Soft lead question

D

Delmar

New member
It is my understanding that BP revolvers need to be loaded with soft lead, but what about when you are using a .45 ACP conversion cylinder? Do people shoot factory .45 ACP rounds or would such ammo need to be hand loaded with BP and soft lead?
 
Since nobody who knows more has jumped in... the conversion cylinders I have seen have been for .45 Colt, not .45 ACP. When I've seen them in catalogs they say to use cowboy loads only. I understand this to mean the .45 Colt Cowboy-level factory loads or handloads at the same level. But I haven't seen or heard anything to say that the cowboy-pressure .45 Colt factory loads were any problem in conversion cylinders, and much to make me think that's what they WANT you to use.

If you mean .45 ACP when you say that, I haven't seen any conversion cylinders for black powder, cap and ball revolvers that were in .45 ACP. Where I have seen .45 ACP second cylinders they were meant for a .45 Colt cartridge revolver. Ruger, for example, makes a Blackhawk Convertible that includes both .45 Colt and .45 ACP cylinders. In this case the revolver was designed for cartridges from the get-go, and can fire any low-pressure cowboy or standard level factory loading in either of those two chamberings.
 
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,7835.html

The add for this one says it is .45 ACP but when you look at the ammo in the photo it doesn't look like .45 ACP to me.

KK1858UGACP.jpg
 
generally BP firearms can only handle BP loads or equivalent smokeless cases because of the means and material by which they're built. Firing full smokeless loads in a BP revolver will wear down the revolver EXTREMELY quickly and/or backfire with dangerous results. If you do use a cylinder to load .45 ACP rounds into a .44 BP revolver... I'd double check the dimensions of the barrel against the size of the bullets and then use downgraded BP loads in the .45. I'm not sure the soft lead vs. other materials makes a difference, but I'm not an expert.
 
generally BP firearms can only handle BP loads or equivalent smokeless cases because of the means and material by which they're built. Firing full smokeless loads in a BP revolver will wear down the revolver EXTREMELY quickly and/or backfire with dangerous results. If you do use a cylinder to load .45 ACP rounds into a .44 BP revolver... I'd double check the dimensions of the barrel against the size of the bullets and then use downgraded BP loads in the .45. I'm not sure the soft lead vs. other materials makes a difference, but I'm not an expert.
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I seem to remember the info for one of the .45 ACP converters saying not to load ammo that would exceed 850 ft per second. Which I remember thinking did not exceed the basic 230 grn RN load
 
The "soft lead" requirements are for round balls from a cap and ball revolver. Cartridge revolvers may shoot any alloy of lead.
 
The "soft lead" requirements are for round balls from a cap and ball revolver. Cartridge revolvers may shoot any alloy of lead.
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What about conicals, from a cap and ball revolver.
 
The reason for the useing soft lead in a cap & ball cylinder is the soft lead will form to the chamber and create a good seal ,
by doing this it will also keep the ball or bullet from creeping forward during recoil .
You can use a harder lead in loading cartridges because the bullet is crimped in the end of the brass cartridge createing a seal . ( no worrie of it creeping during recoil )
 
Delmar, that makes sense as the .45 ACP is a slower and less powerful round than the .45lc. I guess with a .45 ACP converter, you don't have to worry as much as with a .38 converter. loading .38spl is a nono on some and .38spl+p is a nono on almost ALL of them. And .357 is a definite nono
 
the converter cylinders are legally required to be proofed for full SAAMI pressure compliance. otherwise the first bulge would have those companies shut down by lawsuits. When something that has potention to remove a persons hand certain requirements must be met so that it doesnt happen.

the main call for soft lead is that the soft lead conforms to the chamber and barrel to seal it up well. Soft lead is also very easier on the loading lever and frames of a cap and ball revolver because the softer material is easier to deform for loading.

the reason the makers say to use cowboy loads only is because commercially available "cowboy" loads in loading books and factory loads are all with lead bullets. lead bullets are good on barrels. use of jacketed bullets is bad for the barrel in these fine revolvers, it just eats them up fast.
 
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