The bulk of .45 Auto Rim ammunition was fired in the 1917 revolvers. Elmer Keith designed a semi-wadcutter bullet just for the short chambers of this revolver (238-grain Lyman #452423 – now sadly out of production but occasionally available on the used market). Short chambers are the one real failing of the .45 AR. The 1917s and even some modern 625s will not accept the longer 250-grain bullets, so the 200- to 240-grain SWCs are used. The 1955 Targets usually accept heavier bullets. Also, some of the modern runs of 625s will not function properly without moon clips when firing the .45 ACP. They simply will not headspace correctly unless .45 AR or clipped .45 ACP cartridges are used.
When the heavy barrel 1955 models came along, handloaders worked up combinations that gained a new respect for the .45 AR. With its heavy barrel, target stocks and full length ejector rod housing, the new revolver was heavier and more pleasant to use than any 1917. The .45 AR’s stronger head and the fact that the cartridge case is better supported in the revolver than the .45 ACP in the 1911 autoloader allowed the cartridge to considerably outperform the .45 ACP. The .45 AR is about as strong as a safe load in the Colt SAA in .45 Colt. For medium game and as a defense load, this is an outstanding caliber.
I appreciate the combat advantages of a .45 ACP revolver with moon clips, and have used this combination successfully in bowling pin shoots. But with top accuracy and hunting more my focus these days, I use the .45 AR for the most part. For informal shooting I sometimes use the more common .45 ACP brass without clips, although some revolvers lose accuracy potential when fired in this manner due to inconsistent headspacing. I have read comments from writers in the popular press who have stated that it is good to have a 1917 revolver on hand to shoot up your off-spec .45 ACP handloads. This is one short step up from lunacy. First, who wants to make up poor handloads? The revolver is more tolerant of light loads and a less than perfect crimp, true, but a high primer or less than perfect headspace is detrimental to revolver function. Pull those bad handloads and try again!
A fine set of adjustable sights goes a long way in achieving consistent accuracy. Smith and Wesson micro sights offer a good sight picture and excellent adjustment.
These cartridges are clipped into two-round moon clips from Ranch Products. When loading a 50-round box for use in the .45 ACP revolver, these moon clips allow easy loading for immediate use – a good idea!
Some of the 625s are accurate but I maintain the 1955s (marked 25-5 in modern production) are the most accurate .45 AR revolvers. Remember, some revolvers will not use heavy bullets such as the 250-grain XTP or some 255-grain SWCs, so make up a dummy round or two before beginning your loading program.
I have used a large number of cast bullets in my revolvers. A handgun that is going to live with me must digest lead bullets. This proletarian diet offers good economy and accuracy. I have made use of the .45 AR’s great versatility in producing a number of gallery loads. Hornady’s .457-inch lead ball, intended for black powder revolvers, works just fine over 3.0 gr. of Bullseye or 5.0 gr. of Unique, for 550 to 650 fps, respectively. The round nose bullet doesn’t have much range but its power is respectable. At 15 yards, this load will cut one ragged hole. Be careful in ensuring that you crimp the round ball properly or you will sacrifice bullet pull and ignition will be erratic as a result. The neat 160-grain SWC offered by Hunter’s Trail performs well, too. For teaching a novice to shoot, this is a fine bullet with good accuracy but little recoil. 4.0 gr. of Bullseye is all that is needed. This is a hard-cast bullet that will not lead if loaded a bit hotter, but I have not done so. It is a good light bullet for target use at moderate range and really does the business.
These light bullets are really trick bullets but that’s fine – they serve a real purpose. The more appropriate weights begin at 185 grains. I have to say that a special bullet that has impressed me is the Star 185-grain SWC HP. I have used quite a few in the .45 Auto. It’s a swaged bullet, and its accuracy is outstanding with leading not too bad if velocity is kept below 900 fps. I wondered if the hollowpoint was for balance or if the bullet would expand in ballistic media. Only when I began to load these bullets in the .45 AR did I test expansion. I was surprised! Beginning at 750 fps the bullets expanded, and at 850 fps expansion was impressive. This would be a fine small game bullet, even a defense bullet for home use. As a bonus, accuracy is excellent and recoil light. Unlike jacketed bullets, you do not have to push this bullet hard to achieve expansion.
