull barrel did not settle back to the same spot after each shot. In the test device the barrel never moved except with the recoil of the whole apparatus. Every time I do one of these exercises, my goal is to prove something. I guess the proof this time is that I dont know nearly as much as I thought I did. Gunsmith buddy Mark Morganti said, Sometimes its just black magic or voodoo.
***
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Handloader 264
26
LOAD DEVELOPMENT
FROM THE HIP
s a boy intensely interested in shooting and learning to master sixguns, as well as autoloading pistols, I began handloading at 13. The problem was, we lived over 20 miles from the nearest small town, and resources to learn the trade were very limited.
by Brian Pearce
and consider it an essential tool when developing loads. One of the lessons learned, and continually relearned, is the relationship between accuracy and extreme spreads. In my early years of handloading, often a load was developed with accuracy being the primary test of it, even before chronographing to check it for velocity and extreme spreads. For instance, when trying a new bullet or powder for a given cartridge or gun, a load was assembled, and it was tried for accuracy on paper targets or one of the steel targets set up on the mountain behind our house at 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards. If it shot well, it was considered a good load. What is interesting, however, is that some of the most accurate loads did not always produce the lowest extreme spreads. This has been continually observed in handloads in the years since, and also in factory fodder.
With dies of proper dimension and load development, excellent accuracy can be obtained.
As an extreme example of such, back in the early 1980s, Federal Cartridge offered a .44 Magnum silhouette load with a 220-grain jacketed FMC bullet (manufactured by Sierra). I purchased 500 rounds that featured nickelplated cases and, if memory serves me correctly, was advertised at 1,390 fps. I dont recall what it actually clocked from a Ruger Blackhawk with a 712-inch barrel, but I do remember the extreme spread was more than 150 fps or about four times what my handloads were running. That didnt matter, however, as 25-yard groups were tight and that load would topple the 200-meter rams on demand, absolutely every time, at least if I did my part. Loads that produce low extreme spreads are certainly interesting and desirable, but they dont always translate into the most accurate combination. When trying a given powder or bullet combination, they should always be checked for accuracy in addition to chronographing to check velocity and extreme spread patterns. How a bullet responds to different pressure levels, powder
Handloader 264
The expander ball diameter places pull on the bullet and plays a vital role in accuracy. This .45 Colt expander ball has been turned down to .447 inch.
The handloading manuals I managed to acquire were rather vague and often outdated even in those years. Credible teachers on the subject were few and far between. Nonetheless, I was extremely cautious to assemble loads as shown in manuals or other reliable sources. My desires to know more about my handloads led to the purchase of an Oehler Model 10 chronograph, which was extremely slow, cumbersome and a process to use. At least bullet speeds could be accurately determined and that feeling of shooting in the dark was gone. In the decades since, I have always employed a chronograph
28
The slight bulge in this .357 Magnum cartridge shows a good bulletto-case fit and is perfectly normal.
burn rates, how clean a given powder burns and many other factors have an effect on accuracy and performance. Then there is the shootability factor, wherein powder is evaluated on noise level, muzzle flash (or blast), barrel cylinder gap spitting and other critical performance areas.
CORRECT DIE SPECIFICATIONS

Handloaders tend to be conservative with their money, willing to purchase 40- or 50-year-old used dies at a gun show or gun shop because of an attractive price. Generally, this is not a problem, but when it comes to handgun cartridges, in many instances, die dimensions have changed and for good reason. I recall purchasing several .45 Colt dies (from three different manufacturers) during the 1970s that would not size cases adequately to hold bullets. After sizing and
coil. And accuracy was not up to par. Common wisdom of the era indicated that the dies were designed for prewar Colt SAA guns that took larger bullets, but that was not correct either (a subject that we wont dive into now). Eventually I used a .45 ACP carbide sizer die (hard to find at that time) to size cases, then turned the expander ball (neck expander die) down to .445 inch to obtain the proper bullet-tocase fit. My die set was cobbled together but worked well, and I could handload reliable and accurate ammunition. Over the next few years, all die manu facturers changed .45 Colt die specifications, and a correct set of dies was eventually obtained. Die dimension issues were not exclusive to the .45 Colt, as it has been observed with other common revolver and pistol cartridges in one aspect or another. Rather than discussing specific issues as to why they were the way they were, lets focus on correct die dimensions that will aid in assembling reliable and accurate ammunition. The sizer die should bring the outside case dimension back to its original dimension (or smaller) as outlined by SAAMI to assist in easy re chambering of cartridges and to obtain proper case-to-bullet fit.
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neck expanding cases, bullets as large as .453 inch could be placed into the case mouth, which would drop into the case and rest on top of the powder charge! Moving up to a .454-inch bullet, the case would hold it long enough so that a crimp could be applied, but bullets would jump crimp and walk out the end of the cylinder when subjected to reFebruary-March 2010
The ball of the neck expanding die is the subject of much controversy. The purpose of this die is to prepare the inside of the case to receive the bullet, ensuring uniform internal dimensions regardless of differences between case wall thickness from one case to the next. It also bells or expands the case mouth to allow the bullet to seat
(Continued on page 89)
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eeping up with the changes in the U.S. smokeless powder scene is getting to be quite a job. Alliant Powder, which was formally the Hercules Powder Company and is now part of Alliant Techsystems of Minneapolis, Minnesota, manufactures and markets double-base smokeless powders for the canister trade. Such stalwarts as Bullseye, Red Dot, Green Dot, Blue Dot and 2400, among several others, all come from the Alliant facility in Radford, Virginia. Alliant also markets its Reloder line of extruded, double-base, rifle pro pellants that are manufactured by Bofors, the Swedish powder manufacturer. The latest of the Reloder line, Reloder 17, comes from a Swiss company, Nitro Chemie. Now Alliant has announced its entry into the spherical powder battleground with an entirely new series of powders called Power Pro. Presently, the series consists of five powders: 300-MP (magnum pistol), 2000-MR (medium rifle), 4000-MR (magnum rifle), VARMINT (light rifle) and 3000-LR (large rifle). The powders are manufactured in the U.S. by St. Marks Powders a sub-
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The first of the series to arrive here for testing was Power Pro 300-MP. I was delighted to find it fit into one of the few spots in the handloading powder array where I felt we could actually use a new powder. With the powder came Power Pro 300-MP is a bit some load data for slower than Hodgdons Hthe .22 Hornet and sev110 and Winchesters 296 eral revolver cartridges but faster burning than from the .357 Magnum IMRs SR-4759. In speakto the .500 S&W Maging to Alliant staffers, I num. In Handloader No. 263, found the powder to be a derivawriter Stan Trzoniec, in his fine tive of the St. Marks non-canister SMP 297. This really rang a bell, piece on the .22 Remington Jet, as back when the Olin Corporasettled on H-110 and W-296 as his tion spun off the St. Marks facilpropellants. He may want to go ity into a separate subsidiary, back and try some 300-MP. It also PRIMEX Tech- nologies, Inc., I might be quite useful in the .22 Kwas informed by the PRI MEX Hornet and the .218 Bee. I was folks that SMP 297 was 296 with somewhat surprised to find the a flash suppressant. SMP 297 Alliant data called for standard was an OEM powder sold primastrength primers throughout with rily to companies loading ammuthe exception of the .500 S&W nition for law enforcement and Magnum, where large rifle magother entities for whom a flash num primers were employed. suppressant is important. I dont It has long been my experience know how 300-MP ranks regardthat spherical powders perform ing a flash suppressant additive better with magnum strength compared to the original SMP 297, but at the range recently as the sun Authors Selected Loads was setting, balls of Alliants Power Pro 300-MP fire could be seen bullet charge velocity emitting from the (grains) (fps) (grains) muzzles of several re.357 Magnum 158 17.5 1,308 volvers as 300-MP .41 Magnum 220 20.0 1,202 was being tested, al.44 Magnum 240 24.0 1,462 though the amounts 270 21.0 1,271 seemed to be less 300 21.0 1,225 than with a number of .45 Colt 300 24.0 1,207 other similar powNotes: The .45 Colt load is for Ruger or Freedom Arms reders. volvers only. Not for use in the Ruger New Vaquero. Magnum Anyway, Power Pro 300-MP is a doublestrength primers used exclusively.
Be Alert Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.
30
Handloader 264
spark plugs, especially as temperatures drop. Accordingly, I used them, backing off from maximum charges to start, but also did some side-by-side testing with standard and magnum primers in otherwise identical loads. In every case the magnum-primed loads gave higher velocities, smaller extreme spreads and tighter groups. The velocities with the magnum primers averaged about 50 fps higher, ranging from 40 to 60 fps, depending on the cartridge and bullet weight. In my case, to be fair, the temperatures were in the low 30s, high 20s. Throughout the tests, my barrel lengths were shorter than Alliants and the midpoint of the start/stop chronograph screens was 12.5 feet from the muzzles. Still, my maximum loads were very close to those published. In the .357 Magnum, Alliant listed loads for 125-, 158- and
MP duplicates top 2400 velocities at lower pressures. The .44 Magnum may be the perfect vehicle for 300-MP. It gave exceptional performance throughout with 240-, 270- and 300-grain bullets. I particularly liked 300-MP with Speer 300grain jacketed bullets, easily exceeding 1,200 fps with 21.0 grains and hitting 1,300 fps with 22.0 grains. With the Speer 270 grainers, 21.0 grains recorded 1,271 fps; a maximum load of 22.0 grains, 1,350 fps. The 21.0grain load was very pleasant and would likely do all I need doing. I had asked about the absence of .45 Colt data (for strong single actions such as the Ruger or Freedom Arms) and was told the powder was likely too slow. They hadnt tried it, I suspect, but my first attempts were quite promising. I paired Starline cases and
170-grain bullets. I chose the 158, starting with 17.5 grains and clocking 1,308 fps from a 4 58 inch barrel. Another grain (18.5) added another 100 fps (1,410 fps). I actually preferred the lighter load as generally more pleasant and suitable for most purposes. The .41 Magnum was not listed, but I paired 300-MP with Speer 220-grain bullets. Twenty grains gave 1,200 fps, about maximum in my gun. H-110 might produce higher velocities here, but 300-
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February-March 2010

Often Overlooked, Never Ignored
These are Mikes three .38 WCF revolvers. From left: Colt SAA 712 inch, Colt SAA 512 inch and Colt New Service 512 inch. The new Service dates from about 1908, and the single actions are from the late 1990s.
32
Mike Venturino
Photos by Yvonne Venturino
considerable amount of misinformation and confusion floats around concerning the .38 WCF, more popularly known today as the .3840. The original name will be used for the purposes of this article, because that is how all three of my revolvers so chambered are caliber stamped.
Here is an example of some confusion. In both Cartridges of the World, 9th Edition and Speer Reloading Manual Number 14, it is stated that this round was introduced by Winchester for its Model 1873 as early as 1874. I feel that other sources giving 1879 as the introduction year are correct. Also I recently received some computer scans of early Winchester catalogs from a
The .38-40 name for the .38 WCF is a relatively modern moniker. An early round (left) is shown with a modern case. Note the smaller primer in the early .38 WCF.
An opinion also stated in Cartridges of the World, 9th Edition and one with which I do agree is that the .38 WCF makes a far better revolver cartridge than one for a rifle/carbine. The first handgun model so chambered was the Colt Single Action Army in 1884, which seems a little odd. With Colt having such good sales of .44 WCF (.44-40) Frontier Six-Shooters starting in 1877, it is surprising that it took them five years to begin chambering SAAs for .38 WCF. Still thats what the sources say. Evidently that companys doubleaction Model 1878DA followed soon thereafter, but I cannot find mention of a definite date of introduction in any reliable research book. Later, around the turn of the century, Colt brought out the big frame, swing cylinder double action the New Service. One of its primary chamberings was .38 WCF. Over the century since S&W first introduced large N-frame revolvers, very few have been chambered as .38 WCF. Make that darn few; I have never seen even one. For years Ive been fond of writing that when law enforcement wanted a new autoloading handgun cartridge more powerful than the 9mm Luger but less powerful than the .45 ACP, some wise technician at one of the ammunition companies simply envisioned .38 WCF black-powder ballistics in a new case. That is a .400-inch, 180-grain bullet at
www.handloadermagazine.com 33
reader who has made a study of WCF cartridges, and they indicate the introduction year for .38 WCF was 1879 with a 37-grain black-powder charge under a 160-grain lead RN/FP bullet. In 1881 the powder charge was increased to 40 grains, and in September 1882 bullet weight was increased to 180 grains. Finally in July 1892, Winchester reduced the powder charge to 38 grains.
February-March 2010

about 900 fps. The result has become the vastly popular .40 S&W. However, let me relay a conversation I had at a gun show as an Above left, all three of Mikes revolvers carry the same caliber stamp, example of more confusion about hence he calls the cartridge by that name instead of .38-40. Right, the .38 WCF. A fellow sagely said Winchester .38 WCF factory loads are the only ones Mike has ever to me, All .40 S&W bullets can be encountered that have the military-style crimp around the primer. used to load the .38-40, since One is shown center in this photograph flanked by military .30-06s. theyre the same weight and diameter. As far as that goes he was correct. The problem arises in the matter of crimp, nominally .400 inch in diameter. Second, neither something absolutely necessary for .38 WCF loads Winchester nor Colt ever marked their firearms .38meant for either rifles or revolvers. None of the 40. Marlin began that practice with its lever-action .40 S&W specific bullets jacketed or cast have a rifles and carbines. Winchester and Colt marked crimping groove. The gun show conversationalist The .38 WCF is not a true had things backwards. All .38 WCF bullets with their crimping grooves are perfectly suitable for re.38-caliber cartridge. loading .40 S&W rounds but not vice versa. Of course, with the aid of a knurling tool one can put a theirs .38 WCF (Winchester Centerfire). A slight exception to this came about in 1993 when Colt decrimping cannelure on jacketed .40 S&W bullets. cided to resurrect this cartridge in the Single Action (The exception to this basic rule is that Lymans .38 Army. Then some were stamped .38-40, but to keep WCF bullet 401043 has no crimping groove. Well the confusion ongoing, Colt has also stamped some discuss that one later.) .38 WCF. And, there is even more confusion about the .38 WCF in its name. First off, it is not a true .38-caliber Another point of information, or misinformation cartridge. It takes and always has taken a bullet depending on ones personal experiences, is that the bottleneck shape of the .38 WCF case tends to cause bindBelow left, to set a standard, Mike used these three .38 WCF loads ing in revolvers from cases and/or prior to shooting recent handloads (left to right): Black Hills 180-grain primers backing out upon firing. LFN, Winchester 180-grain JSP and Mikes previous standard handIn thousands upon thousands of load with a 180-grain Oregon Trail bullet over 6.7 grains of HP-38. factory loads and handloads fired Right, the bullets Mike loaded in .38 WCF for this project include through scores of revolvers, that (from left): Lyman 401043 (175 grains), RCBS 40-180-CAS (185 grains), has never happened to me not Desperado Bullet Company 180-grain RN/FP and RCBS custom mould 403-185-SWC (195 grains).
34
Handloader 264
Mike considers the secret of successful .38 WCF handloading to be a full-length sizing die that sets the shoulder of the fired case back far enough for sure chambering in all revolvers. Shown, left to right: a Winchester factory load, a round fired in one of Mikes .38 WCF revolvers and a handload that has been assembled using those 1982-vintage RCBS dies.
once. Evidently, however, it has happened to someone, because Winchesters current factory load has crimped-in primers. While a standard feature on most military ammunition, thats something I have never seen on civilian factory loads except for this single one from Winchester. Of course, that crimp must be removed before seating a new primer. Just for background information I would like to say that my .38 WCF handgun handloading experiences started in 1975. That was with an 1890s vintage SAA. Besides a few other first generation Colt SAA .38 WCFs, Ive owned nine of these new third generation guns. All have been fine revolvers, but nowadays I am down to only two: one each with
Brass for .38 WCF easily becomes a casualty at the reloading bench. Case #1 has a small oil dent. That case can be reloaded, but it will quickly develop the crease shown in #2. Case #3 has a collapsed spot at the case mouth from being bumped into the reloading dies, and case #4 has crumpled because the crimp missed the crimping groove.
512- and 712-inch barrels. My third .38 WCF revolver is a 1908-vintage Colt New Service with 512-inch barrel. Another bit of .38 WCF (mis)information is that it is a troublesome round to handload. It certainly can be. Yet, when the sizing dies, expander plugs, bullet diameters and even primer pockets all are correct, then it is not so troublesome. What I would say is that the .38 WCF requires a bit of finesse at the reloading bench, and to that end I certainly would not recommend it as a candidate for someones first handloading experience. Lets start with the reloading dies, and here another little story might be helpful. Back in the 1990s, shortly after Colt reintroduced .38 WCF single actions, a fellow called me, and he was more
Left, Mikes very non-technical manner of determining if his .38 WCF handloads have enough crimp is to run his fingernail across it. If it hangs up, there is not enough crimp. Below, Mikes friend Shrapnel blew up this nice 1st generation Colt SAA .38 WCF due to unknown causes.
February-March 2010
35
Mike used three smokeless powders (left) and three black powders in this project.
than a little upset. He was ranting that he was going to sue Colt. The problem was that his handloads would not chamber in his new Colt SAA. I asked one simple question, Does your new Colt chamber factory ammo? It did, and so I followed up with, Then the factory did its job. Now its your job as a handloader to reload cartridges duplicating the factory loads dimensions. That really wasnt what the gent
.38 WCF Loads

bullet (grains) powder charge (grains) velocity (fps) variation (fps) group (inches)
Colt New Service, 512-inch barrel: 180 Desperado Bullet Co. RN/FP Trail Boss Unique 5744 Trail Boss Unique 5744 Trail Boss Unique 5744 HP-38 5.4 8.2 15.0 5.4 8.2 15.0 5.4 7.8 15.0 6.7 747 927 762 746 958 778 714 972 791 865 776 782 775 1,003 879 796 1,003 828 750 1,035 939 875 911 1,024 863 914 888 886 861 32 16 15 16 51 25 7 19 25 19 46 51 9 51 28 23 61 27 19 27 28 35 27 20 23 34 35 33 46 2.25 2.38 3.00 2.38 3.25 2.50 1.75 1.88 2.38 1.38 2.63 1.63 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.38 1.13 1.88 1.75 1.50 1.75 2.38 2.13 6.63 2.88 2.88 1.88 2.88 2.38
185 RCBS 40-180-CAS RN/FP
195 RCBS 403-185-SWC RN/FP
Another bit of .38 WCF (mis)information is that it is a troublesome round to handload.

