Re-loading for Colt mod. 1917 using moon clips

[james47]

Any suggestions on loading Georgia Arms 200gr. .452 LSWC (I have almost 300 of these bullets) in a Colt Army 1917 mild load with Moon Clips. My Lyman 47th. starts with 4.0gr. 231 @ 694 fps 9200 c.u.p. Unique starts with 5.0grs. for 670 fps and a c.u.p. pf 7,700 the OAL is listed for 1.161.
Anybody shootin' 200 gr. .452 lead swc in a 1917 Army that might have any help, do's and don'ts.
Thanks Jimmy

[Oyeboten]

You might want to check your Cylinder Bores and Barrel Bore for diameter.

In my Colt M1917 Revolver, a .452 Bullet would barely even get any Rifeling impress at all, and, I have to use .454 Bullets of soft, pure Lead, for a decent enough fit.

[james47]

Yes I saw something about .454 in the M1917 but figured if the 452 works in a 1911??? I mean were the M1917 and the 1911 made with two slightly different size bore. Or maybe I've been shooting the wrong diameter in my 1918 mfg. auto.

[kenhwind]

The M1917 Colt revolver probably had a bore the same as used for the .45 Colt cartridge. Remember the 1917 revolvers were chambered for the .45 ACP, as an expedient measure to supplement the M1911 pistol.
I haven't owned one for several years and loaded for mine using the Auto Rim case and the .45 ACP bullet.

[james47]

Exactly my thoughts, I do suppose some barrels get 'shot out ' after some 90 years. I'm taking possession of a 1918 mfg. Army (M1917) revolver this week and will have to see what I see.

[Oyeboten]

As far as I have come to accept - Some Colt 1917 Revolvers will have .45 Colt Bores ( .454) , some will have .455 Eley Bores ( .454 ), some will have .45 ACP ( supposedly suited for .452 )Bores.

They all worked 'good enough' in the conditions of War, using .45 ACP Hardball, and or I doubt anyone checked to see if any rifeling impress was to be found, and or how much of it there was, on the fired Bullets under those conditions, anyway.


Jus' sayin'...

Never hurts to check one's Cylinder Bores and Barrel Bore, just so one knows...


Granted, some also will have increased in the Barrel Bore size doe to having had a lot of Hardball use, also...so, either way...

[james47]

That's what it is! May be barreled for 45 Colt or be barreled for the 45 apc, different bullet diameters.
I see now. Thanks

[Oyeboten]

I have heard that Colt was sometimes using Barrels initially slated for .45 Colt or .455 Webley and Stamped them "DA 45" and fitted them to the M1917. Possibly this was not intentional but occurred by accident or confusion in the rush of Orders at the time.

This is what one would call a 'rumor', but one of my own Colt M1917 Revolvers does have a larger Bore and Cylinder Bores than what would be appropriate for .45 ACP and, the other Colt M1917 I have, I have not checked yet, but I will try and do so sometime soon and report back.

[smkummer]

Using moon clips will help to get uniform ignition. This was a problem then as now with 45 acp brass not being consistant with case length and the moon clips will help short case ammmo fire. In both of my 1917 Colts, 452 cast lead bullets shot good enough to keep them in the black at 25 yards but I never compaired side to side with a python.

[haggis]

All Colt and S&W 1917's had barrel specs of 0.451" (S&W) - 0.452" (Colt) bore diameter and 0.445" land diameter (according to FM 23-35, Pistols and Revolvers, June 1946, pp.45-46). That doesn't mean that some barrels of different bore diameter weren't used, but they were not supposed to be. Groove depth was 0.0035" (Colt) and 0.003" (S&W). Jacketed .45ACP bullet diameter was 0.451"±0.0005". I doubt that Colt substituted a .45 Colt barrel (0.454") because:

• It's not likely that Colt would would systematically try to salvage a $2.50 barrel and risk a Government contract (or Government takeover).
• The only 5½" bolstered barrels that were available were 0.452" until after WWI.

That still leaves the possibility of worn tooling or post WWI modifications (or something else).

Buck