I have a new S&W 625JM and was planning to use my 45 ACP 1911 loads in it, but the gun has other ideas. My lead SWC loads don't want to drop into the cylinder after it's dirty. The JHP loads do load ok, but the accuracy is not great. I have some Starline auto rim brass ordered. What is your go to accuracy powder for the Speer 200 gr JHP and a 200 gr cast SWC? I'm using HP-38 right now and at 40 yds. groups are not good. >5"

not the same, i have a 625-9 45 colt -- it likes heavy bullets and mild loads

Hi Greg, This "Brit" hasn't shot any sort of .45 ACP revolver for nearly thirty years. But those that I did shoot were a S & W Model 1917, a S & W Model 1950 that was a modernised 1950's version of the Model 1917.

Both these had the shoulder in each chamber to allow .45 ACP cartridges to be fired in it even though there was no half-moon clip present. Or, of course, the user could sue .45 Auto Rim.

So I reckon that it may be an issue with the chambers. So I don't know on these new ones if they cylinder does or doesn't have the shoulder?

If it does I suspect the front of your SWC bullet is catching on it. But...if as I am guessing it doesn't...then I suspect it's the crimp?

So if you use a taper crimp die and load these cartridges as if they were being loaded for a Colt 1911 it'll solve the problem?

My go to powder for this and all similar 800fps to 850fps loads in such revolvers, either in .45 ACP or in .44 S & W was good old fashioned Red Dot.

Under 5" at forty yards isn't bad. I'd reckon that a round nose lead, hard cast, would work well. Lee used to do a 200 grain RN mould?

Or just use any of he commercial cast all lead versions of the old 230 grain full patch hardball bullet.

Hope it helps.

A .45 ACP headspaces on the case mouth. If the shoulder of the semi-wadcutter bullet is sticking out of the case mouth too much the round will not chamber. Seat the bullet deeper.

Hip

I get the best accuracy in my 625 by using auto rimmed brass. It cuts the group size in half. I mostly shoot the Lee 230 gr. truncated cone bullet with 6.0 gr. of Unique. A friend with a M1950 was skeptical of the accuracy difference, so he tried it with his revolver in a Ransom Rest. He also got about a 50% decrease in group size with the auto rimmed brass. I do not know why, and testing only 2 revolvers is not much of a sample, but have thought it might be due to a more consistent hammer strike due to the rim. The full-moon clips are a little springy.

Thanks for the tips, I just ordered some auto rim brass so we'll see how that works out. Just to see if it was me or the gun/load yesterday I took my S&W Model624 to the range today. Shot two six shot groups from the bench at 40 yds. First group was 4" second was 3". I'm happy with that. Now I need to find a load combo for the model 625 that will do that.

Don't forget also to now order a shellholder else you'll have all that brass and no way to load it LOL!

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
Don't forget also to now order a shellholder else you'll have all that brass and no way to load it LOL!

I did forget to add it to my original order, so much for the free shipping. I ordered it the next day, had to pay $5 shipping on an $8 item.

I tried all kinds of this and that with mine when I first got it.
I was using 225 gr rnfp 45 colt bullets for a bit and seating them so that they were head spacing off the bullet itself.
that worked mostly okay but it was a pain moving everything around .001 here and there to get things just so.

then the 200 swc's I was just seating the shoulder flush to the case mouth and using moon clips.
this made loading and unloading easier and was good enough for EDC but not target grade by any means.

finally just treating it like a really short 45 colt seemed to settle things down the most.
mine seems to like titegroup and the 225 gr rnfp in AR cases about the best.
I size the cases with a 45 colt die and use slightly over sized cast bullets, and give them a light roll crimp.
as in,, I just barely kiss the case mouths with the crimp ring but not in the crimp groove of the bullet.

I dusted off my old notebook. I read this for March 1982:

44 Special. RCBS Mould 255 grain Keith Type:

4.5 grains Red Dot.
An excellent target load achieved two handed, bench rested a 1" x 2" ten round group at twenty-five yards.

5.0 grains Red Dot.
Powder burns better thanthe 4.5 grains load and shoots well with minimal recoil. Slight unburnt powder, perhaps promises better with tenth or fifth grain increase.

AS NOTED THESE WERE SAFE IN MY 6 1/2" MODEL 29 - THEY MAY NOT BE IN YOURS.

Here's my notes for .45 ACP. These were shot in a Colt 1911 s/n C16442 in the 1980s.

.45 ACP. RCBS Mould 230 grains RNL.

3.6 grains Bullseye.
Cast in pure linotype works and functions in C16442. And ideal "Classic Pistol" load. Will shoot 42 ex 42 in the Slowfire stage. Use for "Classic Selfloader" in preference to anything else.

Hope it helps.

The Slowfire was six rounds, one hand unsupported, at twenty yards on a target with a 2" diameter bullseye that was inwards gauging scoring seven points. So in effect all six shots were cutting a 2" diameter circle to score 42 ex 42...so shooting a highest possible score in fact. This was a very very accurate load.

There is a reason I prefer rimmed cartridges in revolvers.

The revolvers I have shot in 45Acp, 10mm, 9mm were unsatisfactory in there performance.

When compared to the same revolvers in rimmed calibers.

I loaded up some 45 Auto Rim brass, best load of the day was a 200 gr Rim Rock SWC over 5.3 gr HP-38. 3 1/2" 6 shot group at 40yds. 750 fps. I'll load up some more of these to verify. The auto rim brass loaded and extracted fine. Shot a total of 24 rounds.
I'm also thinking of buying some Acme "lipstick" bullets to load in ACP brass with the moon clips. Not sure of going 200 or 230 gr.

Thanks for posting a follow up. Sometimes you never get one and wonder how it all finished.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg K:
I have a new S&W 625JM and was planning to use my 45 ACP 1911 loads in it, but the gun has other ideas. My lead SWC loads don't want to drop into the cylinder after it's dirty. The JHP loads do load ok, but the accuracy is not great. I have some Starline auto rim brass ordered. What is your go to accuracy powder for the Speer 200 gr JHP and a 200 gr cast SWC? I'm using HP-38 right now and at 40 yds. groups are not good. >5"

Get yourself a Lee taper crimp die... I would have a similar problem with my Sig match target 1911, and after i started using hte taper crimp die, i have not had that problem again.

Running them into the FL sizing die a bit works too; no crimp is needed or wanted. Just straighten out the flare. And no additional die needed either.

exactly.
we managed to make 45's work for almost 100 years without the miracle carbide ring lee die.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
exactly.
we managed to make 45's work for almost 100 years without the miracle carbide ring lee die.

So it is with other handgun cartridges but carbide makes life easier.