wanted to hear, but it is true. In fact it is true with all reloaded ammunition. It is just that in handloading the .38 WCF that goal can be more difficult to fulfill. Heres the basis of the problem: As a general rule, .38 WCF revolver chambers allow the shoulder of factory dimensioned cases to blow forward on firing. As close as I can measure with hand-held calipers, the neck on Winchester factory loads with 180-grain JSP bullets ends at .98 inch from the cartridges base. Then upon firing
180 Oregon Trail RN/FP 180 Winchester JSP factory load 180 Black Hills LFN factory load Colt SAA, 712-inch barrel: 180 Desperado Bullet Co. RN/FP
185 RCBS 40-180-CAS RN/FP
195 RCBS 403-185-SWC RN/FP 180 Oregon Trail RN/FP 180 Winchester JSP factory load 180 Black Hills LFN factory load Colt SAA, 512-inch barrel: 175 Lyman 401043 RN/FP
Trail Boss Unique 5744 Trail Boss Unique 5744 Trail Boss Unique HP-38
5.4 8.2 15.0 5.4 8.2 15.0 5.4 7.8 6.7
180 Oregon Trail RN/FP 180 Black Hills LFN factory load 180 Winchester JSP factory load
Swiss FFFg GOEX FFg GOEX FFFg HP-38
33.0 33.0 30.0 6.7

36
Notes: All chronograph readings are for ve rounds taken with an Oehler Model 35P with the start screens at approximately 6 feet. All group sizes are for six rounds red with revolvers mounted in a Ransom Pistol Machine Rest. All smokeless powder loads used Winchester Large Pistol primers and Starline brass. All black-powder loads used Winchester brass and CCI 350 Large Pistol Magnum primers. All bullets were of 1-20 (tin-to-lead) alloy. Bullets cast by Mike carried SPG lubricant. The commercially cast bullets carried their companys own lubricant.
Handloader 264
This was the best group fired with the 712-inch barreled Colt SAA.
it is moved forward .21 inch. For handloaded rounds to chamber positively in all revolvers, that shoulder must be set back to its original or near original location. Unfortunately some .38 WCF reloading dies, especially current designs, do not do this, leaving the shoulder somewhat forward. The result is handloaded rounds chamber freely in some revolvers
This was one of the best groups fired with the Colt New Service with a 512-inch barrel.
but refuse to go all the way into other revolvers chambers. Like any handloading loony, Ive tried many brands of .38 WCF dies while reloading for many rifles, revolvers and carbines. Right now I have one .38 WCF die set among the scores on my reloading bench. They are from RCBS purchased in 1983,
Two of the black-powder loads tried in the 512-inch Colt SAA measured 2.88 inches.
and they set the .38 WCF case shoulder back to exactly 1.00 inch from the case base. Rounds so sized and loaded chamber freely in any revolver Ive encountered. All those other dies have been sold off. (As an aside, I would like to say that this chambering problem has never arisen with any of the .38 WCF rifles and carbines that have come my
February-March 2010
37

way. All easily accepted rounds loaded with any of the die sets Ive owned.) What to do in case a set of dies is not capable of moving that case shoulder back far enough? Well, the evident solution is to do as my friend Shrapnel. He took his resizing die to a friend with a lathe and had him turn the base of the resizing die off ever so minutely until full-length resized cases fell easily into all his .38 WCF revolvers. At this point someone should be asking, Doesnt that heavy re sizing of brass shorten case life considerably? It certainly does. Along with some other .38 WCF traits, case life is short compared to many other handgun calibers.
It is a price one has to pay for using this fine, old round. In fact there are two other factors that contribute to short .38 WCF case life. One is that since the brass has to be lubricated prior to resizing, it is prone to oil dents. Those cases can be used for that last loading, but if they dont split at the oil dent on that firing then they will do so soon. Another problem area is the thin case wall of .38 WCF brass. They are frangible and if even slightly bumped into the reloading dies during processing they will be ruined. Shortly before this article was written, I was visiting with Shrapnel in his reloading room as he ran .38 WCFs through a Dillon 550B. While I watched he bumped at least a half-dozen cases into dies and had to toss them aside. He blamed me for distracting him, but I suspect its a common occurrence. It happens to me also. The only solution I know of
When law enforcement wanted a new cartridge for autoloading pistols, some bright soul came up with the idea of putting the ballistics of the old black-powder .38 WCF into a modern case. The result was the extremely popular .40 S&W.
for this problem is not to bump cases into the dies. Again, consider it the price one must pay in order to use this fine, old cartridge plus some of the nifty firearms chambered for it. That finally brings us to my most recent handloading experiences with the .38 WCF. That came about while sitting in my gun vault studying the various things on the shelves and racks. (I do this often under the guise of working.) Anyway, upon eyeing my three current .38 WCF revolvers, it dawned on me that none had ever been tested for accuracy, except for a few black-powder loads through the 7 12-inch Colt SAA. Long ago, a smokeless powder handload of 6.7 grains of HP38 (or W-231) under most any 170- to 190-grain lead alloy bullet had become my standard. Thousands of that combination have been fired in my revolvers and long guns. In actual fact I could most likely stick with that load in .38 WCF revolvers and remain happy, but this exercise was an excuse to try IMRs Trail Boss powder in this cartridge. By eating up so
38
Handloader 264
much of the available case capacity, this newer, fluffy propellant will certainly help ensure that no double charges occur. (Its the powder I suggested Shrapnel use for his .38 WCF loading.) Since my old standby load is pretty much a factory duplication, it was my goal to develop two more: one for lower velocity fun shooting and a stiffer one just in case one of the .38 WCF revolvers is ever needed for more than plinking or cowboy action competition. To that end I wanted to try a slower-burning propellant. Referring to Lymans Reloading Handbook No. 49, it appears that Western Powders 5744 is the slowest-burning propellant listed for .38 WCF. Among mediumburning handgun powders, Alliants Unique was the choice. As for bullets, over the decades many suitable moulds have passed through my hands. Some were semiwadcutters, some were full
roundnoses, but most were RN/ FPs (roundnose/flatpoints). Only three of the latter style stuck, because I refuse to have different loads for my .38 WCF long guns and revolvers. Thats why the semiwadcutter bullet moulds went. They wouldnt function in
Black powder gives a thunderous roar!

leverguns either due to the loaded rounds overall length or the sharp edges of semiwadcutter driving bands hanging up in traveling from cartridge lifters to chambers. The three moulds used here were RCBSs cowboy action bullet 40-180-CAS, Lyman mould 401043 and RCBS 403-185-SWC. Those last three letters indicate a semiwadcutter design, but I can assure readers that this bullet is enough of a roundnose flatpoint that it slides easily through my
five .38 WCF/.38-40 leverguns. Also worthy of note is that it was the brainchild of Dave Scovill and made by RCBS at his behest. I dont find that exact number listed in any current RCBS catalogs but surely they still have the cherry that made the two moulds for Dave and me. Bullets from these three moulds were cast of 1-20 (tin-to-lead) alloy, lubed with SPG and sized to .401 inch. In previous times I loaded mostly .403-inch bullets for this cartridge, because my 1914-vintage Colt SAA had that size barrel groove diameter and chamber mouths. That gun is gone now, and the new Colt SAAs uniformly have .400-inch groove diameters. Using the Enco plug gauges (see my column in Handloader No. 256), I was surprised to find that all six chamber mouths of these new Colt SAAs likewise are uniformly .400 inch. And even more surprisingly,
February-March 2010
39
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so are the six chamber mouths of that 1908-vintage Colt New Service. Its barrel slugged at just a tiny bit over .400 inch. Upon scouring my storage shed, the only commercially cast bullets found were from Desperado Bullet Co. These are a RN/FP design similar to the standard Magma bullet used by so many custom casters but with one important change. Instead of the bevel base either cussed or loved, depending on the individual it is flat base. Like my home cast designs, the DBC bullets were sized .401 inch and poured of 1-20 alloy. The companys own not-quite-hard and not-quite-soft lubricant was used. The two RCBS bullet designs and the commercial Desperado offerings were all tried with the three smokeless powders with which I had chosen to work. The Lyman bullet then was mated with three black powders, as some shooters do have an interest in trying some of these old WCF cartridges as they were originally introduced. A lot of space wont be used up detailing my initial load work, but once exact powder charges had been determined for the bul-
lets, then those combinations were fired from the New Service and 7 12 -inch SAA with the revolvers mounted in a Ransom Machine Rest. Six-shot groups were fired so that each chamber was tried. After that the 512-inch SAA was used with the blackpowder handloads. The similarities between the smokeless and black-powder handloads were that all rounds were firmly crimped in their proper places. Note that the word places is used instead of grooves. Thats because Lyman bullet 401043 has no crimping groove. It was designed to be loaded over a case full of black powder and then the crimp applied over the bullets ogive, just as I have done. Also, regardless of propellant type, SPG lubricant was applied to the bullets I cast. Crimping is a touchy affair with the .38 WCF because of those thin case walls. If not placed exactly in the crimping groove, the case neck is apt to buckle. Also if too much crimp is applied in the right spot, those thin case walls can bulge outward causing hard chambering. So how much crimp is enough but not too much? My extremely untechnical method is to run my forefinger from the bullet across the crimp and onto the case neck. If it hangs up on the case mouth, there is not enough crimp. If it slides smoothly over the case mouth, Im good to go. The differences between the handloads is that Winchester Large Pistol primers were used with the smokeless powders, but CCI 550 Large Pistol Magnums have always worked better for me with black powders. Starline headstamped brass was used with smokeless powders and Winchester with black. Thats a habit I developed from experience, so that a glance will tell me the type of ammunition Im about to shoot. Starting out my old standby handload and two factory loads
Handloader 264
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were fired first to set a standard. Right off I remembered why 6.7 grains of HP-38 had become my standby. Its accuracy was going to be hard to beat in both revolvers. The factory loads, all in all, did okay but not great. When finished with the group shooting, a few more things were evident. Dave Scovills idea for a .38 WCF bullet is a good one for both revolvers. My opinion is that RCBS is missing a good thing by not making it a standard mould offering. Both RCBS 40-180-CAS and Desperados custom RN/FP shot better from the SAA than the New Service. Trail Boss powder is a fine choice for a mild load. Its muzzle report is as soft as Ive ever heard from a big-bore revolver. Also its velocity variations are downright tiny from such a voluminous cartridge. And if you want a harder shooting handload than available with factory ammunition go to Unique. Except when mated with the heavy 195-grain RCBS/Scovill bullet, 5744 left so much unburned powder in the chambers that at times it had to be blown out before another round would enter. Along those lines I have to say that the Swiss-made FFFg black powder appears too powerful for this application. Its group was widely spread over a 6-inch area, although its velocity beat Uniques. GOEX FFg and FFFg gave slower speeds but acceptable accuracy, and it never fails to amuse me when shooting smokeless and black propellants at nearly the same time. Smokeless loads pop. The black powder powered ones give a thunderous roar! While I would never recommend that a new shooter go searching for a .38-40 to begin his handgunning career, if a veteran shooter and handloader with some interest in historical cartridges and guns starts getting bored, then the .38 WCF will certainly give him much to think about.
February-March 2010
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King Gun Sights
Colt SAAs
Charles E. Petty
hances are, if you browse websites or visit gun shows and look at older guns, you will have seen the name King Gun Sight Co. of San Francisco, California. For decades from the early teens until after World War II, it was the go-to company if you wanted to improve the sights on almost any gun. Its name was on everything, so if you see King stamped on a sight, you can bet it was state of the art when the gun was made.
In those days the sport of bullseye pistol shooting was in its infancy, and the factories turned out guns with fixed or very rudimentary adjustable sights. This is the area where the folks at King broke new ground, for they created a rear sight that was easily and accurately click adjustable for both windage and elevation. In those days Colt used a simple sliding rear leaf that was held in place with a
Before Their Time

setscrew for windage and a rather complex and frangible front sight for elevation. Adjustment was very much a trial-and-error process. Smith & Wesson had its fine tune rear that was adjustable for both elements, but it was very small and clickless. Windage was adjusted by loosening or tightening opposing screws on either side. I learned almost everything I know about King guns by looking for them at gun shows, and interestingly enough 20 or 30 years ago they were often judged as curiosities rather than anything worthy of a purebred collector. I began to buy a few when price and pocketbook were on common ground. Almost all I saw were various Colt double-action revolvers or, rarely, a Smith & Wesson that had begun life with fixed sights.
Charlies restored .45 Colt is a prize winner. The King guns sparked interest in shooting single actions and led to the fun Gong Bong matches that are held twice a year.
It was a relatively simple matter for King to mill a flat cut where the original sight gutter ran, and a small transverse cut provided clearance for the rear sight leaf. Two holes were drilled and tapped: one at the front to hold the sight body and another at the back that made the base for the elevation screw. The sight body was, in fact, the spring that provided tension for elevation adjustment. Most revolver front sights of the period were simply pressed into a semicircular slot milled in the barrel. If youve ever tried to replace one, you know what a pain that can be; so King just used the sight to its advantage. The base of Kings sight is simply made to fit nicely over the original sight. Then one or two small holes were drilled and the new sight pinned to the old one. The sight blade was held by a small screw and was interchangeable. The real beauty of the system was that it avoided the need to refinish. Some of you will surely remember when S&Ws red ramp/white outline sights were a big deal on the .44 Magnum and other revolvers. Well, King did that in the 1930s. You know how sometimes a fea-
February-March 2010
43
Kings
Colt SAAs
ture on a gun is so distinctive that you can identify it clear across the room. The most common of Kings front sights was that key for me. It is a fairly large Patridge sight with a square of red plastic on the front. But thats not the only cool thing. Inset into the sight base is a small, round piece of polished aluminum angled so it reflects light right onto the front sight. Even in dim light, you cant miss the front sight; and out in the sun, its almost too bright. Of course, today we have fiber optics, but it still amazes me that nobody copied the King mirror once the patent ran out. The formal name was King Ramp Reflector. As you would expect, there were several different heights; but in addition to the red, Ive seen plain blue, both Patridge and undercut along with gold or German silver inlays. Keith mentioned King also made his longrange front sight that had three bars to facilitate holdover where the front sight was raised above the level of the rear blade. Just as I was getting really hooked on King sights, I made another discovery. Not long after ventilated ribs appeared on shotguns, King made them for re-
A 712-inch .44 Special (top) with a Colt-King Super Target Rib is shown with a 712-inch .38 Special with standard King sights.
volvers. I remember when Colts Python came out, and everyone thought the ventilated rib was so cool. Really, it was old news. King did it in the 1930s. The ribs are marked Colt King Super Target (or S&W). They are polished on the sides, but the top surface is nicely grooved. King used exactly the same method for attaching to the front sight, but the rib was so precisely made and fit the barrel contour so closely that the only other attachment was the rear sight elevation screw. Once more the top of the frame was milled, and a small transverse cut was made for the rear sight blade. We could debate whether or not the ribs had any practical value, and I would probably concede that they dont, since cooling really isnt a revolver problem but I sure do like the way they look. Elmer Keith didnt and in his book Sixguns, he criticizes them for providing a place for debris to accumulate and stated he preferred the solid ribs S&W was using. Quite a few of the guns shown there have King sights, and they are mentioned often in the book. The guns I found usually showed some use but most still wore their original finish, and it was clear that the King shop was capable of doing good work without damaging the finish. A couple of guns also had truly superior actions, and it was reasonable to assume that King did more than just install sights. It did not take long for me to start calling myself a King collector, and I was attuned to looking for the name in ads and for the distinctive sights at gun shows. I no longer remember where it was, but I vividly recall when my radar detected a Kingsighted gun the next aisle over. I cut across, and when I got just a little closer realized they were on a Colt single action. Who knew? My rather limited experience with single actions, mostly clones, had left me discouraged about their accuracy. I had read the horror stories in the gun magazines,
Handloader 264
The 512-inch .38 Special features a full-length rib. A 434-inch .44 Special (bottom) has standard King sights.
44
Below left, Kings Mirror Reflector front sight is usually seen with a red insert, a visual key to look for when searching for King guns. The front sight is attached by two small pins that pass through the original sight. Right, markings identify the Colt-King Super Target ventilated rib.
where the frame or barrel had to be bent to make it hit where the sights were, and I wanted no part of that. I grew up on western movies and was modestly familiar with the SAA from a collectors point of view at least enough to know the first generation guns were beyond my meager means but I picked it up anyhow. It was a 434-inch .44 Special that had obviously, but not badly, been refinished. I struck up a conversation with the guy behind the table, and I quickly learned he was a Colt purist and thought that putting sights on the gun was sacrilege. It seemed only proper to agree. Fortunately the price tag reflected the crime done to the poor gun. You know it still might be fun to shoot. What would it really take to buy it, I asked? The amount
he stated was a decent reduction, and after an appropriate emotional struggle I said, Okay. Formalities completed, we shook hands and I walked away gleefully patting myself on the back. I had my first King single action. It didnt take long to get to the range and discover how truly inspired my purchase had been. It was really fun to shoot, and the good sights solved most of the problems I had with other single actions. It only took a few clicks to get a good zero. Ive talked about this before, but our range has a series of steel targets at 70 yards, and the 14-inch gong was pretty easy with a cowboy-type load of Titegroup and a 240-grain Keith bullet. I had also discovered there was something different about the action. The trigger pull was very good, but when I cocked the gun,
the hammer didnt seem to go back as far as I remembered. The next time I saw a first generation gun, I made a mental comparison and mine was very different. Mine had what I learned was a rather popular modification called a short action that involved recutting the hammer notches and
Most revolver front sights of the period were simply pressed into a semicircular slot milled in the barrel.
modifying the hand to shorten the travel. Precision shooting with the SAA requires good concentration and follow through because of the long lock time, and the short action job was a big improvement. Then I learned of a man who had two .38s for sale, one with a 5 12 -inch barrel, the other 7 12 inches. The short barrel was not bad in terms of finish and considerably less expensive. It too had the famous King short action that reduces hammer travel close to 50 percent. The longer-barreled sixgun was much nicer with considerable case color and Colts fancy checkered walnut grips. So while I lusted badly for the nicer gun, the state of the treasury dictated the 512 incher. Long before I owned that first Colt SAA, I had dismissed them as a topic of serious study and quickly came to regret that choice, because there is abundant trivia where single actions are con-
Below, some King rear sight leaves have a white outline. Right, the polished aluminum reflector really makes the front sight stand out.
February-March 2010
45
cerned. There is so much to learn, and I soon despaired of ever knowing enough to be safe in separating fish from fowl or original from modified. Fortunately I met a King collector far more knowledgeable who advanced my education and depleted my wallet all at the same time. While I was perfectly comfortable recognizing original parts and finish with the double actions, I concluded that, when it
Above left, the rear sight is fitted into a cut milled into the top strap of the frame and held in place by screws at both ends. The small screw at the front is called a bug screw and prevents the larger screw from shooting loose. Right, the sight has a fine Vernier scale on the body and a witness mark on the leaf to aid in adjustment.
friend told me not to despair; and we began to plan how to turn my sows ear into a silk purse. I had long wanted a .45 Colt, and he found me a nearly new 512-inch first generation .45 Colt barrel. Making big holes out of little ones in the cylinder is childs play if you have the right That 14-inch gong sparked enough interest at the club for one of the officers to initiate a semiannual Gong Bong match that has become quite popular and led to the formation of the mythical National Gong Bong Shooting Society of America. The match is restricted to any singleaction revolver of .32-20 or larger caliber with iron sights. The name came about because most of the cartridges used are slow enough that you get a noticeable interval between the shot and the sound of the hit getting back to the firing line. Shooters who show up with loads that are too fast are generally shunned and rather pointedly told that if the noise of the gun obscures the sound of the gong being hit, their score may be adversely influenced.
There was something different about the action.

