Firing the Resized Hollowbase Heel Bullet in .45 Colt

[JimT]

I decided to fire one of the hollowbase heel bullets used in the 480 Achilles in a .45 Colt. I had loaded one in a 480 Achilles case with 4 gr. of Bullseye and so I shot that one. I laid out some wadded up rags, put a good backstop behind them and fired it.

The Loaded Round

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Recovered Bullet

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Left - unfired Achilles Right - fired resized bullet

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Left - Achilles Right - fired resized bullet .. it got longer ...

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[Grizz]

makes me wonder if a round ball can be extruded that way .. . .

[JimT]

makes me wonder if a round ball can be extruded that way .. . .

Yessir. I have done it. In my 1858 Remington I reamed the chambers and put a larger throat. I loaded and fired .460" round balls through the .445" barrel. It shot very well and very hard. My top load was around 1100 fps. I took Javelina with it.

[Grizz]

makes me wonder if a round ball can be extruded that way .. . .

Yessir. I have done it. In my 1858 Remington I reamed the chambers and put a larger throat. I loaded and fired .460" round balls through the .445" barrel. It shot very well and very hard. My top load was around 1100 fps. I took Javelina with it.

Thanks, good info and great result!

[Ysabel Kid]

Very cool. Those hollow-based bullets really offer a lot of flexibility.

[Bill in Oregon]

Jim, that's a handsome slug. I think we all look forward to seeing what kind of accuracy results you get from it.
I am also impressed by your comments about the 1858 Remington modifications and performance you got. Were you shooting FFFFg to get to 100 fps? Makes me wonder if I oughtn't bring a New Model Army back into the fold.

[JimT]

Jim, that's a handsome slug. I think we all look forward to seeing what kind of accuracy results you get from it.
I am also impressed by your comments about the 1858 Remington modifications and performance you got. Were you shooting FFFFg to get to 100 fps? Makes me wonder if I oughtn't bring a New Model Army back into the fold.

I never used 4Fg powder in it. 2F and 3F ... and Pyrodex plus some duplex loads.

1858 Remington (Italian copy)
Chronographed velocities at 7 feet from muzzle to first screen
.445" diameter ball
38 gr. 2Fg ..........................951 fps
.
.456" diameter ball
38 gr. 2Fg............................992 fps
38 gr. 3Fg..........................1036 fps
full load of Pyrodex P.........1087 fps

My duplex loads were right close to 1200 fps.

The barrel in this gun proved to be tight at the throat and loose at the muzzle. I screwed the barrel out of the frame and reamed a long, tapered throat in it. The "throat" was about 3" long, tapering from .456" a the breech down to .445". I reamed the chambers so I cold seat a .460" diameter ball in them.

One Javelina season I took the .44 Remington-copy after the little pigs. I hunted the canyons until I spotted a herd, made a 300-yard stalk and got to within 30- 40 yards. One large pig was scratching his rear on a rock outcropping and was mostly sideways to me. I lined up the sights behind the right front shoulder and touched it off. Peering through the large cloud of smoke in front of me I could make out the pig, laying on the ground kicking. The ball had taken him behind the right shoulder, ranging forward and exiting the left side of the neck behind the ear.

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EDIT- the .456" ball seated a lot easier than the .460" .. I bent the screw that the loading lever pivots on seating the larger balls. Especially for hunting the smaller balls worked the best.

[Bill in Oregon]

Jim, thanks for the additional data. I'll bet Triple 7 would meet or exceed your maximums. I really like the 1858, but it does rap my middle finger knuckle. The sights and take-down are so superior to the Colts of the period.

[JimT]

I soldered a S&W Patridge front sight to the Remington and cut the rear notch nice and square ... then sighted it in for 25 yards. That nice front sight and larger square notch really helped.

My Dad had original Remingtons .. I've posted this before but here's a picture of me at 4 years of age with an original 1858 Remington of Dad's.

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The Colt was a much better combat gun. You can shoot the open top Colt's for a lot longer without them tying up from fouling than the Remingtons. The Remington was a much more accurate gun.

[Bill in Oregon]

Need a like button!

[Ray]

A few years later....

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[Bronco]

As always enjoy reading your adventures and thoughts! Great info. and presentation to start my day. Bless you Sir Jim.

[Ysabel Kid]

Need a like button!

+1

[Ray]

If this link works properly there is an article apropos to this post.......

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KBW-tp ... q6wF-/view

Scroll down to page three.

[junkbug]

The “heavy load” is one mighty load out of an Italian clone revolver. Awesome!

[JimT]

Wow Ray ... that is ancient history right there! Amazing that it is still around and available. Thanks my friend!