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I got started with revolvers, back in late 2008. This was because my Dad had revolvers his whole adult life, and I always thought they were neat. Still do. Semi-autos seemed a bit too complicated for me, first starting out.
Didn't take long to learn to appreciate the semi-autos as well, though. My first was a 9mm, a Ruger SR9. These were pretty nice, and very affordable, copies of the Glock 17 and 19 pistols. Then Ruger came out with the SR45, which is basically their version of the Glock 21, also very affordable. It's a fine shooting pistol.
And then I learned about 1911's. Yes, John Moses Browning was a singlar genius.
That also meant that, like my beloved .45 Colt, you easily can end up in the poorhouse if you shoot a lot of .45 ACP and don't reload it. So, I picked up a set of dies (Lee, in my case) and got to it. Figured it'd be more complex than reloading rimmed revolver cases.
Fortunately, I was wrong. Turns out reloading .45 ACP is easy, just as easy as the rimmed cartridges. The only difference is taper-crimping vs. roll-crimping. Just flatten out the flare; nothing more is needed.
The .45 ACP cartridge doesn't need a lot of powder. About 5gr of Bullseye or Titegroup, with a 200gr home-cast bullet, makes a good shootin' load. Same goes for 4.5gr of either powder with a 230-gr cast bullet. Yes, I cast my own bullets, which makes the cartridge very economical to reload. My bullet lube of choice is liquid Alox/Xlox, because it works well and I can lube 1,000 bullets in 5 minutes. Brass is quite available. Also, my per-cartridge cost took quite a helpful nose-dive from that of factory fare.
The cartridge has some kick, being a .45-caliber. Due to the semi-auto action of most firearms chambered for it, the minimum power is higher than it would be for an equivalent revolver cartridge, to cycle the action. But even then, it's not at all unmanageable, especially in an all-metal 1911. Even my wife can handle it, although it's not her favorite (she prefers .38 Special). I quite like it.
Finally, it's a quintesentially 'Murrican cartridge. :-) My understanding is that some Special Forces units continue to use the .45 ACP for their sidearms. Not saying the 9mm or .40 S&W are bad cartridges; not at all. I'm simply pointing out that the .45 ACP is just plain fun to shoot and a very good candidate for reloading.
I use the same 200gr cast bullet (LRNFP style) for both .45 Colt and .45 ACP. It feeds just fine in every .45 ACP pistol that I've tried.
If you do shoot .45 ACP, or are thinking about it but don't because 9mm factory ammo is cheaper (and it is!), consider reloading for the cartridge. I think you might find it fruitful, satisfying, and even fun. There's just something really cool about shooting ammo that you made yourself.
Didn't take long to learn to appreciate the semi-autos as well, though. My first was a 9mm, a Ruger SR9. These were pretty nice, and very affordable, copies of the Glock 17 and 19 pistols. Then Ruger came out with the SR45, which is basically their version of the Glock 21, also very affordable. It's a fine shooting pistol.
And then I learned about 1911's. Yes, John Moses Browning was a singlar genius.
That also meant that, like my beloved .45 Colt, you easily can end up in the poorhouse if you shoot a lot of .45 ACP and don't reload it. So, I picked up a set of dies (Lee, in my case) and got to it. Figured it'd be more complex than reloading rimmed revolver cases.
Fortunately, I was wrong. Turns out reloading .45 ACP is easy, just as easy as the rimmed cartridges. The only difference is taper-crimping vs. roll-crimping. Just flatten out the flare; nothing more is needed.
The .45 ACP cartridge doesn't need a lot of powder. About 5gr of Bullseye or Titegroup, with a 200gr home-cast bullet, makes a good shootin' load. Same goes for 4.5gr of either powder with a 230-gr cast bullet. Yes, I cast my own bullets, which makes the cartridge very economical to reload. My bullet lube of choice is liquid Alox/Xlox, because it works well and I can lube 1,000 bullets in 5 minutes. Brass is quite available. Also, my per-cartridge cost took quite a helpful nose-dive from that of factory fare.
The cartridge has some kick, being a .45-caliber. Due to the semi-auto action of most firearms chambered for it, the minimum power is higher than it would be for an equivalent revolver cartridge, to cycle the action. But even then, it's not at all unmanageable, especially in an all-metal 1911. Even my wife can handle it, although it's not her favorite (she prefers .38 Special). I quite like it.
Finally, it's a quintesentially 'Murrican cartridge. :-) My understanding is that some Special Forces units continue to use the .45 ACP for their sidearms. Not saying the 9mm or .40 S&W are bad cartridges; not at all. I'm simply pointing out that the .45 ACP is just plain fun to shoot and a very good candidate for reloading.
I use the same 200gr cast bullet (LRNFP style) for both .45 Colt and .45 ACP. It feeds just fine in every .45 ACP pistol that I've tried.
If you do shoot .45 ACP, or are thinking about it but don't because 9mm factory ammo is cheaper (and it is!), consider reloading for the cartridge. I think you might find it fruitful, satisfying, and even fun. There's just something really cool about shooting ammo that you made yourself.
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