came to single actions, it was not a sin to mix and match as long as the King parts were correct. Now I have seen quite a few first generation guns and would not dare to even speculate on originality, and more than once Ive seen guns that looked fine to me that were infested with fleas to the eyes of an expert. Restoration of single actions is a thriving industry, and Ive seen more than a few guns that Col. Sam would have cherished back in the day. Im telling you this because that .38 I bought taught me some painful lessons. When I took it to the range the first time, it was a noteworthy event if the bullet hit where the front sight said it should, and sometimes the miss was a foot or more away. Before I even began to investigate the accuracy troubles, my collector reamers. Then the gun was dispatched to Classic Guns Inc. for the proper blue and to have the frame and hammer color casehardened (again). Jerry Meacham helped with the mechanical work and made a pair of gorgeous walnut grips. The finished product has become one of my most favorite shooters, and accuracy is no longer a concern.
LOADS FOR KING SINGLE ACTIONS

There is nothing wrong with shooting these neat King guns, as long as they are not abused; so over the years I have developed standard loads for the three I shoot most often. All can be used in the gong match, and since practice for that goes on yearround, they are shot regularly. The three are all first generation Colts: a 712-inch .38 Special, 434inch .44 Special and 512-inch .45 Colt.
King Single-Action Loads

caliber (grains) bullet powder charge (grains) primer velocity (fps)
Kings
.38 Special .44 Special .45 Colt
158 LSWC 240 LSWC 255 LSWC
Titegroup
3.0 4.0 5.0
CCI Small Pistol W-W Large Pistol
780 740 670
Colt SAAs
46
Notes: Any case can be used for these loads.

Handloader 264
Kings
Colt SAAs
The match is simple enough: 20 shots slow fire offhand. Most hits win. In the event of a tie, a sudden death shoot-off is held. As if hitting the gong isnt enough of a challenge, shooters go up one at a time, and each shot usually gets an appropriate response from the gallery. Thank goodness the guy who screams Get in the hole. hasnt found us yet. I have no quarrel with the man who sold me the .38 because he, like many collectors, had never shot it, and it became the foundation for my favorite. Long before
Above left, on the gun converted to rimfire, the outline of the original .45 Colt chamber mouth is easily seen. Right, the converted .22 cylinder protrudes from the rear of the cylinder a bit to compensate for the original headspace. It also includes a small relief cut where the firing pin would strike, preventing damage to the chamber.
probably arent in the same caliber they were when they left the factory. But that really doesnt matter. They have become a category of their own, and even the most jaded Colt collector has to admire the quality of Kings work and recognize the contribution it made. Ive never met a King gun I didnt like, but there is one that is almost too neat. Tragically it isnt mine, and the collector who owns it likes it every bit as much as I do so a sale is very unlikely. He was kind enough, though, to let me borrow it awhile. When I first picked up the gun, something seemed terribly wrong. It was far heavier than it should have been. It only took a moment to find out why: It was a .22. The barrel and cylinder that originally were .45 Colt had been skillfully sleeved to .22 caliber. The extra metal added almost a half-pound to the weight. The barrel bore a two line Colt address on top, but the original caliber designation on the left side had been polished away, and it was hand stamped 22 L.R. But those werent the only obstacles to overcome. Changing from centerfire to rimfire is much easier said than done. The original firing pin is simply ground off the hammer, but then a bushing must be made to plug the hole in the frame with a lower hole to match the rimfire case. Ive seen several single actions that have been converted to an internal firing pin with a bushing held in place by a threaded plug that confines a spring-loaded firing pin. The plug requires a spannertype screwdriver that can just barely reach with the hammer in the full-cocked position. The space available dictates the type of modification that can be done, so there is no way to have a straight rimfire firing pin. The rimfire requires an offset of about 0.020 inch. Im not about to take it apart to see for sure how they did it, but my minds eye sees an L lying on its side with the bottom or shorter part facing
Handloader 264
Im telling you this because that .38 I bought taught me some painful lessons.
I called myself a collector I was a shooter and still am so there are very few guns here that I wouldnt shoot if so inclined. As luck would have it, he never sold the 712-inch gun; and after awhile I recovered financially, and the price came down a bit too. So now I have a .38 that shoots great and looks good too. As I have studied these guns, Ive found subtle differences in many, but sadly, there really is no way to tell with certainty who did what to them. Most have been refinished or restored, and a few
The red insert on the front sight almost glows in sunlight.

48
down. At the bottom of that is a small, round protrusion to make the firing pin. Of course, well never know who did the conversion, but I dont think its unreasonable to believe it was done by King. We know the folks at King had the requisite equipment and skill. Today a piece of work like that would be stupid expensive, but back in the 1930s when even highly skilled labor only made $1 or $2 per hour, someone willing to spend $100 could get all manner of neat stuff done. But even more important is something nearly unknown today: a cultural thing where companies even big ones catered to the customer. If the work was practical and the customer would pay for it, it got done.
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Charlie has never met a King gun he didnt like.

For todays collector some of those jobs become real mys teries. Usually there are clues to help, like a finish that is the same all over or an unusual piece that looks like it grew there, but sometimes the best we can do is make educated guesses. Of course, the historical record is sparse or completely absent. A couple of times I got factory letters from Colt to see if the gun was originally sold to King, but I havent been that lucky. Most of the folks I see at the range know about the King guns by now, but once in awhile a stranger will ask to look at one. I no longer yell at them when they say its a Ruger but make it clear they have insulted a fine gun. Some who do recognize it as a Colt will still say something like, I didnt know Colt did that. If they are really savvy and recognize it as a first generation gun with some masterful additions, they get a gold star and a chance to shoot it. Then I get to say, It is not for sale.
February-March 2010 www.handloadermagazine.com 49
Brian Pearce
he .45-caliber Colt Model 1905 autoloading pistol and cartridge were designed by the legendary John Browning with the U.S. military in mind, which purchased 205 units. They put the outfit through their tough testing standards and liked the gun and cartridge, but combat failures in the Philippine Insurrection were fresh on their minds.
The Middle Ground
.45 ACP 200-Grain Performance

For instance the .38 Colt had been adopted in 1892 to replace the Colt Single Action Army .45. The problem was the new cartridge failed to impress the drug-induced warriors, as reports surfaced of U.S. soldiers placing six shots into their chests, only to have them continue the battle! Military brass quickly pulled stored Colt Single Action Army .45s from arsenals. Even with its reduced military load containing the .45 S&W Schofield cartridge stoked with 28.0 grains of black powder and a 230grain bullet at around 730 to 750 fps, it proved lethal, usually stopping the adversary with a single shot. Based on this experience, as well as other skirmishes, military officials asked Browning to increase the bullet weight of the .45 ACP cartridge to 230 grains and add safeties to the gun, which ultimately became the Model 1911. This pistol remains a common choice with combat competition champions, specialized military teams and modern gunfighters that play for keeps. In the past 98 years, the .45 ACP has earned considerable respect by military, police and civilians, primarily firing 230-grain ball loads at around 810 to 850 fps. Even in this solid or ball roundnose form, it is a proven load that hits with authority. And in the last few decades, many expanding hollowpoint and flatnose designs have added options to 230grain bullets. The .45 ACP is an excellent cartridge that is suitable for combat, defense, target
Three guns were used in developing loads, including a Smith & Wesson Model 1911PD. Below, Starline cases were used exclusively to develop .45 ACP handloads.
Loads
February-March 2010
51
.45 ACP 200-Grain Loads

Above, jacketed .45 ACP 200grain bullets included (left to right): Hornady FMJ-C/T, Sierra FPJ Match, Speer JHP, Speer SWC TMJ, Hornady XTP-HP and Speer Gold Dot HP. Left, lead bullets included (left to right): Hornady lead C/T, Oregon Trail Laser Cast SWC, Montana Bullet Works LBT-RFN, RCBS 45-201SWC and Lyman 452460.
and hunting and generally relies on 230-grain bullets for all those jobs. On the other hand, the 200grain bullets cannot be ignored, and I have speculated why Browning chose this weight for the original load. The idea for this article began when I was having a conversation with the folks at Oregon Trail Bullet Company (PO Box 529, Baker City OR 97814; 1-800811-0548) wherein a company spokesperson stated, By far the most popular bullet in the entire product line (which includes more than 50 different cast bullets) is the .45-caliber, 200-grain SWC (semiwadcutter). And in discussing sales with other major companies, such as Speer and Hornady, they likewise confirm that bullets of this weight are very popular. Frankly, I was aware that 200-grain bullets have had a strong following for many decades but not to the degree they have now attained. Considering the many new powders and variety of cast, swaged lead and jacketed bullets available, and the fact that the .45 ACP always ranks high in reloading die sales, it seemed prudent to offer a handloading article dedicated to bullets of that weight only. The .45 ACP changes personalities depending on bullet type. For example various 200-grain cast and lead bullets loaded at 700 to 800 fps make excellent target loads, offering mild recoil and minimal barrel wear. Additionally they usually require minimal powder charges, combined with a comparatively economical bullet, making a good choice for high volume shooters. Select cast bullets prove themselves at velocities up to 1,100 fps and are good choices for general purpose. Moving on to match-type jacketed bullets from Hornady, Speer and Sierra, each proved worthy
Left, Brian used a variety of powders to develop loads for the .45 ACP. Below, Federal Gold Medal 150 Match primers were used to develop .45 ACP data.
52
Handloader 264

choices as they fed reliably in multiple guns, and accuracy was often superb. For those wanting
a defense/hunting load with an expanding bullet, the Speer Gold Dot HP and Hornady HP/XTP are both excellent choices. The only swaged lead bullet tried was the Hornady 200-grain lead C/T. It is a comparatively hard swaged bullet, as it consists of 95 percent lead and 5 percent antimony, offering a Brinell hardness number (BHN) of around 7 to 8. The shank is knurled, which
helps hold the Hornady dry lube. Best results with this bullet were observed at velocities of around 700 to 825 fps, which provided respectable accuracy, and leading was not generally an issue at those speeds. The Oregon Trail Laser Cast SWC features a bevel base, single grease groove with its own lube and a hardness of around BHN 20. The most successful loads in terms of minimal leading and accuracy were usually observed at between 800 to 900 fps. The bullets made by Montana Bullet Works (www.Montana BulletWorks.com) are hand cast with consistently high quality. Its offering from RCBS mould 45201-SWC is similar to the famous Hensley & Gibbs #68 design that features a single grease groove and a plain base. Accuracy was excellent, and it fed easily in multiple guns. Another classic Montana offering is bullets from Lyman mould 452460, which has more than 60 years of history and remains a popular choice. It is an SWC type with a plain base and double grease grooves. Accuracy was good, with reliable feeding in multiple guns. The last offering tried from Montana Bullet Works was its LBT-RFN, which is a semiround flatnose, single grease groove and plain base. By the nature of how this bullet seats, with considerable nose forward of the case, it offers greater powder capacity than most cast bullets. Feeding was utterly flawless and accuracy was noteworthy. The above Montana bullets had a BHN of around 15 and featured LBT lubricant, a combination that resulted in top-notch performance. Due to the comparatively shallow rifling of most .45 ACP pistols (as well as revolvers), I would suggest cast bullets have a hardness of 14 BHN or harder, which will help them hold the rifling, especially at speeds exceeding 950 fps.
54
Handloader 264
.45 ACP Load Data

bullet (grains) powder charge (grains) velocity (fps) overall loaded length (inches)
200 Hornady lead C/T
W-231
Bullseye Titegroup 200 Laser Cast SWC 700-X
Red Dot
W-231
Am. Select
Bullseye
Power Pistol
AA-2
AA-5
VV-N340 VV-N350 ZIP
Titegroup
Unique
Universal Clays
200 Montana/RCBS 45-201-SWC
700-X Red Dot
4.6 5.0 5.4 4.5 5.0 4.4 5.0 4.8 5.3 5.8 5.0 5.5 6.0 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 4.7 5.5 6.0 6.5 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.3 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 7.5 8.5 9.5 6.5 7.0 6.5 7.5 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.5 6.0 6.5 5.5 6.0 6.5 4.8 5.8 5.0 5.5 6.0
714 766 821 776 860 827 911 886 933 994 978 1,030 1,076 797 865 945 1,026 898 980 1,048 1,113 839 895 959 1,046 1,032 1,080 1,106 1,157 886 935 993 894 977 1,076 958 1,049 885 986 940 999 1,069 1,131 874 935 994 872 936 1,010 898 968 1,054 894 1,006 989 1,024 1,066
1.202
The Hornady FMJ-C/T jacketed bullet is available as a bulk offering (1,700 per box) and, in spite of its comparatively economical price, provides uniform accuracy at velocities ranging from around 775 fps to as much as 1,100 fps. It is an SWC profile that provides reliable feeding, which explains why it has become so popular in competition.
1.240
In referencing data, be certain to note the overall cartridge length for each bullet.
The maximum case length for the .45 ACP is .898 inch.
The Sierra FPJ is a truncated cone design with a flatnose and exposed lead in a protected point that assists in reliable feeding. It is manufactured to the same high-quality standards that have become a trademark of Sierra rifle bullets. As expected, function was excellent, and it proved capable of good accuracy. The Speer SWC TMJ is a fully encased lead core design utilizing Uni-Cor technology, which essentially copper plates a lead
55
1.239
February-March 2010
.45 ACP Load Data

bullet (grains) powder charge (grains)
(Continued from page 55)