200-grain SWCs are nearly always accurate, and if driven fast enough they can be good hunting bullets. Ejected from my BallistiCast mold at 205 grains, the 200-grain SWC is especially accurate. When I go the store-bought route, Oregon Trail and Leadhead have given fine results.
A heavier bullet is the 225-grain flat-point so popular in the .45 ACP. This bullet is murder on bowling pins, far more effective than the 230-grain RNL. That little flat on the nose simply does the business. The 225-grain FP is a compromise, as a true SWC often is a bit harder to stuff in the cylinders quickly when using moon-clipped .45 ACP ammunition in competition. When shooting IDPA I use RNL bullets, but for pins you have got to have a flat point or SWC for effect. Simply because they are available and inexpensive, I have used many 230-grain RNL bullets in the .45 AR, always with good results. The last batch was from Magnus bullets. Heavier are the 250-grain bullets from Oregon Trail. Designed for the .45 Colt, I have enjoyed these bullets to no end. They hit hard even at moderate velocity and give a resounding WHACK! on meeting steel plates. I like that. The 255-grain Dry Creek Bullet Works SWC is efficiency in lead at its best, an accurate bullet that gives good accuracy. While all of these bullets have good points and some are more fun than others to use, if I were limited to only one or two, the 200-grain SWC and the 225-grain FP would get the nod.
If you are using one of the 1917 revolvers, sight regulation is an issue and the lighter and heavier bullets may not be viable, even if the heavy bullets will work in the short 1917 cylinder. The 230-grain bullets will generally strike an inch or two high at 25 yards while the 200-grain bullet will strike to the point of aim. Lighter bullets can be really low, on the order of four inches, with no easy way to adjust the sights, unless you wish to permanently sight the gun by file work for the lighter bullets. There are none of these problems with the 1955 target models. You may be able to raise bullet impact in a fixed-sight revolver by increasing barrel time, i.e., by lowering velocity, but in doing so you necessarily degrade performance a bit. Conversely, you can usually lower point of impact by increasing the velocity, provided you don’t exceed published load data and don’t mind the possibility of increased leading.
In jacketed bullets, the 185-grain bullets may offer excellent accuracy and good expansion. I have enjoyed excellent results with the 185-grain Sierra in both regards. I admit to less experience with the Nosler but it too has given good results. The original bullet weight Browning envisioned when working with the fledging .45 ACP was 200-gr. s, but the Army demanded a 230-grain bullet. The 200-grain bullet often offers good balance betweeen the two. The 200-grain Hornady XTP, at 1000 fps, will penetrate 16 inches or more of ballistic media and open to .68 caliber. Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat prefers this bullet to any other and offers a special load from his shop using this bullet. Accuracy is good. The standard 230-grain weight bullets are still the best choice in jacketed hollowpoints for all around use. The XTP offers the most penetration, the Sierra opens the quickest, and the Gold Dot offers a good balance of expansion and penetration. A largely overlooked choice is the Winchester 230-grain JHP, offered in bulk quantities. This bullet expands like a heavy Silvertip, with excellent repeatability – it works from 800 fps with best results about 860 fps. I would feel very comfortable with this bullet in a personal defense load. For a general defense and hunting load, the 230s offer a fertile field. I think the hunter will probably prefer the XTP but the others offer considerable utility.
The Montana Gold bullets in both FMJ and hollowpoint form are designed for match grade accuracy. I am working my way through several thousand at this point. While I originally intended to use most in my GI .45s, the bullets have proven accurate in my .45 AR loads. I prefer a bullet that can be