Light Load 45 Colt

[ClayBreaker]

1876 would be the black powder frame. Try 15 grains of ffg powder with card and filler. You can create a gallery load using 45 round ball. Should be light enough

[hambam105]

Stick with your Gunsmith's advice concerning this particular revolver.

[at_liberty]

I have an 1876 Single Action Army Colt that was recently overhauled by Peacemaker specialist Jim Martin. Jim's recommendation was to shoot 160 grain bullet to a very reduced recoil (600 fps?) due to the age of the gun. Has anyone done a load like this? What would be a good black powder for this?

He didn't say black powder though. I am not sure there really is such a thing as a reduced black powder load. You fill 'er up to near the base of the bullet and shoot.

There is 45 Colt data for a 160 with smokeless. FYI My 160s are in 45 Cowboy Special with W231. That case is a rimmed version of 45 ACP and uses 45 ACP data, no Trailboss. My 45 Colts though use Trailboss with 200-255 gr bullets, able to support full spec loads.

[bohoki]

yea i was going to suggest a light red dot load like is in that manual page

trail boss is pretty expensive it seems to be sold by volume and not weight like other powders

[rrengineer]

Light Load 45 Colt

1876 would be the black powder frame. Try 15 grains of ffg powder with card and filler. You can create a gallery load using 45 round ball. Should be light enough

Now that sounds reasonable. Thanks.

[mikeyr]

its surprising to me the number of people here that suggested modern smokeless powder in this gun, its a black powder gun...PERIOD.

I love Trail Boss and use a ton of it, but only in modern guns, a black powder gun gets black powder AND NEVER anything else no matter how light the load is.

[sofbak]

^^a rather myopic perspective, but. ..
Whatever.

[Cowboy T]

its surprising to me the number of people here that suggested modern smokeless powder in this gun, its a black powder gun...PERIOD.

I love Trail Boss and use a ton of it, but only in modern guns, a black powder gun gets black powder AND NEVER anything else no matter how light the load is.

I cannot agree with that. There's nothing wrong with using smokeless powder in an older gun like this, provided that you stay within the SAAMI pressure specs. That's why the SAAMI loads for .45 Colt are as light as they are, specifically because of the older guns like the OP's SAA Peacemaker.

[Darto]

I have loaded 45LC all my life, OP be extremely weary of any smokeless powder in a frame designed for black powder.
BP has lower psi than smokelss true, but it also has an entirely different pressure curve (psi vs. time) than smokeless. This is why you can vary the amount of BP a whole lot in a muzzle loader.

Many old timers for centuries did not care very much if they did not have a powder measure when shooting a new gun, or an unfamiliar gun. They just poured the powder into their palm. Enough powder to cover the ball laid on the palm of your hand was a good rule for a decent load in a good rifle. Big margin of error with black powder, or replica black powder.

[sofbak]

^^^OP's gun is not a muzzle-loader, it's a cartridge gun. Many more hazards involved in producing a "low power" charge in a black powder cartidge.