overall loaded length (inches)
velocity (fps)
200 Montana/RCBS 45-201-SWC
W-231
Am. Select
Bullseye
AA-2
ZIP
Titegroup
Universal Clays
A taper crimp die is strongly suggested when handloading the .45 ACP.
core using a chemical electro process. The results are an unusually uniform bullet that is fully enclosed (an important feature for those who shoot indoors where airborne lead particles can be an issue). The TMJ proved predictably accurate and offered reliable feeding in several guns. The two expanding jacketed bullets that gave the best overall results in terms of feeding, ac curacy and expansion were the
200 Montana/Lyman 452460
Red Dot W-231 Am. Select Bullseye AA-2 AA-5 VV-N340 ZIP Titegroup
200 Montana LBT-RFN
W-231 Am. Select Power Pistol AA-5 VV-N350 Titegroup Universal Clays
200 Hornady FMJ-C/T
Unique Universal Clays VV-N340
The blades of a dial caliper can measure the case mouth to determine correct crimp, which should be .470 inch.
5.0 5.5 6.5 4.7 5.5 6.5 4.5 5.5 6.3 5.0 5.5 6.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.5 6.5 5.0 6.0 5.0 6.5 4.7 6.5 4.5 6.3 5.0 6.0 7.5 9.5 6.5 7.0 5.5 7.0 4.5 5.5 5.0 6.5 4.7 6.5 7.0 8.5 7.5 9.5 6.5 7.5 4.5 5.5 5.5 6.5 6.5 7.3 6.5 7.3 6.3
810 880 1,035 900 995 1,120 845 909 1,047 895 948 1,002 952 1,019 1,055 1,128 880 959 997 902 1,061 970 1,079 805 1,035 905 1,102 844 1,035 890 999 903 1,080 965 1,041 949 1,128 870 989 739 953 817 1,049 922 1,078 832 1,004 764 870 808 957 705 920 929 1,026 969 1,083 782
1.239
1.161
1.241
1.245
Handloader 264
.45 ACP Load Data

bullet (grains) powder charge (grains)

velocity (fps)
200 Hornady FMJ-C/T
VV-N340 Power Pistol Bullseye AA-2 AA-5
Expanding the case mouth adequately will help prevent shaving lead from cast bullets during the seating operation.
Speer Gold Dot HP and Hornady HP/XTP. Both delivered reliable expansion in wet newsprint at speeds of 850 fps. From a 5-inch barrel, each could be pushed to nearly 1,100 fps at standard (non+P) .45 ACP pressures using 8.5 grains of Alliant Power Pistol. It may be interesting to note that the 200-grain HP/XTP has a bearing surface similar to most 230grain ball bullets, while the Gold Dot HP actually has a bearing surface that is slightly greater. There are many powders for handloading the .45 ACP, with most offering accuracy, a clean burn and speeds that will duplicate or even exceed factory velocities. It may be of interest that
200 Sierra FPJ Match
W-231 Titegroup True Blue ZIP Am. Select 800-X 200 Hornady HP/XTP Unique VV-N340 Power Pistol Bullseye AA-5 W-231 Titegroup ZIP Am. Select Universal Clays Power Pistol Bullseye W-231 Titegroup ZIP
Many 200-grain bullets have similar or even greater bearing surfaces than the traditional 230-grain ball load. The Speer 200-grain Gold Dot HP (right) actually has a slightly greater bearing surface than the Speer 230-grain bullet.
February-March 2010
Am. Select 200 Speer Gold Dot hollowpoint Unique VV-N340 Power Pistol
7.0 7.0 8.5 5.0 6.0 5.5 6.5 8.0 9.7 5.6 6.5 4.5 5.5 7.0 8.5 5.5 7.0 5.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 6.5 7.3 6.3 7.0 7.0 8.5 5.0 6.0 8.0 9.7 5.6 6.5 4.5 5.5 5.5 7.0 5.0 6.5 6.5 7.3 7.0 8.5 5.0 6.0 5.6 6.5 4.5 5.5 5.5 7.0 5.0 6.5 6.5 7.3 6.3 7.0 7.0
927 915 1,072 798 965 842 960 841 1,031 786 939 772 953 795 958 829 1,050 796 1,011 818 869 998 1,082 829 941 925 1,088 798 960 870 1,037 809 968 777 977 819 1,045 765 989 946 1,057 901 1,049 780 949 777 928 766 941 818 1,037 780 995 1,009 1,098 820 949 919
1.245
1.230
1.155
1.200
57

military .45 ACP loads for many years contained Bullseye powder, which still offers reliable, clean-burning ammunition and works well with a variety of the
.45 ACP Load Data (Continued from page 57)

200 Speer Gold Dot hollowpoint
Power Pistol Bullseye AA-2 AA-5 W-231 Titegroup ZIP
In the past 98 years, the .45 ACP has earned considerable respect.
200-grain bullets. Other Alliant products that offered top-notch accuracy included American Select and Red Dot. As previously indicated, Power Pistol powder remains an excellent choice for
Am. Select 200 Speer SWC TMJ Power Pistol Bullseye AA-2 W-231 Titegroup ZIP Am. Select
The NEW
200 Speer Jacketed HP
VV-N340 Power Pistol Bullseye AA-2 W-231 Titegroup
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$8500
This is a gage to measure consistency of rim thickness on .22 rimfire ammunition (a .22 rimfire rifles headspace is determined by case rim thickness). The more consistent the rim thickness, the more consistent the ignition of the primer and the powder charge in the case. In other words, the firing pin will fall the same distance every time if the same rim thickness is used on every case being fired for a particular group. By sorting the shells into various groups by rim thickness, a reduction in group size of up to 25% can be realized in some IF NOT MOST rimfire rifles. This information about group reduction comes from the .22 rimfire benchrest participants who compete in the extremely difficult BR-50 matches. All of the top shooters sort their shells into groups by checking rims and weighing the unfired cartridges.
8.5 5.0 6.0 5.5 6.5 8.0 9.7 5.6 6.5 4.5 5.5 5.5 7.0 5.0 6.5 7.0 5.0 6.0 5.5 6.5 5.6 6.5 4.5 5.5 5.5 7.0 5.0 6.5 6.3 7.0 7.0 8.5 5.0 6.0 5.5 6.5 5.6 6.5 4.5 5.5
1,080 802 972 855 981 860 1,042 802 960 781 974 830 1,037 780 993 875 802 934 828 941 732 888 751 920 812 1,027 766 983 801 944 931 1,108 811 970 851 975 794 951 785 969
1.200
1.200
1.270
1.155
Notes: A Kimber Model 1911 Classic Custom Target with a 5-inch barrel (1-in-16-inch twist) was used to fire all loads. Starline cases and Federal Gold Medal Match 150 primers were used throughout. Maximum case length: .898 inch; trim length: .888 inch. Maximum overall cartridge length: 1.275 inches; minimum overall cartridge length: 1.190 inches.
high-velocity loads, essentially offering +P-type performance at standard pressures. Hodgdon Titegroup was predictably clean burning and ac curate, offering low extreme spreads. Winchester 231 (the same powder as Hodgdon HP-38) has been one of the staple powders for loading all bullets in the .45 ACP, and I have used it for more than 30 years. It is still an
excellent choice and works well with all 200-grain bullets. Accurate Arms AA-2 produced low extreme spreads, metered well and was accurate, while 9.7 grains of AA-5 produced nearly 1,050 fps with 200-grain JHP bullets and is a great choice for high-velocity loads. Western Powders Ramshot ZIP performed well at speeds from 900 to over 1,100 fps with cast bullets, while
Handloader 264
BALD EAGLE
Precision Machine Company
101-E Allison St. Lock Haven, PA 17745 TEL (570) 748-6772 FAX (570) 748-4443 Bill Gebhardt, Owner
(NRA Benefactor Member - IBS Life Member)
58
The .45 ACP proved accurate with 200-grain bullets. Examples include the Kimber Model 1911 Classic Custom Target (top) and Les Baer Custom Model 1911 Thunder Ranch Special (bottom).
reliability and higher-velocity loads, naturally with the right bullet for the job. In developing the accompanying loads, Starline cases were used exclusively. It has been my experience (supported by lab testing) that they provide slightly less pressure and often produce somewhat greater velocities than most other case manufacturers. They are available factory direct at 1-800-280-6660. All loads presented in the accompanying table are within industry pressure limits for the .45 ACP (as established by SAAMI) at 21,000 psi. No data for +P loads (23,000 psi) were developed. Speaking of pressures, it is imperative that the column in the load table that lists the cartridge overall length be carefully studied and bullets seated accordingly. The .45 ACP is a relatively
pushing jacketed bullets to around 1,050 fps. It displayed real promise, and I look for it to become more popular in the .45 ACP. While developing load data many notes were taken. Special attention was given to powder volume, or just how full the case was with given powders and charge weights. Frankly there was no evidence that the percentage that the case was filled had a direct effect on accuracy or extreme spreads. In many instances extreme spreads hovered around 10 fps for a five-shot string. We receive many requests for the most accurate load or loads. Many of the loads were cross-referenced in multiple high-grade Model 1911 pistols. A load that performed superbly in one gun was not necessarily the top load in the next gun. Therefore I am refraining from listing specific accuracy loads. Keep in mind that several loads were thrown out due to lackluster performance. As a tip, I would choose the bullet that offers the type of performance for the job at hand, then try different powders or charges to develop the desired load. And frankly, from a defense standpoint, any load listed will
February-March 2010
produce plenty of accuracy for that job, while match shooters will seek loads that offer reliability (or function) and adequate accuracy in their comp gun. I have occasionally hunted with Model 1911s, and generally lean toward accuracy,
59
7mm TCU Rifle

John Haviland
n the dark and cold of winter, I think about shooting. Last winter the notion of a light recoiling rifle cartridge that was cheap to shoot gnawed on me for weeks. The more I thought about such a cartridge, the more features it had to have until I nearly reached a point of overload. The solution finally came while thumbing through handloading manuals, in the handgun sections. The cartridge was the 7mm TCU, which has been popular for decades in the Thompson/Center single-shot Contender handgun.
The 7mm TCU turned out to be a good choice for the following reasons: 1) It burns 20-some grains of various powders that convert into a mild recoil; 2) .223 cases, which the cartridge is based on, are inexpensive and easy to form; 3) it shoots bullets from 100 to 175 grains; and 4) lots of loading data is readily available. Plus, from a 21-inch barrel, the 7mm TCU produced a velocity increase of 200 to 400 fps over the 10- and 14-inch barrel the cartridge is commonly chambered in. Texas gunsmith Charlie Sisk was lukewarm about chambering the little 7mm cartridge in a rifle. Exactly how many weeks have you been snowbound up there? he asked. He finally allowed the project might have some merit as a light rifle good for casual shooting and maybe some deer hunting. Sisk started to work building the rifle on a Savage Single-Shot Target action with a .223-size bolt head.
He put a Lilja barrel with a one-in-9-inch twist on the action and cut it to 21 inches. The barreled action was held in a McMillan synthetic Sporter stock. The rifle weighs a feather under 6.5 pounds and right at 7.5 pounds with a Leupold VX-3L 3.5-10x 50mm scope in Talley aluminum rings. While Sisk was busy making the
Handloader 264
Heavier bullets, like this Hornady 162-grain A-MAX, must be seated out quite a ways in the 7mm TCU cases. That cartridge length, though, will fit in a short-action rifle.
Haviland Battles Winter in Montana

The Sisk Rifles 7mm TCU weighs 6.5 pounds, slightly more with a Leupold scope in Talley aluminum rings. The pictured Leupold 2.5-8x scope was later replaced with a Leupold VX-3L 3.5-10x 50mm, bringing rifle weight up to 7.5 pounds.
rifle, I ordered a set of Redding 7mm TCU seating and full-length sizing dies.
FORMING CASES
Cases for the 7mm TCU are based on .223 Remington brass. Expanding the case necks to 7mm leaves a rather slim and slender shoulder on the cases. Care must be taken to keep from ruining that shoulder.
February-March 2010
During an unrelenting snow storm, I started forming 7mm TCU cases from once-fired Winchester .223 brass. With the inside of the necks lightly lubricated, the cases were run over a .25-caliber expander ball and then a 7mm ball. I found later expanding the case necks worked just as well by running the cases over the 7mm expander ball in the Redding sizing die. Only two necks split while forming 150 cases. Both times I was daydreaming
7mm TCU
Rifle
and failed to push the cases all the way into the shellholder, and they entered the die off center. Most of the cases were right at the 1.730-inch trim length, and some were a bit shorter. Still, I ran them through a case trimmer to true up the mouth rims and chamfer the insides of the mouths. Some say the case necks should be annealed after they are expanded, but so far the cases have been loaded five or more times and none of the necks have split. I thought about turning the case necks to true them, but the necks were only .010 inch thick, and even the slightest amount of trimming would ruin them. The expanded necks were off center with the case body be-
Dies for the wildcat 7mm TCU are readily available from Redding.
tween .005 and .010 inch. Expanding case necks in the Redding 7mm TCU sizing die did not reduce that neck runout. Various instructions state 7mm TCU cases should only be neck sized. The narrow shoulder with a steep 40-degree angle might collapse or at least be set back enough to create excessive headspace if the case shoulder touches the shoulder in the sizing die. I set the Redding die to ever so slightly bump the case shoulders. With that setting none of the shoulders have buckled or developed too much headspace. I did put a chamfer on the case mouths, so bullets seated with a minimum amount of pressure applied to the shoulders. To further reduce the pressure of bullet seating, I also thought about using a neck expander die to widen the inside of the necks slightly and flare the case, but that proved unnecessary. Case length of the 7mm TCU varies a bit, because it is not a standard cartridge. For instance the Hornady manual lists a maximum case length of 1.760 inches and a trim length of 1.750 inches, while the Speer manual lists a maximum of 1.749 and a trim length of 1.739 inches. To stay on the safe side, I kept cases trimmed to the length suggested by the Speer manual.
Below left, once the 7mm TCU cases were fireformed, necks were straight with the case body. Right, the 7mm TCU case (right) is easily formed from .223 brass (left) by running it over a 7mm expander ball. This wide expansion from .22 to .28 caliber did not split the case neck.
LOADING THE 7MM TCU

Cartridge length also differs. An older Nosler manual lists a maximum cartridge length of 2.280 inches, while the current Nosler book notes a length of 2.630 inches. The Speer No. 14 manual lists no standard length but loads lighter bullets with a cartridge length of 2.410 inches and 2.670 inches for heavier 160-grain bullets. The chamber in the 7mm rifle
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These jacketed bullets were shot to determine the highest velocities safely possible with the 7mm TCU. From the left, the bullets are the Speer 115-grain hollowpoint, Speer 120-grain softpoint, Sierra 130grain hollowpoint MatchKing, Sierra 140-grain spitzer, Sierra 150-grain boat-tail, Hornady 162-grain A-MAX and Berger 168-grain Match.
had a long enough throat for a cartridge length a touch under 2.70 inches with the long Hornady 162-grain A-MAX and Berger 168-grain Match bullets. At the other end of the range, I seated Speer 115- and 120-grain bullets with a cartridge length of 2.26 inches, the same as the maximum length for the .223 Remington. I did that to develop a few loads that were short enough to cycle through an AR-type action, in case I might want to chamber the cartridge in such a rifle. Loads are readily available for the 7mm TCU, so there is no need to extrapolate propellant amounts for this wildcat cartridge. Lots of handloading data is listed in the Accurate, Hodgdon, Hornady, Lyman, Nosler, Sierra and Speer manuals for jacketed bullets weighing 100 to 175 grains and cast bullets. I shot bullets from the Speer 115-grain hollowpoints to the Berger 168 grainers and RCBS 7mm 145SIL cast bullets. For fireforming loads I rounded up a bunch of bullets from the few remnants remaining in
Cast bullets shot very well from the small 7mm TCU. However, bullets with a long, full diameter body, as illustrated on the left, had to be seated deeply in the case for a cartridge to fit in the chamber. A bore riding bullet, like the RCBS on the right, fit the chamber with its base even with the bottom of the case neck.
7mm TCU
Rifle
Left, fast-burning handgun powders were used to develop reduced velocity loads with 145-grain bullets. Above, these are a few of the powders used to develop rifle loads for the 7mm TCU.
.30-30 Winchester with 130-grain and heavier bullets. However, the 7mm bullets had a much more streamlined shape than the blunt .30-30 bullets. That translates into about 6 inches less drop way out at 300 yards for the Sierra 7mm 150-grain boat-tail fired from the 7mm TCU compared to the Sierra 150-grain roundnose from the .30-30. The 7mm cartridge, though, burns about four grains less powder to reach the same speeds as the .30-30. Of course, the reason is the 7mm has less case capacity and operates at a higher pressure than the .30-30. Still, a 150-grain bullet trotting along at 2,300 fps is rather slow, and I wondered if the pointed
boxes on my shelf. These 140-, 150- and 168-grain bullets were paired, correspondingly, with 24.0, 25.0 and 26.0 grains of IMR-4895. Fireforming the cases squared up the necks with the bodies. The necks remained square in sub sequent sizing in the Redding sizing die. The 7mm TCU rifle fairly well duplicated the velocities of the
Cases for the 7mm TCU are based on .223 Remington brass.
7mm bullets would expand at some distance from the muzzle. So I soaked a stack of paperback books in a tub of water overnight and placed the books 100 yards downrange. The books were shot with Sierra 140-grain spitzers, Sierra 150-grain spitzer boat-tails and Hornady 162-grain A-MAXs. All three bullets had an impact velocity of about 2,000 fps at 100 yards. The bullets plowed through 14 inches of books, expanded halfway down their length and had a frontal diameter of .65 to .75 inch. Now the stab-em-in-theback mysteries are pretty light reading. But thats deep penetration and wide bullet expansion for bullets hitting at only 2,000 fps, and a deer socked in the ribs with any one of those bullets would expire rapidly. With lighter-weight bullets the 7mm TCU should make a good deer cartridge and does make an acceptable varmint round. A 120-
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Handloader 264
7mm TCU
Rifle
bullet (grains)
These bullets were recovered from water-soaked paper at 100 yards. The bullets expanded well with an impact velocity of only 1,000 fps. From the left is the Sierra 140-grain softpoint, Sierra 150-grain boattail and Hornady 162-grain A-MAX.
grain bullet at 2,600 fps pretty well mirrors the .250 Savage and should make the cartridge adequate for deer and pronghorn out to 250 yards or so, just like the .250. I used the rifle to shoot
7mm TCU
powder charge (grains) velocity (fps) group (inches)
115 Speer hollowpoint
120 Speer softpoint
130 Sierra MatchKing hollowpoint
140 Sierra spitzer
145 RCBS 145-SIL cast
Benchmark BL-C(2) IMR-4895 VV-N130 AA-2460 AA-2520 H-322 W-748 AA-2460 Benchmark BL-C(2) H-4895 Benchmark BL-C(2) H-4895 W-748 Benchmark BL-C(2) IMR-4227
145 Speer softpoint
150 Sierra boat-tail
162 Hornady A-MAX
168 Berger Match
H-4895 2400 H-110 IMR-4227 AA-2460 Benchmark BL-C(2) IMR-4895 Benchmark IMR-3031 IMR-4895 W-748 AA-2460 AA-2520 BL-C(2) H-4895
28.0 33.0 30.0 26.5 30.0 28.0 27.0 30.5 28.5 27.0 30.0 28.0 25.5 29.0 27.0 29.0 23.0 25.0 8.0 8.5 10.0 22.0 10.0 11.0 9.5 28.0 25.0 27.5 28.0 25.0 24.5 27.0 26.0 27.0 27.5 26.5 26.5
2,551 2,676 2,469 2,625 2,605 2,193 2,488 2,472 2,543 2,432 2,435 2,464 2,253 2,259 2,306 2,322 2,019 1,886 960 1,015 1,189 1,827 1,385 1,444 1,147 2,329 2,204 2,161 2,207 2,173 n/a 2,144 2,061 2,252 2,089 2,057 2,229
n/a 1.97 1.15 1.27 2.26 1.10 1.88 1.45 1.45 1.09 1.48 .85 1.11 1.26 1.12 .94 2.74* 1.18* 1.40* 1.93* 1.13* 2.33 1.09 1.11 1.74 1.13 .78 1.09 1.60 1.44 1.14 1.32 1.20 1.36 1.67 .84 1.66**
ground squirrels last spring. The Speer 115 grainer with Vihta vuori N130 shot flat enough out about as far as I could hit the little varmints. Recoil was gentle enough to shoot 50 or so rounds with no bother, but enough to lose the sight picture through the scope, leaving me to wonder if I made a hit or a miss. With jacketed bullets, Benchmark, VV-N130 and Accurate 2460 provided the best accuracy and lowest velocity spreads of all the propellants I tried in the 7mm TCU. The heavier the bullets, too, the lower the velocity spreads. The velocity spread was only 4 fps with Accurate 2460 and the Berger 168-grain Match bullets. Benchmark and the Hornady 162grain A-MAX turned in an extreme spread of 10 and 7 fps with the Sierra 150-grain boat-tail.
Case length of the 7mm TCU varies a bit, because it is not a standard cartridge.
The short throat of the chamber limited the styles of cast bullet that worked in the 7mm TCU. Cast bullets with a long, full diameter body, like the NEI 150.284.GC, had to be seated deeply in the case for a cartridge to fit in the chamber. That seating depth, though, placed the base of the bullet about a quarter-inch below the inside of the case neck. Accuracy is ruined when the soft sides of the bullet
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* average of three, five-shot groups ** 2.46-inch group at 200 yards Notes: Velocities recorded 12 feet from the muzzle of a 21-inch barrel. Cases formed with once-fired Winchester .223 brass; Winchester Small Rifle primers used throughout. All loads fired at 100 yards, except where noted.
66
Above left, this five-shot group at 100 yards was shot with 145-grain cast bullets and IMR-4227. Right, the Sierra 150-grain boat-tails and Benchmark produced this .78-inch group.
Above left, this 100-yard group was shot with Sierra 130-grain hollowpoint MatchKings and H-4895. Right, the Berger 168-grain Match bullets and BL-C(2) powder put three shots in .84 inch.
are exposed like that to the powder gases, so I never tried those bullets. Rifle builder Sisk said he would gladly cut the angle of the throat so such bullets could be seated with their base even with the bottom of the case neck. However, cast bullets with a bore-riding design solved the problem. The long, bore-riding nose of the RCBS 7mm-145-SIL cast bullet fit in the bore, and its short base fit in the case neck with its base at the bottom of the case neck. The mishmash of lead alloy in my pot was fairly soft at the time I cast the RCBS bullets, and accuracy might have been better if I had cast them with a harder lead alloy. Still groups hovered around an average of one inch for three, five-shot groups with 25.0 grains of BLC(2) and 10.0 grains of IMR-4227. Handloaders who shoot the .300 Whisper cartridge (based on the .221 Remington Fireball) are always touting the Whispers ac curate and quiet shooting of its
February-March 2010
are readily available and inexpensive. That cant be said for other cartridges in its class, like the 6.8 Remington SPC, .30 AR, etc. Bullet weights top out at about 150 grains for those two cartridges, and cases cost at least a third more than .223 brass used to make 7mm TCU cases. According to Remington figures from 24-inch barrels, the .30 AR tops out at 2,276 fps with 125grain bullets (this may be a misprint by Remington because other sources state a velocity of 2,800 fps) and the 6.8 SPC at 2,625 fps with a 115-grain bullet. The 7mm TCU easily reached 2,600 fps with 120-grain bullets from a 21-inch barrel. Loaded with these lightweight bullets, all three cartridges fit in an AR action. If I feel like throwing some weight around, I can load the 7mm TCU with bullets weighing up to 175 grains. So my winters contemplation to make a rifle in 7mm TCU has worked out rather well. After shooting the rifle all spring and summer, Im still using all the cases I started with, the cost of powders has been reasonable, and the rifle is just plain fun to shoot. Bring on the winter.
bullets at subsonic velocities. Well, the 7mm TCU can do that too. I tried a few loads with the Speer 145-grain jacketed bullets with relatively fast burning 2400, H-110 and IMR-4227. I should have reduced the charges another couple of grains to get under the speed of sound, but those loads produced little noise and next to no recoil. Even after firing 30 rounds, the 7mms barrel was still fairly cool. If I was going to shoot subsonic loads, however, Id load less expensive cast bullets. With 8.0 to 8.5 grains of IMR-4227, the RCBS 145-SIL cast bullets are below the speed of sound, shoot well and the recoil is so gentle I could see bullet holes appear on the target. Each load cost less than a dime, too.
MORE WHY
Why the 7mm TCU? Because it is an efficient cartridge that produces good accuracy and low recoil with a range of bullet weights from 100 to 175 grains. Plus, cases
Terry Wieland
olchester, England, is a garrison town steeped in history. An hours drive from London, Colchester was the site of the first Roman fort in Britain, has housed army garrisons for 2,000 years and is still home to a British military prison. A combination of ancient history and modern military might give Col chester a rather brooding air.
loves big rifles. Big bores. A few years ago, he built an exact replica of Sir Samuel Bakers notorious Baby, a four-bore shoulder cannon that sets the standard for recoil, complete with nosebleeds and dislocated shoulders. Now Arthur is building a long-range, single-shot, black-powder target rifle chambered for the obscure .650 Gatling. His goal is to win Englands annual one-mile target match, shot at targets on a hillside across a windy valley.
Cartridges That Smell Gun

Roads leading to and from are narrow, twisting affairs, except for the odd straight line, disappearing into the distance, that is descended straight from the Roman legions. You can almost hear the tramping of sandaled feet. On one winding road lies an otherwise nondescript farmhouse with a few outbuildings, a flock of geese guarding the yard and a rottweiler smiling as you get out of your car. You wouldnt think thered be much to guard but youd be wrong. Why? Why these monsters instead of something smaller, more manageable, more . . . civilized? This is the home of Arthur Smith and his company Arms Restoration Services. In the outbuildings lie the equipment to produce any kind of gun barrel, from a seven-tube, .40-caliber Nock Volley Gun to the most modern 20mm helicopter-mounted rifled cannon. Arthur Smith loves rifles. Most particularly, he
I love the big stuff, Arthur says with a wicked smile. It does something, and theres nothing else like it. Nothing else like it, indeed. This lesson has been learned by the shooting industry in the U.S., over and over. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, when any bore larger than .308 was distinctly pass, there lurked beneath the surHandloader 264
Between them, Ruger and Hornady have done more than any other American companies to foster interest in older cartridges, with Ruger chambering its famous No. 1 in this case, a 450/400 3-inch (Jeffery) and Hornady providing brass and factory ammunition.
of
Smoke
Big Bores Live On
Right, as a group, the .458s are the most versatile of the big-bore cartridges, with a wide range of bullets available, both cast and jacketed. Some of the .458 diameter bolt-rifle cartridges include from left: .458 Winchester, .458 Lott, .450 Ackley, .450 Short A-Square, .450 Dakota and .460 Weatherby.
For years, any rifle chambered in .45-70 found a market. Anything. That should have been a clue. The world really began to take note in 1991, when Wolfe Publishing produced an anthology of its big bore articles in a book called Big Bore Rifles and Car-
Left, A-Squares behemoth, the .577 Tyrannosaur, flanked by the diminutive (!) .458 Winchester and the .460 Weatherby. Lurid Internet videos to the contrary, the .577 Tyrannosaur can be handled by an experienced shooter, but it really serves no useful hunting purpose.
face a somewhat embarrassed fascination with the old, the big, the hard-smacking with cartridges that smelled of gun smoke. tridges. It took off and has sold steadily. Then, around 1993, Bill Ruger teamed up with Federal to reintroduce the .416 Rigby. With rifles and ammunition once more readily available, the .416 had new life and has never looked back. Bit by bit, it dawned on rifle makers that there was a market for the old American buffalo cartridges, for the huge British dangerous game rounds and even antique military stuff like the American .50-70 and the British .577 Snider. To Americans, anything over .40 caliber is a big bore; to the British, the minimum is .450. So to head off arguments over semantics, lets settle on .40 and larger. This takes in such diverse and wonderful cartridges as the .40-70 Straight Sharps, as well as the .416 Rigby and .404 Jeffery. No one can look at one of those beasts and argue it is not big. From 1960 until 1990, when al-
most all the great, old big bores were consigned to the wilderness, interest was kept alive by handloaders. If you owned a big rifle, you had to load your own; otherwise, you didnt shoot. It was that simple. Even today, however, with an ever-expanding array of factory ammunition for many of these cartridges and brass available from various sources, handloading is still a vital part of shooting. Sure, you can shoot only factory, but even if money is no object,
The Big Three of the original nitro-express lineup are the .600 NE, .577 NE and .500 NE. Double rifles for any of them are expensive, but there is nothing quite like them.
70
In recent years, .416-caliber cartridges have gained considerable popularity with the .416 Rigby the most popular of all, even at a century old. From left, the .416 Rigby, .404 Jeffery, .416 Remington, .416 Dakota and .416 Weatherby.
Handloader 264
Right, with the .375 H&H (left) for comparison, these big bores are the .510 Wells, .505 Gibbs and .585 GMA. The .510 Wells is ballistically identical (and physically very similar to) the new .505 Empire.
Left, when you get to the .500s, there is no debate. These are big bores. Shown here from left, with a .375 H&H looking dainty by comparison, are the .500 Jeffery, .505 Gibbs, .500 A-Square and .495 A-Square. The .500 Jeffery was made short and compact in order to fit a standard K98 Mauser action.
you will be missing 98 percent of the fun of owning a .50-110, a .577 Snider or a .505 Gibbs. Even the more common cartridges, like the .45-70, .470 Nitro Express and .416 Rigby, offer a wide range of shooting but only if you handload. There are so many aspects to shooting big-bore cartridges targets or game, lead or jacketed, black powder or smokeless that for now well concentrate just on putting big game cartridges to general use, without the need either to load black powder (a discipline all its own) or to cast your own bullets.
THE FRUSTRATING .40S

There is a gaggle of cartridges in this group, from the diminutive .38-40 for lever actions all the way up to the .416 Rigby and, at
February-March 2010
71

The availability of top-quality new brass has breathed new life into many old rifles, like this restored Doug Turnbull Restoration Winchester Model 1886 .40-65 WCF, which still have centuries of life left, if looked after properly.
the high-diameter end, the .425 Westley Richards. Famous .40caliber shooters include Jim Corbett, W.D.M. Karamoja Bell, John Taylor and Harry Selby. While any of the group offers considerable scope for handloading and fun shooting, the one common element is that there seems to be no common element. Factory bullet weights range from 180 grains for the .38-40 up to 450 grains for the .416 Rigby. By my count, there are at least a dozen different bullet diameters used in these cartridges, from .403 to .425 inch. So, while there may look to be a huge variety available, there really is not for any one cartridge. For years this was the bugaboo for the .416 Rigby. It came in one bullet weight, and your only choice was between softs and solids. That even applied to bullets for reloading. This made it difficult to practice very much logistically and economically.
Starline is just one company that has jumped into making brass for old rifles. Its .40-65 brass is a staple among black powder cartridge competition shooters.
At the other end, before cowboy action came along, you could rarely buy either jacketed or cast bullets for the .38-40 in its requisite .403 inch diameter. About the best you could do was buy cast bullets intended for the .40 S&W, imprint a cannelure and take it from there. It was a truly laborious business if you shot any volume. Well, let me reverse that: Because it was so laborious, no one shot it in any volume. Now .403-inch bullets are widely available, in bulk. Today cast bullets in .416 diameter with gas checks are readily available, as are a wider variety of bullets. There is still not a great choice in bullet weights, but at least you can buy economHandloader 264
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Right, CZ offers its 550 Magnum in some major big bores, making a .416 Rigby, .500 Jeffery or .505 Gibbs available to the man of average means.
ing power, he shot elephants with his .275, a .256 (6.5mm) and the 450/400. When hit in the brain, he saw no difference. When hit elsewhere, he saw no real difference. So Bell wired the triggers of his 450/400 so both barrels would fire at once. Again, with a
Left, although it is far from cheap at about $20 per round, Normas new line of African PH ammunition makes it practical to take big bores, like this Granite Mountain African Magnum .505 Gibbs, to Africa even if you dont handload.
ical jacketed bullets for practice ammunition. Recently two famous British rounds have come back in the U.S., courtesy of Ruger and Hornady. The 450/400 Nitro Express (314 inch) and the 450/400 3 inch (Jeffery), aka the .400 Jeffery, are two of the original smokeless adaptations of black-powder cartridges. Interestingly, both tiger hunter Jim Corbett and elephant hunter Karamoja Bell used 450/ 400 double rifles to back up their preferred .275 Rigby (7x57) bolt actions. good hit the elephant went down; without a good hit, it didnt. As he described it, 800 grains of lead powered by 120 grains of Cordite made no perceivable difference in killing power, although I expect it made a difference in recoil. Even the books do not agree on the correct bullet diameters for all the .40s. With the big British rounds, it is a good idea to slug the bore and find out the actual diameter before shopping for either bullets or a bullet mould. Many American lever actions depend on the bumping effect of black powder to expand an undersized bullet to fit the bore, and without this expansion you get either poor accuracy or outright bullet tumbling.
For years, any rifle chambered in .45-70 found a market.

Until the advent of the .375 H&H in 1912, the 450/ 400s were considered the best all-around cartridges for big and dangerous game. The Jeffery variation is a shorter case with a noticeably shorter neck and sharper shoulder, designed to overcome alleged case-sticking problems with the original. At one point Bell carried out an interesting experiment with his 450/400. Wanting to compare killFebruary-March 2010 www.handloadermagazine.com 73
.40-70 Straight Sharps, .40-65, .416 Rigby and 450/400 NE 3 inch over the years, I have reached the conclusion that there are cheaper and easier ways to go insane, but they are nowhere near as much fun. For sheer madness, however, you would have to go far to beat Arthur Smiths current project: building a Nock Volley Gun. This is a seven-barrel, .40-caliber blackpowder rifle, originally a caplock but in Arthurs version it uses a standard primer inside an ig nition chamber. Each barrel is loaded with black powder and three .40-caliber lead balls. There is a central barrel with the other six barrels brazed around it and flash holes from the center to the outer barrels. When you pull the trigger, the primer ignites the central barrel, which in turn fires the others, and all seven barrels go simultaneously. You have 21 .40-caliber balls in the air at once. Samuel Nock made these monsters in both shoulder and handheld models. For charging leopards? Perfect.
For the big British rounds, Woodleigh provides bullets that are first-rate performers on the heaviest game as here in .505 inch for the Gibbs, and duplicate the shape and ballistic performance of the original Kynoch bullets.
Bob Hayley, a bullet caster and custom ammunition maker, has found that loading Unique behind soft lead bullets will give the same effect as black powder not as pronounced, perhaps, but sufficient to give decent accuracy. I have tried it with a .38-55 and a .40-65 WCF, and it worked in both rifles. Having worked with a .38-40,
The only new cartridge in this group of original Kynoch nitroexpress cartridges is the huge .700 H&H (extreme right).
hunting feral hogs and whitetails with big-bore rifles, just for the practice. Nothing like prowling river bottoms looking for hogs with a .458 Lott or .505 Gibbs at the high port. You grow accustomed to the weight and feel of the rifle, and after awhile its as much a part of you as your old 94. To do this, you need either some lighter jacketed hollowpoints or some soft lead bullets, and the .458 has plenty of both. If I had to hunt the rest of my life with just one rifle, it would very likely be a .458 Lott.
THE DIVINE .450S

Compared to the .40s, the .45caliber cartridges are an oasis of sanity and calm. Whether you are shooting a .45-70, .450 Nitro Express, .458 Lott or .460 Weatherby, the bullet diameter is .458 inch. Its enough to make you fall to your knees in thanks. Of course, one mans sanity is another mans boredom, which is why mention of the .450s, American or British, often draws yawns from the crowd. Personally, knowing I can get anything from 250grain jacketed hollowpoints to 600-grain lead gas checks, and any number of mono-metal expanding and solid bullets, makes my .458 Lotts all that much more fun. Instead of worrying about whether I can get them to shoot at all, I can concentrate on getting them to shoot exactly what I want. The last few years, Ive started
To Americans, anything over .40 caliber is a big bore.

Nothing else in the class has quite the same versatility. The .45-70 is shy on power, while the .460 Weatherby, .450 Dakota and similar cartridges are restricted to oversized actions that make for rather awkward rifles. The Lott (and wildcats like the .450 Ackley) can fit into a standard .375 H&H-length action and make up into a very handy and usable 10-pound rifle. Install a good
Handloader 264
74
scope in a genuine detachable mount, and you have a rifle that fills just about every need except 300-yard prairie dogs. And I, for one, can live without that. The original .450 Nitro Express, the cartridge that in 1898 redefined hunting, was eclipsed after 1905 because of a .450-caliber ban in the Sudan and India. Once cartridges like the .470 NE were developed to take its place, the .450 never recovered. Thats unfortunate, because the original .450 NE is a great cartridge. The parent of the 450/400s, the .450 can be built into a slimmer, handier rifle than the .470 class, which are all based on the heftier .500 NE case. A double rifle or single shot, either falling block or break action, is a wonderful all-around big game rifle and has all the advantages of the .458 Lott with vir tually identical ballistics. The Lott can be loaded hotter, but it is really at its best with a 500grain bullet at 2,200 to 2,250 fps. At 2,150, the .450 NE is not far behind. A nice .450 NE double weighs 9 to 10 pounds but balances like a fine shotgun and is very quick for hogs or whitetails. For anyone wanting to venture
into big-bore shooting, there is no better choice than the .458 Lott.
THE BIGGER-THAN-.450S
This category takes in virtually everything else. Between .450 and .500 lies a number of cartridges around .475 diameter, including the famous .470 Nitro Express. Most of the rifles chambered for these cartridges are either doubles, and very expensive, or old single shots. Aside from the financial obstacle, there is the bullet dilemma: There are simply not many bullets to choose from. Bores range from .476 to .489, and because many of these rifles were made by small shops, di ameters vary even among rifles chambered for the same cartridge. The .470 premium, which has applied to double rifle prices for the last 30 years, still exists. Other chamberings are now becoming expensive as well, but .470s are not becoming any cheaper. On the positive side, except for the .475 NE No. 2 and the rare, straight-cased .475 NE, all these cartridges are based on either the .500 NE 3- or 3 14-inch case, so brass is readily available or can easily be resized.
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THE HALF-INCH AND BEYOND

Cartridges .50 caliber and up have been around since muzzleloading days, and in fact most are descended directly from muzzleloading standards. The .577, for example, was originally a 28-bore one pound of lead divided into 28 parts, with each 28th/pound ball measuring .577 inch and exactly 250 grains. In America, .50-caliber car-
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February-March 2010
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tridges were common in buffalo rifles, and the most famous shot ever made on the frontier Billy Dixon knocking an Indian off his horse at 1,538 yards was made with a .50-caliber Sharps. As a result, cast bullets are readily available from any number of sources, and bullet moulds abound, both old and new. Anyone with a .50 is in good shape as far as shooting materials go. Among British double rifles and single shots, there is only the .500 Nitro Express, mostly in the 3-inch version. After a century of being an also-ran, the .500 is suddenly in great demand. Many new double rifles chamber it, and older ones are suddenly sporting a .500 NE premium. It certainly deserves it, because its a great cartridge. But it aint cheap to get into. If you want to try a bolt action instead, the two bolt rifle .50s the .500 Jeffery and .505 Gibbs have suddenly seen a renaissance, and you can not only buy brass but also loaded ammuni-
tion. You can even buy an off-theshelf rifle, the CZ 550 Magnum. The .500 Jeffery for many years was the most powerful magazine rifle cartridge, finally shaded (on paper) by the .460 Weatherby. The Jeffery has a clouded his tory. The cartridge is short and fat, with a very short neck and rebated rim. It is notoriously difficult to make feed from a staggered box magazine. This is not surprising, since it was designed originally to fit into a standard military Mauser 98, fed from a special in-line magazine that lines up the cartridge with the chamber. August Schuler in Germany is believed to have designed the cartridge, which was then adopted by Jeffery and renamed the .500. Early Schuler and Jeffery rifles have this in-line magazine. Recent rifles use a staggered box. A better choice, in my view, is the .505 Gibbs, which is bigger and roomier, with no pressure problems. The only drawback is that it uses a .505-inch bullet instead of .510, like virtually every other .500. Finding cast bullets in .506 can be a real problem, but once you do, it makes a rifle that is as much fun as a big bore can be. Beyond .50 there lie the .577, .600, various wildcats in .585 diameter, the .700 H&H and even 12-bore rifles. In England in September, I had the opportunity to shoot a Holland & Holland fourbore double under construction for an American client. The rifle weighed 24 pounds and was difficult to hold, offhand, for any length of time. I pulled the trigger twice and lived to tell the tale, with no dislocated shoulder, nosebleeds or spinning-top performances. Of course, this rifle was considerably heavier than Bakers Baby, so that might account for it. The one thing I can say in its favor: Going back to a .505 Gibbs felt like I was shooting a varmint rifle. Well, almost.
Handloader 264
Book now for 2009 & 2010 Tel/Fax: (709) 681-2191 dean.wheeler@nf.sympatico.ca www.biggamecanada.com P.O. Box 159, York Harbour, NL, Canada A0L 1L0
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STATEMENT REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF AUGUST 24, 1912, AS AMENDED BY THE ACTS OF MARCH 3, 1933, JULY 2, 1946 and JUNE 11, 1960 (74 STAT. 208), SHOWING THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, and CIRCULATION OF THE HANDLOADER MAGAZINE (PUBLICATION NO. 577540). PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY AT PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, FOR NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2009. 1) The name of the publisher is Don Polacek and the editor is Dave Scovill, Prescott, Arizona. 2) The owner is Polacek Publishing Corporation, 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott AZ 86301. 3) The known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (if there are none, so state.) None. 4) Paragraphs 2 and 3 include, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting; also, the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiants full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bonafide owner. 5) The average number sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the 12 months preceding the date shown was: (This information is required by the act of June 11, 1960, to be included in all statements regardless of frequency of issue.) 123,900 DONALD R. POLACEK, President
76
.38 Spe
Mike Thomas
heres been much discussion in recent years about .38 Special +P ammunition and the firearms suitable for use with it. Unfortunately, the general tone of such talk is often rife with confusion and erroneous information. The handloading aspect adds more bewilderment to the process. Without question, the most common concern is regarding +P use in alloy-framed and/or older, weaker revolvers.
realistic or optimistic and regardless of test barrel length, muzzle velocities even close to these figures would certainly indicate comparatively hot ammunition. The current Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) limit for standard pressure .38 Special ammunition is 17,000 psi. The .38 Special +Ps limit is about 18 percent greater at 20,000 psi. An article appeared in Handloader No. 27 (September-October 1970) titled Pressures of Those Hot .38s by Major George C. Nonte and Neal Knox in which a mix of .38 Special high-performance factory ammunition and comparable handloads were pressure tested in the Super-Vel Cartridge Corp. ballistics lab. A few of the loads noticeably exceeded what would later become SAAMI allowable pressure limits. While no lightweight, alloy-framed revolvers were listed in the tables as test guns, the authors mention in the text that many hundreds of
Standard Pressure and +P

While there was no official +P designation until 1974, ammunition manufacturers had loaded higher-than-standard pressure .38 Special cartridges since the Depression years. HiSpeed (Remington-Peters) and Super-X (WinchesterWestern) were a couple of representative loads. Most featured a 150Facing page, for accuracy to 158-grain lead bulevaluation, Mike fired all handloads from a benchrest let with a muzzle veat 25 yards using an S&W locity around 1,050 Outdoorsman .38 Special. to 1,100 fps. Later, some manufacturers offered 110- to 125-grain jacketed softpoint and hollowpoint bullets, with some of the lighter projectiles loaded to advertised muzzle velocities in the 1,300- to 1,500-fps range. Whether such figures were rounds of high performance ammunition had been fired in such revolvers with no apparent damage. Super Vel is no more, but during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the ammunition produced by this innovative company was undeniably among the most popular for law enforcement use. Snub-nose Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers (alloy-frame versions included) had a large following in the cop world, particularly for off-duty use, and many of these guns were loaded with ammunition that would later carry a +P designation. Reports of gun damage from the high-powered ammunition were virtually unheard of, though few police officers ever fired the little revolvers except for the few rounds needed to confirm reliable functioning. Because of the popularity of the .38 Special cartridge and the many handguns chambered for the round in the last 100 or so years, best advice is to
cial Update
.38 Special
Update
contact the manufacturer to determine +P ammunition suitability. Beware of Internet experts. Just as there is much righteous advice out there, there is probably no better source of bad and potentially dangerous information. Despite someones dubious
Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolvers (top to bottom) are: the Model 638 Airweight, Model 15 Combat Masterpiece and Model 36 Chiefs Special. While some shooters may occasionally fire +P loads in each of these revolvers, the only one factory rated for +P ammunition is the recent Model 638.
claim of having fired 5,000 rounds of +P ammunition through an old Colt Cobra without harm to the gun, its not a good idea to attempt the duplication of what could only be described as a stunt. With regard to .38 Special handloads of the +P variety, muddy waters become murkier. A great deal of load data has changed over the years; only current information should be used. Its interesting to review a few of the loading manuals and examine the approaches taken by the different companies, usually bullet manufacturers, when it comes to .38 Special loads. None are wrong, and all opinions are based on controlled trial and testing far beyond the capabilities of most handloaders. Hornady takes a traditional stance in offering a large variety of loads for both lead and jacketed bullets of its manufacture. Bullet weights run the gamut from 110 to 158 grains; +P loads are limited to jacketed bullets, but lead bullet loads of standard pressure often equal the muzzle velocity obtained with the +P jacketed bullet loads.
Colt Manufacturing Co. recommends against the use of +P ammunition in its older Model .38 Special revolvers, regardless of whether the frame is steel or aluminum alloy. Examples include these guns from the 1950s, (top) all steel Detective Special and the alloy-framed Cobra.
Reviewing the .38 Special section of the current Sierra manual, I kept looking for mention of +P data. There was none and upon conferring with the folks at Sierra, I found they make no distinction between the two pressure levels. Their data has proven safe in handguns that are in good condition, but they further advise that the top load or
Table I
mould
Bullet Moulds
bullet (grains) diameter (inch)
Hensley & Gibbs #50 Lyman 358156 Lyman 358311 Lyman 358429
147 wadcutter 160 SWC gas check 160 roundnose 166 SWC
.3586 .3587 .3586 .3584
Hornady takes a traditional stance in offering a large variety of loads for both lead and jacketed bullets.
for all traditional handgun cartridges for more than 30 years. No need to get into the cast versus jacketed bullet debate here, but Ill mention a few points I was aware of but had given little thought to prior to embarking on this project. As mentioned in the Speer book, cast bullets can be driven faster than jacketed counterparts of similar weights while maintaining safe pressures. With a cartridge like the .38 Special, the velocity gain can be significant. Jacketed bullets may not glide as swiftly down the bore as cast slugs with similar powder charges, but for non-casters they are convenient, save much time and are far more forgiving in terms of overall load development. A jacketed bullet with a diameter of .357 inch or less can provide splendid accuracy in any number of revolvers with minimal experimentation. Also, jacketed loads are much cleaner to shoot. Ive heard folks speak of clean powders and dirty ones. My experience has been that all cast bullet loads, regardless of powder, are comparatively dirty. Accuracy? No difference that I
From a technical perspective, none of the revolvers depicted here are factory-rated for use with .38 Special +P ammunition: (from top) Smith & Wesson Models 14 and 36 and Colt Officers Model Match and Cobra.
two listed for each bullet/powder combination could be considered in the +P realm. A different strategy, certainly, but one based on well-founded test work. Sierra makes only jacketed bullets, and this is reflected in its data with bullets ranging in weight from 110 to 180 grains.
Speer divides .38 Special data into two sections: standard pressure loads in the first, +P in the second. Lead and jacketed bullets are listed in both, but jacketed bullets There are other suitable powders available for use in loading the .38 heavier than 125 grains are not Special, but these examples used by Mike are typical, representing the found under standard pressure practical burning rates for the cartridge. loads. Speers reasoning is that heavier bullets cannot be given adequate velocity to overcome friction and can actually lodge in the bore with powder charges that are too light. The +P section lists data with jacketed bullet weights up to 140 and 146 grains. Lyman, of course, is not a bullet manufacturer as such, but the most recent (49th edition) of its reloading handbooks lists pressure-tested data using alloy bullets cast from Lyman bullet moulds, as well as jacketed bullets from various makers. Standard pressure and +P data are included. I have routinely used cast bullets
February-March 2010 www.handloadermagazine.com
81
.38 Special
Update
can detect. Both bullet types can be very accurate. For test work, I used a Smith & Wesson pre-Model 23 Outdoorsman revolver from the early 1950s, an N-frame gun with the 612-inch barrel and adjustable sights that was designed for high performance .38 Special loads. This wellused gun is big and heavy for the .38 round but is accurate and will not wear down the shooter with the cumulative effect of recoil if several hundred rounds are fired in a single range session. Lets look at cast bullets first since there are only four. Each is a popular style that has been used for decades. There is even one gas check design to add variety to the selection. The Hensley
& Gibbs #50 wadcutter mould is long out of production, but other manufacturers produce a design so nearly identical to it that load data using the light powder charges normally associated with target ammunition should be safely interchangeable. (See Table I.) All weights and as-cast diameters are based on wheelweight composition alloy with a Brinell
Cast bullets used included (from left): Hensley & Gibbs #50, 147grain flatbase wadcutter; Lyman 358156, 160-grain gas check semiwadcutter; Lyman 358311, 160-grain roundnose; and Lyman 358429, 166-grain semiwadcutter. All bullets were cast from a wheelweight/range scrap alloy with a hardness of approximately 11 to 12 BHN.
hardness number (BHN) of 11 to 12. Weight of the gas check bullet is with the gas check attached. Bullets were sized and lubricated using a Redding/SAECO lubricator-sizer. My sizing die is marked .359 inch, but bullets average around .3585 inch, which is about perfect. Besides, there are probably some .38 Special revolvers that wont take a full .359-inch bullet. A bullet sized in a .358inch die that actually does size to a true .358 inch will work as well in most revolvers. Bullets were greased with Perfect Lube, a long obsolete lubricant of which I have a good supply. At .38 Special velocities, I can find no difference in performance or accuracy between Perfect Lube and many others. In hardness and texture, it is similar to Lyman Ideal lube, which is a bit firmer than a half-and-half type mix. However, to duplicate the cast bullet loads listed in the data table, any commer cial lubricant will work. Except under conditions of temperature extremes, bore leading should never be a problem with a balanced .38 Special load regardless of the lubricant.
82
Handloader 264
.38 Special
Update
Ill mention here that loads were assembled in unplated Winchester brass using CCI 500 Small Pistol primers. All bullets, cast and jacketed, were roll crimped in place. Having done a few cursory .38 Special accuracy comparisons of roll crimp versus taper crimp over the years, it appears that taper crimped rounds generally provide slightly better accuracy with cast bullets, but a real test would require firing a sufficient number of groups at 50 yards to confirm these suspicions, and I have not done this. With jacketed bullets being smaller in diameter than the cast ones, I used a roll crimp to ensure a firm bullet grip. A representative variety of jack-
Table II
.38 Special Load Data

147 Hensley & Gibbs #50 wadcutter
Bullseye Titegroup W-231 Bullseye W-231 Unique HS-6 Bullseye Titegroup W-231 Power Pistol W-231 Universal Unique HS-6 Bullseye Universal Power Pistol HS-6
160 Lyman 358156 SWC GC
160 Lyman 358311 RN
166 Lyman 358429 SWC
125 Hornady FP/XTP
140 Hornady HP/XTP
Bullseye W-231 HS-6 Power Pistol
158 Hornady HP/XTP

* Good accuracy
Power Pistol
2.8 3.1 2.5 2.8 3.1 3.8 4.1 (+P) 4.5 4.9 (+P) 5.0 6.4 3.5 3.9 (+P 3.5 4.3 5.0 (+P) 4.5 4.3 4.6 (+P) 4.2 6.0 6.2 5.0 5.5 6.5 7.0 (+P) 7.0 7.8 (+P) 4.5 4.9 (+P) 5.0 6.5 7.1 (+P) 6.0 6.4 (+P) 4.8 5.3 (+P)
751 808 723* 779 687 864 909 871 946* 945 932 825* 885 812* 850* 955 831* 840 867 806 861* 912 903 915 921 963 799 940* 824* 893 704 767* 849 903 957 677* 769*
1.275
1.45
1.52
1.52
1.46
1.46
1.45
eted bullets from Hornady, Sierra and Speer were used: from Hornady, the 125-grain FP/XTP, 140grain HP/XTP and 158-grain HP/XTP; Sierras entries included the 110-grain JHP, 125-grain JSP, 140-grain JHP and 158-grain JHP; those from Speer were the 110grain UC (Uni-Cor) HP and 125grain UCSP. Eight powders were used. From fast- to slow-burn rates, these included Alliant Bullseye, Hodgdon Titegroup, Winchester 231, Alliant Unique, Hodgdon Universal,
Alliant Power Pistol, Hodgdon HS-6 and Alliant 2400. To make things meaningful, many hundreds of loads were fired for this evaluation. There were about as many bullet/powder charge combinations that were accurate as there were those that were not. While a different revolver might provide far different results than mine with some loads, overall test results are probably typical. Loads were derived from the loading manuals referenced earHandloader 264
lier. In keeping with the spirit of the topic, all loads here are within the boundaries of current published data. Taking variables such as brass, primers, test guns, etc. into account, Jacketed bullets used (from left): Hornady 125-grain FP/XTP, Hornady 140-grain most powder charges HP/XTP, Hornady 158-grain HP/XTP, Sierra 110-grain JHP, Sierra 125-grain JSP, Sierra listed are not book 140-grain JHP, Sierra 158-grain JHP, Speer 110-grain HP and Speer 125-grain SP. maximum. However, a couple of ho-hum Bullseye famous Elmer Keith-inspired those loads designated as +P loads, the better of which did no semiwadcutter (SWC) bullet that should not be fired in any firearm better than about 2 inches at 25 has been around for decades. that has not been approved by yards. Titegroup powder, howThis bullet has maintained a folthe manufacturer for use with +P ever, showed a distinct improvelowing that I could never underammunition. stand. Ive used it sporadically I had experience with all the Sierra makes no for 20 years, always giving it up cast bullets and expected no for something that was more acdistinction between great revelations this time around. curate. This time, my loads deHowever, there were a couple of the two pressures. picted the typical unremarkable surprises. The Hensley & Gibbs ment. I then taper crimped a few accuracy I had become accus#50 wadcutter had never imrounds using the same 2.5-grain tomed to until I tried Hodgdon pressed me with its accuracy charge of Titegroup and that HS-6; 6 grains provided a muzzle using Bullseye. While it was reashowed even more improvement; velocity of about 830 fps with sonably accurate, it never seemed in fact, it was very accurate. splendid accuracy. to shoot as well for me as it did for others. For this article, I tried Lyman mould 358429 is the inI have found it rather easy to
February-March 2010
85
.38 Special
Update
develop accurate loads with bullets cast from Lymans 358156 semiwadcutter gas check design and the same firms 358311 roundnose, each weighing 160 grains. In my experience, the accuracy edge goes to the latter, but the difference is small. True, the roundnose bullet does not punch clean, distinct holes in paper targets like the SWC, but this may be more of a perceived disadvantage than a real one. Respectable muzzle velocities well exceeding 900 fps were easily attainable with the test gun and some of the +P loads. Most standard pressure loads were slower by about 50 to 100 fps. Even from the 2-inch barrel of an old Colt Detective Special, muzzle velocities in the 700- to 750-fps realm are safely
Table II
.38 Special Load Data

powder charge (grains)

bullet (grains)
velocity (fps)
158 Hornady HP/XTP 110 Sierra JHP
HS-6 W-231 Unique HS-6
125 Sierra JSP
Unique Universal HS-6
140 Sierra JHP
Universal HS-6 2400
158 Sierra JHC
110 Speer JHP
W-231 Unique HS-6 2400 Bullseye Titegroup Universal Power Pistol
125 Speer JSP
Universal Power Pistol W-231
6.0 6.3 (+P) 5.5 6.0 (+P) 6.4 7.0 (+P) 7.5 8.3 (+P) 5.8 6.3 (+P) 6.0 6.4 (+P) 7.2 7.7 (+P) 6.0 6.3 (+P) 6.5 7.0 (+P) 9.7 10.5 (+P) 4.5 5.4 6.4 9.0 4.7 4.5 5.0 (+P) 6.0 6.2 (+P) 6.0 6.5 (+P) 5.6 6.0 6.5 (+P) 5.6
643* 723* 906* 1,001* 885* 1,115* 771 895* 902* 954 953 1,053* 751* 844* 988* 1,031 721* 765 869* 980* 700 875* 705 768 928* 847 961 958 985* 867 981* 864* 845 937* 846
1.45 1.45
1.45
1.45
1.45
1.46
1.46
* Good accuracy Notes: Chronographed average velocities recorded with a range temperature that varied from approximately 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Accuracy testing performed from a benchrest at 25 yards. All data was safe in the test revolver (see text). Load data is intended for use only by competent persons experienced in the proper and safe practice of handloading ammunition.
attainable using some standard pressure loads with either of these bullets. With jacketed bullets there was no particular weight range that stood apart from the others as far as accuracy potential. Every bullet, regardless of weight was a good performer with at least one or two loads. One shocker was the Sierra 140-grain JHP and 9.7 grains of Alliant 2400 (standard pressure load). This powder has been my favorite for the .357 and .44 Magnums for a long time, but
results (always with cast bullets) had been disappointing in the .38 Special. Not expecting much, I tried 2400 since Sierra listed it in its handbook. The muzzle velocity of 869 fps was unimpressive, but the excellent accuracy was a different story. With a +P load of 10.5 grains, accuracy deteriorated some, but the muzzle velocity was almost 1,000 fps. For reason(s) that I am unaware of, 2400 is seldom recommended now for .38 Special loads. The lower velocity level of jackHandloader 264
eted bullets, particularly those above 125 grains, was markedly depicted during chronographing sessions. Additionally, in some instances muzzle velocities lagged far behind book figures. While some of us might question the utility of a jacketed bullet load with a muzzle velocity in the 650fps range, others might find that it fills a particular niche. No such load was chronographed using a snub-nosed revolver, but I doubt it would beat 550 fps by much, if any. Many bullets were recovered from the dirt backstop on my range. Admittedly, this is an unreliable and less than scientific means for evaluating bullet expansion, but jacketed and cast bullets alike showed little, if any, expansion, just as expected. Even the 110- and 125-grain hollowpoint bullets cannot be depended on to provide consistent expansion at .38 Special velocities.
sals grain size allows easy flow through a measure. From the accuracy standpoint, both generally and specifically with regard to
the powder and bullets used in this report, jacketed bullets seem to respond better to a wider array of powder than do cast bullets.
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Light bullets grouped about 6 inches below point of aim at 25 yards, something to consider when developing loads for any revolver with fixed sights. The problem often becomes exaggerated with snub-nosed guns. Most heavy bullet loads will shoot right on or reasonably close to the point of aim at 25 yards. Just as with bullets, no single powder was best. I dont use much Alliant Unique anymore, only because it does not flow well through my Redding powder measure. However, it remains an excellent powder for the .38 Special. Some advocate using Unique and the much newer Hodgdon Universal interchangeably, and thats probably permissible for lower charge weights, but best advice is to consult the manuals. Many charges in the books are quite close, but there are also notable discrepancies. UniverFebruary-March 2010
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.45 ACP Loads

lined by their respective manufacturers. The .45 ACP is a rimless case and headspaces off the mouth or case length, therefore case length should measure between .8880 and .8980 inch. And a taper crimp is strongly suggested, which should be adjusted to leave the outside of the case mouth measuring .470 inch, which can be checked using blade calipers. The crimp serves to keep the bullet in place as the cartridge slams into the feed ramp, then into the chamber, but also aids in achieving proper powder ignition. When loading cast or lead bullets, it is suggested to flare the case mouth just enough to prevent it from shaving lead during the seating operation, which is usually around 116 inch. Avoid excessive flaring as this will shorten case life and may not allow the case to enter the seat/crimp die. It is also
suggested to seat bullets and apply the crimp as separate steps. The velocities and accuracy of all loads in the accompanying data were obtained from a Kimber Model 1911 Classic Custom Target with a 5-inch barrel. Additional accuracy and function testing were cross-referenced in several different Model 1911 pistols, including a Les Baer Custom Thunder Ranch Special, Wilson Combat Service Grade Protector, Smith & Wesson 1911PD, Colt Special Combat, Lone Star Armament and others. Preparing this article was certainly educational, and I found merit in 200-grain bullets for purposes ranging from hunting, target, defense and general-purpose applications. While I have no plans to abandon 230-grain bullets in the .45 ACP, various 200grain versions have definitely earned a place on my bench.
short, fat case, and seating a given bullet deeper than intended will increase pressures, sometimes substantially or even to dangerous levels. And for reference the SAAMI minimum overall cartridge length is 1.190 inches, while the maximum is 1.275 inches. With that said, there are three bullets that were seated to a slightly shorter length than industry standard for the .45 ACP: Lyman cast bullet 452460 at 1.161 inches, Sierra FPJ Match at 1.155 inches and Speer jacketed hollowpoint at 1.155 inches. Each of these bullets features a rather short nose and, in order to keep the ogive and case mouth relationship correct and allow cartridges to chamber properly, should be seated to the above overall lengths. Those are the recommended lengths as out-
From the Hip

without catching on the case, which will usually ruin it. Not everyone can agree on the correct diameter of the expander ball, with the question being how much smaller than bullet diameter is ideal? Generally it should measure at least .003 inch smaller than bullet diameter for autoloading pistol cartridges. If it is less than that, cartridges such as 9mm, .45 ACP, etc. may not hold the bullet firmly enough while the slide strips the cartridge from the magazine, slams it into the feed ramp and then pushes it into the chamber. If the bullet gets seated deeper into the case during the feeding process than its intended overall cartridge length, pressures can spike and may become dangerous. Revolver cartridges, especially heavy recoiling magnum versions, subject cartridges to recoil, and if the bullets are not properly held in the cases, they can jump crimp and walk out of the case, effectively tying up the cylinder. A heavy crimp alone will not keep bullets in place. The bullet must fit tightly inside the case, which along with a heavy crimp helps magnum and hard-to-ignite powders burn properly. Experience certainly indicates that a heavy bullet pull will lower extreme spreads and generally improve accuracy. The expander ball should measure at least .004 to .005 inch smaller than bullet diameter. I am aware of at least one ammunition company that uses no expander ball whatsoever in an effort to increase bullet pull on magnum revolver cartridges, but rather only flares the case mouth to accept bullets. Naturally match grade cases are used, and internal case dimensions are uniform. In my tinkering I have turned down the diameter of expander balls (for several cartridges) to a variety of dimensions, going as much as .010 inch smaller than
February-March 2010
bullet diameter with good results. Nonetheless, I dont generally suggest going that small. For .357 Magnum, a .353-inch expander is ideal, while the .41 Magnum is around .405 to .406 inch, the .44 Special and Magnum are best with a .425 inch and the .45 Colt with a .446 to .447 inch. Likewise in the healthy kickers such as .454 Casull, .460 S&W, .480 Ruger, .475 Linebaugh, .500 S&W and .500 Linebaugh, the expander ball should be .006 inch smaller than bullet diameter. It should be noted that generally velocity will increase slightly when bullets are seated into a tight fitting case and a heavy crimp applied. Exceptions to the above in clude light target loads utilizing lead wadcutter bullets in the .38 Special. In this or similar applications, such as .32 S&W, .32 Magnum, .327 Federal or others, an expander ball that is .002 inch smaller than bullet diameter gives plenty of bullet pull, and the case will not deform soft lead bullets upon their being seated. A light to medium crimp will hold bullets in place, and the fast-burning propellants typically used in such loads will ignite easily. The style of crimp offered by die makers has also varied considerably over the decades. Many older versions feature an excellent crimp when used in conjunction with cast bullets, while many
(not all) newer style dies are intended primarily for use with jacketed bullets. (This explains why I often retain older dies, as the desired crimp can be matched to a specific cast bullet.) It may be of interest that RCBS offers its cowboy line of dies and Lyman continues to offer pistol/revolver dies featuring an excellent crimp for most cast bullet designs.
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89
Propellant Proles
LBT 300-grain cast bullets with 300-MP. A 512-inch barreled Ruger produced 1,100 fps with 23.0 grains; 24.0 grains upped speeds to 1,200 fps, the velocity I was
looking for. My usual load of this type consists of 23.0 grains of H110 for 1,200 fps. Here was a good comparison of the two powders: an additional grain of 300-MP duplicated the H-110 performance and for some reason
recoil seemed softer. It might have been my imagination. Suffice it to say these tests are preliminary. Ill be trying this new powder a good deal more in the future. It is available in one- and 8-pound containers.
Accurate No. 2
t wasnt long ago on these pages it was announced that Western Powders of Miles City, Montana, marketer of the Ramshot and Accurate lines of canister smokeless powders for reloaders, was making some changes. First, the entire extruded, single-base line of Ac curate powders is now being manufactured in Canada at the Ontario facility that manufactures the IMR line of powders. Thus far weve had the opportunity to review Accurates 4064 and 2015 from the new source. Results, which appeared in Handloader Nos. 262 and 263, respectively, indicated a very consistent changeover.
lots as closely to the old as it had in the changeover of extruded powders. As noted back then, Accurate No. 2 is a very fast burning, double-base, spherical powder introduced in May 1988. It has undergone a couple of name changes,
Authors Selected Loads Accurate No. 2

bullet (grains) charge (grains) velocity (fps)
.25 ACP .32 ACP .38 Special .40 S&W .44 Russian .44 Special .45 ACP .45 S&W
35 50 60 71 148 155 240 240 200 240
1.8 1.5 2.6 2.2 3.0 6.5 3.5 4.7 5.5 6.0
969 808 970 842 750 987 662 742 868 803
Now, another change, with the source of Accurates ball powders being moved from the Czech Republic to the St. Marks, Florida, powder plant. This facility, built in 1972 by the Olin Corporation, originally produced Winchester powders. In the 1990s, Olin spun off its powder manufacturing capacity into a subsidiary called PRIMEX Technologies, Inc. More recently, PRIMEX was purchased by American defense contractor General Dynamics, which now owns both the St. Marks and Ontario plants. This means that before long the sources for all Accurate powders likely will be in North America and American owned. I selected Accurate No. 2 as the first from the St. Marks facility to be reviewed. I had tested No. 2 in 2008 with the results appearing in Handloader No. 254, and I was anxious to see if Accurate was able to hold the new ball powder
90
and St. Marks is the third different source that been has used for Accurate powder. Hopefully, it will be the last. The nitroglycerin content is about 13 percent; the bulk density is .650 g/cc. Previously I tested No. 2 in a half-dozen cartridges. This time I was able to add two more. Naturally, in shooting the old and new lots side by side, I got slightly different velocities. Even the old lot produced different velocities this time than it did last time, but the differences were slight. Velocities for the new lot,
and even the old lot this time around, were slightly lower. This was due to considerably colder weather and a different muzzle to midpoint of the chronograph start/stop screens. For the first tests it was 10 feet from the muzzle to the midpoint; this time it was 12.5 feet. It was a mistake on my part not to have kept it the same. Still, the new lot compared very favorably to the old, as I assumed it would. The cartridges used in the previous review the .25 ACP, .32 ACP, .38 Special, .40 S&W, .44 Special and .45 ACP are listed with the velocities obtained using the new St. Marks manufactured No. 2. The new cartridges added this time, the .44 Russian and the .45 S&W, were not shot with the old lot for comparison. As I said before, No. 2 is a very efficient and clean-burning powder. It produced quite good accuracy in all the cartridges tested. We cant ask for much more than that.
Handloader 264
AMMUNIT ON RELOADING JOURNAL AMMUNITION REL NG JOUR AL
INDEX to Volume 44
Issue Numbers 258 to 263
February 2009 to January 2010
BOOK/VIDEO REVIEWS Column Gun Digest 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 86 Lyman Reloading Handbook, 49th Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 86 Speer Reloadng Manual #14 . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 84 Vihtavuori Reloading Manual, 4th Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 80 CARTRIDGE BOARD Column Caliber .45 Model of 1909 . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 18 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 20 .275 H&H Belted Magnum . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 18 7mm BR Remington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 24 7.65 Mauser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 20 .380 Revolver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 30 CAST BULLETS Cast Bullet Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 44 Cast Bullet Myth Busting . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 42 One Mould Per Caliber . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 58 FROM THE HIP Column Belt Mountain .44 Magnum Punch Solid No. 258, p. 28 CH Tool & Die Cannelure Tool . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 24 Colt Single Action Army Goes Fully Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 32 Countersunk Chambers . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 22 Defining the Hard-Cast Bullet . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 26 Die Adjustment Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 22 HANDGUNS/LOADS Auto Versus Revolver Accuracy . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 64 Browning Hi-Power and the 9mm . . . . . .No. 259, p. 76 Easy Wildcats Plus One . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 52 Economical, High-Performance Handgun Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 44 Effect of Shrinking Guns, The . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 94 Handloading the .327 Federal Magnum .No. 258, p. 56 Loading for World War II Handguns . . . .No. 262, p. 46 New Powders in the .220 Swift . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 34 Pro Series 1911 Smith & Wesson . . . . .No. 262, p. 38 Ruger LCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 52 Ruger Light Compact Pistol . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 50 Ruger New Model Blackhawk .44 Special . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 32 Smith & Wesson N-Frame Classics . . . .No. 258, p. 32 3 Sixgun Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 60 Trio of .45s, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 32 USFA Single Action Army Revolver . . . . .No. 259, p. 42 .22-250 Remington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 54 .30 Carbine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 62 .357 SIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 52 .38 S&W, .38 Super . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 70 .44 Magnum at 600 Yards . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 74 IN RANGE Column Is Bigger Better? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 90
INSIDE PRODUCT NEWS Column Alliants New Power Pro Series . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 82 ARIES Powder Ram from UniqueTek . .No. 259, p. 85 Ballistic Products Nontoxic Shot for Handloaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 80 Bogs Boots with MT Technology . . . . . .No. 260, p. 81 Brownells Magna-Tip Adjustable Torque Wrench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 85 Brownells Three-Gun Competition Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 102 Buck Knives X-Tract LED Multitool . . . .No. 259, p. 84 Bushnells High Definition Flashlight . . .No. 263, p. 82 FatBags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 82 Forster Products Universal Bullet Puller .No. 258, p. 86 Forster NATO Chamber Headspace Gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 80 Innovative Technologies Digital Headspace Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 102 Nosler E-Tip Bullets Now in Three Calibers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 83 Patch-Out, Carb-Out Solvents . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 82 RCBS Pistol Bullet Feeder Kit . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 87 RCBS Shotshell Reloading Handbook . . .No. 258, p. 84 Rigel Jag Brushes, Pyramid Patches . .No. 261, p. 86 Rogue River Super Scope . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 82 Sierra MatchKing Palma Bullet . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 82 XS Sight Systems CSAT Combat Sight . .No. 263, p. 84 MIKES SHOOTIN SHACK Column Custom Bullet Casters: Large and Small .No. 261, p. 24 First Handgun Handloading, The . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 20 Loading Large Batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 18 Reloading Presses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 16 Shrapnels Bargain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 16 Vernacular of BPCR Silhouette, The . . . .No. 263, p. 16 PISTOL POINTERS Column Autoloading Pistols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 26 If It Aint Broke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 34 Locked-Breech Pistols . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 30 Prairie Dog Gun, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 16 Trigger Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 26 PRODUCT TESTS Column Lee Precision Breech Lock Challenger Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 78 Rampro AmmoCheck Universal Reloader Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 78 Redding Case Neck Gauge . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 86 PROPELLANT PROFILES Column Accurate 1680 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 22 Accurate 4100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 16 Hodgdon H-110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 28 Hodgdon H-322 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 28 Hodgdon H-335 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 30 Winchesters AutoComp . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 26 READER RESEARCH Turning Powder into Velocity . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 80 Understanding the 454424 . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 76 RELOADERS PRESS Column Mountain Guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 8 Personal Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 8 Reference Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 8 Sizing Cast Bullets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 8
Stuck Case? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 8 .450 Colt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 8 RIFLE LOADS BR Is Back, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 261, p. 36 Reduced Recoil Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 42 Savage Model 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 262, p. 84 .22 Remington Jet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 263, p. 70 .223 Wrap-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 260, p. 70 .257 Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No. 259, p. 68 8mm Remington Magnum . . . . . . . . . . .No. 258, p. 66 SHOTSHELLS/SHOTGUN LOADS Second Round of Reloading Steel, A . . .No. 262, p. 66
AUTHOR
Campbell, Bob Browning Hi-Power and the 9mm, No. 259, p. 76. Gash, Steve 8mm Remington Magnum, No. 258, p. 66; Savage Model 14, No. 262, p. 84. Gilfillan, Ed Turning Powder into Velocity, No. 261, p. 80. Haviland, John Reduced Recoil Loads, No. 258, p. 42; .257 Roberts, No. 259, p. 68; Cast Bullet Expansion, No. 260, p. 44; .22-250 Remington, No. 261, p. 54; A Second Round of Reloading Steel, No. 262, p. 66; New Powders in the .220 Swift, No. 263, p. 34. Pearce, Brian Handloading the .327 Federal Magnum, No. 258, p. 56; USFA Single Action Army Revolver, No. 259, p. 42; Ruger New Model Blackhawk .44 Special, No. 260, p. 32; Economical, High-Performance Handgun Loads, No. 261, p. 44; .44 Magnum at 600 Yards, No. 262, p. 74; 3 Sixgun Cartridges, No. 263, p. 60. From the Hip appears in issues 258 through 263. Petty, Charles E. Ruger Light Compact Pistol, No. 258, p. 50; .357 SIG, No. 259, p. 52; .223 WrapUp, No. 260, p. 70; The BR Is Back, No. 261, p. 36; The Effect of Shrinking Guns, No. 262, p. 94; Ruger LCR, No. 263, p. 52. Pistol Pointers appears in issues 259 through 263. Rees, Clair Inside Product News appears in issues 258 through 263. Scovill, Dave Reloaders Press appears in issues 258 through 263. Sengel, Gil Cartridge Board appears in issues 258 through 263. Smith, Roger Understanding the 454424, No. 260, p. 76. Terrell, Ron Auto Versus Revolver Accuracy, No. 261, p. 64. Trzoniec, Stan A Trio of .45s, No. 259, p. 32; Easy Wildcats Plus One, No. 260, p. 52; Pro Series 1911 Smith & Wesson, No. 262, p. 38; .22 Remington Jet, No. 263, p. 70. VanDenburg, Jr., R.H. Propellant Profiles appears in issues 258 through 263. Venturino, Mike Smith & Wesson N-Frame Classics, No. 258, p. 32; One Mould Per Caliber, No. 259, p. 58; .30 Carbine, No. 260, p. 62; .38 S&W, .38 Super, No. 261, p. 70; Loading for World War II Handguns, No. 262, p. 46; Cast Bullet Myth Busting, No. 263, p. 42. Mikes Shootin Shack appears in issues 258 through 263. Wieland, Terry In Range appears in issue 263.
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91
In Range
as an old cart horse and just as dependable. Number two and remember, what we are looking for here are powders that have such a wide range that they can substitute for others in a pinch as well as be the primary powder for many cartridges is H-4895. Hodgdon 4895 was the cornerstone of Bruce Hodgdons business after 1945 a military surplus powder for the .30-06. It is still one of the best .30-06 powders for midweight bullets, as well as covering a wide range of other cartridges. It is my favorite powder for the .458 Lott, it delivers the goods in a .375 H&H, and it also allows you to create light loads for any cartridge you could name. According to Hodgdon, you can load any cartridge to 60 percent of the lowest listed minimum with H-4895, and get an excellent practice load, or in the case of big, bellowing beasts like the .458 Lott, a modest load suitable for whitetails and feral hogs. That is an immensely useful trait, and especially valuable in times of shortages when economy is the name of the game. My third standby is H-4198. This midrange, mid-fast powder works in so many cartridges, with so many bullet weights, it is pointless even to list them. Its overwhelming virtue, however, is its docility. H-4198 is not a troublemaker, unlike some powders I could name. It is my third draft choice a veteran left-handed reliever that may not win many games but very rarely loses them.
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My affection is not purely nostalgia. Even now, IMR-4350 still surprises me with its effectiveness in a wide range of cartridges. It was the powder that really made possible the age of the magnum cartridge in the 1930s, but it works beautifully with cartridges as small as the 6.5x55 and as large as the .300 Weatherby. Last year, I set out to develop accuracy loads for two new rifles a 7x61 S&H and a .257 Weatherby. Of all the super-duper powders available today tailored to cartridges of that size, guess which delivered both optimum accuracy and the desired power? Thats right: 70-year-old IMR-4350. From the .243 Winchester all the way up to the .300 Weatherby, IMR-4350 can provide a decent substitute for your favorite powder. It is about as temperamental
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HANDGUN POWDER
Number one, again, without even a distant second in the voting: Unique. Alliants 110-year-old handgun standby is billed as the worlds most versatile powder, and it is exactly that. I almost listed it as a rifle powder, because you can load so many cartridges with Unique and lead bullets and then shoot competition, go hunting or defend your
Handloader 264
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92
will propel any bullet from any cartridge ranging from .25 ACP to .44 Magnum, and purr while doing so. My number two handgun powder is Bullseye, another ancient Alliant number now 112 years old. Imagine, two powders more than a century old and still irreplaceable. Bullseye works in almost any conventional handgun cartridge with the added virtue that you dont need much. For most of us, five pounds of Bullseye constitutes a lifetime supply. A friend of mine bought 25 pounds of Bullseye in the 1970s, and he is still shooting it. Granted, he doesnt use it for everything, but he thinks hes discovered the gunpowder equivalent of the loaves and fishes.
*** If youre a competition benchrest shooter, an elephant hunter with a .577 Nitro Express or you hunt with a .500 S&W revolver, you obviously need some highly specialized powders to keep going. But that is not what were discussing here. These are the standbys that will keep most of us at the range with most of our guns, large and small, doing most of the things we love to do. They wont do everything, but they will do most things. The funny thing is, I look at that list and think of the cartridges I use all the time, and the loads that work well in those cartridges, and realize these powders are often the ones that work the best as well as the most. There are a lot of half-used cans of once-tried powders sitting on my shelf that will get used only when a shortage makes everything else unavailable and maybe not even then. Thats another old lesson relearned: When in doubt, reach for the 4350.
Living through three primer shortages in the past 20 years has taught Terry there is simply no substitute for the little metal cups and their colorful dab of lead styphnate.
hearth and home against marauding Tartars. You wouldnt load a .32-40 with Unique if you knew a gunfight was in the offing, but I would rather have that than nothing at all. Unique is also a very useful shotgun powder in every gauge from 12 down to 28. But this is the first choice for handguns, so what will it do? It
SHOTGUN POWDERS
Only one: Hodgdon Clays. If you have a couple of kegs of Clays, you can shoot a lot of trap, skeet and game birds in the larger gauges and, in a pinch, load many of your handgun cartridges as well.
AD INDEX
Action Bullets, Inc..........................................12 Alliant Techsystems, Inc................................15 Bald Eagle Precision Machine Co. ................58 Ballistic Products, Inc. ...................................40 Barnes Bullets ...............................................53 Beckham Product Design, LLC .....................31 Bellm TCs, Inc. .............................................49 Belt Mtn. Enterprises, Inc. .............................40 Berger Bullets................................................63 Berrys Mfg. .....................................................2 BOG Gear, LLC/Hicks Production.................83 Brown Company, E. Arthur............................89 Bruno Shooters Supply .................................77 Bullet Metals / Bill Ferguson..........................41 Bullets and Brass, LLC..................................76 Clearwater Custom Bullets............................12 Colorado Shooters Supply............................16 Conetrol Scope Mounts...........................30, 91 Cooper Arms .................................................27 Corbin Mfg. & Supply ..............................19, 76 Dave Manson Precision Reamers.................19 Dayton Traister Trigger Co............................40 Dillon Precision Products, Inc........................86 Douglas Barrels, Inc. .....................................20 Enterprise Services, LLC...............................19 Gemmells Machine Works............................91 Gentry Custom ..............................................92 Get A Grip Gunbooks ....................................16 Gracey Case Trimmer ...................................87 Gradient Lens Corporation ..................9, 11, 13 Green, Arthur (metals for casting) .................20 Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc. .................64 Harbor Freight Tools .....................................65 Harris Communications .................................26 Heritage Packaging .......................................16 High Plains Reboring & Barrels, LLC.. ..........19 Hodgon Powder Company ............................88 Hornady Manufacturing Co. ............................7 Huntington Die Specialties ......................25, 92 Innovative Technologies................................19 Johnson Design Specialties ..........................23 Kimber of America...........................................5 King Shooters Supply, Inc. ............................89 Leadheads Bullets.........................................49 Lee Precision, Inc..........................................10 Little Crow Gunworks, LLC............................41 Lyman Products Corporation.........................12 Magma Engineering Company......................95 MBI Promotions, Inc. .....................................92 Meacham Tool & Hardware, Inc....................20 Midsouth Shooters Supply Co.......................17 MLV Enterprises............................................84 Montana Bullet Works ...................................30 Mount Baldy Bullets.......................................29 MTM Molded Products Company..................59 Multi-Scale Charge, LTD ...............................72 Neco-Accuracy Products...............................38 New York Mint ...............................................47 Nosler Bullets ............................................3, 21 Oregon Trail Bullet Company ........................37 Pacific Tool & Gauge, Inc..............................41 Parsons Scope Service ................................49 Puff-Lon.........................................................29 Quality Cartridge ...........................................91 Quinetics Corporation....................................23 RCBS c/o Federal Cartridge Company .........96 Redding Reloading Equipment......................54 Rigel Products ...............................................19 Rim Rock Bullets ...........................................25 Sharp Shoot R Precision Products, Inc. ........73 Sheep River Hunting Camps.........................12 Shooting Chrony, Inc.....................................87 Shotgun Sports..............................................82 Sierra Bullets .................................................49 Sinclair International, Inc. ..............................71 Sonoran Desert Institute................................20 SouWester Outfitting ....................................76 SPG Lubricants .......................................67, 74 SSK Industries...............................................31 Starline ..........................................................39 Thumbcocker Specialties ..............................12 Timney Mfg., Inc............................................76 Tru-Square Metal Products ...........................40 UniqueTek, Inc. .............................................38 W. Square Enterprises ..................................20 Warner Tool Company, Inc. ..........................92 Western Powders, Inc. ..................................85 Williams Firearms Co. ...................................19 Wineland Walnut ...........................................41 Wolfe Publishing Company ...........................75 Xcalibers Reloading Supplies........................31 Zero Bullet Co. ..............................................29
February-March 2010
93
NO SHORTAGE OF LESSONS
IN RANGE
by Terry Wieland
painstakingly smearing it into the fold under the rim. For powder, they broke open a shotshell, which provided propellant for a dozen or so .22 cartridges; bullets were fashioned from the lead shot. Misfires were as common as ignitions, and accuracy was not measured in any terms that we would recognize, but they kept shooting, and they kept eating. Last year, shortages extended even to brass in common calibers like .30-06. Those who shoot .303 Savage or .30 Remington rifles have long experience with brass scrounging and probably had bins of brass stashed away for every rifle they own. It becomes a habit, and you start to live in fear. Every .303 Savage owner I know buys any cartridge case he comes across, as do those fortunates with vintage .250-3000s. You start by saying to yourself that you need 500 rounds to feel secure; then 1,000. By that time, you cant stop, and the bags of brass pile up. Probably the component least prone to shortages is smokeless gunpowder. Sure, at various times, you cant find this powder or that one. But so what? There are feasible substitutes for almost any powder you can name. It may not be perfect, but it will be usable. Cant find H-4831? Try IMR-4350. Out of Bullseye? Some Unique will do. Comforting as that fact is, though, I for one take great care to ensure I always have a plentiful supply of a half-dozen powders I use all the time. This has been a habit for years, but last year I did a careful inventory and really started thinking in terms of which powders were the critical ones. Which could I not live without, and which would make it possible for me to keep shooting my rifles and pistols, and to a lesser extent shotguns, in the event all smokeless gunpowder supplies dried up whether from factory breakdown, civil upheaval or government edict.
ampant shortages of all sorts of reloading components over the past year taught new lessons to some people and reinforced old ones for others. Those who have lived through primer shortages (1989 and 1995 spring to mind) tend to become fanatical about ensuring they have an adequate stock to keep them shooting, even if they dont buy another 209, WLR or Federal 215M for the next five years. Primers are the one critical component for which there is no substitute, no alternative, and no buckshee solution of chewing gum and baling wire. All the ingenuity in the world cannot replace that little copper cup with its tiny anvil and colorful dab of lead styphnate.
IMR-4350 is, for Terrys money, the most useful rifle powder overall, while Alliants Unique is easily the most versatile handgun powder. Unique is also usable for light loads in rifle cartridges and some shotshells.
By the way, I almost added senseless hoarding to that list but realized I am ad vocating hoarding, albeit in the socially acceptable sense of prudent provision for the future. When I do it, its prudence; when others do it, its hoarding . . . but to continue. So what powders are, to me, critical? Herewith, the short list.
Bruce Hodgdon started his business with H-4895, and to this day it is one of the most useful and versatile powders in the lineup.
There are, of course, ways and means: In the 1950s, hunters in Siberia were allowed .22 rimfires and shotguns, but ammunition was always in short supply and very expensive when they could find it. The Siberians developed a method of reusing .22 rimfire cases, making a paste from the heads of matches and then
94
RIFLE POWDERS
Number one, without question, is IMR-4350. This is the very first powder I ever used to load my first .30-06 cartridge, at the tender age of 16, and as a handloader I have never been without it since that day.
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Issue No. 264

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